Movie Review: SUPERMAN

The knock on the previous films in the Zach Snyder versions of the DC comics’ films is that the tone of the films - and the characters - was way too dark.

So…DC brought in James Gunn (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) to lighten things up while also bringing some deep cuts of the DC Comics oeuvre to the silver screen. You can see the seeds of what will be when Gunn helmed 2021’s SUICIDE SQUAD (the one with Idris Elba, NOT the one with Will Smith) and the fun TV Series THE PEACEMAKER (w/John Cena playing things with his tongue firmly in his cheek).

And…with his debut as the boss of DC Films, Gunn pays off the seeds as his SUPERMAN brings a brand of light-heartedness and geekery to a film (and a character) that could have been square and stodgy but, instead, seems modern and…human!

Gunn shows off his “geek-ery” as he throws some deep cut characters at you on the screen with nary an introduction or explanation. This approach is jarring for the 1st half of the film as one is trying to make sense of the rather rat-a-tat-tat style of filmmaking. The first hour feels more like a series of scenes rather than pieces of a cohesive whole cloth, but in the 2nd hour, Gunn DOES sew these seeds together and it will be interesting to rewatch this film knowing these characters a little better to see if the first half holds together better.

As is his custom, Gunn has cast this film strongly with newcomer David Corenswat ably filling in the tights (and cape) of the Man-of-Steel with an aplomb that belies his relative lack of big screen experience. Rachel Brosnahan is also up to the task of modernizing and filling in the role of Ace Reporter Lois Lane and the chemistry between the 2 leads leaps off the screen. There is an extended dialogue scene between Lois and Clark/Superman in the first half of the film that anchors things, but almost feels like it is from a different (more seriou film than what has preceded (and proceeds from) it, which adds to the disjointedness of the first hour of the film. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a GREAT scene establishing character and chemistry, but almost doesn’t belong with the rest of the film.

As for the rest of the film, Gunn throws things at you at a fast and furious pace. From Lex Luthor (a very angry Nicholas Hoult) and his band of bad guys, The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), Eve (Sara Sampaio), Otis (Terence Rosemore) and the mysterious Ultraman (to say who this is would be to spoil it) to the gang at the Daily Planet, Editor Perry White (an underused Wendell Pierce), the best Jimmy Olson ever put on screen (Skyler Gisondo) to a “what is this character doing here”, Sports Reporter Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett chewing scenery like he was starving) to Ma and Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vance and Neva Howell), Gunn assumes you know who they are and spends NO TIME setting them up.

But he doesn’t stop there, Gunn brings in Green Lantern (Gunn “Good Luck Charm” Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) and, especially, Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and spends NO TIME introducing them and their talents/backstory. You just need to accept them and their superpowers and roll with it.

Oh…and did I mention…Superdog?

All-in-all a fun, professionally done, Superhero movie that assumes the audience is adult enough to “get it” or at least “roll with it” and that’s what the BankofMarquis recommends you do - go in to have a good time and roll with what is thrown at you, don’t worry about things that might have been thrown past you, and sit back and be entertained in the dark in a movie theater.

And…isn’t that what going to the movies is all about?

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)