Superman: A Beautifully Flawed Journey of Hope in the New DC Universe

Superman is a beautiful and flawed film that’s full of hope, much like us humans and our protagonist. We learn about this new universe very fast through a quick “Star Wars” esque paragraph which makes sense since this film is not only the jumping off point for our new Superman but also for our new DC universe so James (Gunn) really needs to hit the group running and in a digestible way for casual audiences. Superman in this film is a hope inspiring lovable goofball that cares too much and you can tell not just with his dialogue but his actions in and out of the suit. He did at times feel that there was a little more to be desired from his alter ego (aka Clark Kent) but ultimately I have no complaints and feel that this is the best Superman/Clark portrayal since Christopher Reeves (and my personal favorite Tyler Hoechlin).

The whole supporting cast are also perfectly portrayed exactly how they are in the comics from the coworkers at the Daily Planet to the Justice Gang, Especially Lois Lane and Mr. Terrific who were two standouts, but that being said two in particular felt underdeveloped. Hawkgirl is dreadfully one dimensional (which I hope is fixed in the near future) and Metamorpho, a character who is rich in lore and emotional depth is sourly lacking too in exposition, which is probably due to run time. A part of me feels that if this film was kept to just Superman’s world of close friends and family I think it would’ve benefited greatly and would have made the film feel less like an episode of “Justice League Unlimited” and more like a episode of “Superman the Animated Series”.

Last but not least I’d like to mention that there was a scene that was removed showing “Krypto the Super Dog” being punch by “Ultraman” which would’ve made the scene of said dog attacking “Lex Luthor” less silly. But I loved the film and left the theater wanting to be a better person and I am extremely excited for what James Gunn has in store for the future of the new DCU!