“Your choices, your actions, that’s what makes you who you are.”
Every child has their Superman. My boyfriend and I were of the Christopher Reeve generation, while others had Brandon Routh. Henry Cavill certainly has his legions of young fans, as do Tom Welling and Tyler Hoechlin. Having followed Corenswet’s career for a while now, I’m glad that this generation will be looking at him as their Superman. The actor’s movie star looks and genuine talent shows he has the goods to do right by the beloved character, carrying on the tradition of those who came before him while also putting his own stamp on the iconic hero and all that he symbolizes in terms of hope, optimism and everything that’s good about America. It’s just a shame that this generation’s Superman is saddled with a movie that’s the very definition of cinematic kryptonite.
Writer/director James Gunn’s take on Superman sees the titular Man of Steel (David Corenswet) trying to grapple with a rapidly changing Metropolis as it endures numerous threats to humanity at the hands of powerful mega mogul/quintessential evil villain Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). With fellow reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and various other allies, Superman fights to save Earth from Luthor’s diabolical hands.
Technical problems abound in Superman. The pacing is severely mishandled, with only a handful of scenes actually given the proper time to breathe the way they deserve. The tone, meanwhile, is all over the place. Somber scenes feel incredibly hollow, and some of the more “innovative” attempts at trying something new come off as just random (monkeys, anyone?) Elsewhere, the characterizations are largely a mess for anyone who isn’t one of the three main characters. This includes Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent, whom we only see once or twice in the entire movie. That being said, the initial Lois and Superman scene is an exception, and a standout one at that. The two generate enough classic sparks that manage to channel the spirits of Tracy and Hepburn. However, moments of pathos and emotion happen too sporadically, and only one makes any kind of impact. This, coupled with a color palette that should pop but only fizzles, and effects that are passable at best, makes this one of the most lackluster Superman incarnations ever.
It’s the narrative that proves the biggest hurdle for Superman to overcome. Gunn, to his credit, wastes no time in letting the outside world’s problems find their way into his script. However, with an approach that’s too ham-fisted with its real-life parallels and yet somehow also too safe, any chance for insightful social commentary never goes beyond the surface. Beyond that, Gunn’s take feels like episode four from a limited series rather than a whole complete entry, with almost no exposition given to us as we find ourselves plunging straight into the movie’s third act within the first opening moments. A crawl text tries to rectify this and fill us in on what we’ve missed, but does an incredibly poor job at doing so. This wouldn’t be an issue if the movie were called Superman Returns, but this movie’s title is Superman. More was needed to make this iteration of the character genuinely feel like his own stand-alone entity rather than the third entry in a trilogy. But Gunn is more concerned with DC character cameos and base ideology for that. Still, they put Lois in the driver’s side of an alien spacecraft. I guess that’s progress?
Corenswet does what he can with the role, despite the limitations of the script. He carries the essence of the character’s belief in the land he’s fighting for while trying to fight off the reasons for giving up. It’s an internal struggle that the actor manages beautifully and ensures his Superman will win over audiences. Meanwhile, Brosnahan brings such spark and life to Lois, giving the movie a shot in the arm whenever it’s so desperately needed. It’s Hoult, however, who walks away with the movie’s most dynamic performance, giving enough panache to Lex to make him fun to watch, but grounding him so that he always feels dangerously credible. Otherwise, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent try their hardest (with varying degrees of success) in criminally underwritten roles.
If nothing else, Superman does feature Krypto, Superman’s adorable canine sidekick, who is always a welcome presence and is easily given more development than some of the human characters. I remember once many years ago, having a dream with a version of Superman playing out starring Brendan Fraser as the title character, Winona Ryder as Lois Lane, Steve Martin as Perry White, and Justin Timberlake as Jimmy Olson. I sadly woke up before I found out who I had cast as Lex Luthor, but I do remember the movie (as I dreamt it anyway) embodying the all-American aesthetics from yesteryear while having contemporary sensibilities. Years later, those in creative command are still trying to capture a spirit akin to what they think Superman means to them. It’s just unfortunate that even in my literal dreams, it still plays much, much better.
