Director
James Gunn
(GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY franchise)

Starring
David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult.            

It’s almost ironic that it’s taken a celebrated Marvel director to make DC relevant again. After many misfires over the years (with Wonder Woman being the rare exception) DC has been plodding along like the off-brand alternative in the superhero wars. Where Marvel have experienced hit after box office hit post 2010, DC have been churning out the likes of Black Adam, Blue Beetle and 703 iterations of Justice League/Dawn of Justice (in the hopes that one of them might land right). But for loyal DC fans who have been riding wave after mediocre wave in the hopes that maybe, just maybe one day you would again see something the quality of a Nolan/Burton Batman franchise, rest easy knowing that James Gunn is actually the superhero you’ve been waiting for. Where he may not have found lift off in his previous attempt with The Suicide Squad in 2021 (admittedly that was a much better offering that its 2016 predecessor), Gunn has strapped on his cape and hit a new stratosphere with his direction of the most unique and visually stupendous Superman iteration put to film.

The aesthetic is retro through and through, with our new man of steel (David Corenswet) donning something more akin to the George Reeves 1950’s Superman suit added to the Christopher Reeve era general vibe of the graphics and décor. Corenswet adds his own charm to the character, but there are definitely many an homage to his predecessors throughout. The only thing lacking in the detail of the raven-haired adonis was the choice not to also dye his eyebrows to match. But what is achieved through all the stylistic choices is a visual feast nonetheless.

The beauty of Superman is its ability to grow over the course of its perfect 129-minute running time.  For the first 20-30 mins I was a bit unsure, it almost felt like we’d stepped into the film halfway through, with so many relationships and character arcs well fleshed out before we even got started. But from that point on, it really began to evolve into something special and surprising, becoming a real point of difference in the genre. What originally felt like absent plot points, became fulfilled ideas and James Gunn achieved the rare feat of bending a simple ‘superhero’ film into an action packed, science-fiction, explosion of wonder.

The writing and directing goes hand in hand with the incredible performances achieved by the entire cast. There wasn’t a weak point or character throughout, a true team effort bringing this vision to life. That being said, perhaps the most eye-catching performance wasn’t from the Man of Steel himself, but actually his arch nemesis Lex Luthor, played with such depth and nuanced layering by Nicholas Hoult in what could be his best role to date. There was no cartoonish villainry at play here, but a well fleshed out and highly believable character that you almost felt sorry for by the end. Rachel Brosnahan also adds dimensions to Lois Lane that we’ve not before seen and her electricity with Corenswet was palpable.  Thankfully that means we can forget the chemistry-lacking dumpster fire that was the Henry Cavill/Amy Adams pairing. In true James Gunn style, we have a host of ridiculous but loveable side characters (many played by familiar faces in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), but the true gem is Nathan Fillion’s, bowl-cut sporting Green Lantern who is worth the price of admission alone, oh and there’s also a Superdog thrown in for good measure (as if it couldn’t get any better).

Overall this is a true cinematic achievement and might have just breathed new life into the ugly-sister of the comic duopoly. DC’s halcyon days looked well gone, but Superman goes along way to righting a lot of the recent wrongs from the behemoth and its parent company Warner Bros.

Now strap on your capes, and get ready for a wild ride!!

Superman is in cinemas nationally from July 10.