Superman

An amusing and serviceable take on the DC superhero.

I was excited when Warner Bros studios announced James Gunn would take over the DC Universe. I thought his Suicide Squad film was the best overall DC movie of the last decade. I would even put it in the same tier as The Dark Knight, not for its philosophy but for its sheer fun.

Gunn’s first major DC film, Superman, is a mostly fun action spectacle. There’s plenty of entertainment and a little heart lurking below the surface.

The comedy was hit-and-miss for me. Lex Luthor’s girlfriend constantly taking selfies wasn’t so much funny as it was mildly amusing. The same applies to Superman’s dog, Krypto. I liked the dog, but the “dog attacks Superman at inopportune times” schtick was a little overdone and wore out after awhile.

The sharp dialogue is a highlight, but because the film is so stuffed with action and spectacle, there are times that characters still seem thin when they shouldn’t be. Clark’s parents, for example, seemed more like Midwest caricatures than real people, leaving me missing past versions of them.

The casting in the film was excellent, and fortunately, Lex Luthor is a compelling villain. Nicholas Hault’s portrayal of Luthor is my personal favorite so far on the big screen.

Gunn is also a master at creating quirky and likable side characters, and Mr. Terrific arguably drove the second act of the film (so much so that at times I wondered if the movie should’ve been named after him). At times the movie felt like Guardians of the Galaxy Featuring Superman. That isn’t all terrible, as I did enjoy those films. It just left me wondering whose film this really was.

The movie ended and I was mostly just relieved that it was entertaining. It was very much a superhero movie, and it was a fun one that left me ready for more installments.

7/10