Superman is James Gunn through and through. The film looks magnificent, like something straight out of a comic book, with spectacular special effects and action. But it also has a Superman who spends most of the film getting his arse kicked! It's a fine line. As an alien Superman can easily defeat his enemies, so how do you make him, well, human, more grounded? The film overdoes this and a result becomes frustrating, Superman can easily handle himself later on!
David Corenswet was a good choice to play Supes, both in his Superman and Clark Kent alt ego. We believe this man is small town raised with good morals. In fact most of the cast are very good but the film is typically Gunn overstuffed. Too many characters, not needed. I could have done without Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern (with that silly haircut.) This is a Superman film after all. Too much going on - in a somewhat convoluted plot.
Rachel Brosnahan (TV's Mrs. Maisel) is fine as Lois Lane, but she spends most of the film having a go at Clark, until you wonder what he sees in her. Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luther is appropriately menacing, perhaps a little too menacing (once again Supes barely gets a look in, in his own film.)
The dog is super cute and designed to sell toys - it will! A cameo from Supergirl leads into the next film in Gunn's DCEU, Supergirl (2026), on this evidence she's well, very surfer snarky, the jury is still out on that one. As it is on this one. It's fine. It's watchable. Is that enough to reboot the DC? Time will tell.
FG FG FG
OTHER CAST: Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Isabela Merced. DIRECTED BY: James Gunn. SCREENPLAY BY: James Gunn. RUNNING TIME: 129 minutes. CERTIFICATE: 12A / PG-13. USA.
