Originally published on Letterboxd.
Grade: B+
I got what I wanted. I got what I needed. In James Gunn we trust. Amen!
It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s a damn excellent Superman movie. It’s not just about comics being brought to life (which it is), it’s not just a faithful version of Superman (which it also is), it’s just an easy-to-enjoy film. And the reason it’s so easy to enjoy is because of the heartfelt story, performance & direction. This isn’t just a film about or featuring Superman. It’s a film in the style, aesthetics, and mode of what Superman means; in pop culture, comics, & past films.
I was tearing up several times throughout the film, most significantly in the first 15 minutes. The humor is very James Gunn, but the script feels like it was labored over to find & reach the right tone. This might be in my top 3 James Gunn films.
The other hero characters fit so well. Just as if they were always a part of the Superman myth & not just here to set up something else. As a whole, this feels like the true counterpart to what the MCU did. Not just an attempt to copy what one franchise did (JOSStice League), but to emulate the concept of the MCU: an interconnected mythology of worlds & characters brought to cinema. It doesn’t just feel like a franchise starting over, but that there is a real, creative, original, & exciting vision for what’s to come.