This summer, Superman was released in theaters on July 11. Written and directed by James Gunn, the movie provided a much-needed reinvention of the Superman character, 12 years after the last Superman film, Man of Steel (2013).
The public perception of Superman had deteriorated tremendously over the past decade. Zack Snyder’s take on DC heroes ultimately portrayed the character as a lifeless, boring alien who seemed to hate the humans he had spent his childhood with. Snyder portrayed the superhero as a god who grew up in isolation and anguish, not the individual filled with overflowing joy and forgiveness. It seemed that Superman was a response to a world that alienated and rejected him. In Man of Steel, the world responded to Superman’s existence with fear.
Superman also seemed to have a total disregard for human life. In the final act, Superman clashed with a member of his race, General Zod, in a grand battle across the city of Metropolis. He bulldozed through skyscrapers, letting the remains crash and fall upon the civilians underneath, never protecting or saving human lives from danger. In the final moments of the battle, Superman snapped the neck of his enemy in front of the entire public.
Snyder’s perception of Superman stands in complete contrast to 20 years ago, when Superman was the pinnacle of superheroes in nearly every aspect. His personality was boy scout-like and charming, yet with time, it seemed everyone forgot this part of his character.
Thankfully, Gunn restored this version of Superman to the big screen. Not only was this crucial to revitalizing the character for modern audiences, but it was the first stepping stone to kickstarting a new DC movie universe.
In Gunn’s iteration, Superman is vulnerable. David Corenswet, the actor of Superman, played a picture-perfect Superman, akin to the greats such as Christopher Reeve and Tyler Hoechlin. He’s not invincible, like the past version conveyed. Clark’s face is slammed onto the pavement over and over again, his body rocked by the supervillains he faces. Yet, when he’s six feet underground, bones broken and pride shattered, he stands up. Through all the pain, Superman represents the perseverance that humans have in their hearts. That’s important—Superman, although biologically alien, is ultimately a human being. In the climax, he yells at the antagonist, Lex Luthor, to understand this fact. His undying love and compassion for others and his desire to leave “no man behind” are all byproducts of his humanity.
It’s also worth noting how important Superman was to me because he represented a kind of hope, love, and compassion that is so important for every individual to understand.
The movie, however, had moments where it fell flat. The first 30 minutes were a bit rough. The narrative seemed aimless, unable to find a concrete storyline to follow. The movie opened with a “Star Wars” scroll where the entire history of superheroes on planet Earth was listed in the span of just 30 seconds. Before we can even process all of this storyline, Superman is suddenly flying through the Arctic to fight his next foe. And that’s me simplifying the first five minutes. The pacing is ultimately too chaotic and overwhelming for me to follow.
The original movie was intended to be split into five days. The producers then scrapped this idea, which led to awkward fade to black parts in the movie that felt out of place. In retrospect, their original pacing could’ve greatly improved the movie because it would have allowed for moments to pause and reflect.
Where the movie really eased up was in a pivotal scene between our main hero and the journalist love interest, Lois Lane. One relationship that was, frankly, essential to understanding Superman was his love for Lane. In the original comics, she’s brave, witty and undeniably dedicated to uncovering the truth behind a story. Her place in Kent’s life is what, at times, can be the source of his motivation when all is falling apart.
Gunn nails the essence of Lane’s character. Rachel Brosnahan, most recognized for playing Ms. Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, seems to understand exactly who she is. She’s undeniably dedicated and always found at the scene of the crime, writing the next big story. But what’s especially important was how she managed to be the perfect anchor for Clark Kent. She sees, unlike the rest of the world, the human part of him. To many, Superman is the golden boy who is nearly invincible. To Lois, he’s a flawed person but nevertheless a loving human being.
With every superhero movie comes an antagonist. And for the first Superman movie in ten years, we received an iconic supervillain. Lex Luthor in Gunn’s “Superman” is ripped almost straight from the comics – in the best way possible. Nicholas Hoult, who I’m a big fan of from “Juror #2” and the X-Men movies, portrays Luthor as someone who harbors so much rage directed towards one individual that it’s comically hilarious. He is selfish, arrogant, and full of jealousy. One of my favorite moments was when we saw Luther, in his pocket-universe hideout, commanding thousands of automated monkeys to type hate comments about Superman across social media.
The most impactful parts of the past Superman films and TV shows have never been his grand brawls with maniacal supervillains. It’s his connection with humanity, the part of him that keeps him human, loving, and relatable. Gunn knows that. Corenswet’s Superman was truly that, a flawed but caring, loving human being who trusted every person he met. He had a love for his girlfriend, his parents, and his friends. If we had just spent five more minutes in the movie focused on these aspects, it would have slowed down the hyper pace we were being thrown into.
The last half an hour of the movie exceeded all my expectations. The final bombastic fight between Superman and his evil clone counterpart leads to Clark becoming fatally injured. Lois and Clark make their trek back to Clark’s farm, the very place he grew up in. Nestled in Smallville, Kansas, the couple walks into his old bedroom, filled with posters of his favorite childhood bands. His parents console their son, as if he were just a child, not a superhuman alien capable of destroying the world.
As he wakes up the next day, he takes a seat next to his father. Clark is lost.
The weight of the entire world’s future rests on the shoulders of Clark. Under all the pressure, he desires to fill the shoes he has spent years building. He wants to do the right thing, but he needs guidance. His father, who spent his life taking care of an alien, leaves some crucial words of wisdom. “Parents aren’t for telling their children who they’re supposed to be. … Your choices, Clark. Your actions. That’s what makes you who you are.”
What Gunn is ultimately trying to say in this film is that regardless of what kind of person or what you look like, we are all human.
