Superman: Not All That Super

 


Are we at a place where we can't get Superman right anymore? It sure seems that way. James Gunn's Superman is an awkward, puzzling movie. The tone of Superman is indecipherable, and the gravitas needed for the titular character is lacking. Superman (David Corenswet) may be in the early part of his heroic career, but I don't understand why he's always on the defensive in the film. He's supposed to be super, correct? 

The pacing in Superman is too fast-paced. If things were allowed to breathe, this movie would've been much better. I enjoy Superman/Clark Kent's interactions with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), but they're too infrequent and often cut short or diminished by poorly timed humor. Speaking of poorly timed humor, that's most of the comedy in Superman. It's no different than how Marvel movies have handled humor for a while now. It's tiresome, and I wish filmmakers and studios would trust audiences more.

There are some aspects I liked about Superman. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is the most fun character to watch in the film. Some of the action/fighting scenes are enjoyable. Krypto the Superdog reminds me of my parents' dog. That's about all I've got, dear reader.

I'm guessing a lot of people will have a good time with Superman, and more power to them. I'm just tired of all the superhero films being the same and feeling uninspired. There's a combination of bad movie fatigue and superhero movie fatigue that's been occurring for some time. Should I hold out any hope for the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps to be fantastic if Superman isn't super?

Rating:

Red Light

 Watch the first two Superman movies starring Christopher Reeves instead

Superman    130 minutes    PG-13    In theaters

My 2025 Top Movies: The Ballad of Wallis Island, F1 and Not Just a Goof


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