David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult star in James Gunn’s reboot of the DC Universe.
James Gunn knows what you’re thinking: why do we need yet another Superman movie?
The writer and director, who is also the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios, alongside his producing partner Peter Safran, begins his Superman with on-screen titles that tell viewers — old and new, young and old, hardcore and newbies — all that is needed to re-introduce the superhero known as Superman.
That’s it! And we’re off and running with an action sequence in media res, featuring Krypto the disobedient superdog, who never listens to Superman.
What makes the scenario refreshing from the get-go is that James Gunn acknowledges what all the Superman movies and television shows to date have told us about this character, and then adds a new wrinkle: what if Superman began to wonder what he was doing on Earth in the first place?
It’s a clever adjustment to the long-established foundation upon which Superman was built nearly 100 years ago. And it underlines why Gunn is well-positioned to tell this particular story as the first movie of the new DC Universe. From his humble origin story at Troma Entertainment in the late 80s and 90s, through to his early films as a director with Slither and then, especially Super, Gunn has manifested his love of comic books, simultaneously questioning the stories behind the characters.
From Super, Gunn jumped to Guardians of the Galaxy, which was a monster leap in ambition and budget, as well as his first PG-13 movie. It was a resounding success, leading him to make the sequel and also squeeze in producing duties on two of his brothers’ superpower-themed Brightburn.
Before he became co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn made the super-violent The Suicide Squad reboot and Peacemaker, the series, neither of which speaks to my own milder sensibilities. Combined with my decreasing interest in his two sequels to Guardians of the Galaxy, I wondered if Gunn was the right match for a Superman movie that was intended to be more family friendly.
Working in a sunnier, human-filled, and more recognizable environment certainly helps to ground Superman in its opening sequences. With Superman established somewhere between Christopher Reeve’s eternal optimism and Henry Cavill’s brooding realism, David Corenswet is allowed to flex his muscles (under his clothes) and take the diminutive Rachel Brosnahan (as Lois Lane) into his arms, reminding of Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk in Smallville.
In this DC Universe, Lex Luthor is angry. Very angry. He’s constantly boiling, to the point that one wonders how his blood manages to stay within his veins. As Lex Luthor, Nicholas Hoult strides about with total authority, a sadistic monster who truly hates the very idea of Superman — AN ALIEN!!! — coming to Earth and capturing hearts.
Rather than detail all the adjustments in expectations that Superman lays out in its first act, I’ll summarize by saying that James Gunn treats viewers as though they are first-time visitors to his own comic book store. He welcomes you, asks politely about your level of interest and experience with comic books, and then points you helpfully to books you might enjoy. He’s happy to make recommendations, but he also knows that his business is to create a welcoming environment that encourages you, the customer, to return as often as possible. But no pressure! And now worries if you don’t like anything.
In short, Superman is the best movie ever made by a co-chairman and co-CEO of any company. For the rest of us, it’s a rousing and refreshing experience, filled with delightful surprises for comic book nerds and movie fanatics and dog lovers.
It’s a superhero movie in which the lives of civilians are highly valued, and everyone has a right to live, no matter their superpower, or lack thereof. And to enjoy a new Superman movie every few years.
The film opens Friday, July 11, through the Dallas/Fort Worth area, only in movie theaters. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Dallas Film Now. 