Phil Roberts 
James Gunn’s Superman is a blast. Although the film is marred by a chaotic, overstuffed plot, some eye-rollingly bad gimmicks, and occasionally ropey CGI, it delivers a bonanza of DC awesomeness.
The main event has finally arrived. James Gunn’s Superman is finally here, and the fan expectations are through the roof. After cancelling the former DCEU in favor of a complete reset, a lot is riding on James Gunn’s overhaul. Snyder fans want to see the project fail, and regular DC fans want a film they can rally behind. No pressure! With an impressive cast, a traditional look, and John Williams’ iconic theme being refreshed for a new generation, the film has all the makings of an instant classic.
But with so much riding on it, is James Gunn’s DC relaunch truly worthy of praise? Is David Corenswet’s new Man of Steel a version we can rally behind for the next decade? Or is this latest iteration about to buckle under the weight of its expectations?
REVIEW
Fear not, DC fans, because James Gunn’s Superman is a blast. Although the film is marred by a chaotic, overstuffed plot, some eye-rollingly bad gimmicks, and occasionally ropey CGI, it delivers a bonanza of DC awesomeness. The film is ambitious, bold, and unapologetic. David Corenswet is impressive as the Man of Steel, but isn’t afforded the time needed to reach his full potential. Rachel Brosnahan sparkles and delivers an excellent performance as Lois Lane. And finally, Nicholas Hoult delivers an energetic but confusing performance as the new Lex Luthor.
The Justice Gang comes off as more of a walking joke, with Nathan Fillion’s portrayal of Guy Gardner leading the cringeworthy moments. Isabela Merced shines as the edgy Hawkgirl, though her screen time is criminally limited. Anthony Carrigan shines in his role as Metamorpho, while Edi Gathegi’s portrayal of Mr. Terrific is a scene-stealer. Overall, Superman kicks off the new DC Universe in a fun way, but it’s definitely got its imperfections.
AN OVERSTUFFED PLOT
Choosing to kickstart the new DCU three decades after Superman fell to Earth was a bold decision, and for the most part, it pays off. This has allowed Gunn to avoid the relentless retread of another tired origin story. But without the necessary introductions to some of the major players, casual cinema-goers will be on the back foot from the start. Krypto’s origins are largely omitted from the film, as are the origins of the Justice Gang, leaving the audience to accept their introductions without context. Thankfully, it doesn’t detract from the overall splendour of the film, but unless you’re a hardcore DC fan, the first half of the film may be frustrating.
As for the overstuffed plot, it all starts with our new Man of Steel. Before the start of the film, Superman prevented two countries from going to war, and the world is debating whether he is a threat to national security as a result. This debate of Superman’s intentions allows Lex Luthor, who has been watching and studying the Man of Steel since his arrival, the chance to sow even more seeds of doubt in the government’s mind. He hopes that tarnishing the Man of Steel’s image will prompt the government to grant him the authority to eradicate Superman from the world once and for all. So, Luthor sets out to ruin the Kryptonian’s reputation and force the world to shun him once and for all.
LUTHOR & LOIS
Together with his interdimensional minions, the Engineer and the super-powered Ultraman, Luthor begins his targeted attack on the Man of Steel’s character. This leads him to break into the Fortress of Solitude, where he discovers the silver bullet, causing the world to turn against Superman. Meanwhile, Clark Kent struggles to maintain his relationship with Lois Lane. The couple finds themselves at a crossroads, debating the future of their relationship. Enter a string of action-packed set pieces involving the Justice Gang, who are little more than a side circus sponsored by Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), and the film settles into a rhythm of action and silliness.
After the initial joy of witnessing Krypto in action, the lovable canine soon becomes overused and thrust into almost every situation. His antics are fun for a while, but soon, the film stalls every time he is involved. This takes vital time away from David Corenswet fully establishing himself as the Man of Steel.
THE JUSTICE GANG
The same can be said for the Justice Gang. As Superman’s allies, they effectively back him up when a crisis emerges, but no sooner has the halo fallen than the Justice Gang, led by the irritating Guy Gardner, turn on him. In fairness, Nathan Fillion delivers a strong performance, despite the eye-rollingly bad material he has to work with. But the ridiculous screenplay does him no favours, and soon every exchange with his co-stars becomes laborious. In truth, the character deserved better. If allowed to deliver a serious interpretation, Guy Gardner could have been a great addition to the film. Instead, we are rewarded with a cringeworthy sleazebag to be despised.
Edi Gathegi does well with Mr Terrific, but his arrogant and condescending attitude grates after a while. However, the screenplay allows him time to establish himself and ensure Mr Terrific will have a bright future in the DCU. Isabela Merced is equally noteworthy as Hawkgirl. Although her screentime is extremely limited, whenever she is on screen, she demands our attention and delivers a strong performance. Her action scenes are impressive, and the character gets to bask in the limelight from time to time. But the inescapable goofiness of the Justice Gang’s exchanges seriously eroded any legitimacy they have as superheroes.
