Superman Review: James Gunn’s Take on the Man of Steel is a Whirlwind Ride of Cinematic Comic-Book Spectacle and Narrative Mishmash
It’s the dawn of a new era for Superman and a significantly huge gamble for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, reportedly costing US$225 (or higher) million to make. Besides, they already previously tried and failed the first time around during their erratic DC Extended Universe (DCEU) tenure that ran from 2013 to 2023. Spearheaded by Zack Snyder, he began promisingly with the Henry Cavill-led Man of Steel, ushering in a then-new beginning of a Superman movie that was a far cry from the bright and optimistic Christopher Reeve era.
Instead, it was more of a bleak version that echoes the brooding look and feel of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight-like template, resulting in mixed responses. Personally, I like the approach that Snyder has taken for Man of Steel, reflecting the 2010s sociopolitical shifts at the time. And after recently revisiting the movie, I still find this otherwise polarising take to be one of the best Superman movies ever made. Cavill was a great Clark Kent/Superman, and when I learnt he’s no longer needed in James Gunn’s do-over in his all-new DC Universe (DCU) after the latter decided to hit the reset button, I admit it’s hard to accept at the beginning.
With Cavill out and David Corenswet taking over the mantle, it was no doubt he has big shoes — or should I say, boots — to fill. Is Corenswet the right man for the job? And more importantly, given Gunn’s past superhero movie filmography is leaning more on the comedy side, seen in his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad, I have my doubts that his Superman might be too jokey or cheesy for its own good.
So, after spending a shorter-than-expected 129 minutes (!) watching Superman on the big screen, the movie has its fair share of ups and downs. He doesn’t bore us with the details about repeating his oft-told origin story from Jor-El and Lara placing their baby Kal-El inside the rocket to be set on course for planet Earth before the dying Krypton blew off into smithereens, to how Jonathan and Martha Kent first discover the baby and so on.
Instead, Gunn jumps straight to the point, opening his Superman movie in media res as Corenswet’s titular role is already a fully-formed Superman fighting against enemies, including his arch-rival, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). He’s already a reporter at Daily Planet working alongside his colleague, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and they are even currently dating each other. Gone is the dark and gritty Superman that defined the Henry Cavill era, replaced by a more humanistic and upbeat Corenswet’s big blue boy scout.
This might irk the fans who have already grown accustomed to Cavill’s version, but at current uncertain times like this, the reintroduction of Superman that embodies a beacon of hope couldn’t be more timely. Corenswet proves to be the right pick for the role, and while I admit it took me a while to get used to watching him donning the New 52-inspired collar design as opposed to the traditional broad and wide collar type, he successfully brings altruism, heroic personality and at times, a dash of levity without coming across as a total dork.
He shares good chemistry with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, whose feisty reporter role stands out on her own. The only gripe I have about Corenswet’s character is that I wish Gunn could bring equal focus on him in a Clark Kent mode. Hoult does a good job playing the megalomaniac tech billionaire genius Lex Luthor, whose sole purpose is getting rid of Superman.
As for the rest of the cast, Nathan Fillion provides a decent comic relief as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, even though his character’s otherwise iconic bowl cut looks visually awkward seeing his distinct hairstyle in live action than the one in the comic books. Isabela Merced doesn’t get to do much here as Hawkgirl, while Edi Gathegi surprises me the most in his scene-stealing supporting turn as the hilariously deadpan Mister Terrific.
Gunn even throws him one of the movie’s most memorable set pieces: a one-man fight against Luthor’s army seamlessly shot in a continuous long take from a unique perspective. Then, there’s Krypto, whose hyperactive personality tends to irritate Superman, bringing in some cute and amusing moments, but thankfully doesn’t succumb to annoying levels.
From the technical standpoint, Gunn embraces the bright colour palette that ideally reflects the movie’s overall fantastical vibes. As proven in his past superhero movies, he has an eye for spectacular comic-book action. Taking a cue from Top Gun: Maverick, the way Corenswet’s Superman takes flight regardless of his character zooming up the sky equivalent to a Mach 5 speed or battling against the foes mid-air looks visually captivating on IMAX. His dynamic camerawork is put to good use to maximise the visceral impact shown during the battle scenes, notably Superman’s thrilling stadium fight against the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) and the non-speaking, fully-masked Ultraman.
As much as I enjoy Superman to a certain degree, I just can’t help but find Gunn’s screenplay lacks the much-needed emotional depth and, above all, a substantial clarity in his storytelling. For all the geeky and colourful vibes that he injects into Superman that may please comic-book fans, the movie overcrowds itself with too many things going on at once. The story has the weird tendencies of jumping from one patchy and even rushed plot point to another, while Gunn tries hard to balance the chaotic goings-on with quieter moments such as Clark’s downtime with Pa Kent, played by Pruitt Taylor Vince in a sadly thankless role back in Smallville, to mixed results.
Perhaps a longer runtime would help for the better to even out the narrative thread, if Gunn’s intention isn’t just zeroing in on Superman’s character arc. The tone tends to spread all over the place, or dare I say, jarring, going from something familiar to downright out-there eccentrics that the word “coherence” doesn’t seem to apply in Gunn’s filmmaking vocabulary.
The CGI is a mixed bag of good, bad and strangely cartoonish, with the latter’s kaiju monster scene, among others, coming to mind. The movie has plenty of humour, which is expected coming from Gunn and the result? A hit-and-miss. John Murphy and David Fleming’s score, in the meantime, doesn’t resonate as much as I get from John Williams and even Hans Zimmer in the past Superman movies.
As for now, Superman is far from a great start. It sure has its few moments of rousing entertainment values and a stellar cast, but the disjointed storytelling and tonal inconsistency prevent this from soaring higher to the stratosphere. With the upcoming Milly Alcock-led Supergirl already wrapped filming and set for next June release, here’s hoping the second movie in the DCU would be a marked improvement by then.
