Over the past decade, DC has been desperately trying to replicate the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). They tried to launch their own cinematic universe with Man of Steel, the origin of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) version of Superman. The film received mixed reactions, but ultimately kicked off what would become a tumultuous period for DC films. Regardless of their quality, each new DCEU film failed to get the universe going. And after Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, the DCEU was declared over.
But from death comes something new, and that something is a fresh start for DC with the DCU (The DC Universe). What better way to start than another iteration of Superman with the aptly named film, Superman. Directed by James Gunn, will this new version of one of DC’s biggest heroes get this new cinematic universe started on the right foot, or is history already repeating itself?
Unlike nearly every Superhero film ever, Superman doesn’t begin with an origin story and instead throws us straight into the action. After intervening in a foreign conflict in the fictional country of Boravia, Superman (David Corenswet) has come under fire for unilaterally intervening in foreign affairs. But it’s not just his image being called into question, as the Hammer of Boravia has come to exact vengeance. Behind the scenes, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is busy executing his plan to rid the world of Superman once and for all. Dealing with giant monsters, uninvited house guests, a pocket dimension, and surprising parental revelations, Superman will have to go above and beyond to bring hope to the world and himself.
This was a good introduction to this new version of Superman. The film’s decision to forgo the origin story and throw us straight into the action was a neat choice, but it came with its pros and cons. On the pro side, jumping straight into the meat of the story was refreshing for a superhero film with a new character. It helped get the film going quickly and set the pace early on. On the con side, though, it felt like the film was missing something story-wise. The message of hope and all that fun stuff remained intact, but I couldn’t help feeling that an entire other film was missing. It nagged at the back of my mind throughout the film, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment.
I did enjoy how, with all the different plot lines and characters, the main story ended up being that Lex Luthor just really hates Superman. It was almost comical how much of a hater this man was and how much it affected the story. I thought that it might lose itself with all the different storylines and characters, but Lex’s singular hatred for Superman pulls everything together. Well, almost all the storylines, cause there is one that is brought up early in the film, which, after causing some friction between Superman and the general public, is quickly brushed under the rug. I’m sure they’ll expand on it in the future, but it would’ve been nice to see it wrapped up here as well.
I’m just gonna get this out of the first: I really enjoyed Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Superman. I liked everything (that Black Adam post-credits scene and CGI lip don’t exist) about it, and I was disappointed when the role was recast. Needless to say, I was sceptical of David Corenswet taking over the mantle, but that scepticism was unfounded because he nailed Superman. Everything from the way he talks to the way he moves, he just felt like Superman. I would’ve liked maybe one or two more moments as Clark Kent, but all in all, an outstanding performance.
The same could be said about Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and I now can’t imagine anyone else in that role. His top-tier hating and shit-stirring were some of my favourite moments. I just wish his motivations weren’t all left to that one monologue at the end of the film (was a good monologue, though). It’s another casualty of feeling like a whole film of backstory was missed, but this can easily be fixed in a potential sequel.
The rest of the cast also did stellar jobs, with only one or two that didn’t hit the mark for me; those being The Engineer and Ultraman, portrayed by Maria Gabriela de Faria and a secret actor, respectively. I get that they were in the film to have Superman fight someone, but they felt so underbaked that I didn’t care much for either of them. That Ultraman reveal at the end was neat, and could lead to some interesting things, but I was underwhelmed this time. I wasn’t underwhelmed with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane because she nailed the role. I particularly enjoyed her interactions with Jimmy and Mr Terrific.
Speaking of Jimmy and Mr Terrific, Skyler Gisondo and Edi Gathegi were also fantastic. If the rumours of both these characters each getting their own series are true, I’ll be tuning in. Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl were also great, but had limited screen time, which is unfortunate because they both killed in the scenes they’re in (literally).
Superhero films haven’t exactly been known for their visual quality in recent years. After watching the first trailer and that one clip of Superman flying, I didn’t have high hopes that this film would buck that trend. However, with maybe one or two exceptions, the CGI in this film was surprisingly good. I didn’t feel like these were actors on a green screen at any point, nor did I think that I wasn’t watching the actors take part in the massive fights; it was all really well done. The Engineer’s powers specifically were impressive, with how fluid and lifelike her nanomachine weapons looked. The CGI for Superman, as he’s flying around, also looked great and proved my concerns wrong. The only times I thought the CGI wasn’t the best were one or two scenes involving Krypto and the Superman Robots, but given they were fully CGI, I’ll cut them a little slack.
The soundtrack was a good blend of classic Superman tracks and James Gunn’s signature musical flair. The main Superman theme inspires hope whenever it starts to play with that orchestral swell, just being quintessential Superman. On the flip side, the Lex Luthor theme is a synth-heavy bop that just screams “this guy is bad news”. In regards to the needle drop moments James Gunn is known for, there are only two, and they’re both perfectly timed. I won’t spoil them here, but Gunn has now gone four from four in picking the right songs for his superhero films.
Superman has gotten the DCU off to a hopeful start. The film captures the essence of what Superman should be as a character, and while I did really enjoy the darker version of him from the DCEU, this is the version of the character that this new universe needed. It’s not a perfect film, but for what it set out to do, Superman did a pretty darn good job. Hopefully, DC can keep this momentum going and finally get its cinematic universe going.
Have you seen Superman? What did you think? Do you prefer the DCEU version instead? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things DCU.
