By John Corrado
James Gunn’s Superman is the former Marvel filmmaker’s attempt to reboot the DC Cinematic Universe. In doing so, Gunn is going back to the beginning by introducing a new Superman, with David Corenswet taking over the iconic role from Henry Cavill.
Gunn and Corenswet’s new version (and vision) of the character couldn’t be further from Cavill’s iteration in Zack Snyder’s much darker Man of Steel (or its sequels Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League), the last fresh start for the character in 2013.
This is a much more comic book-inspired film; at times cheesy and even a little goofy, but also colourful and big-hearted. It’s a net-win, I suppose, with Corenswet admirably filling the optimistic shoes of the character, and providing a version of Superman for a new generation.
This Superman is also more vulnerable, as we see in the Arctic-set opening scene, with Corenswet’s Superman crash-landing in the snow minutes after he has been defeated in battle by the armoured Ultraman, acting on behalf of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). He whistles for superdog Krypto, who drags him to his Fortress of Solitude. In keeping with the more cartoony elements, we get a lot of the very cute CGI mutt Krypto throughout the film.
We then cut back to Metropolis, where Superman’s alter-ego Clark Kent is an intrepid Daily Planet reporter granting himself “exclusive interviews” with the hero, and in a new relationship with fellow reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Our hero is in hot water after stopping the fictional country of Boravia – an American ally – and its leader Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Burić) from invading neighbouring Jarhanpur. This conflict is what sets the plot in motion, with the public starting to turn against our alien hero from Krypton (allowing Gunn to work in a pro-immigrant message).
If Superman is pretty good as a comic book movie, it’s clunky and heavy-handed as a real world geopolitical allegory. The Boravia-Jarhanpur conflict can be read as an imperfect and frustratingly simplistic stand-in for the Israel-Gaza war (i.e., did an October 7th terrorist attack happen in this universe to spark the conflict?). Gunn has said that this connection isn’t intentional, with the script having been written before the current war broke out in 2023, but it’s also not exactly hard to see why many have viewed the film through this lens.
There are also some pacing issues. At 129 minutes, the film feels rushed in places, which mutes some of the character development. There’s an extended argument scene between Clark Kent and Lois Lane that feels like it comes too early in the film, with it being one of the first times that we really see them together in Lois’s apartment.
The introduction of the Justice Gang – Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) – also makes the film feel a bit overstuffed, like it is juggling a few too many characters. While it’s somewhat refreshing that Gunn chose to forego making this another origin story for Superman, it can also feel a bit too much like laying the groundwork for yet another multi-character cinematic universe, which softens some of its focus on the core relationships.
If Christopher Reeve’s performance in the 1978 film and its sequels remains the gold standard for portraying Superman onscreen (with Brandon Routh trying to follow in his footsteps in 2006 reboot Superman Returns), Corenswet fits in as a modern take on the character. The other highlight is Hoult’s Lex Luthor, a performance that allows the actor to go big while still portraying him as a somewhat grounded villain.
This is a James Gunn film, complete with all of the humour and pop rock needle drops. The approach might seem like less of a natural fit for Superman than it was for Guardians of the Galaxy or The Suicide Squad, but Gunn mostly makes the character fit his style. Yes, the film is a little messy and uneven in places, but one could also argue this is part of its charm. It’s a largely enjoyable blockbuster, that has understandably gained even more passionate supporters.
The new score by composers John Murphy and David Fleming does a nice job of forging its own path, while paying tribute to John Williams’ famous theme from the 1978 film. Henry Braham’s colourful cinematography often pops, and we get impressive visual effects in the more heavily sci-fi scenes (such as in a “pocket universe”), all of which look quite eye-popping on the reference quality 4K Ultra HD disc.
Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)
Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):
The 4K disc also includes a strong selection of bonus materials, with nearly two hours of behind-the-scenes content in total. A code for a digital copy is also included in the package, which ships with a nice lenticular slipcover that alternates between showing Clark Kent and Superman.
• Adventures in the Making of Superman (58 minutes, 58 seconds): The centrepiece of the bonus features is this hour-long piece, which takes us through the production month-by-month, including a candid discussion of the spirited debate that happened between Gunn and Corenswet around the impassioned speech that Superman delivers late in the film.
• Breaking News: The Daily Planet Returns (5 minutes, 26 seconds): A closer look at the detailed production design of the Daily Planet office, with an impressive practical set that was built at an old train station in Georgia.
• Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain (5 minutes, 22 seconds): Looks at Hoult’s portrayal of Lex Luthor, as a more complex, real world villain.
• The Justice Gang (10 minutes, 31 seconds): A look at the Justice Gang characters and how they were brought to the screen.
• Paws to Pixels: Krypto is Born (5 minutes, 48 seconds): A nice overview of bringing Krypto to life through mo-cap and visual effects, with the character inspired by Gunn’s own rescue dog.
• The Ultimate Villain (5 minutes, 8 seconds): Explores the design of Ultraman, and how Lex Luthor uses him to fight Superman in the film.
• Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy (6 minutes, 7 seconds): Briefly looks at the iconic characters of Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, and the chemistry between the trio of actors portraying them.
• A New Era: DC Takes Off (4 minutes, 43 seconds): Gunn talks about rebooting the DC Cinematic Universe, with the featurette also setting up next year’s spin-off Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie.
• Kryptunes: The Music of Superman (6 minutes, 34 seconds): Composers John Murphy and David Fleming talk about their approach to scoring the film, including the fuzzy, Hendrix-inspired electric guitar cover of the iconic John Williams theme that was heard in the trailer
• Krypto Short – School Bus Scuffle (5 minutes, 33 seconds): A cartoony animated short following a series of events set in motion by Krypto chasing a rogue pigeon.
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