Another year, another DC film universe reboot. Or at least that’s how it feels. Superman is the first entry in James Gunn’s DCU, tasked not only with introducing us to David Corenswet’s Man of Steel, but also debuting a universe already teeming with superheroes and villains running rampant.
Having seen countless Superman origin stories and DC universe inceptions, one of the most refreshing things about this new take is that we’re entering an already-established world. It does away with the whole upbringing narrative and correctly assumes everyone can fill in the blanks. Because it’s a universe with superheroes having existed for centuries prior, this is a very busy film… I’d even say too busy for the bulk of it. It’s another double-edged sword situation – on one hand putting Superman in a world rich with aliens, pocket universes and quirky characters is new and fun, but on the other hand it’s very bloated with a lot of moving pieces and many arcs to keep track of. The movie kicks off in the midst of a conflict – there’s no slow build and it gets moving immediately. It’s a fun start, but it’s the rate that the story introduces characters that makes it all a little overwhelming. It feels like yet another DC film that’s trying to set up too many things at once and not letting individual elements really breathe.
In the nicest way possible, this film has James Gunn written all over it. From the busy narrative to the comedy-focused tone, the cinematography and the action, if you’ve seen a Guardians of the Galaxy film this will all be very familiar to you. With time, all the moving pieces start to gel a lot better and it becomes a cohesive superhero film. Around an hour into the movie is where it turns into more of a comfortable watch with a clearer narrative progression and endgame. It has moved past all of its character introductions so it can really give Superman’s arc room to breathe. To be clear, it’s still very busy and moves along at a rapid pace, but by that point you’re more acclimated to the tone and world.
Speaking of the tone, it’s not quite as comedically geared as a Guardians film, but it’s still a lot more hinged around that comic book-style wit and silliness than a Zac Snyder-esque adventure. Some of it really works and hits the perfect comedic timing, while some is tonally jarring with what’s actually happening on screen. I personally prefer an adventure that’s a little more straight than comedic, and this one is certainly more comedic than straight. I mean, that’s what you’re going to get with a James Gunn film, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but even still it’s a touch overcooked. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 found a great middle-ground of raw emotion and comedy that worked and didn’t feel too tonally out of whack. Here it just felt like too many characters were hitting the quips any chance they got. Don’t get me wrong, when the jokes land, they’re great… but you can have too much of a good thing.
James Gunn’s reliance on comedy may be touch-and-go in Superman, but there’s no questioning the quality of the action. Each and every action sequence is a spectacle, captured in a way that highlights both the grand, world-ending scale and tight, close-quarters combat. One benefit of loading your film with characters is that you have a variety of combat styles at your disposal, and Gunn leverages them all. From Mr. Terrific’s memorable showdown to Superman’s opening aerial brawl, there’s plenty of excitement in the superhero action to offset the busy narrative. The impressive visuals aren’t just limited to the action – the scope of this highly stylised world is grand and sprawling with comic-like details. So many elements are like comic panels come to life, so I have to give Gunn credit where it’s due – this is the closest a Superman film has come to emulating its comic counterparts.
As far as the villain is concerned, I like this take on Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. Again, I think he falls slightly into the too campy and comedic territory as the rest of the story, but I like that he has a little more drive than the age-old “I want to take over the world”. In a way, his goal is a little more personal and traditional with the origins of the character, so I really like the approach. That, and Hoult is just an immensely talented actor and gives his all in transforming into the character. He’s a villain that I can see growing and becoming more menacing as this new DCU expands.
Performance-wise I think there’s a lot of good, but I need more to be sold on everyone’s casting. David Corenswet makes both a good Superman and Clark Kent, nailing the cool, nerdy vibe of Clark and the dominating, peace-keeping aura of Supes. Being an introduction to the character, I think there’s still more work to be done with fleshing him out and giving more personal conflicts to overcome, but I have confidence in him to bring that to life. Corenswet shines brightest opposite Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. Whether you like him as Supes or not, there’s no denying the chemistry they share is the perfect embodiment of both characters. Brosnahan’s Lois may be my favourite character in the film – she plays the role in a way that highlights her strengths and strong-willed personality but also brings out her vulnerabilities.
The rest of the cast harbours plenty of talent, but the characters don’t offer many opportunities for the cast to stand out. Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl) and Edi Gathegi (Mr. Terrific) are all good, but again aside from the comedic elements they bring, they don’t have many opportunities to stand out from the bunch.
In the end, Superman may not be the hottest start to Gunn’s new DCU, but I can still say I’m excited for what’s to come. This film tries to do too much and is way too busy early on, resulting in an overwhelming narrative. With time the film settles into its story and becomes less concerned with introducing a universe-worth of characters, resulting in a third act that’s action-packed and appropriately exciting. Its quirky, comic book-like tone makes it the most refreshing Superman film to date – it may be overly comedic, but it’s fun, flashy and full of quirks that make it original if nothing else. The world they’ve introduced is teeming with storytelling opportunities, paving the way for a potentially long-living universe.
7/10
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