Meerkat Movie Reviews: Superman
DC has a lot riding on Superman. After a string of commercial and critical mishaps, and suffering in Marvel’s movie shadow, they hired James Gunn, director of the hugely popular Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, to act as the captain of their ship. Gunn (who also directed the DCEU’s The Suicide Squad) has developed a long-term strategy of films and other media to build a new universe of stories. The first brick in this new world is Superman, and like I said, a lot is riding on this.
Would the first step in this brand new universe be a failure? Would Gunn’s master vision not even get off the ground? Or would it soar, would we, as the hashtag said, look up?
I cannot yet speak from a commercial point of view, for Superman only came out today. Speaking for myself, from a critical point of view, Superman is a soaring, sweeping, brilliant success.
It is not hyperbole for me to say that Gunn’s opening entry to this new DCU is every bit as good as the best MCU offerings. Superman is a film with heart, with joy, with warmth, with epic action, and small, human moments that connect you to the characters. Despite quite a diverse cast, this film feels like a Superman movie, lifted from the comics, with plenty of colour, and time spent where it matters. The performances which form the soul of this film are of the highest echelon, and that starts with the titular character himself.
David Corenswet delivers a powerhouse performance, both as the Man of Steel, and Clark Kent. Corenswet encapsulates Superman’s vulnerability, and how the world’s strongest man can feel helpless and weak, lost and directionless. He also shows how Superman refuses to let go of his purpose, how he will not give up on the best of humanity. He is completely believable in the role, and deserves credit for the humility he brings to it.
Nicholas Hoult is superb as Lex Luthor. Luthor’s energy, fury, and jealousy is often screen-stealing, and he is a suitable foil for Superman. This Luthor is intelligent, and completely devoted to his goal of destroying Superman. Hoult is captivating whenever he is on screen, and worth the price of admission, all by himself.
Rachel Brosnahan is Lois Lane, and her performance is understated. Her Lane is measured, clever, determined, and resourceful. Nathan Fillion is the Green Lantern Guy Gardiner, and appropriately awkward with his mannerisms. Edi Gathegi is deadpan as Mr Terrific, and Isabela Merced struck me as faintly terrifying as Hawkgirl. There is an intriguing vulnerability with María Gabriela de Faría, who plays Luthor ally the Engineer. It is fair to say that Krypto the dog is also a scene-stealer!
It’s a great movie, with some amazing setpieces, and so much to absorb, yet it paces itself so that you can indeed take it all in. If there is ever an example of how to take beloved comic book characters, and bring them to life with vivid, emotional depth, it’s Superman. If this is the quality that Gunn can produce for DC, Marvel should be worried. The playing field has been levelled.
10/10
Update 13/7/25
It would seem that a film about a hardworking immigrant, who strives to do his best, and wants to do nothing but help people, is triggering the cowardly idiot (and illegal border-hopper) Derrick Thiessen.
Derrick hates immigrants, so it is no surprise that he is derided a movie that by his own admission, he hasn’t seen. He misguidedly asserts I am somehow cherrypicking, doesn’t bother to explain how I am cherrypicking, whinges that the movie is unnecessary (probably because it’s fun and uplifting), and is dishonest in his efforts to suggest reaction to the film is ‘mixed’.
Rotten Tomatoes would have a thing or two to say about that particularly stupid observation…
Talk about cherrypicking!
