Superman Is Gunning for a Good Time

Here comes the sun — the yellow rays of Sol, to be precise, reinvigorating and refreshing a bloodied, broken franchise. Superman is back again in Superman, a fun-frothy franchise entry that pretends its newly-revamped characters have always been there and the battered brand hasn’t taken any dark detours over the past few decades.

At the helm is comic-book savant and Superman stan James Gunn, the wizard who took a bargain-bin Marvel title like Guardians of the Galaxy and transformed it into wildly successful A-list irreverence at the box office. His billion-dollar idea here: reboot the silver-screen Superman, but do it three years after the alien from Kypton has revealed himself to the world and three months after he’s started dating intrepid Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane. Watching Gunn’s Superman is like picking up this month’s latest issue from your favorite comic book racks: charming, effective, satisfying enough until the next one.

Superman  ★★★★ (4/5 stars)
Directed by: James Gunn
Written by: James Gunn
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced
Running time: 129 mins

You don’t recall the backstory of the mythic American archetype who’s been around nearly ninety years? No worry, Gunn provides it in the first five minutes. Superman, safely ensconced in his arctic Fortress of Solitude, watches a holographic video from his dead parents, who intone that they sent him from their dying planet in order to protect the Earthlings. It’s a tale we all know — Superman even literally recites their lecture word for word. Incidentally, Bradley Cooper plays Supe’s storied father Jor-El. He’s no Brando, but it’s a nice touch to have a handsome actor with seasoned star power and just enough gravitas to pull it off.

The scene opens as Metropolis’ favorite son has just tussled with a mysterious robotic behemoth called the Hammer of Boravia, who somehow knows every pugilistic counter-punch to wear down the Man of Steel. No surprise that Superman’s super-nemesis, brilliant billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), is behind the seemingly invincible villain as well as the ongoing hostilities between the faraway autocratic country of Boravia and its neighbor, the impoverished people of Jarhanpur.

Lex also wants to sell the Pentagon on his own private mercenaries, a band of robotic soldiers along with a few enhanced “meta-humans” like mega-brawler Ultraman and a nanobot cyborg called The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), whom he collectively dubs Planet Watch. The famously bald industrialist wants Superman out of the picture — he’s bad for business! But even the brass at the Pentagon acknowledge that the autonomous “Big Blue” is too popular for them to control. If only Lex can harness the toxic power of social media against Superman…

Cut to Lex harnessing said toxic power, and the world, suddenly shocked by a tainted truth, turns against Superman — #SuperSpy, #SuperShit. Which leads to Superman’s ICE arrest (“No one read me my rights!” the intergalactic immigrant himself notes), along with his deportation to an unknown detention facility. Turns out that facility is unknown because it’s actually a pocket universe that Lex created, in a risky bit of science that could have destroyed the entire solar system — and still might just rip it apart.

Superman has some uninvited help in this film, a trio of meta-humans headed by a bowl-cut Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), who calls Superman a wuss and insists on branding these intrepid irregulars the “Justice Gang.” I’m assuming this is a knowing reference to them becoming the Justice League, alongside all the expected DC stalwarts replete with cute Gunnian quips and in-fighting galore.

For now, the Justice Gang includes cranky bloviator Green Lantern, with his ability to conjure combat-ready shapes and sizes of various use (all in green, natch). Also the disaffected Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), who likes to screech, but otherwise seems to just fly around and pummel things with generic aplomb. The only one of the gang who really shines is tech genius and super-gadget savant Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), because he absolutely lives up to his name. “I don’t need your help,” he barks at one point. ‘I’m god-damned Mr. Terrific.” Amen to that!

This hilarious badass — with his black, white, and red leather motorcycle outfit, hovering T-spheres and overall surly stoicism, sports a fuck-it attitude masking a do-gooder’s heart, and essentially steals the movie. He’s the one who finally heeds Lois’ pleas to find Superman and helps her track him down. Also assisting in Superman’s prison break is Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), otherwise known as Rex, a fellow prisoner who can transmute parts of his body into any periodic element.

This being a James Gunn movie, it finds room for myriad goofy monsters and sassy retorts aplenty. Not to forget nonsensical perils like an anti-proton river and comically dire threats like black holes, none of which turn out to be real dangers except to the peripheral adversaries. There’s also a dimensional rift, which looks alarmingly serious and literally starts tearing Metropolis apart, but is also a bit of a canard.

Richard Donner’s 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve still looms large, from John Williams’ call-to-arms fanfare to the disco-era optical effects on its sans-serif credits (both of which Gunn repurposes here). He even revives and retools the non-canonical character of Lex’s empty-headed but sweet-hearted moll Eve Tessmacher (Sara Sampaio takes the baton from Valerie Perrine). But Donner’s version casts such a long shadow because it truly feels heroic. Gunn’s Superman pays lip service to what heroes do, but finds Superman’s uncommon valor less compelling than the silly shenanigans.

Much of the time, it feels as if Superman has stumbled into a James Gunn movie and not the other way around. As so often with Gunn, more is more. Did I mention there’s a dog? Krypto is an adorable addition to the antics, and plays a vital role in a few key moments. He also allows for another super character to stumble in at the 11th-hour.

Superman is a crowded film with noisy fun for all. And Superman is there, too.