James Gunn's Superman

I am not a film critic. I am not a book critic. The reviews I post are not very good.

I don’t aspire to be a critic. I write fiction, and on rare occasions, informational journalistic articles for The Miami Valley Experience website.

When I first began writing many years ago, I studied journalism, thinking that one day, I could work as a reporter for a newspaper.

I was bored to tears. I couldn’t keep humor out of my writing. I remember my journalism professor (who I deeply respected) writing in the margin of one of my assignments, “You just can’t keep the jokes out, can you?”

I guess not.

I started posting reviews and recommendations on my website and blog to give my potential readers an idea of the kind of stories that I like. And, if someone likes the same, maybe they will stick around to see what I have to offer in my own stories. If you’re thinking that sounds like a cheap marketing ploy, you’re probably right. But hey, it’s a jungle out there.

What follows is my review of the new Superman movie written and directed by James Gunn. I’m going to tell you what I liked about it and my overall opinion. I wanted to wait a few days to see what other so-called online “critics” said. Not that their views would change mine (I find some of those takes amusing, and I laugh at them). My mind was made up as soon as I walked out of the theater.

Full disclosure, I am a fan of James Gunn. I’ve liked everything he’s produced, written, and directed. He puts heart and humor in his writing and infuses his stories with music. I came from the 80s MTV music video generation, so I find that type of storytelling very entertaining.

This Superman movie is James Gunn’s vision of the most popular superhero of all time (some will argue Spider-Man is the most popular, but I disagree). Imagine for a moment being a writer and a fan of comic books, and being given the opportunity to create your own version of that iconic hero. It blows my mind.

First, what does the character of Superman mean to me? Other than the “strange visitor from another planet, with powers and abilities far beyond mortal men.” Superman is a friend. A friend whom each of us needs when the world seems to be falling apart. Superman is hope. Hope that someone out there cares enough to help make tomorrow a better day. Superman is an example. Even if we can’t fly or bend steel with our bare hands, we can try our best every day to be super at whatever we do. Most importantly, Superman is a hero. A hero for all people of Earth.

This Superman movie is not an origin story. It’s told “in medias res” which is Latin for “into the middle of things.” It’s a literary technique where the narrative begins in the middle of the story’s action. I use this technique myself in almost all of my stories, so again, Gunn is doing great by me so far.

There are many characters and subplots in this movie, and if you’ve seen any of Gunn’s previous work (Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad, Creature Commandos), that’s what he does best. So, why would he bother to shy away from that in this movie? He wouldn’t. If something works, stick with it.

Gunn also knows how to write funny lines and amusing characters. I laughed out loud many times in this movie, which added to my overall enjoyable experience. But Gunn isn’t funny all the time. He also knows how to tug at your heartstrings. I’m a grown-ass man, and I’m not too ashamed to admit I had tears in my eyes after watching certain scenes, and there are some lines delivered that had me saying, “Whoa, that’s deep.”

All that being said, Superman gets his ass kicked a lot in this movie. For a while, I sat there asking, “Why is this happening?” But, once Superman figures out how his adversary can beat him so handily, he overcomes it (so, Gunn covers that). That’s what you want your heroes to do, right? Overcome adversity.

Earlier, I mentioned the many subplots and characters in Superman. There are many, and for some, it could be hard to follow everything going on. But that’s Gunn’s wheelhouse. I think the side characters all work, and I’m sure we will see them again in other DCU movies and TV shows.

In my opinion, the casting in Superman was perfect across the board. Let’s cover some of them, shall we?

Lois Lane – played by Rachel Brosnahan, known for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017). I was unsure when I first heard about this casting, but Brosnahan is now my favorite Lois Lane ever. She certainly has the look, and she even manages to channel a Margot Kidder vibe from 1978’s Superman, in the way she delivers her lines. I’m not sure if that was intentional, but it worked for me.

Jimmy Olsen – Skyler Gisondo. This is a young guy (he’s not even 30) who’s been in a lot of movies. He looks like what Jimmy Olsen should look like. What’s hilarious is that Gunn made this Jimmy Olsen a chick-magnet. He did that in part of what happened to the Jimmy Olsen character in the Snyderverse, who turned out to be a CIA agent (???) and was shot in the head. This didn’t sit right with Gunn, so in his version, the character of Jimmy Olsen is redeemed by making him a reporter who is drooled over by beautiful women.

