Aaron's Thoughts
“A two hour Saturday morning cartoon” is probably the best characterization I’ve heard so far of the film. The Gunn humor may seem like a bug to someone like me who isn’t a fan of it, but it’s very much a feature of what kind of movie Gunn is going for here.
Loved how this version brings Superman up to modern times with his relationship to emotions & his standing in the world. I think the best part about this though is that it allows Louis to feel more like a real person. She spends most of her time being helpful here and not helpless. In fact, she has it more together than Superman does.
The film is at its best when it is the most grounded. The Metropolis stuff is great & feels like a real place. Every moment between Corenswet & Brosnahan is electric. The few quiet moments they get alone are the best of the film. The chemistry is there & it’s in that chemistry that their humanity shines through.
The problem is that James Gunn can only stay grounded for so long before we start venturing into a CGI mess of a “pocket universe” in act 2. If the whole thing felt as grounded as act 1, there could have been something really specially here.
It also leans way too much in trying to set up future DC projects that it detracts from the magic that is happening between Superman, Lane, & Luther. We didn’t need all these extra heroes that pop up throughout & ultimately take you out of the “Superman” of it all. This is a Superman movie after all! When did a contained movie become such a bad thing?
Finally, Krypto being in the movie was fun, but it led to some incredibly lazy screenwriting by Gunn. Almost every time Superman was in a pickle that you weren’t sure he would get out of, he would whistle & Krypto would come in and save the day. That may be cool once, but doing it three or four times was just really lazy writing.
As many quips as I have, the casting of Corenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult was far too perfect to not make parts of this really great. Even if it’s far from perfect, there is enough to applaud. Just as you would when a Saturday morning cartoon ended. Then you would go about your day and never think about it again.
