On July 11 , the new “Superman” movie, directed by James Gunn, released in theatres. The movie follows journalist Clark Kent, played by David Corenswet as he navigates his alter ego, Superman, while his enemy, Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, publicly slanders him and sends villains after him and those he cares about.
After his home planet was destroyed when he was a baby, Clark Kent’s escape pod landed on Earth, where he was raised by farmers and grew up to pursue journalism along with his superhero duties under his secret identity of Superman. The movie opens with Superman losing his first fight, retreating to his Fortress of Solitude, where robots from his home planet healed him. As he recovers, billionaire Lex Luthor spreads bad press about as he hates him due to his alien origin and naturally given powers. Luthor hires superpowered villains to break into Superman’s fortress and steal hidden messages sent from his parents, revealing that they initially intended for him to use those powers to invade Earth. As the public shifts their view on him from their beloved hero to an alien invader, he spends the rest of the film navigating fighting Luthor while grappling with the public’s perception of him, all while trying to prioritize saving lives. He has to deal with maintaining his humanity despite his alien origins.
A major point of praise for this movie is the emphasis it put on the “hero” aspect of being a superhero. Many modern superhero movies have the hero experience a great personal loss of a friend or family member to motivate them, a trend this film deviates from. A critical point was when Luthor killed a random innocent civilian in front of Superman, a major point of motivation for the hero to fight harder to uphold justice and ensure that more innocent people weren’t harmed. This moment alone is a refreshing take on the genre. This choice made it clear to the audience that Man of Steel’s values were entirely focused on protecting everyone around him, sending a positive message to invoke the morals that make superheroes as loved as they are.
However, this doesn’t mean that the film lacked action or excitement. Characters like the hero Mr. Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi, the supervillain Ultraman, played by David Corenswet, and Superman himself, all featured in epic fight scenes that held up an energetic environment until the end. This combination of a heartfelt theme and action was accompanied by a lighthearted mood, characterized through comedy and happy moments throughout the film that made the watch all the more enjoyable.
An important thing to remember though is that nothing is perfect. A shortcoming of this movie was the focus on parts of Clark Kent’s personal life. Long-time comic book fans are definitely familiar with Kent’s best friend, Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo. However, his interactions with Kent were limited in the movie. Kent’s job as a reporter, a core part of his character since it was conceived, was also overshadowed by his endeavors as Superman. This was made up for, though, by the presence of Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan, a fierce reporter and Kent’s love interest, balancing the hero’s endeavors with grounded efforts to shed light on Luthor’s schemes.
All in all, the film was an enjoyable watch, cementing a strong message in the audience’s minds. Above all, Superman’s most important quality was his compassion. It was his innate drive to, no matter the circumstances and no matter the obstacles, put saving innocent lives around him above everything else. In the modern world of hero films that focus on flashy villains, crazy fights and cosmic scaled conflicts, a down to Earth and uplifting adaption reinvokes the values that made superheroes popular, and breaks the monotony seen in this genre over the past few years. “Superman” stands out against other releases, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a film that is both thrilling and fun.
