Superman

“I wasn’t representing anyone! […] People were going to die!” I have been a Superman fan since I could walk. My first Halloween costume was the big blue boy scout’s costume. I would run around the house, red cape chasing me. I would even call my dog Krypto (and yes, she would listen). I would sit in front of my tv, with a vhs player built in, and watch Superman: The Animated Series and the old Fleischer cartoons on my Superman dvd player (the remote was in the shape of Superman’s crest). I wanted to be a reporter like Clark Kent and fight crime. Superman is my favourite, and he always will be. So when I saw Gunn’s film just now, I was taken back to my childhood. Superman flew across the stage in the same way he did in the shows and movies I watched growing up. Lex was just as evil, and Lois was just as I remembered. The whole film was like the DCAU kept off the screen and it kept me so thoroughly entertained for its entire run time. Corenswet might be my favourite live action Superman after just one film. The dude is Superman. Everything he does is what Superman would do. He smiles, he gets emotional, and most importantly, he loves. This Superman loves earth so much and it shows in everything he does. His chemistry with Rachel Broshanan is immaculate as well and cannot be understated. The rest of the cast is just as good. Skyler Gisondo is such a perfect Jimmy Olsen as is Nicholas Hoult as Lex. Both play their roles so damn well it’s actually insane they haven’t been them before. Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner is a treat too. The movie is also unabashed by its sense of wonder and comic book history - it wears both on its sleeve proudly and with confidence. Seeing this movie with my dad reminded me of the mornings we’d spend watching Superman cartoons and movies. Superman, is and always will be, a part of my life. He is my favourite character for so many reasons (too many to list and talk about here), and it is so clear why he has existed at the top for as long as he has. This movie might not be a masterpiece like The Godfather or Titanic, but it’s a movie that the kid in me would watch over and over again with my dad on a Saturday morning, and for that, I will always love. Congratulations James Gunn, you made me believe a man can fly (again).