Perry White – Wendell Pierce plays the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet. Pierce is a well-respected actor who exudes a commanding authority, perfect for the role of “Chief.”

Lex Luthor – Nicholas Hoult. British actor Hoult crushes this role. The character of Lex Luthor is envious of Superman to the point of hatred and obsession. Hoult embodies that completely. At times, I could actually feel Luthor’s disdain for Superman coming from the screen. I’ve said for years that Michael Rosenbaum from the CW TV show, Smallville (2001-2017), was my favorite Lex Luthor, but right now it’s a toss-up between Hoult and Rosenbaum.

Guy Gardner – Nathan Fillion. Guy Gardner is part of the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe (there are many besides Hal Jordon). The character of Guy Gardner is an overbearing jerk. He’s almost an antihero with a big ego and a bad haircut, which makes the character a riot. Fillion is excellent as this character, and I can’t wait to see him in other DCU projects.

Mr. Terrific – played by Edi Gathegi, who steals every damn scene that he’s in. He also delivers my favorite line, which I won’t repeat here (go see the movie). Gathegi was cast as Darwin, a virtually indestructible mutant, in X-Men: First Class (2011). Well, director Bryan Singer had the character killed off anyway, shortly after introducing him in the movie. Again, this didn’t sit well with James Gunn, so he cast Gathegi as one of DC’s most intelligent and technologically powerful heroes. He’s perfect for the role, and if Mr. Terrific doesn’t get his own movie, I’ll be surprised and pissed off.

Isabela Merced – Hawkgirl. Merced is an up-and-coming young actress, best known for The Last of US on HBO. Hawkgirl doesn’t take any crap from Guy Gardner and flies around whacking bad guys with a mace. It’s not that big of a role, and really doesn’t have that much impact on the story, but it’s fun to watch.

Krypto – The Superdog. Krypto (CGI) is 3D modeled after James Gunn’s dog, Uzo. According to Superman, Krypto is not a very good dog, but I laughed hard during his scenes and cheered when he went into action. Krypto is such a dog, and reminded me of my own. He makes the movie.

Superman/Clark Kent – David Corenswet. Corenswet had large boots to fill. Like Christopher Reeve before him, he graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. Gunn’s Superman is a version that is not perfect. He’s vulnerable. Not God-like. He’s still learning how to be a hero and how to be more like a human. Corenswet embraces that, portraying a hero who tries to do his best every day, but makes mistakes. He has the look, size, and presence of Superman, and the dorky awkwardness of Clark Kent. There is also a child-like innocence to this character that has never been portrayed before. David Corenswet certainly has my vote as the new Superman in the DCU.

Those are most of the main players. There are others worth mentioning, but I don’t want to spoil too much. Also, there are some surprise cameos that you just have to see for yourself.

There were many scenes in this movie, particularly of Superman flying and in action, that made me look up at the screen in awe. There is also a scene that is a direct shout-out to the Snyderverse (again, go see the movie). One thing that most people don’t know (and what Snyder-bros, who I’ll address in a bit, won’t admit) James Gunn and Zack Snyder are good friends, who worked together on 2004’s Dawn of the Dead.

The reviews for James Gunn’s Superman are exceptionally more positive than negative. As of this writing, the Rotten Tomatoes scores are 82% on the Tomatometer and 93% on the Popcornmeter (film critic ratings and audience ratings, respectively). Those who have reported or posted bad reviews or negative reactions to the movie are people who habitually look for things to be unhappy about, or don’t know anything about comic books or comic book characters.

Take the Snyder-bros, for example (those who are disturbingly obsessed with the darker, edgier version of Superman brought to the screen by Zack Snyder in 2013’s Man of Steel). As I reported in a previous blog, I liked Man of Steel as a movie. There are some great scenes and great performances worth watching. But, overall, it is a character assassination of the Superman many comic book fans grew up with. Nothing I, nor anyone else, can say will change the Snyder-bros’ minds. They will just continue to pout, whine, cry, and hate this new version of Superman. Just like Lex Luthor.

So, pay no attention to the critics or Snyder-bros giving bad reviews. There are even some people trashing the film, saying that it’s “woke” (I covered that in a video across my social media platforms). Anyone who says this movie is woke knows nothing about Superman and has no credibility.

Go see the movie. Even if you don’t like superhero films, it has something for everyone. I loved it. My entire family loved it. It’s a fun movie, and you won’t regret it. I’m planning to see it again. This franchise will make lots of money, and Marvel Studios and Disney should be scared.