It has been a fantastic movie summer so far, and I have been spending plenty of time at the cinema with nachos and other snacks. Last night was date night, so my girlfriend and I went to see Superman. What an amazing girlfriend I have, right?
And of course I had thoughts.
First of all, I am not the biggest fan of DC comics. They have a few too many obscure heroes for my taste. But I did grow up in the nineties with Batman cartoons, and Lois & Clark was often on TV at our house.
In short: Batman and Superman are cool, so I was definitely curious about the reboot of the DC Universe.
Everything DC has released in recent years has been almost as bad as the Madame Web film, so my expectations were low going in. That always helps. But James Gunn is one of my favourite directors, and with him at the wheel it could hardly go wrong.
And it did not.
Superman is definitely not a bad film. The story is okay, not special, but perfectly watchable. Cinematographically, the film looks incredibly strong. The colours and beautiful shots burst off the screen, and in a cinema that is often half the battle.
But this Superman is kind of a loser.
The title role is played by David Corenswet, and he does not do a bad job. But he is also no Henry Cavill, whom I really liked as Superman. This new Superman has been weakened quite a bit too. He is constantly lying on the ground, battered, taking serious hits, and his whole vibe gave me strong Shazam! energy.
This is something James Gunn consciously chose.
Gunn chooses character development over raw strength. He also wants other heroes and characters in the DCU to have a more meaningful role, and I understand that to some extent. What are characters like Green Lantern worth if Superman is completely invulnerable and does not need any help?
But that is exactly why I want to watch a Superman film.
I want the brutal action. That feeling of power and grandeur. I want to see that guy fly through walls, people and planets like it is nothing. That is what makes Superman iconic to me, and that is what I really missed in this film.
No, this Superman is not really super.