DC Studio’s summer blockbuster just hit theaters earlier this month and has since been receiving soaring reviews despite its shift from the usually brooding films from the franchise. It just goes to show that perhaps the secret to a great superhero film is to give a little bit more color.

More than just a reboot, James Gunn’s“Superman” features a complete tonal shift, a philosophical face-off, and a scene-stealing superdog. This vibrant reimagining follows the iconic superhero as he faces off against a calculating tech mogul in a battle that goes beyond fists and into ideals. While the core of the story mainly presents the classic clash between strengths and smarts, it’s also supplemented by a story that revolves around humanity through engaging characters, a relevant conflict shaped by rapidly advancing technologies, and relationship dynamics packed with humor and heart.

Both light-hearted and action-packed, this new “Superman” starring David Corenswet may not be the hero we’ve all come to know, but the film’s fresh take on this iconic comic book character surprisingly works. Here’s why.

Warning: spoilers ahead!

James Gunn Explores the True Power of a Hero

In every superhero film, there’s a hero and a villain. Personally, “Superman” was one of those superheroes who was hard to kind of empathize with — not because he was unlikeable, but because he was too invincible. It was hard to pit any villain against this tall, dark, and handsome alien when he literally has one flaw — one that doesn’t even exist on this planet.

But what happens when technology makes the impossible possible? The answer is shown in the opening of the film when our protagonist crashes into the snowy arctic terrain, bloodied and obviously defeated. From that very first scene, our attentions were captured. This wasn’t your regular Superman, or rather, this might be the most regular Superman there ever was — and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The story follows Superman (David Corenswet), who has already been established as Earth’s hero for over three years, as he battles with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), an ordinary man without any superpowers but boasts unparalleled intelligence, vast wealth, and a tech empire with all the resources he needs to defeat metahumans like Superman, create his own, and even invent portals to new worlds, which he calls a Pocket Universe.

In the film, Superman intervenes in a conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur, which saves countless lives but triggers political backlash. Additionally, Luthor also unleashes a robot-like entity known as Ultraman, who seems to be at par with the hero’s strengths and can anticipate his attacks, which led to his downfall in the first part of the movie. After being healed in the Fortress of Solitude with the help of his superdog, Krypto, Superman returns as Clark Kent to the Daily Planet, while Luthor breaks into his icy fortress and retrieves the message from his Kryptonian parents that suggests Kal-El (Superman’s birth name) was meant to conquer Earth rather than save it — a message the hero didn’t know as he only heard the first half of the video since it was supposedly damaged on its way to Earth. Luthor exposes the message, which turns public opinion sharply against the hero.

The succeeding events of the film revolve around Clark’s struggle to reconcile his alien heritage with his human upbringing, a fresh take on the hero’s internal psyche. One of our favorite parts of this film is how well the story humanizes Superman, showing us that one’s identity isn’t solely based on one’s origins but also in the values they adopt. Actor David Corenswet was able to deliver a fantastic performance as he gave the mighty hero a deep earnestness and relatable vulnerability. There were comments online that said he seemed the most “approachable” among the actors who played Superman, and we couldn’t agree more. He definitely made the character more grounded, like he truly grew up on Earth, just like any other human on the planet.

In the climactic battle, Superman confronts Luthor, who has been orchestrating a great plan to turn everyone against him and kill him, consumed by his envy of the hero. We especially liked his dramatic monologue where he says, “His [Superman] strength illuminates how weak we really are… My envy is power.” We believe these words show how strong feelings, such as envy, can shape monsters.

Nicholas Hoult’s performance was commendable. We loved his portrayal of this supervillain who is both evil and impressive, and how the story utilized his strength to create a new weakness for the hero — one that went beyond Kryptonite. With the tech advancements, Luthor was able to create metahumans strong enough to challenge and defeat Superman. We saw this in how Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) can transmute his body into Kryptonite, rendering the hero powerless while imprisoned. A smart idea, as expected from a villainous genius, and raises a question: can brains really beat brawns?

Some reviews have mentioned that this Superman has made the hero “soft,” but we think otherwise. It was only that his strength amplified in areas outside of his physical might. This can be seen through his companions, such as Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who had always been a damsel in distress in the franchise, now played a more active role in saving the day when she went looking for Superman while he was imprisoned in a Pocket Universe.

The Justice Gang composed of Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), may seem downright funny but more than providing comic relief in between the action, they showed us that the relationships you make — the true friends you have can help defeat your battles, which in a way also makes you stronger. It was a heartfelt scene how the Justice Gang took over the battle on the Boravian border while Superman took care of the massive rift tearing the city apart. For a character known for working alone and being invincible, it’s nice seeing him being part of a team.

Let’s also not forget Krypto, the adopted superdog, who stole the hearts of audiences with his playful yet heroic acts, proving that a dog is truly a man’s best friend — and hero.

Another notable scene was Lois and Clark’s talk at her apartment as they argued over his actions in interfering with a foreign country’s battles. In an interview with Josh Horowitz, James Gunn pointed out that this 12-minute scene had remained unchanged from the first draft to the final cut. Having long conversations usually stumps an action film’s pacing, but we believe this scene did more good than damage, as it showed us that Superman is just like us, that he can get frustrated and make reckless decisions. The director has named it one of his favorite scenes, and dare we say it was also one of ours. It's proof that conversations that are positioned well in an action-packed film can be a powerful tool in further deepening audiences’ understanding of characters, including their beliefs, behavior, and struggles.

And speaking of Lois and Clark, Rachel and David shared a very palpable chemistry. Even though they didn’t have as much screen time together, the scenes they were in made up for it and more.

It also had interesting music, which gave off vibes from other lighthearted superhero films like Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.” The punk-rock tunes definitely gave it a fun edge. Not much going on in the costume department, but we do appreciate the finer details in Superman’s suit, and how it looks much better than the plain blue and red tights.

Despite its strong conflict and characters, we do believe that it still had some pacing issues due to the multiple subplots and many characters, which were sometimes disorienting. It distracted us from the actual plotline, hoping to find the reason why and how they fit into the bigger picture. Despite this, the script was able to maintain momentum and reached the climax with a good bang — and by bang, we mean a good fight that blends both spectacle and emotional resonance.

Final Verdict

Fresh, heartfelt, and action-packed, “Superman” delivered impressive visuals that we all expected from a superhero film while still being shaped by its deeply emotional take on the hero’s greatest strength: being human.

Although the CGI and action sequences feel recycled from other superhero films, as they were things we have seen before, the movie makes up for its story, character development, and impressive casting. This “Superman” film is definitely a memorable one in the franchise, having given it a new look and aura brimming with heart, excellent world-building, and bright comic-book energy that made it stand out from DC’s dark releases. This is an era of superhero films we totally support, and we’d love to see more of it in the future!

If you haven’t seen this on the big screen yet, you’re missing out. “Superman” is now showing in a cinema near you!

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