Movie Review - Superman

I've lost count of how many Superman reboots or origin stories we've had over the years. But I can at least say that this Superman movie is uniquely different from all the others. And that's not nothin'.

This might be the first time that the director of a new Superman movie upstaged the actor playing Superman. I know that's the case for me. James Gunn brought a new flavor of action/superhero to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Since it was announced that he would take over as the Tzar of DC I've been looking forward to seeing what he would come up with. And now I know. Or at least, I think I know.

7:42●●● 95%

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David Corenswet

I honestly had no idea who Corenswet was until he was announced as the next Superman. I saw him in Twisters, but don't remember him at all. I must admit, I've never been a Superman fan. The character is too overpowered and flawless. This Superman is far from that. I mean, the first shot we get of Superman is after he's gotten his butt kicked and needs to be carried. This is far different than the Henry Cavill Superman, who was awesome by the way, but it was a bit old watching him yawn his way through killing demigods like swatting flies.

As far as Corenswet's acting, I'm going to give it a thumbs up. In fact, this version of Superman requires a lot more nuance to perform than most. He's not as super-confident and can get rattled. This is a much more human Superman, which is exactly what he argues at the end of the movie.

Action

This might be where this Superman differs from previous incarnations the most. The action is more comical than the other movie adaptations. I'm not going to say it's better, because to each their own, but I did like the refreshing take. That being said, there was much less excitement in the action sequences. Some of the scenes with the Justice Gang were okay, and I really liked Mister Terrific, but the solo Superman fights were rather boring to me. I'm glad they weren't dragged out any longer than they were.

The New DC Universe

One thing is for certain, it's different than the previous DCU and honestly, it can't get any worse. I mean, there were a few good movies in there. I enjoyed all of the Superman movies with Cavill, and WWI was great. But aside from that, it was pretty lackluster, at best. Some of the movies were downright unwatchable. (I'm looking at you Suicide Squad-version 1.)

And the entire superhero genre could use some variation. As awesome as Phase III of the MCU was, it's time for a new direction. Oddly enough, the latest MCU movie Thunderbolts feels more like a tonal shift from the superhero genre than does this Superman movie. I'm as shocked as anyone, but Thunderbolts was fantastic.

Grade: B-

Plot
Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned.