Superman Review

From the outset, James Gunn is declaring that his movie is going to be different than any Superman movie before it. It begins with bold opening credits. I’m going to be honest, when I read those words on the silver screen I got nervous for the Man of Steel. This Superman exists in a world I am unfamiliar with. I’m not a big comic book reader…so source material doesn’t mean much to me when it comes to superhero movies. But in the movie there’s meta humans, robot assistants, and a rapidly growing creature that looks like a character from Guardians of the Galaxy. It was unfamiliar, and yet it was familiar.

There is a war raging between two fictional countries that Superman had inserted himself into. I couldn’t help but think that the inspiration for this fictional war was Israel and Gaza. Or maybe it was Ukraine and Russia. Or maybe Pakistan and India. Our world is not unfamiliar with war. Our minds are saturated with images of the wounded and dead; presumably innocent men, women, and children running for their lives in the streets.

Superman has android helpers who lack consciousness - yet he still thanks them for serving him. I loathe artificial intelligence, but even I thought there is something I can glean from this. He is kind to those who can't return true kindness. He saves a squirrel during an epic fight sequence. He seems to try to spare the life of everyone he’s fighting as he makes an appeal to their better selves. So we are seeing a more “mild mannered” depiction of the Kryptonian.

While the internet is flooded with “Best Superman” rankings, they all seem to be missing the OG. I’m not referring to the late, great Christopher Reeve. Something about this movie reminds me of George Reeve’s wholesome 1950’s Superman.

Without spoiling the film I can tell you that I loved it. I’m not a big fan of CGI and it spilled from the screen (like the popcorn that spilled from my bucket during that shocking plot twist). I’ve never been a big fan of Superman and his seemingly limitless power, and I loved this Superman and his physical and emotional vulnerability. I loved that he saw everyone as beautiful.

Perhaps my favorite part of the movie was when it started a conversation on the car ride home. My 11-year-old son had a lot to say about Superman’s falafel selling friend, the fictional war, and the overarching theme of kindness.

I watch a lot of movies with my kids. We love to be entertained. In the last couple of years I’ve decided to stop sharing my criticism of films with my kids - because they just parrot whatever I’m saying. I want them to develop their own opinions - and have their own idea about what’s good and bad. Not only did my son have an opinion but he had a lot to say about the themes represented in the movie. It’s rare when a movie starts a family conversation about the right way to treat people. It started an exciting conversation about what’s “good” and “bad”. Some may call that “woke” but I call it being human.

Just like Superman in the midst of a fight, this movie appeals to our humanity and our better selves.

You can knock the movie for goofiness and CGI overload - but I applaud it for its positive, polite, and kind messaging…and the best part of the movie was the car ride home and the conversation it spawned. These are the conversations I yearn to have with my kids.

It’s worthy of three and a half muffins.