Poppycock to you, sirs
You may have heard…Social media is trying to take the story of Superman, a refugee from an exploding planet, and turn it into a political statement on immigration that feeds a narative that America isn’t the greatest country in human history. There is so much wrong with everything associated with that, not the least of which is that it detracts from the event that is James Gunn’s Superman. Whether by plan or accident, the premier of one the most highly anticipated movies of the year has been dimmed by single-minded hate. And that sucks.
So, without any drama or suspense at all, let me tell you that there is no woke in Superman. There is no hidden message about legal/illegal immigration.* In point of fact, you might say that Gunn showed how an immigrant should behave. Respect your new home’s culture. Be productive. Show Gratitude. Give back. Contribute. If every immigrant were as noble and selfless as Kal El, there probably wouldn’t be any immigration problems at all. But I digress.
Getting back on point
That is not to say that Gunn didn’t utilize the current internal turmoil surrounding immigration and foriegn political entanglements. He did, and did it deftly. In short, he didn’t put Supes in a world that isn’t. He put him right in the middle of the world that is, complete with all the division, the biases, the suspicions and corruptions that exist. Not passing judgement or making any statements. He just made Superman a part of the world we live in. And I thought it was masterfully done.
Different from Cavil and IMO Better
Henry Cavill is the physically perfect Man of Steel. I’ll fight anyone saying different. Snyder’s take on him made him less relatable and, as is his way, darker. That is not who Superman is. Or should be. And Superman does not kill. It’s cannon. It can’t be changed. Having him kill Zod tarnishes the legacy of Superman and Henry Cavill. And it ruined that movie for me. That’s what happens when you give the keys to the car to someone who doesn’t know what the car can (or should) do.
Just like Batman and Joker
Corenswet’s version of Superman is more emotive, more relatable, more human than Cavill’s detatched, aloof portrayal. Snyder’s Superman was very aware that he was different and alone. For Corenswet, it was as if he barely realizes that he can live above everything and everyone in this world. Juxtapose that with Hoult’s turn as Lex Luthor, who wants to live above everyone and can’t…while Superman exists. Two sides of a coin. One could rule but chooses to serve, one wants to rule and will server only himself.
Speak of the devil
I don’t want to give short shrift to Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. I’ll be honest, I had my doubts. Not because of ability. Heck, no. Nicholas Hoult is an amazing talent (he was incredible in ‘The Great’). Luthor is a hard character to get right and Hoult didn’t really fit my mental image of the man. But I was so, SO wrong. He crushed it.
There is one reviewer I watch that was so traumatized by the pure malevolence of the Luthor character that it ruined the movie for him. Not for me. Yes, Hoult’s Lex Luthor was, by far, the most evil Luthor we’ve seen to date. Massive credit to Hoult for that. And it was necessary. To battle the best of us, you need the worst of us.
John Wick would approve
This is as close to a spoiler as I will ever get. There was a moment, a line from Superman, that crystalized his humanity, his courage and his love in a way that no other Superman, no other director, would have even thought to do. For me, it was the moment I’ll remember above all other moments in this movie and it strikes at the very heart of me. Ask me and I’ll tell you.
There’s always a but…
Not to say this was a perfect movie, because it wasn’t. Superman was written by James Gunn, so there is no other place to lay the blame for the single, glaring departure from cannon that troubles me so grievously. I won’t drop it here, but folks, it was bad. SO bad. My only hope is that, in future Superman adventures, we will find out it was all a fake-out, another diabolical twist thrown at us by the quintessential evil that is Lex Luthor. As you already know, your humble Average Dude is nothing if not hopeful.
On Rings, Wings and other Things (like Dogs)
This review could easlily go on to be the longest one I’ve ever given. I’ll do my best to keep my review down. Unlike Kevin Smith’s review. I love Kevin, but that video was nearly an hour and a half long! Sorry, my dude. I can’t watch a review that is 3/4 the actual movie runtime (2h 9m). I don’t have that kind of time.
Anyway, here is the elevator pitch opinion of the rest of the cast, known as the Justice Gang:
Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner Green Lantern did NOT disappoint. Followers of the comic character know he nailed it. If you knew nothing about this GL coming in…you still loved it.
Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl had too little screentime for us to care one way or the other.
Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) was a little known character that was fun to see. James Gunn clearly likes to showcase little-known heroes (like Creature Commandos). Metamorpho fits in that catagory perfectly.
And Mr Terrific? He had the most screen time but I’m still not sure on if I like him or not. He had a kind of Gamora vibe….no nonsese, I’m always right, short on patience. It worked for Gamora. For Mr T? We’ll see.
And then, there’s Krypto. From first glimpse of him, many of us were hooked. That alone was enough to get butts in seats. We’re such suckers for dogs. Not gonna apologize for that, either. And Superman’s best friend had more than a little to do with this plot. I’ll say no more other thant to say I loved it.
Sorry I couldn’t find any pictures of the kaiju
In the end, I’m very happy to give Superman a high-flying 4.2 out of 5 stars. It could easily have been a 4.5 if not for the aforementioned departure from cannon that is, in my opinion, essential to the Superman mythos. I know Gunn knows the full history of the child from Krypton. I hope he returns that crucial bit of it, proving he respects the history, as well. As for this new version of Superman…he’s relatable, he likes ‘punk rock’ (or mainstream punk), he’s more human than we’re used to. And Krypto is in it. That’s plenty to love.
*Upon further reflection, the Averaged Dude actually DOES see a real-world proverb to the Superman/immigration chatter. It ties in with my one HUGE gripe about the movie and actually accentuates the point that Superman – a refugee immigrant – is doing it right. See you in the comments.
Check out all the Average Dude Movie Reviews and our super cool merch at www.barredlands.com
Follow us on X
Follow and Like us on Facebook
#barredlandsdotcom #AverageDudeMovieReviews #PCLoadletter64 #Superman #Krypto #JusticeGang#JamesGunn