Rebuilding Rob

Last night, I saw Superman on it official release last night . Yes, I know, some people saw it earlier this week. Unfortunately, for me, somehow I missed out on the opportunity to buy tickets to the Amazon prime, sneak preview. 

The story of seeing this latest incarnation of Superman go from concepts to final product has been a long one. Two years ago, James Gunn and Peter Sarfan were handpicked to be the show runners of the new DC Studios.

Gunn had come in to this latest endeavor with an already impressive list of superhero movies to his résumé: including the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy , and The Suicide Squad. However, even with that in mind, he and Sarfan had an ambitious task in front of them: resetting the DC comics movie franchise.

There’s already been a lot said about Warner‘s previous attempt at a DC shared universe, the DCEU as it was officially known, or the “Snyder verse” as it was known for it’s main creative voice, Scott Snyder. without going into a whole diatribe about the Snyder verse, all I will say is I wasn’t a big fan of it. My feeling, was the feeling of many others, was that it was too dark. I think somebody at Warner Bros. saw how successful the various Batman films have been over the decades instead of “Batman is dark. We need to make everything just like Batman.” if you spent any time with DC comics, know that most of the universe does not resemble Batman or the city. And that’s OK. Keep in mind, this is coming from a Batman fan.

Keep in mind, this is not a slam against any of the actors who played various characters in the DCU. I happen to think that Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ray Stevens, Jason Momoa, and yeah, even Ezra Miller were all good casting choices. It was the vision with which they were brought to the screen. It was the creative choices that were taken with the characters that I have problems with. But the problems with the Snyderverse are another story for another day. Now back to my review. 

Here’s some of my random thoughts and takeaways on the movie:

• This has been noted elsewhere, this is not a “origin story”. Of course, we get references to Superman’s kryptonian heritage, but that’s about it. Much like the MCU Spider-Man stories. Gunn chooses to skip over Superman‘s origin, as most of the world already knows it.  in fact, the movie begins almost mid story. It will make sense when you watch it… 
• David Corenswet gets Superman, or at least, Corenswet is 100% on board with James Gunn’s interpretation of the character. there is a wholesomeness to his superman. It’s not over the top or can’t be the way that Adam West Batman was. What he treats a very good balance between the “golly gee“. Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent , and a much more dramatic Superman than we used to seeing.
• Rachel Brosnahan was great, casting as Louis Lane. Her chemistry with Corenswet is amazing. She plays Louis as the ultimate cynic, and yet somehow find herself buying everything that Clark says about wanting to do good. But maybe that’s what love really is. Going against your better judgment.
• When I first saw Nicholas Hoult and the trailer is is Lex Luther, I didn’t think that he had the physical presence to portray the legendary arch villain. but he had me convinced early into the movie. He may not be my favorite Luthor ever, but he’s very close.
• Edi Gathegi damn near steals the show as Mr. Terrific. He has great interactions with Superman, Lois and even Guy Gardner. Terrific is one of these newer comic book e tried in this movie and he seems to fit in with this new DCU perfectly.
• I feel that all of the characters were superbly casted. None of them felt like they stood out in the movie. They felt real organic, and this DCU feels like a place that they have been living in for sometime. yes, this is new to us as the viewers; but it feels almost more like we are simply getting our first look a well-established DCU

Obviously, with a new Superman movie, and presumably a new starting point for the DCU not unlike 2008 Iron Man was for Marvel, there’s a lot to unpack in this movie. James Gunn does a great job of “world building”. There was some criticism that there were too many characters this movie. However, I felt like everyone definitely feel a purpose.

Perhaps one quote I saw earlier in social media best sums up how I feel about this movie: Superman isn’t so much a cinematic adaptation of a comic book character as it is a comic book movie. There are bright colors. It is light-hearted at times, sometimes maybe a little too much if there is such a thing. But Superman has heart. It is fun and most of all it is hopeful.

The timing of this particular incarnation of Superman could not be more perfect. Let’s face the world needs hope right now. The world needs an ideal to look up to. With some pretty dark times in the United States right now, we need to be reminded of the goodness in people. To know that as bad as things may get, the goodness and humanity will always triumph over the evils of the world.

As a typical with James Gunn movies, Superman has the three h’s: humor, humanity and heart. Easily plays a big part in the film, but at the end of the day, it’s a story about a decent human being with good intentions who’s trying to make the world a better place. Gunn’s Superman, like the titular character himself, is not perfect, but he is trying.

FINAL TAKE: recommended! If you are or ever has been a fan of Superman in any of his multiple incarnations, you owe it to yourself to check out Superman. On a personal note, I’m looking forward to taking kid to to see it. I think this movie is going to light a fire in him the way that Christopher Reeve did for me in 1978, or the last at the Batman comics did throughout the 80s.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts

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• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article: “Rob Reviews: Superman“ first appeared on Rebuilding Rob