Superman: Movie Review

Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicolas Hoult, Nathan Fillion
Director: James Gunn

Finally, James Gunn's pivotal take on the relaunch of the DC Cinematic Universe has arrived.

Relative unknown David Corenswet takes the dual role of Clark Kent/ Superman in the film's most anticipated movie. Alongside The Amazing Mrs Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Superman must face off against Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor.

The latest attempt to make Superman fly wisely avoids the traditional origin story which had been done to death.

Though by placing the audience squarely in the middle of things, Gunn chooses to use nostalgia and that music cue from John Williams to make us care for the characters, rather than storytelling.

Thrust into a war between two made up countries (it could be Russia and Ukraine, it could be Israel and Palestine), Superman finds himself caught by his own innocence in a plot to discredit and destroy him as an illegal immigrant.

Veering wildly between comedy,love story and rote CGI city destruction, James Gunn's Superman is totally all over the show, with little cohesive in most of its parts.

A mesh of FX heavy moments and very familiar drama doesn't help either.

However, when it stops, it's blessed with some terrific character moments, chiefly thanks to incredible chemistry between Corenswet and Brosnahan. An early scene where the pair celebrates a 3 month anniversary soon devolves into the kind of interaction many couples will recognize with emotions spiraling.

Equally Hoult as Luthor, the tech-obsessed billionaire is great, with scenes that simmer with menace and also just the untethered fact that Luther craves live and is wildly jealous of Superman's innate desire to simply receive it while he is rejected.

And while Nathan Fillion delivers the usual comedic performance he's known for, it's Edi Gathegi's Mr Terrific who steals the show as far as the deadpan moments go. Even if a few moments played broadly for laughs fall flat.

Ultimately a film that feels scrappy and messy throughout, despite comedy from Krypto the super dog, Superman stumbles in its attempt to reboot the DCU, appearing both over-stuffed and a little too thin.

Even with some great performances, it's sadly time to face the facts - despite all the attempts to make this fly, it's not so super, man.