His suit is a bit loose, yes…..but the execution of the project fits like a glove.
James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ is everything you want in a comic book movie. I’ll even go this far….with the various universes expanding at a dizzying rate, I dare say this could be the movie that rescues the cinematic superhero genre. And while the film itself isn’t perfect, the reason it succeeds is simple; connectivity. Here’s a movie that not only understands its target audience, but respects it enough to deliver EXACTLY what fans want. The nostalgia is there, and so is respect for the individual known as the Man of Steel.
Making the bold decision to bypass the origin of the titular character (it does catch us up over where the dude came from, why he’s here, etc., etc., though it cleverly does so over some uber quick visual verbiage), the movie kicks off with Kal-El (David Corenswet) crashing to earth after a bruising loss to a new foe – the Hammer of Boravia, a robot-clad rep of an Eastern European nation that has unceremoniously kicked Superman’s keester during an attempt to stave off an invasion that could spark a global conflict. He’s rescued by Krypto the SuperDog, sure to be the breakout star of this venture….and keep in mind, we’re only a few minutes in. Yes, this is gonna be good.
And it IS good, even….yup, let’s make it official….great. ‘Superman’ is a busy movie, as are most ventures inspired by the comics. We have some characters from the bench (Guy Gardner, a.k.a. Green Lantern, played with cocky zeal by Nathan Fillion….Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, a hero dripping with sass….Anthony Carrigan from TV’s ‘Barry’ as Metamorpho, as tragic a character as they go….and Isabela Merced…yo, is that DORA?!….as Hawkgirl, an impressive visual wonder, even though she’s not granted a ton of heavy lifting in this one). And then, there’s the marquee bad guy, Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hault blows away all recent stabs at this iconic villain, oozing narcissism and a hunger for power – though, those facets are expected. What isn’t is a startling pinch of humanity. Plus, for reasons I won’t mention here….his character is flowing with more than, shall we say, a hint of monarchal entitlement (current events, anyone?), and he exudes that like a pro.
Rachel Brosnahan brings some kick to Lois Lane as well, who clearly loves Superman, but refuses to fawn over him like a fan girl. Shades of Margot Kidder. And speaking of nods to the great ones, Corenswet is quite the find as Superman/Clark Kent. Not only does this dude physically resemble Henry Cavill, his performance echoes the greatest of them all, Christopher Reeve; he’s bold, but he ain’t fearless. He’s kind, but don’t push him. And he’s vulnerable….and ain’t afraid to show it.
It’s exactly that throwback aspect that makes ‘Superman’ such a refreshing gem. Gunn brings his magical touch, executed SO well in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ franchise, in marinating his product with juuuuuust the right amount of humor. Too much, and it would be sheer cheese. But carefully balanced? It’s fun. And if I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again….comic book movies are SUPPOSED to be fun.
