***This is a spoiler-free review.***
Everyone knows the origin story of Superman, but not many know that Superman was in fact created in Cleveland, Ohio which is why last night's early screening of James Gunn's SUPERMAN movie was special since that is where DailySuperHero.com is headquartered. Especially considering a large portion of the movie was shot at many locations around downtown Cleveland. Seeing all the Cleveland local celebrities and locals who were extras in the film while it was in production last summer, made this premiere just as special (if not more) as previous big budget superhero movies that have filmed in Cleveland in the past.
To start off, I will be totally honest in saying that I went into this early screener with low expectations. Coming off Zack Snyder's most recent version of Superman, in his DC Extended Universe, I had to be cautious when considering how Gunn's SUPERMAN is the start to his brand new connected DC Universe (DCU). A lot of pressure is riding on the film to be a success.
Coming off his last film, which was Marvel Studios' GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, it was tough to tell how this version of Superman would be on the big screen. I can definitely say that Gunn nailed it in his own way. There's heart, action, fun, and of course a little bit of that Gunn campiness you've seen in his past films, but not too much of it to maintain the seriousness that Superman needs to portray with his character.
But this is in fact a fresh take on "Big Blue." You haven't seen a Superman like this in live action as Gunn was able to write and craft a film that not only honors Superman's legacy and comic book history, but Gunn is able to make this version his own unique type of Superman.
The story is simple, we start off with Superman already been known and out and about in the world. Lex Luthor hates him and has been studying him in depth for years trying to figure out a way to best him. There is a political nature to this movie but it is all fictional and not based in reality where fake nations are fighting and one is trying to overthrow the other. This brings Superman into the fold as he tries to save lives and help humanity with his super-powered gifts. Obviously, nations are unhappy as Superman works on his own time and makes his own decisions so political powers become upset and begin listening to the manipulative words of Lex.
In order to save as much of the actual plot beats and story for you to see for yourself, this all may sound vague but it definitely modernizes Superman into a more realistic fictional take on the character. Gunn pulls this off brilliantly as you can feel Superman's heart is in the right place with his decision making, but others do not agree and want oversight of his actions.
Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific are all great companions to Superman when needed because Superman is not unbeatable which is an interesting angle since most people assume Superman is more or less invincible. He most definitely is not in this film, and in fact he does bleed.
Lex's team of the Engineer and Ultraman are worthy foes and keeps the action going in the fight scenes that take place in the sky and on the ground in multiple sequences throughout the movie.
The performances of the cast are all great and you can tell they all enjoy their roles and had a great timing filming this movie together. Superman actor David Corenswet is superb in the role and for how many of hundreds of actors Gunn had to look at to land Corenswet, he found a gem as fans should look forward to seeing him more often in the DCU.
If there is one nitpick I can make about the movie it's how it can get a bit long in the monologuing department and because of this the tempo and flow of the film can be felt to stall here and there. Perhaps cutting about 10-15 minutes out of the runtime could have helped this, but in the end the film still is coherent and consistent gets where it needs to go in telling its story.
Now the question everyone is waiting for.... did this SUPERMAN movie work? I can confidently say yes because it's not the darker version of the character as seen in the last iteration and this version will also get kids excited to become fans of Superman, too. Kids being excited for Superman is something that has been needed for many years now and this concept is back via Gunn's creativity.
A worthy addition to the superhero genre, worth at least a second viewing in the theater. And definitely see it in at theater with the best sound system like how I saw it at Phoenix Theater in the Dolby ATMOS screen. Gunn was able to make this Superman his own through and through and it is a great start to the brand new DCU for Gunn and DC Studios as it now begins to build out it's superhero universe anew.
Written and reviewed by Daniel Wolf, Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Comments
Post a Comment