Posted in: Movies, Review, Warner Bros | Tagged: David Corenswet, dc studios, james gunn, nicholas hoult, rachael brosnahan, superman, Warner Bros

Superman Feels Like a Silver Age DC Comic Come to Life {Review}

Superman is a flawed but very enjoyable beginning to a new era of DC films. David Corenswet is a fantastic Superman, and the score is epic.

Superman flies back into theaters with the heavy burden of massive expectations on its back. While it manages to meet some of those big expectations, it does fall short in a few ways. New Man of Steel David Corenswet is very good in the title role, as are our new Lois and Lex, played by Rachael Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult. The whole cast does a fantastic job. The problems lie in a convoluted and overstuffed story with early pacing issues that take attention and focus away from the title hero way too often. Still, this is a solid Superman film and a good kickoff to this new era of DC on the big screen.

Superman Once Again: The Center Of The DC Universe

This feels unlike any superhero film put to screen so far, in a good way. Superman is a character who has been through it all and then some, and we have been presented with numerous different versions. James Gunn has chosen to show us a more campy and sci-fi-based Kal-El. As only Gunn can at a major studio these days, that leads to some wacky things that feel like a Silver Age DC comic brought to life. For the first time working in the superhero genre, however, he gets a little lost in those visuals to the detriment of the story he is telling. Even so, the visuals in this film are brilliant for the most part, with vibrant, bright colors replacing the dull and dark tones of the last few years of DC films. Where Gunn and the movie falter is at the beginning, while setting up the narrative he wants to end up in. Some of his setup needed work; as presented, it is bloated and messy, if not timely, and even a tad problematic. Even with a two-hour runtime, the film feels rushed in parts, as if Gunn wanted to skip the finer details almost on purpose because they didn't interest him. He also needs to be held responsible for the bullying of one of his female characters to the point of uneasiness. He tries to stick the landing, but it fails.

Superman is still somewhat inexperienced in his role as a hero at this point, and while Corenswet shines whenever he is on screen, it feels like the film's attention is constantly being pulled away from him. The entire cast is excellent, but there are too many characters, which was a widespread concern among fans heading into this. There is a bit too much going on, which leads to less time with Superman, and that's a bad thing. We don't get to explore as deeply as we would like with him, and even less time with the Clark side of his personality. What we do get that we haven't before is the less brawny side of the hero, the thoughtful and intellectual side, the scientist. Again, Silver Age fans of the character will flip. Seeing how much Superman cares for all life, not just humans, was an excellent choice, and it really hits hard with where we are in the world right now.

As stuffed as the film is with characters, after viewing it, the other heroes become essential to the story. Mr. Terrific and Guy Gardner, played by Edi Gathegi and Nathan Fillion, steal every scene they are in. Hawkgirl is way cooler than anticipated, as played by Isabela Merced. Hoult brings a coldness to Lex that we have not seen before, a brutal intensity that places his performance in the upper echelon of villains for all comic films. Brosnahan and Corenswet have enormous chemistry and provide just enough of that classic banter we want from them. When Lois goes into investigation mode, for a brief second, she takes over the movie, and it feels refreshing. Maybe we should get a Daily Planet movie or series so they can flesh out that corner of the DC Universe. The biggest reactions in the film come whenever Krypto is around, and there is no way you could leave this film with anything other than a smile when thinking about that very good, but very misbehaved, boy.

It would be impossible to discuss this Superman movie without referencing what has come before, and by that, we need to talk about the DCEU and its fans. So much has been made online about boycotts, petitions, and bullying that it seeps into the viewing experience a little when watching this film, because it is made a plot point. Nothing would surprise me more than learning that some of the vitriol expressed in the movie was taken directly from social media posts since the film, cast, and creatives were announced, and that is disheartening. The discourse has ruined numerous IP properties for many people, and not just through constant badgering about a film's quality or nitpicking without having seen it. It has even reached the point where everything must be better than what came before, or it is seen as a failure. There is no middle ground; there is no healthy debate. Only the soul-sucking discourse and constant chants of something that isn't perfect being "mid".

Another strong point of the film is its score, provided by John Murphy and David Fleming. Not since the John Williams 1978 classic has a Superman score felt so soaring and epic. The little theme written for Lois and Clark's interactions is going to get a lot of play, it has the whimsy and flair that reminds one of Leia's Theme from Star Wars. Those seeing the film in Dolby Atmos are in for a treat as far as the music is concerned.

Into that world, this Superman comes, and it is a breath of fresh air. As Corenswet's Superman delivers an excellent monologue to Hoult's Lex near the end of the film, he is not perfect: far from it. Nobody and nothing is. He is just trying to do his best. Is this a perfect film? Far from it, but the more it sits with you, the more it puts a smile on your face. It's a good, solid beginning for the new era of DC films, and that's all it needs to be, and that's okay. Now, let's get a proper Superman sequel this time, and let Corenswet, Brosnahan, and the rest of his supporting cast carry a film. Then, we will see just how high this Man of Steel can fly.

Superman

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Review by Jeremy Konrad

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7/10

Superman is a flawed but very enjoyable beginning to a new era of DC films. David Corenswet is a fantastic Superman, and the score is epic. Seeing it will put a smile on your face.

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