“Hey buddy, eyes up here.”

After the mess that was the DCEU, though it did have its highs, James Gunn became the new creative lead of DC and created an entirely new cinematic universe, simply called the DCU, that made its theatrical debut with this film. Superman is set a few years after Clark Kent/Kal-El has officially donned the cape, where he is challenged with mixing both his Kryptonian heritage, as well as being the hero the planet of Earth needs. Things get complicated, however, as a war between the fictional countries of Boravia and Jarhanpur is going on, and on top of that, Superman has been framed as an enemy to the planet by the villain, Lex Luthor.

I remember how excited I was when the DCU slate of movies and shows was first announced all the way back in early 2023, and man, did Superman deliver. Before I get too far ahead of myself, however, I want to talk about everything that made this movie great, starting with the characters. First off, this is easily my favorite live-action movie interpretation of Superman that we’ve gotten since Christopher Reeve, and that’s coming from someone who actually does like Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill, though I do have my problems with Henry Cavill’s Superman, mainly that have to do with the writing behind his version (not the actor’s performance whatsoever). To me, Superman should always first and foremost be a beacon of hope, and that’s what both James Gunn and David Corenswet really brought to life in this film. He’s an all-out Boy Scout here, maybe overly so for some people, but for me, it’s absolutely perfect and what I want from the character.

His character arc is also really compelling, tying into the premise of the film, and full of some pretty heavy and emotional scenes, most notable of which is a scene between him and Jonathan Kent (simply named “Pa Kent” for this movie). I think Corenswet’s Clark Kent is great as well, though we definitely could have seen more of the “quirky” side of him. There is an interview scene in particular that I really like between him and Lois, where we most get to see who he truly is and where he is coming from.

Speaking of Lois Lane, this is also the best Lois Lane by a landslide that we’ve had on the big screen since Margot Kidder, and that’s something that I don’t think anyone would argue with. I still slightly prefer Kidder’s more eccentric version, but there is no denying that Rachel Brosnahan’s is better written, as she actually becomes pivotal to the plot in this film. I love her more direct and straightforward attitude, and how it contrasts with Clark’s, which makes their relationship really compelling on top of their fantastic chemistry. To pretty much quote the movie, Superman sees the good in everyone, while she looks at everything a bit more directly and realistically.

For as much as I like Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, despite him not being very comic-accurate at all, I think Nicholas Hoult’s version easily tops him. Yeah, he’s still a bit one-dimensional, but in a much more interesting way. Instead of just wanting land and real estate, you really see all the hate and bitterness that is inside of him. Hoult’s performance in general is off the charts, being pretty much unhinged the entire time, which has been extremely entertaining to watch all seven times that I’ve seen this (yes, really-and six of those times were in theaters).

The Justice Gang is a bunch of fun, too, and a nice little glimpse of what’s to come in the future of the DCU. I, along with a lot of people, was a little worried that having several side characters was going to be a bit much for this being the first film in an entirely new cinematic universe, but they surprisingly work quite well. They really do just serve as a tease for the rest of the superhumans that are out there, and don’t get too much screentime that interferes with why we would watch this movie in the first place.

They are somehow, despite their limited screentime, very memorable. Mr. Terrific, someone I was completely unfamiliar with, is easily my favorite of the bunch; I think his overly-serious nature makes for some humorous moments, and I found his character to be pretty hardcore, having some of the standout action sequences. I can’t wait to see more of him in the future. Guy Gardner, another character I was unfamiliar with, was really hilarious and, on the other hand, made for some of the most hilarious scenes in the movie. Hawkgirl was the only one of the three that I was actually familiar with, as I watched both the animated shows Justice League and Justice League Unlimited as a kid, though I do understand that this version of her is quite different from that one. She definitely gets the short end of the deal, but she still had some standout moments on her own.

As far as Ma and Pa Kent go, their screentime was very limited but extremely effective. I love how James Gunn hired actors who weren’t exactly the same caliber as, say, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, and went for people who were more of your traditional southern folks. It made them a lot more relatable and also made the nature of Clark’s upbringing quite a bit more compelling.

Krypto, similar to the Justice Gang, was another thing I was worried about when I first went into the film, but was also another pleasant surprise. I think his inclusion was important because it really helped establish to audiences not as tuned into movies that this universe wasn’t going to be as dark and gritty as the previous one. He also perfectly fit the tone, and I can’t wait to see more of him in Supergirl next year.

Now that I’m done with the characters, I’ll talk about the visuals and action. As controversial as the color grading for Superman was and still is, I have to say, I absolutely love it, and have since the first trailer was released. I think the more colorful look not only fits the tone the same way Krypto does, but also makes it look a lot more “comic bookey,” I guess. The action is easily the best out of all the Superman movies for me, as I think the CGI was great, but also the way that the action scenes were done made you really feel the power and strength of Superman, as cheesy as that sounds. There is almost a bit of an anime feel to it, somewhat, but not quite as over-the-top, and I really dug that. One thing worth noting is that some of the action sequences were filmed in a really interesting and unique way, where the camera circles around while the action is happening, allowing you to really see and get immersed in everything that is happening.

The next and final positive I’ll mention is James Gunn’s balance of humor and seriousness here. I think he has had just a slight problem with this in the past, mainly with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and The Suicide Squad, where some of the humor undermines the more dramatic, serious moments, but in Superman, I think it’s done perfectly. Even if there is a joke sprinkled in a serious scene here and there, I never found it to get in the way of the drama in any particular manner of making the scene less impactful.

When it comes to the mixed, I have three: the first one being the story. As much as I love this movie, if you look at the story as a whole, it really isn’t all that complex. It’s very basic, and when it comes to the plot side of things, it doesn’t go much further than the actual premise itself. The reason I put it in the mixed instead of the negative, however, is that the characters and character moments are what truly drive this movie for me.

The second one is that James Gunn decided to change up Superman’s origin story in a way that definitely could (and already has) divided audiences. It’s not substantial for me, personally, because it plays into Superman’s character arc quite exceptionally, but for comic book purists, it's easily something that I could see being a problem. Adding onto my point and perspective, though, I do think it is important to change things up every once in a while, as long as it's not something huge.

The final mix I have is the third act and climactic final battle. This is sort of when you get your typical “comic book movie climax where everything is being destroyed,” and all of that, and while it's entertaining, it is definitely where the movie feels the most thin. The overall ending to both the climax and the movie as a whole is very satisfying on a dramatic level, however.

I really only have one negative, and it’s one that has kind of mildly bugged me every time I’ve watched the film. While I like Jimmy Olsen’s character, I don’t exactly love what they give him to do here, and I find it to be the most silly and unnecessary part of the entire movie. I get that what he does is pivotal to the story, and that making him more of a presence is important because he hasn’t had much of a presence before onscreen, but it really isn’t all that interesting, and there easily could have been a workaround for everything he does.

Really, though, my mixed and negatives don’t really impact my viewing experience a whole lot at all, and I think Superman is a fantastic introduction to this universe, and has got me excited for projects that I wouldn’t have been excited for otherwise.