‘Superman’ review: James Gunn puts his own stamp on the iconic Man of Steel | Reviews

Corenswet provides audiences with the most likeable version of Superman since Christopher Reeve

Opening July 11 across the globe, this Warner Bros release is not merely another bold attempt to reboot the property, which was relaunched in 2013’s Man Of Steel ($670m), with Henry Cavill donning the cape and, before that, in 2006’s Superman Returns ($391m), starring Brandon Routh. Superman also serves as the first chapter in a new iteration of the studio’s DC Universe that is being overseen by Gunn and his producing partner Peter Safran. Clearly, much is at stake commercially, and the reboot does not boast huge names in the cast, with the relatively unknown David Corenswet (Twisters, TV’s Lady In The Lake) now portraying the mighty Kryptonian.

In this version of the story, Superman (Corenswet) has been fighting crime in Metropolis for three years, becoming an adored local figure. But no-one realises he is also Clark Kent, a reporter at The Daily Planet secretly dating his coworker Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who alone knows his true identity. This burgeoning romance is interrupted, however, by Superman’s ongoing battle with the tech billionaire Lex Luthor (a suitably egomaniacal Nicholas Hoult), who will stop at nothing to convince the US government that this alien is a threat needing to be eradicated.

Gunn had great success with the three Guardians pictures, which grossed roughly $2.5bn worldwide and celebrated a loveable ragtag group of misfits who become a de facto family. With that trilogy — and 2021’s underrated, bloody and vulgar The Suicide Squad — Gunn managed to bring an auteurist sensibility to superhero films, combining heartfelt sentiment with superb spectacle and an impressive sense of the bizarre.

These qualities also appear in Superman, although Gunn lacks the sure hand he brought to those earlier pictures. Part of the problem is that this risk-taking reboot has an overly complicated plot that involves a deadly standoff between two fictional nations, the warmongering Boravia and the peaceful, outgunned Jarhanpur, and Luthor’s scheme to discredit Superman and turn the world against him. In addition, Gunn introduces several supporting superheroes — including the arrogant Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and the wryly hilarious Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) — who, initially, pull focus from Superman’s story but become crucial to the central narrative in the final reels.

Corenswet sports a modest sweetness as Superman, who Gunn envisions as a self-effacing superhero lacking the gee-whiz boyishness that Christopher Reeve exuded endearingly nearly 50 years ago. Not as charismatic as Cavill in the role, Corenswet plays the Man of Steel as a dutiful crime fighter who wants to ensure no bystanders get hurt during his epic tussles. If the newcomer is not entirely arresting, viewers will be able to understand why this Superman is somewhat taken for granted by Metropolis — that is, until he goes through a series of ordeals that will challenge his image of himself, eventually emerging as a more confident and assertive hero. To that end, Superman introduces a major twist to the character’s background, which should not be revealed. But while the surprise is, at first, handled awkwardly, it ultimately proves quite moving. Gunn specialises in outcasts and screw-ups and, refreshingly, finds a way to view Superman through a similar lens.

The film’s jokey humour is decidedly hit or miss — and the emphasis on Superman’s rambunctious, adorable dog Krypto has only mixed results. But where other superhero pictures feel as if they have been constructed by committee, Superman bears Gunn’s fingerprints. They can be seen in the strange, beautiful beasts that pop up randomly — not to mention in the visuals’ gorgeous bursts of colour and the story’s trippy alternative realms. But, most importantly, they are felt in Gunn’s investment in Superman’s goodness, which becomes a rallying cry for the more cynical around him — such as Brosnahan’s charming but underutilised Lois Lane.

Reeve remains the quintessential Superman, but Corenswet provides audiences with the most likeable version since. Despite the film’s flaws, he and Gunn help make the Man of Steel a little more human, without denying the unwavering decency and heroism that have kept him soaring in the collective consciousness.