This Superman flick is a great movie. As in the case of Elio, I say that in direct contradiction of a coterie of social media blowhards who are trying to trash it and spread the word that it's a terrible piece of beat-you-over-the-head-with-the-message woketarditude. That is utter and complete balderdash. This is a great movie. I also say this at risk of turning off some movie fans, but I would back this James Gunn-directed movie against anything directed by Zack Snyder. I liked the Christopher Reeve series of Superman movies (though they fell off in quality toward the end). I actually enjoyed Superman Returns with Brandon Routh in the title role. And I think the world of Henry Cavill. But when I saw Snyder's Man of Steel and the series of movies that dribbled after it, and even when I re-saw some of them just to give them a fair shake, I couldn't like them. In fact, I thought, and still think, they are dreadfully written, filmed, edited and produced (by which I mean all the creative things from artistic design to costumes to dear-gawd-CGI). They are, and tune out now if you can't stand hearing this, lousy movies on every metric by which I know how to evaluate movies. They can't even make Henry Cavill look good, damn them.
Yes, that's an opinion of someone who on first viewing Morbius, when friends of mine were enthusiastically praising it, said I hated it and felt insulted by it. That's an opinion of someone who got a headache watching Fast and Furious, who took a long hiatus from watching horror flicks after seeing Jeepers Creepers, and who likes Guy Ritchie's League of Ungentlemanly Warfare despite listing his King Arthur: Legend of the Sword among movies so bad they piss me off. Take it for what it's worth. I'm not saying people who worship at the feet of Zack Snyder and who are spreading the rumor that Gunn's Superman sucks are tasteless idiots or anything. But as the proverb says, wisdom (like good taste) is known by her children.
In total contrast to Man of Steel (last mention, i promise), the new Superman is beautifully written, beautifully shot, filled with thoughtful character-building scenes, attractive imagery, a vivid color palate, camera movements that serve a narrative purpose, and action and special effects that don't leave you wondering what the hell is happening. It is devoid of muddiness, blur and weightless, uncanny valley-triggering digital cheats. It has a Superman who's maybe a bit more vulnerable than you'd expect him to be (but there turns out to be a legit reason for that), and despite not being a Henry Cavill fresh off The immortals, this Corenswet guy really looks good as both Clark and Kal-El. You feel his frustration, his feelings of betrayal and confusion, and ultimately, his courage and joy. He's a Superman your heart goes out to, and you become emotionally involved as other people's hearts start to turn toward him as well. The movie has lump-in-the-throat moments, laugh-out-loud moments and gosh-wow, awesome spectacles, fights and threats. And also, like I said, well-written scenes. It goes above and beyond expectations for a popcorn flick.
The cast deserves comment. I wasn't aware of having seen David Corenswet in anything before, but he did have a minor role in Twisters. I think his Superman strikes a beautiful balance between stoic, altruistic hero (the kind of guy who saves a squirrel from being crushed beneath a giant monster) and a very human, relatable dude (hence many of my "scenes that made it for me," below). Everyone seems to know Rachel Brosnahan, who's won major awards for her role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but I haven't seen it. As Lois Lane, she's a smart, tough, hard-hitting journalist with eyes wide enough open to crack the shell around her heart when Supes' true nature becomes apparent to her. A shaven-headed Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Great) plays a version of Lex Luthor who almost, but not quite, could be right if you follow the logic of his arguments (apart from being an evil bastard, of course). Anthony Carrigan, who wouldn't have to shave his head to play a comic book villain (e.g. Victor Zsasz in Gotham), instead plays a sympathetic mutant who can change parts of his body into other elements. Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), in a blond, pudding-bowl haircut, plays Green Lantern as something of a cocky idiot. Edi Gathegi (House and the Twilight franchise) gets a susprisingly big role as a superhero named Mr. Terrific (not Fantastic; that's another guy in an upcoming movie). Wendell Pierce, whom I know from TV's Eslbeth, plays Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet. Bradley Cooper has a small role as Kal-El's Kryoptonian father, Jor-El; Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Resident Alien) plays the lead robot at Supes' Fortress of Solitude; John Cena apears briefly as a superhero named Peacemaker; and I'm informed that Christopher Reeve's son, real-life news reporter Will Reeve, appears as a reporter in the movie.
And now for some Scenes That Made It For Me. I don't think I can restrict myself to just Three. (1) Clark's human father, who (against all odds) has somehow survived to the present day in this version, gives him some heartfelt advice when it's really needed. I appreciated the fact that this movies casts regular, unknown actors as John and Martha Kent, instead of beautiful middle-aged stars like Diane Lane and Kevin Costner (who deserved, and got, a better movie in which to play a couple – but I promised not to mention Man of Steel again, so sorry). Nevertheless, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent delivers a moving performance in that one brief scene. They're good, down-to-earth people, and I kind of love them for the way they love him. (2) Two scenes, that I'll count as one for the sake of this list, in which Clark and Lois have a private conversation in an apartment – first hers, then his. The former, when Lois interviews Clark as Superman, is the parade example of what I meant about this movie being well-written with well-blocked, character-building scenes. And it's well acted, too. The latter, when Clark tells her "I love you; I should have told you before," while metahumans battle an interdimensional imp in the background, is a visually and emotionally layered scene that I think turns a corner for Lois, in her understanding of Superman. (3) "Get the toy, Krypto." I love the dog. Superman's concern for him, despite him not being a very good dog (and not even, really, his dog, either), actually turns some gears in the plot machinery, including the disposition of Lois' heart with regard to Clark. He's cute, vexing and terrifying all at once. I'm talking about the dog, now.
There are a lot of Honorable Mentions, though: Like Mr. Terrific rolling his eyes at Superman's stated desire to save the giant monster rampaging through downtown Metropolis. Or Lois and the Daily Planet staff plunging off the roof of the newspaper building in Mr. Terrific's flying saucer (a laugh-out-loud moment for sure). Or Lois' incredulous "How do you do it?" when she notices the effect freckly, red-headed Jimmy Olson has on women. Or, particularly, her parting shot to Green Lantern: "Your haircut should be against your vows!"
Stop listening to the naysayers. They seem to have a vested interest in tearing things down that they couldn't begin to create, and calling things bad that they would know how to begin to do better. And in the case of this movie and others that I've enjoyed recently, they're just wrong. This is a terrific movie. It's a terrific Superman movie. And I wouldn't just see it again; I've already seen it twice. With, as aforesaid, no regrets!
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