Is anyone else tired of superhero films yet? I am. There may be the odd one or two that I’m a little curious about (having a five-year-old son who is mad on Spider-Man may be part of the reason), but in general, the superhero genre is getting very stale. So here we are, yet another superhero flick and one using a character that has been on and off the big screen since 1941. Surely there’s nothing new to tell with Superman now? Well, I’m gonna find out because I’m watching  Superman… again.

When it comes to the Superman character, I am very old-school and nobody can top what Dick Donner and Christopher Reeve did in 1978. Yeah sure, technology has advanced and special effects are way more impressive now than (almost) 50 years ago, but Superman: The Movie was and still is iconic. Since then, the Superman character has had quite the life on the big and small screen. Talking solely about the big screen outings though, the original 1978 flick is amazing. The sequels? Very hit and miss. In 2006, they bought this version of the character back in the sequel, Superman Returns staring Brandon Routh. Same characters, same continuity, very confusing timeline (why did nobody age in 30 years?)

In 2013, we had Man of Steel, with Henry Cavill stepping into the big red boots. This kickstarted the DC Extended Universe (trying to out-Marvel, Marvel’s MCU) which was a bit poo. Don’t get me wrong, I thought that Henry was an amazing Superman, he was just in some awful films. An now, Superman is back. This time with David Corenswet donning the famous red cape. This new Superman film is said to be a complete restart to the DCU under the guidance of James Gunn, writer and director of this new version of Superman. So we can all just forget that the awful previous DCEU attempt never happened.

I’m not going to do any major spoilers in this review, but I am going to roughly highlight the plot, a very mild spoiler warning
Superman is already established and Kal-El came to Earth 30 years ago. During some of that time, he and Lex Luthor have crossed paths, with Superman always besting the billionaire. However, Lex has a new plan to turn the entire world against Superman and make the hero into a villain. To the point where even some of Superman’s closest allies, the Justice Gang (Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific) begin to question exactly why Superman was sent to Earth. Meanwhile, there is a raging war between two (fictional) countries, Boravia and Jarhanpur, that Lex seems to have a vested interest in.

Superman hits the ground running with very little exposition. You’ve seen the trailer when Superman comes crashing to Earth, lands in the snow and is badly beaten, right? That’s the very start of the film and Superman has been defeated for the first time. We don’t get to see exactly how or why, but there is some establishing text that details how we go to this point. Three centuries ago, the first metahumans came to Earth and began the Gods and Monsters era. Three decades ago, Kal-El was sent to Earth as a baby and raised as Clark Kent by the Kansas couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent. Three years ago, the now grown Clark Kent secretly became Superman. Three weeks ago, Superman intervened in the war between Boravia and Jarhanpur and caused controversy around the globe due to breaking international treaties, meddling in foreign affairs, and such. Three hours ago, a new metahuman called Hammer of Boravia attacked Superman in Metropolis. Three minutes ago, Superman lost his first battle. Then BOOM! Superman comes falling from the sky and crashing into the snow.

That’s it. There’s no origin, no introducing of characters, nothing. Just 30 seconds of text and the film starts with Superman already beaten and bloody, lying in the snow. It’s a harsh and cold (no pun) beginning that relies on the audience already knowing the lore and characters. I have to say, I really liked it too. Do we really need yet another take on the Superman origin? It worked well for the 1978 film because it was the first film of its kind and comic books were still, kind of, underground. By the time they made Man of Steel in 2013, everyone knew who the character was and where he came from and yet, that movie still had a lengthy origin that was not needed. With Superman, James Gunn wisely decides that none of that is needed and just cracks on with the story of Superman already being around for a few years. It’s like we have missed a film and half before this one begins, but it also feels like we’ve missed nothing because we already know the backstory.

This is something that is quite important to keep in mind and as explained in the opening text, Superman has only been around for three years. He’s still pretty new to all of this superhero stuff and while Superman may not be an origin story, it is an establishing one. Superman is still learning how to be Superman. He’s trying to find his place in the world and still trying to fit in on Earth. There are parallels in the story that can be likened to real-world instances. Superman being an immigrant, the war between the two fictional countries is a clear nod to Ukraine Vs Russia or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yep, James Gunn is definitely using this film to highlight current events and real world issues. Even so, Superman never feels preachy or heavy. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and overall, its a very light and breezy watch.

