Even Under its Sprawling Weight, James Gunn’s Superman Soars to Dazzling Heights
Image Courtesy of DC Studios
By Luis Zonenberg
After the roaring success of Jurassic World: Rebirth, Hollywood brings in its next heavy hitter and it sure is a doozy. Ever since it was announced James Gunn would be frontrunning the new DC Universe with producer Peter Safran, fans have been eager to see what his new take on the universe would entail. Almost three years later, his labor has borne fruit and brought us the first film entry in the DCU, Superman!
The story focuses on Superman AKA Clark Kent (David Coronswet) reeling from a deadly battle with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) as he searches for his kryptonian lair. Superman also finds himself coming under fire from the media after preventing a war breaking out overseas, angering many political officials. This prompts Lex to turn the media against Superman, forcing Clark to seek help from his girlfriend and co-worker, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan).
This movie might be the most comic book esc film of all time, leaning into the campy antics and over-the-top reality of superheroes. It is also very overstuffed, rarely taking the time to explain what’s going on in the story so it can move on and keep the pace going. While there is a lot going on, one cannot help but feel more lenient as director James Gunn tries to create a new environment for the DCU from scratch and expertly keeps you entertained throughout the entire film.
This film was incredibly well-casted, featuring great performances across the board. David Coronswet made a great impression with his optimistic charm and naïveté, truly bringing the character to life on the big screen. He had great chemistry with his co-star Rachel Brosnahan, who made for a wonderfully snarky Lois Lane. Nicholas Hault, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio and Edi Gathegi were all fantastic in their supporting roles, with Nathan Fillion being the standout as the jerky, overconfident Guy Gardner.
The cinematography featured James Gunn’s usual flair of bombastic energy. After directing three Guardians of the Galaxy films and one Suicide Squad film, Gunn has really mastered filming superhero movies, balancing out the size and scope with the more intimate moments. He made this tailor-made for the big screen, with many fight scenes shot like one long take that really immerses the audience and makes them feel part of the action.
The VFX blended in very well with each other, balancing out the CGI-heavy moments with some nice practical set pieces. This is not made to look realistic at all, but merely fuel the hyper-active reality that Superman lives in. It matches the campy, over the top tone with a nice balance of effects. From actual metal robots to a giant CGI kaiju stomping over Metropolis, Gunn really knew how to properly balance the VFX in the film.
What really stops the movie from being great is really its overstuffed plot, which has a lot of elements moving around at all times. It can get tiring at some points trying to keep up, failing to properly balance it all like the Spiderverse films. The one key element really amping it up though is Gunn’s signature flair, finding a great way to balance the humor and drama which keeps the audience engaged throughout.
This is the exact definition of a rollercoaster film, soaring high up into the sky before the plot derails and makes you plummet to the floor. There are a lot of moving pieces and I do not envy anyone tasked with such an immense job, but Gunn truly does a bang-up job here. His trademark flair and style really adds a lot to the story, fleshing out the world in great detail while making sure the audience is engaged at all times. Even under the film’s immense weight, James Gunn’s Superman soars into the sky with its sharp direction and a heroic story worthy of its titular character.
Superman is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★★☆
