By George & Josh Bate
A new era for DC Comics movies begins with the release of Superman. With the ill-fated DC Extended Universe (DCEU), spearheaded by Zack Snyder, officially at an end, DC Studios leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran attempt to build a new sprawling universe of interconnected movies and television series, beginning with the first Superman-centric movie in over a decade. Much is riding on the film as the future of the newly birthed DCU seems at stake even before it has even truly begun. Unfortunately, despite sporting a pitch-perfect Superman played by David Corenswet and proving to be relentlessly engaging from start to finish, James Gunn’s inaugural DCU movie ultimately disappoints.
Superman takes place three years after its titular hero (David Corenswet) made his first public appearance. After unilaterally intervening to stop a war between two countries, the Man of Steel finds himself embroiled in a conflict engineered by the resentful Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) that sees his motivations scrutinized by the public and his relationship with his girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) put to the test.
In kicking off a new cinematic universe, Gunn departs from the approaches of Kevin Feige with the MCU and Zack Snyder with the DCEU in plummeting audiences into an already established world in which metahumans have existed for centuries, Superman has been around for a few years, and things like black holes, pocket universes, and portals aren’t groundbreaking. In doing so, Gunn opts against a streamlined origin tale for Superman, instead populating the inaugural DCU feature with pre-existing lore and no shortage of characters. This introduction to a new cinematic universe runs the risk of being overwhelming, but a primary focus on Superman as the story’s focal point and succinct worldbuilding to lay the foundation for the universe means this approach pays off (for the most part).
Much like George Lucas’ original Star Wars, James Gunn’s Superman begins with an opening crawl and proceeds to throw audiences into a story that has already started. Gunn doesn’t take his foot off the brakes from this somewhat abrupt start for the entire 2+ hour runtime as he crafts a film that breezes by at a pace that rivals the speed with which Superman flies around the world. There is very little downtime and not a moment wasted, which, while fostering a suffocating viewing experience at times, ensures that engagement and interest don’t decline for a single second.
Aiding in the suffocating nature of the film’s brisk pacing is a nauseating and self-indulgent directing style. In nearly every scene, even in the most mundane of dialogue sequences, Gunn employs dizzying and unnecessary camera movement. At times, especially during action sequences, such dynamic directing adds a flair and energy, but overwhelmingly it creates unintentional disorientation and proves distracting. Rather than let his actors, production design, score, etc. do the talking, Gunn’s directing sees the filmmaker insert himself too much into the movie and, in turn, prioritizes style over substance far too often.
Despite such puzzling and diverting filmmaking, Superman himself is a resounding success. David Corenswet embodies both Superman and Clark Kent with a precision and emotional intelligence never seen on-screen before, delivering a performance that even rivals the legendary Christopher Reeve as the character. Corenswet, whose previous works include Pearl and Twisters, seamlessly steps into the spotlight of a massive blockbuster and commands the screen with an enigmatic, charming, and empathic presence. As opposed to the more emotionally blunted turn from Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, Corenswet brings much needed humanity, vulnerability, and, most strikingly, groundedness to Superman as he crafts a hero worthy of adoration and attention. Although scenes in which Corenswet is Clark Kent are surprisingly sparse in the grand context of the film, the actor deftly adjusts his body language and vocal intonation while playing Clark as opposed to Kal-El. This is perhaps best evidenced in a scene in which Clark, Lois, and Jimmy Olsen discuss Superman’s recent geopolitical maneuvers and Corenswet quickly shifts his tone of voice and stature when defending Superman, before returning to the more meek and bumbling Clark Kent. The most resounding testament to the strength of Corenswet’s performance though is the fact that he shines and captivates even when the movie around him falters.
The plot follows Lex Luthor’s pursuit of Superman, but uses a dull conflict between two fictional countries as a proxy for their rivalry. The dispute, which evokes the current conflict between Israel and Palestine, takes up far too much space and overstuffs an already packed film. Rather than shelve this conflict after it served its initial purpose, Gunn doubles down on its presence in the film, keeping it prominent until the very end despite how tired and uninspired it is.
The same terms can be used to describe the rivalry between Lex Luthor and Superman. Nicholas Hoult, who was a finalist to play Superman before Corenswet won the role, plays an obnoxious and annoying, rather than intimidating and unnerving, Luthor. While not as quirky or strange as Jesse Eisenberg’s recent portrayal of the character, Hoult plays Luthor so over-the-top that his performance renders the film’s primary antagonist more of a caricature than a character. Hoult is an outstanding actor, as demonstrated with recent turns in Nosferatu and The Menu, but seems to be miscast as the big bad facing off against Superman. Admittedly, the English actor grows into the role, especially in a third act in which Lex’s anger becomes more notable, although there is still something offputting and comical about his portrayal.
