Superman

What it meant for someone named Clark to see Superman; the night I was born my father had Christopher Reeve’s Superman playing outside of the hospital room. When my family retells the night of the fourth, he is always excited about how the film was playing. My dad had a not-so-easy childhood. Mental disorders winning the battle between his dad, leaving my grandmother to be a single mother in the 1980s. My dad was able to find comfort in the silly and electric art from that era. Due to his attachment to film, music, literature, and painting. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a highly creative household. Of course, Superman played a leading role in placing himself in some of the first films I watched. Around the age of four or five, my parents returned to their normal schedule and sent me to my mom’s parents to be watched while they worked. My grandfather gave me a lot of life experiences exceedingly early in my life, especially the respect and responsibility you give yourself to make sure others are surviving. Like Superman. Superman (2025) is the type of medium you gravitate towards because you have this distinct feeling that it is telling you words you need to hear. A two-hour run time reflecting on someone who lost time with his family and loved ones due to work, hardship, and moral obligations. Superman is not blasted with fan service to satisfy Facebook scrollers or Disney Park dwellers. It is a straight comic book film. A color-pallet that feels right off the ink press. A character coping with the death of his loved ones against this bright blue, red, pink, and green colors. Something crafted to be seen by anyone who relates to our failures when combating death. A film crafted for the average movie goer. Being able to watch this in a packed theater was a once in a lifetime experience for comic fans. With such craft, you get respectful and engaged crowds. Superman reminds me of why I love going to the theater. Being able to look over at the people accompanying me. Seeing them laugh, cry, jump, and hit the famous lean in-pose. Superman gives me excitement for other people. A film I can use to remind myself of how much I lost. I can still take care of my loved ones. A film where I can laugh about the absurd nature of an ugly green baby being manhandled by a CGI dog. Superman reminds me that we all have pieces of art that we use to ingest words or ideas that we need to hear to keep moving forward. I am incredibly thankful for this film, being able to see it three days before the public. Amid dealing with the grief of my grandfather’s recent passing, it was my 24th birthday without him. A now famous quote from the film “Parents aren’t here to tell their children who they’re supposed to be. Your choices. Your actions. That’s what makes you who you are.” My father and grandfather never told me who I should be. But they spoke to me through the actions of how they treated other people. And I’m forever fortunate to witness Gunn tell young adults like me that sometimes learning from failure is more important than success the first time.