Superman
review by Bobby Blakey
After years seemingly floundering trying to get their cinematic universe going, DC and Warner Bros made the decision to reset and start over. In 2023 it was announced that Jame Gunn would now be co-CEO of DC Studios and made numerous announcements of new projects with the biggest no doubt being his Superman movie that he would be writing and directing. Could this latest addition to the Man of Steels legacy launch the DCU successfully and make us believe a man can fly again or will he fail to bring us truth, justice and the American way?
Superman the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way in a world that views this as old-fashioned. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Rachal Brosnahan, Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, Isabela Merced, Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion, Sean Gunn, Edi Gathegi and David Corenswet taking on the role of Clark Kent/Superman.
Even though I have seen them all many times like most, I decided to rewatch all the previous Superman films featuring Henry Cavill, Brandon Routh and the late Christopher Reeve to really get reinvested in the character and ready to see if this one can not only hold up the legacy but be something that is a good kick off to the new DCU. I love the idea of casting a relative unknown but wasn’t fully sold initially on Corenswet as the new Man of Steel.
After seeing the film, I am fully invested in his portrayal of Superman in every way. He embodies everything that the character is and makes you feel hopeful no matter how dire the situation may be. He does a great job carrying both Clark and Superman and making them feel like the same person and completely different people all at once. The simple moment of changing his voice between the personas and his posture changes is perfection.
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The rest of the cast is great as well with some minor changes that might throw some, but I was fine with them. AS a comic fan I never expected to ever get to see Guy Gardner and even more so Metamorpho like this in live action. Fillion kills it as Gardner in every way. The bowl cut is comic perfection, and his douche attitude is spot on. I loved that all these other heroes and characters weren’t just here to fill space but got to get on the action plenty and made for fully expanding this new DCU without it getting spoon fed to us.
I love that this story ditches rehashing the origin story and treats it like a comic and drops us right into a new story. We all know the history and don’t need to see it again. There is a simple way to get us caught up and then dive right in that offers up pretty much every element of where we are with this Superman and DCU in less than 30 minutes. I’ve heard some try to say this film has no character depth or that Lois is sidelined but that is far from the truth. Everyone is in on the fun, and it brings light to even the darkest moments of the film to remind us what Superman should be.
I love Man of Steel, but this isn’t that and I am glad. It is bright and vibrant filled with hope, love, laughter, and plenty of action. Sure, there is heavy CGI, but I was fine with it and never saw anything that took me out of the film. AS someone who is not a big fan of Krypto as a character he is outstanding here. They didn’t just make him a super dog, but just a dog that acts like a dog who just happens to have powers. He is a blast to watch and brings even more humanity to the rest of this outlandish superhero universe.
In my opinion this is kicking the new DCU off in the right direction and has made me eager to see what’s to come. There is a mid and after credit scene that neither really set up anything or add much but are fun to watch. Superman is back and has brought the DC Universe with him.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including a gag reel, deleted scenes, featurettes, a director’s commentary featuring James Gunn and more. Grab your copy of Superman available now on digital and flying onto 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on September 23rd from DC Studios and Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment.
