Superman Movie Review

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Don’t want to wait too long to see this. If you do, everyone will hang it over your head that they saw it before you did. You don’t want that.

In James Gunn’s Superman, Superman (David Corenswet) is fighting Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, who has a crazed look in his eyes, which alone sells the evil in his soul. He’s so good. Hoult was only born to play this role. His Lex Luthor is magnificent! His Luthor isn’t fighting Superman face-to-face. He punches using the Hammer of Boravia, which is controlled by computers and a series of preplanned moves. Hammer is a giant who feels nothing, much like Luthor himself. Luthor watches his proxy with happiness and glee from his windows at Luthorcorp as an injured Superman, beaten for the first time, falls to the Earth.

He needs to heal. He needs to go home, the only place where he truly feels he belongs, although he sometimes manages to fit in with humans. The public sees Metahumans differently these days. Perhaps they’ve grown tired of them or are tired of them tossing large items flying through the air and crashing down, possibly on top of their cars? If that’s the case, Superman, who saves a squirrel when in the middle of trying to save humans at the same time, wouldn’t allow you to be hit with a building or a giant lizard/monster. He’ll get you out of any situation. He does have trouble helping himself sometimes, though.

To take Superman down in another way, Luthor uses monkey bots (a significant and clever scene) to constantly post on social media that Superman is a “Superspy,” sent to enslave everyone. He goes further, saying that Superman has been “Grooming us so he can dominate without resistance.” He even suggests Superman and his offspring will rule the Earth one day. Yes. Superman falls victim to social media hashtags and buzzwords. That’s never a good thing.

At one point, he ends up being trapped by Luthor. He’s in a cube, stuck in a Pocket Universe. However, this turns out to be a good thing because he happens to be in there with Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), who really needs some help retrieving his infant son. It’s out of the blue, bringing a baby into the story, but this conveys the fact that this movie has layers of love for family and even strangers, something Superman has never had a problem with. This has heart and is warm and sympathetic. You’ll feel devotion radiating from the screen. It’s a big part of what makes this Superhero movie such a good time.

We’re given Superman’s backstory through flashbacks and the use of Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who accompanies him to the Fortress of Solitude. There, we meet some of his clever robots and see Bradley Cooper in the role of his father, Jor-El. Superman likes to listen to his father speak through the message that was sent to Earth with him, but he has only ever heard half of the message. This plays a big part in the story when it comes to discovering what’s on the other half.

The sound in Gunn’s film is off the charts, and the score blew me away. The visual images are breathtaking. It’s very colorful, filling your eyes with much to see. Speaking of your eyes, I’d like to make sure you watch out for this special treat. Christopher Reeve’s son, Will Reeve, plays the character of “On the Ground Reporter.” Be on the lookout for him; he’s not easy to miss, and I’m sure you don’t want to.

DC can go a long way with this movie. It provides them with several characters to build upon and many fun directions to explore. My favorite was the on edge, Mr. Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi, who lays the attitude on thick for the role. He’s quite a character who can get under the skin, or charm, depending on what is needed for him to get what he wants out of you. You’ll love him.

This is a fantastic reboot. It can get somewhat cartoonish at times. Introducing us to the cape-sporting Krypto, Superman’s dog, gets a bit silly, but having a dog makes Superman more relatable.

So, let go of any expectations you may have from watching all the other films. Relax and go in with the expectation of being entertained, because that is what you will most certainly be. Stay for the end-credit scene and the introduction of a family member.

*It was shot using IMAX cameras, so see it at the IMAX theater near you if there is one.

*I had never heard the song “Punkrocker” by the Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop before, and now I can’t get enough of it. Be sure to check it out.

*I want to add, there seems to be a familiar feeling in their politics and ours at the moment within the storyline. There are a few words here or there that you may catch, such as the use of no Due Process for specific individuals. But maybe these are just scenes in a movie, and I’m reading too much into things.