While Gunn’s movie stumbles when focused on Lex, it is redeemed through Rachel Brosnahan’s superb performance as Lois Lane and her enthralling chemistry with Corenswet. A sharply written scene early on in the film sees Lois interview Clark about the recent geopolitical conflict, with the couple trading blows in a conversation that exists somewhere between endearing and hostile. The scene plays exceptionally well and, in just a few moments, gives audiences a more convincing Clark and Lois than ever seen in a feature film before. Both actors truly shine when they share the screen together, which is unfortunately not as much as one would hope or expect. Amidst a rather dull plotting and messy directing and editing, one can’t help but continually want to get back to scenes in which Clark and Lois simply share dialogue and showcase their magnetic chemistry.
Also proving captivating are Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific respectively. In an ambitious film with a multitude of moving pieces, the inclusion of the Justice Gang, consisting of Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl, threaten to overstuff matters, but, thanks to careful writing and strong performances, their roles are a welcomed addition. Fillion, who sports Gardner’s iconic bowl cut haircut from the comics, chews up the scenery as the overconfident, yet somehow likable, jerk of a superhero. The longtime James Gunn collaborator is responsible for some of the film’s best laughs and contributes to the more engaging action sequences. While Isabela Merced is disappointingly underused as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi plays a surprisingly large role and brings a hilarious stoicism and technicality to his performance as Mr. Terrific. Gathegi has a Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon quality about him as he huffs and puffs his way through the film with great comedic effect.
In terms of supporting players though, the true standout of Superman is none other than Krypto. Like Mr. Terrific, Superman’s superpowered dog features in an unexpectedly important role. Krypto is easily responsible for the film’s funniest and most heartfelt moments, which will resonate strongly with anyone who adores their pet (even when they’re not on their best behavior). The visual effects to bring Krypto to life are flawless, as is the way in which the actors interact with the CGI dog and the prominence with which Gunn affords the lovable canine. No element of the film had the crowd we saw the movie with roar with laughter and enthusiasm as much as Krypto.
Unlike Gunn’s trio of Guardians films and despite the filmmaker championing how wholesome his latest effort is, Superman falls short of being heartfelt. Attempts are certainly made to evoke emotion and tap into a message of kindness, primarily through Clark’s parents Ma and Pa Kent (played by Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince respectively), but there is never a moment that comes close to how powerful, moving, and even tear-inducing Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy was. On the contrary, Gunn’s attempts to elicit strong emotions in Superman largely fall flat and even teeter on the border of saccharine. For us, this may be the film’s most disappointing element as we believe Gunn’s outstanding quality as a filmmaker is his propensity to be so heartfelt in the context of fantastical stories, something sorely lacking here.
VERDICT: 6/10
The new DCU begins with a pitch-perfect Superman in David Corenswet, who is deserving of a far better movie around him. James Gunn, the architect of the new DC cinematic universe, takes a page out of George Lucas’ book with Star Wars in introducing audiences to a story that has already begun and a world that has already been established without proving overwhelming or confusing. A tightly written script without a moment wasted fosters a rapid pace, which is hindered by nauseating and distracting directing that sees Gunn engage in excess camera movement and insert himself into the movie far too much, often at the expense of the actors, production design, score, and other exceptional filmmaking elements. Despite Gunn’s self-indulgence, David Corenswet shines as Clark Kent and Superman with a commanding, enigmatic, and empathic performance that sees the actor seamlessly step into blockbuster fare and deftly navigate his dual roles with precision of body language and vocal intonation. Perhaps the greatest testament to the strength of Corenswet’s performance is how resoundingly it works even in the context of a dull story and poor villain. Corenswet also shares enthralling and magnetic chemistry with the superb Rachel Brosnahan as a captivating, intelligent, and driven Lois Lane. Less successful, however, is the miscast Nicholas Hoult as the annoying and obnoxious, rather than intimidating, Lex Luthor and the unused Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. The true standout of the ensemble though comes in the form of Krypto, Superman’s superpowered canine that is responsible for the film’s greatest laughs and moments of triumph. Disappointingly though, Gunn’s version of Superman lacks arguably his outstanding quality as a filmmaker – a propensity to deliver heartfelt stories and strong emotion in the context of a fantastical story. Ultimately, without as much heart as one would expect and burdened by dull storytelling, a poor villain, and nauseating directing, Superman leaves a flawless performance from David Corenswet in desperate need of a better movie and begins the new DCU on shaky footing.