This weekend’s big movie release, perhaps THE biggest of the whole Summer, may remind some folks of the song, “Everything Old is New Again”, which is itself over fifty years old. That’s because this flick’s subject matter, its title character, actually, is nearly 87 years old. But its influence and legacy have never left the pop culture landscape in all that time since 1938. Oddly, his first real foray into “big time” full-length feature films occurred forty years later, just in time to hit theatres before Christmas. Now that the Summer has been the usual domain for superheroics, naturally, this “re-boot/re-imagining” of his return flight, after a big “touchdown” twelve years ago, is only natural. The follow-ups to that 2013 film sputtered, so the force behind one of rival Marvel’s most popular trilogies has been given a chance to work his “movie magic” once more. The marketing art implores us to “Look up”, but you may want to lower your gaze a bit to screen level (unless you get stuck in the first row) for the sparkly shiny new epic of the “OG’ himself, SUPERMAN.
This version “draws a line in the sand” (the snow actually) with an opening that doesn’t recap the iconic “origin story”. No, they give us a few brief title cards concerning the rise of “Metahumans” during the time of “Gods and Monsters”. From there, we join Superman AKA Clark Kent AKA Kal-El (David Corenswet) plummeting into the frozen tundra after getting his a…cape “handed” to him by the armored assassin named the “Hammer of Boravia”. Seems that Supes had tried to block his homeland’s invasion of its peaceful neighbor Jarhanpur. It’s pretty much a return to the widely downloaded trailer as faithful dog Krypto arrives to drag Supes to the usually hidden Fortress of Solitude. Inside the gleaming towering crystals, he’s quickly checked on and patched up by a team of chatty robots. To facilitate his “healing,” the bots play a video message from his birthparents in his native Kryptonian, though much of the playback was corrupted when Kal’s spaceship crashed to Earth. Despite the robots’ protests, Supes is soon airborne on his way back to Metropolis USA. Ah, but someone in the snowbanks also observes his exit, the nanotech-enhanced villainess the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), who reports back to her boss in Metropolis, none other than the tech billionaire genius Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), CEO of Luthercorp. He’s also badmouthing Superman to a shadowy military council in DC, while also keeping a hand in that “foreign conflict”. But before he can engage in a “rematch” with the “Hammer,” Superman assumes his disguise of reporter Clark Kent and checks in with the staff of the “beacon of journalistic integrity”, the Daily Planet. He’s friends with everyone, especially veteran “newshound” Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). All the while, Lex puts his masterplan into motion, invading the Fortress, destroying Kal’s reputation, and creating a dimensional rift via black holes and “pocket universes” which could split the planet right down the middle. Even with some Methuman backup, can Superman, despite his “amazing abilities”, possibly swoop in and save the day?
With this big, sprawling epic, it may be best to first concentrate on the trio (or is it a quartet) at the heart of this tale. Which leads us right to the title character played by Corenswet, but also to that “alias” Clark Kent, who is almost “bird-like” in his fidgety mannerisms and quick replies to noisy questions from…y’know who. Corenswet spends most of his time as “big blue”, whose demeanor is typically bright and friendly, which makes him almost a “magnet” for kids and “everyday Joes” around the globe. But this hero is still trying to figure things out and is often frustrated by opposing forces and intense distractions. What really marks his interpretation is the fiery emotions that the previously portrayed cool and calm Kal-El had hidden away (though we saw his despair near the finale of the 1978 film). Corenswet shows us that burning desire to do “what’s right” while also giving a hint of his heartbreak when he can’t forestall tragedy. Plus, there’s that “big passion” for that “pesky reporter”, played with steely determination by Brosnahan, giving us a modern liberated spin on the feisty writers of classic films like HIS GIRL FRIDAY. Eschewing the often “damsel in distress” previous iterations, this Lois is very proactive, even leading the charge into battle and rallying reluctant aides. Plus, she’s no “shrieking violet” around “the cape” when an “interview” goes from “fluff” to a fiery ethical discourse, with no “moonlight flight” to soften bruised feelings. But who’s the real “monkey wrench” in this romance? Of course, it’s Luthor played with a seething bravado by the wild-eyed Hoult. This isn’t the clownish criminal kingpin of the past movies. Hoult makes him a hyper-focused tech titan, whose white whale is the flying “boy scout” usurping his well-earned glory. Still, Hoult shows us that he can “smooth out his edges,” whether conning some DC insiders and doing the “dog and pony” dance for TV. His supervillain is truly worthy of this greatest of superheroes.
