In 2013 Man of Steel was a divisive but successful intro to a new take on the DC universe. Sadly, the attempts at a Marvel-esque cinematic universe that followed largely disappointed, leading to the series being canned after several flops. In 2022 Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn and his longtime producer Peter Safran were brought on to reboot the DC universe, and now we get the first big entry in the franchise (The Suicide Squad and some TV shows I believe are technically included but this feels like the big start).
As the title obviously suggests, the film follows Superman. Rather than give us the origin story I would have expected though, Gunn's new take on the character places us three years into Clark Kent's reign as Superman amidst a world already accustomed to "metahumans." After interfering in a geographical conflict, Superman's ideals are put into question while evil billionaire Lex Luthor stakes the fire of people's doubt in him.
Admittedly I'm not huge on Superman as a character, but he has grown on me. This is far from a perfect movie, but I'm glad to say that Gunn won me over here, thanks largely to the casting of a lot of key characters. He doesn't reach the iconography of Christopher Reeve or the grit of Henry Cavill, but I thought David Corenswet was great. I wish we got to see more of the Clark Kent side of him, but I found his balance of the cereal-box do-gooder and a man grappling with the weight of his decisions really strong. He has the look down and the charisma to match. A key part of Superman/Clark Kent though is Lois Lane, and that's a very strong point. Rachel Brosnahan is perfect as the iconic love interest, showcasing an agency I don't think we've seen from a portrayal of Lane, and without a doubt looking the part. Brosnahan and Corenswet's chemistry is incredible, and one of my biggest complaints is that we just didn't get enough of them on screen together. Nicholas Hoult's take on Lex Luthor also may be my favourite portrayal of the character. He is very bald, something I wasn't sure about Hoult pulling off but it works, and his performance is full of billionaire narcissism and an utter hatred for Superman that I had a ton of fun with.
The ensemble has a lot of characters that were given posters and casting announcements but barely did anything, but there are also some standouts amidst them. Skyler Gisondo is an absolute delight as Jimmy Olsen, not doing anything new for him but radiating a ton of charm. Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific is the epitome of cool, I didn't know the character before but I was hooked every time he was on screen. Isabela Merced as Hawk Girl doesn't have many big moments but she was solid, and Nathan Fillion overcame my concerns about his terrible bowl cut to deliver a very fun Green Lantern performance. Aside from Luthor, the villains aren't really anything to write home about, but we get the bald man in all his glory so that's okay.
Where I start to have faults with the film is in the story. I would have preferred an origin story to kick off the universe, but I don't mind that this is set in a pre-established world. I do think it robs us of what could be some great stuff between Clark and Lois, as well as showing where Luthor's hatred comes from, but I still enjoyed the decision to throw us in a world already inhabited by these characters. My issue is that the film is ultimately shoving too much into one movie. The ideas and set pieces are just too big for a film that is also introducing us to this take on the character, so in turn things are at times egregiously rushed and both storylines and characters don't get enough time to flesh themselves out. Things become cataclysmic in a way that feels like it would be better suited for a second or third film rather than our introduction. As I mentioned before, there is so much potential in the chemistry between Cornswet and Brosnahan but we just don't get to see enough of them together, instead bouncing ourselves between several different storylines without any having quite enough time to stick the landing. There is also a key piece to the climax that I just didn't think was earned with this being the first film.
Visually it can be a mixed bag, there are some interesting cinematography choices that make this a pretty damn fun watch. Scenes that rely on green screens can look a bit off, but when Gunn brings the camera close there are some pretty great visual moments. The music also manages a great blend of the old school Superman themes and some more modern blockbuster vibes. I do just wish the visuals were a bit cleaner and less CGI heavy. All in all, I was hesitant going in but Gunn won me over. I do think we'll need to see other filmmakers get some creative control so this whole franchise isn't just Gunn's style, but I found this to be a win for him, and I truly can't wait to see more of this cast. 3.5/5
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