If you have ever seen Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, then you should know what to expect here. Heavy action, lots of comedy, some really well-developed but rough and ready characters, and a great soundtrack. This is the antithesis of the direction that the Superman character and the whole DCEU thing was heading in a few years back. Where as Man of Steel was all dark and brooding, Superman is colourful and well… comic book-like. Everything is so much brighter, even Superman’s outfit. The subtle things, like the red trunks and the classic yellow symbol on the cape puts this film back in 1978 when Dick Donner was in charge and creating the modern comic book movie.

There are several references to the original Superman: The Movie too. The font used for the opening title. The (already mentioned) Superman outfit colours. John Williams’ iconic score is back, retooled and it sounds amazing. Eve Teschmacher is in this film, a character created just for the original ’78 flick. Then, there’s even little acting role from Will Reeve, Christopher Reeve’s son. The admiration and respect for that first Superman flick is apparent and it’s clear that Gunn really wanted to give fans a treat, but not drown them in “memberberries”. The nostalgia levels are just about right without being overbearing.

The plot can be a little “goofy” and it does involve things like black holes, pocket universes… and a flying dog. It certainly gets silly now and then, but it also has some darker tones that help balance out the more brighter elements. “Balance” is the right word to use too because it does strike that middle ground between the lighter 1978 original and the more serious Man of Steel version take on the character. There’s comedy in the right moments, there’s drama in the right moments, and there’s even some emotion perfectly placed that really hits you, sometimes unexpectedly. There’ a speech that Superman gives near the end that had me looking at the character in a totally new way. There is one really major plot point that I can’t get into here, because I am avoiding spoilers. I think that it is something that may have the Superman nerds foaming at the mouth and calling Gunn out for ruining the character and lore. I do have something that I’d like to say about it, so I might do a separate spoiler article just to have my own say on this very subject.

Anyway, I really liked the silliness of the film, it feels like a comic book movie, something that a lot of recent superhero films have seemingly lost sight of. I really liked that Superman is still establishing himself. He’s not perfect, he gets things wrong, he loses fights, and he’s learning how to be a better Superman. Because the film just starts and with no origin, the pacing is fast and the stage is set. Lois and Clark are already together and she knows that he is Superman, the Lex Luthor rivalry already exists, Krypto the dog is really annoying. I don’t mean that in a bad way, he annoys Superman and it’s bloody funny. The Justice Gang (particularly Mister Terrific) almost steal the show and their interactions with Superman are a major highlight. The action is plentiful, with fantastic fights and flight scenes. There’s swearing, plenty of swearing. Nothing too strong but several “shits” and “assholes”. Even Superman swears. I have to admit to finding that a bit strange at first, but it does fit Gunn’s style.

As for the actors themselves. Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi (Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific respectively) are a massive highlight and they have a decent amount of screentime. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is quite ballsy and she’s far from being the typical damsel in distress. Rachel’s chemistry with David Corenswet pops and the two make a really great Lois and Clark. Speaking of David, he’s a fantastic Superman and Clark. A little bit geeky as Clark and unsure as Superman, who is trying to find his place. David is no Christopher Reeve, but he’s pretty damn close and the best Superman since 1978. But for me, the best of the lot is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor (I would pick Krypto the dog because he’s such an annoyingly brilliant character… but he’s CGI). Nicholas’ take Lex is sublime, he’s cold, calculated and the absolute finest version of the character ever on screen. The scene where Lex enters the Fortress of Solitude is up there with Darth Vader’s introduction in Star Wars for badassery points.

There’s also a couple of great cameos that establish that this universe is already ongoing. While this is the first film in this new DCU, it’s not strictly the first entry (it’s a grey area). There’s a very brief scene that puts an already existing character into this world. There’s also a introduction of a character who is getting their own film next year. Even at this very early stage, this new DCU is miles ahead of where it was before James Gunn got involved and with this first film, it already feels organic. Let’s be honest, it needed a hard reset and this is the perfect start.

James Gunn’s Superman is a triumph. It’s a real comic book movie and perfect for those of us who have had enough of the superhero genre. It looks like a comic book with its bright colours, the plot is silly enough and feels like it was written during the golden age of the comics under Jerry Siegel. It’s just such a damn fun film, with an emphasis on fun. The only way this could’ve been better is if they got Christopher Reeve to play the title role. Others have played Superman, but Christopher was Superman. Even so, David Corenswet is an excellent Superman and by far my favourite actor to play the role since 1978 (I really liked Henry Cavill too). I’m certainly looking forward to seeing more of David in the future. I can’t wait to not only see him grow as Superman, but also witness Superman himself grow in future films. Krypto is a complete dick though… and I love him for it.