As for the “standouts” in (as they used to say in the old DeMille-style flicks) this “cast of thousands”, I’ll mention the other superbeings that are introduced here. The trailers have presented a trio of flying friends who refer to themselves as the “Justice Gang” (not permanent). First off, Edi Gathegi is indeed terrific as Mr. Terrific, a science wizard with a somewhat surly no-nonsense swagger. All the nonsense really comes from the hilarious Nathan Fillion as the smirking, boastful Green Lantern rep, Guy Gardner. Plus, they’ve got some added “muscle” and ferocity in Isabela Mercid as the mace-wielding Hawkgirl. Back in the pressroom, Skyler Gisondo is quite the “playa” as chick magnet Jimmy Olsen, who still annoys Wendell Pierce’s Perry White by calling him “chief”. We get a side trip to Smallville to catch up with Clark’s Earth parents plyed with “cornpone” warmth by Neva Howell as “Ma” and Pruitt Taylor Vince as “Pa”, who’s quite touching during an early morning “heart-to-heart” chat with Clark on the “porch swing”. As for the “baddies”, de Faria is a somber “destruction device” as the cruel Engineer, while Anthony Carrigan elicits lots of sympathy as a reluctant villain, a “super pawn”, as the “Element Man” or Metamorpho to fans of Silver Age comics. Plus, we get lots of great “vocal cameos” for the FoS robots, while an “A-lister” shows up as part of the Krypton history.
And just who is the “defecting director” who made the BIG leap from the MCU to be half of the “guiding force” of DC Studios, while helming this “new beginning” from his own script (of course, the tilte character was created by the pride of Cleveland, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)? None other than St. Louis’s own James Gunn, who had helmed the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY trilogy along with THE SUICIDE SQUAD. Now, many purists might be concerned whether he would indulge in some bits of raunchy humor and sight gags, much like that latter film and his “Peacemaker” and “Creature Commandos” HBOMax streaming shows. Happily, he has produced a “family friendly” entertainment that balances moments of heart with witty satire (his take on internet trolls is hysterical). Perhaps the biggest surprise is how relevant the story is to the current state of the world. Luthor stirs up animosity toward Superman’s “outsider” origins, and like some other recent screen stories, fires up paranoid fears about Kal going “rogue”. Gunn has come up with two fictional countries in the “global conflict” subplot that are almost “ripped from the headlines”. And aside from the Engineers and the “Hammer”. Luthor has an elite quad of heavily armed “enforcers” called the “Raptors,” whose faces are almost covered (hmmm, who might their “real world counterparts” be). So bravo for deftly combining social commentary with a high-flying fantasy.
And big, big kudos for presenting the story in bright warm colors closer to its comic book roots, rather than the dark dreary tones of the last Superman screen series (we’re not in the “Snyder-verse anymore). Happily, Gunn gives an affectionate wink to the best loved movie Supes with the use of the John Williams theme on the soundtrack, and two 1978 characters with a “tech-bro” named Otis (Terence Rodemore) and a surprisingly essentional Eve Teschmacher (Sara Saampaio). Well, like many comic fans I do have more “issues” (sorry about that). I was reminded of a line from the nadir of 1990s superhero flicks, BATMAN AND ROBIN in which George Clooney, in cowl and cape, says, “Now I know why Superman works alone”. While he does get a “push” in the 70s and 80s movie series, this “caped wonder” requires lots of help. mainly from the Justice Gang and Krypto, which somewhat tossed the established trope of Superman as a “solo” crusader.I realize that this happens early in crimebusting career, but Supes makes so many odd choices in his actions and doesn’t appear to be using his “super smarts”. I’m baffled that they turned the usualy awkward nerdy Jimmy Olsen as a ladies man. Maybe I don’t get “the joke”. Speaking of which, gifted SNL vet Beck Bennett has almost nothing to do as Planet “news jock” Steve Lombard while Mikela Hoover’s Cat Grant dashes about it a huge platinum blonde 70s ‘do. Since we’re thrown right in the middle of the action, we’re denied the first meeting and eventual romance of Lois and Clark (mind you, the chemistry between Brosnahan and Corenswet is quite engaging). I wanted more moments of those two talking, but time must be made for the CGI destruction of Metropolis, and Gunn does bring this all in at under 130 minutes. No superhero bloat here. As I mentioned earlier, Hoult is so compelling and deserves a better resolution to Lex rather than a retread gag from an MCU epic. But, as the old joke says, ” It’s a good start”, I’m eager to explore this new DC movie universe that Gunn and his filmmaking team are plotting. Here’s hoping that they’ll guide a sensational sequel (and prequels and spin-offs) to this often spectacularly soaring SUPERMAN.
3.5 Out of 4
SUPERMAN is now in theatres everywhere
