3.5 stars out of 5
If you’re looking for a really well-made, well-performed film, this is not so super. But if you are a 12-year-old boy, or in charge of some 12-year-olds on a humid or rainy day, you could do a lot worse than seeing Superman.
I will say, this is a better movie than 2013’s Man of Steel, and a much better movie than Batman v Superman v Tony Orlando: Dawn of Justice. Those were too dark and too dreary, words that had become synonymous with DC Comics movies. So DC poached James Gunn, a 58-year-old with too much product in his hair, away from Marvel where he’d written and directed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Those were light and fun and made a lot of money! One big reason for their success: They appealed to kids.
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Comic books are for kids, so it’s hard to complain if a comic book movie is for kids too. Sure, it’s possible to make a superhero flick that appeals to everyone, but Gunn seems unable to hit that target, or even aim for it.
I’ve actually seen actor David Corenswet in a few different movies before his turn as Clark Kent/Superman, but he has a forgetability factor that works fine here. Rachel Brosnahan a.k.a. Mrs. Maisel is similarly adequate as Lois Lane. I did enjoy seeing Gideon Gemstone (actor Skyler Gisondo) as Jimmy Olson. As one would hope, Michael Ian Black and Beck Bennett inject solid comedy into their small roles. Good ol’ Wendell “Bunk” Pierce is wasted as Perry White, as is an unrecognizable, unintelligible Bradley Cooper as Jor-El.
Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi turn in strong supporting performances, and comic relief, as Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific. They are teamed with Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), who doesn’t get any good lines. The best acting job, unsurprisingly, comes from Nicholas Hoult as Jeff Bezos whoops I mean Lex Luthor. He oozes entitlement and evil.
You get the flying, the fighting, the public turning against Spider-Man I mean Superman, some decent laughs, and a positive, easily digestible message for the kids (we control our own destinies). Plus air conditioning. I sprung for IMAX which ultimately didn’t seem necessary. And I’m trying not to think about all the lighthearted, progressively worse DC movies on the way.
Jack Silbert, curator