Superman

After being left for dead for a while, the DCU is finally back in the hands of someone with a clear vision and cool ideas for the stories he wants to tell. It’s important to say it up front: this Superman is comic-accurate — just a different iteration. Because what we’re watching is basically this: every single choice from Snyder’s Superman has been reversed. Literally. Ultra-serious Superman? → Goofy, cool, nerdy Superman. Depressing color palette? → Every color known to man and more. Experienced Superman? → Closer to a first-timer. Invincible? → Not quite. Acts alone? → Relies on others. Saves everyone? → Can't save everyone. Beats everyone? → Can't beat everyone. And the list goes on. This new universe is its own thing. It’s young, unpolished, but promising. Some might get triggered by how Superman is portrayed but he's not a paragon of virtue after one day on the job. It’s a process. He is, as he says — “sometimes a dick,” but with a golden heart. A man who still doesn’t fully understand how the world works, but tries to save it anyway. And he faces his nemesis, something that should’ve been done and shown years ago in any comic movie. Lex Luthor is not going anywhere. Honestly, I'd watch this movie just for him if I were a hater. Because at his core, he hates Superman and his own inability to end him. And what a refreshing villain we got. Charismatic, calculating, brilliant — and not just evil for the sake of it. He’s smart enough to beat Superman more than once. Smart enough to create something that could have destroyed reality itself. I can’t wait to see more of him. As for the movie itself? Technically… it’s pretty mid. Some camera work ideas fall flat. The action is fun but rarely mind-blowing. Props to the Mister Terrific fight scene done in a sequence-shot, that was goated. Speaking of him, the B-Team in the movie is solid and fun. Green Lantern is finally done right, and Hawkgirl is killing it. As for Mister Terrific — he lives up to his name, almost stealing Superman’s spotlight. Which is, in itself, one of the movie’s issues. I don’t mind showing another side of the character, another angle. But this version is constantly being deconstructed, almost humiliated even in small moments and it feels weird. The score wasn’t that moving either. Props to the original theme though it still works like a charm. One of the key story elements, showcasing Luthor’s megalomania, is the seizure of a piece of land to claim it as his own. Everyone sees it as a critique of Israel and while that’s not inaccurate, there's a lot more to it. Yes, the displaced people are clearly representing Palestinians. But the oppressor ? That's different. Gunn is clearly aiming at both of today’s major geopolitical conflicts. Two birds, one stone. On one side: Russia invading just because it can — which is shown through language, uniforms, architecture, etc. On the other: a defenseless people crushed by a way more equipped enemy. You could even push it further: Lex Luthor funding the invasion with weapons sold for cheap mirrors the way the U.S. armed Israel. Anyway, the action’s dope, the movie is cool — not insane, but it does the job. I genuinely hope Superman will grow and drop the constant humiliation arc. I’m fine with a corny nerd Superman — but this man cannot be close to a loser.