⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Rated PG-13 | 129 minutes

DC Comics movie adaptations have had a long and storied history. But the most recent era of the DC Cinematic Universe has been bogged down by gritty, dark, and brooding characters — and not just the ones you’d expect, like Batman. We expect that kind of tone from the Dark Knight — his parents were murdered in front of him, after all. That’s going to mess a kid up. But we don’t need to relive that tragedy every four or five years like clockwork. Thankfully, SUPERMAN is here to save the day!

James Gunn, no stranger to comic book adaptations thanks to his excellent work with the Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel franchise, has been tasked with “saving” the “DCU” from its doom & gloom spiral. We’ve seen what he can do with the DC comics characters before in 2021’s popular The Suicide Squad and of course, HBO’s runaway hit series Peacemaker starring John Cena. Superman is his first DCU chance to flex his superhero filmmaker muscles and rescue comic book movies.

I’m pleased to report that Gunn has outdone himself with Superman. From the first super bright scene on screen, you immediately know we’re in for something different. We’re not used to seeing Superman struggle with his humanity. But that’s exactly what this film explores, and the timing couldn’t be better. At its core, Superman is a story about an immigrant (in this case a literal alien) that the world is turning against because of some well-placed and ill-intended TV talking heads and Superman’s archnemesis Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor as a ruthless tech billionaire, hellbent on manipulating the world for his own benefit. Sound familiar?

Gunn is absolutely commenting on current events with Superman… because Supe is seen as the All-American hero that every person looks up to and strives to be. But people are easily swayed thanks to a never-ending barrage of TV news, which is shown in not-so-subtle ways throughout the film.

There was a lot of online speculation around David Corenswet’s casting as Superman, but after seeing the film, it’s clear Gunn made the perfect choice. After seeing the film, I don’t think another actor could have pulled up the nuance between awkward farm boy with a heart of gold and the well-meaning intentions of Superman as well as Corenswet does. His look harkens back to the Christopher Reeve days. Corenswet’s all-American innocence translates beautifully on screen as the superhero tortured by his own drive for justice and doing good while being unable to understand why no one else seems to think the way he does.

Rachel Brosnahan is a perfect Lois Lane. She channels the spirit of Margot Kidder in both look and attitude, but make no mistake — this is a modern Lois who isn’t afraid to dig into Superman’s psyche. Gunn has thankfully spared us the “does Lois know she’s dating Superman” trope we’ve seen way too many times. We jump right into a world where she’s well aware of who she’s dating and the relationship struggles you can imagine come with.

Gunn’s Superman does its best to honor the past and delivers amazing fan service in that respect by utilizing John William’s iconic score, featuring bright, warm visuals that pop with color throughout. It’s the first comic book movie in a long time to actually FEEL like a comic book movie. That’s a delicate balance to strike without overdoing it, and the balance feels right in Superman.

The introduction of Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern adds some welcome humor (what is even with that hair?!) with an attitude that he’s better in everyway than Superman. He’s the leader of the “Justice Gang” made up of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). I’m certain we’ll be seeing more of them as the DCU continues to develop. Mr. Terrific is a no-nonsense tech genius who is annoyned by anyone that’s not as smart as him (read: everyone) and Hawkgirl has zero fear. She jumps into every situation headfirst screaming. Really.

I didn’t want the movie to end. It was fun, fresh, and left me wanting more. It’s exactly what you’d hope to get from a superhero movie and it’s the feeling I used to have watching early Marvel films. We’re just at the start of the DCU journey, and I’m excited to see where Gunn leads us next.

Make sure to see Superman on the biggest screen possible. It was filmed for IMAX and you’ll do your eyes and appetite a favor by seeing it on the biggest IMAX screen you can find. Comic book fans are notoriously difficult to please, yet I heard nary a complaint as we left the theater. Any complaints I did hear focused on Superman’s canine companion Krypto. Look, I love Krypto – but this version of Krypto is… a bit much. The fact that he’s entirely CGI gives off some uncanny valley vibes — using a real dog for even a few scenes might’ve made a huge difference.

What’s crazy is that there are actual physical prop robots (Robot 4 is played by the venerable Alan Tudyk) in the film that aren’t CGI… why make Krypto the only fully-CGI character? It feels like a weird choice… especially since Krypto is kind of a mess of a mutt who does his own thing for most of the movie. He may be man’s best friend, but not so sure he’s Superman’s.

If the only complaint I can dig up is about a CGI dog, you should rest assured you’re in for an otherwise amazing superhero film. Superman was super awesome.