LEX LUTHOR
Now we arrive at my biggest issue with the film: Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult is a terrific actor, and his performances to date are heralded as a result. However, here, once again, James Gunn’s screenplay undermines any seriousness the character may have had. Whether you are a fan of Gene Hackman’s interpretation of the character, Kevin Spacey’s, or even Clancy Brown’s in the animated series, every Lex Luthor to date has been edgy, quirky, but cold and calculated.
Thankfully, for the most part, Gunn’s Lex Luthor is every bit as egotistical, cold, and calculated as his predecessors. But sadly, Hoult is saddled with the goofiest Luthor ever committed to film. For me, Jesse Eisenberg was bad enough, but Hoult’s Luthor doubles down on the goofiness to deliver an often eye-rolling performance. At times, Luthor is downright evil, revelling in his master plan, while at other times, he is petty, goofy, and childish. The contrast is jarring if not baffling, and the character feels unfinished as a result. Thankfully, he delivers some juicy monologues that will appease most of us. But it never feels like enough. Hopefully, as the DC Universe continues to expand and unfold, Lex Luthor will grow into the supervillain we know and love, but here, he is far from it.
DAVID CORENSWET
Thankfully, David Corenswet is a triumph as Superman. If anyone has their doubts about him as the Man of Steel, you can lay them to rest now. Eventually, this will be a Superman we can all root for. Sadly, Gunn’s screenplay fails to allow him to become the hero we love. Instead, he spends most of his time either being beaten up or explaining his ideologies. It feels jarring to see Superman always on the back foot. We are accustomed to seeing him as the larger-than-life Superhero, always saving the day and rising to the challenge. Here he is dragged to the challenge kicking and screaming, and spends way too much time explaining why he did it.
It isn’t a major detraction, but it does the character and its star a disservice. With the opening salvo in the new DCU out of the way, hopefully future sequels will allow Corenswet to flex his muscles and grow into the Christoper Reeve mould. There are echoes of that side of the character littered throughout, but the screenplay never enables them to rise to the surface. However, Gunn’s screenplay does afford the Man of Steel’s iconic traits to shine through. The symbol of hope, goodness, truth, and justice shines through, making the film feel authentic to the character’s principles.
LOIS LANE & THE DAILY PLANET
In the same vein, Rachel Brosnahan is incredible as Lois Lane, and her chemistry with David Corenswet is one of the film’s best qualities. Instead of replicating Margot Kidder’s performance, Brosnahan taps into her animated series counterpart to deliver a fresh, but character-accurate portrayal. Like Merced before her, Brosnahan demands our attention when she is on screen and enriches the film at every turn.
Sadly, the same cannot be said about the other members of the Daily Planet’s roster. Skyler Gisondo’s portrayal of Jimmy Olsen is instantly forgettable and divisive, while Wendell Pierce’s Perry White is mainly confined to the background, issuing orders to his reporters. Mikaela Hoover’s Cat Grant does little but walk around and deliver lines of useless dialogue that do both the actor and the character a disservice. And finally, Beck Bennett’s Steve Lombard is resigned to background noise.
THE SCORE
Thankfully, the score by John Murphy deserves recognition. Not for Murphy’s masterwork, but its use of John Williams’ iconic Superman theme. The bulk of the acclaim belongs to composer David Fleming, who contributes to the score. The composer has used cues from Williams’ theme to craft a hauntingly similar soundtrack for Gunn’s reinvention. But it begs the question, if Gunn, Murphy, and Fleming set their stall out to use Williams’ themes, then why not go full on? John Ottman delivered a sensational score for Superman Returns with its use of fresh music accentuated by the famous theme, and Murphy should have followed suit. Sadly, the only memorable music in Gunn’s film is by John Williams, and that is thanks to David Fleming.
I’m sure Murphy is a fine composer, but to date, his scores for Guardians Vol . 3 and The Suicide Squad have been largely forgettable, and you can add Superman to that list of disappointments. Furthermore, Fleming’s style often clashes with Murphy’s, resulting in a tonal clash. But when Fleming is on duty, the score soars, and when Murphy scores, it stutters. It is terrific to hear Williams’ theme refreshed for a new generation, but there is nothing heroic about Murphy’s music, and that is bitterly disappointing. But Fleming deserves credit for the music he has composed here.
VERDICT
Despite its flaws, James Gunn’s Superman is a blast. It is a bold, ambitious, and invigorating ride that strives to lay down a solid foundation for the future of the new DC Universe. On the strength of this showing, it has succeeded. Gunn’s film is a fine opening salvo in what will be a long line of adventures, and it has breathed new life into the DCU. I won’t use clichés like “it’s a comic book brought to life on the screen” because that applies to any superhero movie.
What James Gunn has delivered here is a fresh, bold, ambitious, but bitterly frustrating superhero film that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen you can find. Sure, some of the CGI is questionable, and many of the performances are eye-rollingly bad, but they cannot dampen what is a fun adventure. While it may stumble over its gimmicks, the film does exactly what it set out to do: return Superman to the forefront of superhero adventures.
It may not be the adventure we had all hoped for, but there is more than enough quality here to kickstart an exciting new chapter in the history of the DCU. Welcome back, Superman! Let’s hope the sequel allows you to look up and soar above the goofiness of this outing.
James Gunn’s Superman swoops into cinemas on July 11th from Warner Bros.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
