This looks like a job for ... another reboot!
I'm not complaining.
It has been twelve years since the DC Extended Universe began with Man of Steel. It has been a few years since it finally ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It has been half-a-week since James Gunn's Superman, the starting point of the new DC Universe, came out. It has been a few days since I saw it. Let's get to it.
Perhaps realizing how ubiquitous his origin story is, Gunn instead drops us in Superman's third year of heroics. As the text recaps, Superman (David Corenswet) caused an international incident by intervening in the invasion of the country of Jarhanpur by their neighbors, Boravia. Boravia sends The Hammer of Boravia, an armored "metahuman," to trounce Superman, a fight whose aftermath opens the film. He does slightly better in the immediate rematch, though.
The Court of Public Opinion comes for Superman when Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) leaks his parents' last message. So, it turns out that Jor-El & Lara (Bradley Cooper & Angela Sarafyan) actually wanted their son to conquer Earth. He didn't know that; the playback didn't get that far. It's part of Luthor's scheme to help Boravia continue the invasion of Jarhanpur. With Superman locked away in Luthor's interdimensional prison, it's up to Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) to rally a few allies, human and metahuman, to save the day. They'll have to hurry, for Luthor's interdimensional warp is about to tear the planet apart.
Who else is in the story? We get the Justice Gang, which consists of Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced), who are later joined by Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Jimmy Olson (Skyler Gisondo) has a substantial subplot with Luthor's gal, Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio). A few other names include Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Burić), the President of Boravia; Jonathan & Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor-Vince & Neva Howell); and, of course, Krypto the Superdog, who's simply a good boy. I haven't scratched the surface of this cast; I'd be here all day if I went further.
Despite its mammoth cast, the film's plot is generally easy to follow. Its most substantial supporting players fit their narrative or thematic roles rather well. The Justice Gang, in particular, are presumably more seasoned heroes, and aren't as idealistic as Superman. Superman's goodness grows on them throughout the film, even if Mr. Terrific's character growth is the most noticeable. I actually enjoyed Jimmy's subplot, as it not only gives him his biggest spotlight in years, but also an enjoyable scene partner with Eve. Lots of other names pop up here and there, though you don't need to read nearly ninety-years of comics to understand them.
We're told that Jarhanpur has an "authoritarian" leader that Ghurkos wants to "liberate" the country from. Thing is, we don't really meet that leader, whoever they are. On the other hand, we're not supposed to trust Ghurkos, and we're given plenty of reasons why as the film goes on. When the Boravian army breaks through the border, a Jarhanpurian crowd calls out for Superman, which is answered in spectacular fashion by the Justice Gang. It's a crowd-pleasing moment, though it could've been more profound if we had seen - not just told of - Superman's first intervention. It's fine that it skips through Superman's origin, though it's less fine that it delegates most of its backstory to "tell, don't show."
Thankfully, there's plenty of stuff to see here. In this iteration, Lois is not only Superman's secret keeper, but they're dating as well. Corenswet and Brosnahan have excellent chemistry together, whether in good times or in bad. Their "breakfast-for-dinner" date is charming, though it turns tense when she grills him on his intervention. You'll feel it when Superman exasperatedly justifies his intervention with "people were going to die!" Still, that's not enough to sour anyone's perception of this relationship. It gets better from here.
What else do we have here? Superman saving various civilians and pets from collateral damage is just as awesome as his punch-ups with bad guys. His final showdown with Luthor lets him outline his persistent dedication to good in spectacular fashion. This Luthor, meanwhile, is beyond arrogant and morally loathsome, but he's quite entertaining when he gets his comeuppance. It's these moments that help make Corenswet perhaps the best Superman since Christopher Reeve. While the film's makeup work is impressive, its biggest highlight is Metamorpho's otherworldly visage. It's quite captivating to watch Metamorpho go from one of Luthor's victims to superhero. While the film has impressive visuals, it also has several impressive variations of John Williams's iconic march, courtesy of composers John Murphy & David Fleming.
I'm sure a lot of people might recognize a few political parallels as they watch this Superman. I'm sure a lot of them might profoundly object to them. Those people have clearly missed the precedence for such parallels (Superman IV ring a bell?). Why should that bother them? Why, in this movie? I mean, Gunn has made it fun to believe that I man could fly. Check out this Superman and you might have fun, too.
That's it for now.