“This movie is packed with storyline, Superman lore, meaningful objects, and action.” writes Kathryn Whitney Boole
Rated PG-13
129 Minutes
Released July 11th
This movie is packed with storyline, Superman lore, meaningful objects, and action. There’s a lot going on here, and you may get whiplash. But if you already strive to keep up today’s barrage of news, you have probably developed the skills to make this movie an enjoyable experience of spectacle, characters and commentary on human nature. The film’s fast pace and changeups match the pace of a video game. Everything happens at breakneck speed, and there is so much to absorb visually at times that it’s mindboggling. But I think that’s the idea.
The character of Superman originated in 1938 just as Nazism was building momentum in Europe, created by comic book writers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both sons of Jewish immigrants to the US. The issue in which the character was created, Action Comics #1, was an overnight success. The film’s writer/director James Gunn is an avid comic book fan, and he now heads DC Studios with producer Peter Safran. They have summoned the courage to make the first Superman movie since 2013’s Man of Steele.
Gunn has a potent imagination and a highly developed sense of humor that set him apart from most other comic book realm directors. As a teen, he and his brother made Super 8 zombie films in the woods. He worked as a hospital orderly, a bar musician and a quarry worker, and wrote and drew comic strips before getting a job filing papers at Troma films. Soon he was writing screenplays for Troma. He once co-wrote a book called “All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger.” Gunn has been directing major films for over 25 years, including the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
Henry Braham’s camera work matches the extraordinary dynamic of the sets by production designer Beth Mickle. She used brilliant colors and lots of light to “really brighten everything up…and make it hopeful, hopeful, hopeful,” and she meticulously curated small objects that tie in with artwork in the classic comics. For Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, she and her team created a sculptural shape based on ocean waves hitting rocks. Lex Luthor’s headquarters has a brutalist-architecture look. Part of the exteriors were shot in Cleveland, where Siegel and Shuster worked on the comic book.
There are awesome characters in this movie, and even with a large cast, every major player stands out, thanks to directing, camera work, editing, and most assuredly some excellent acting. And, Metropolis is played believably by Cincinnati, Cleveland, Atlanta, Macon and some smaller cities. I was thrilled to see Cincinnati’s Union Station portraying Metropolis’s train depot. It’s now a museum, but I remember how awestruck I was at its cavernous size and its beautiful curves and arches, when I boarded the train there as a child.
Applause to casting director John Papsidera for putting together the wonderful ensemble who have a great time playing off each other. Stars David Corenswet (“Superman”), Rachel Brosnahan (“Lois Lane”) and Nicholas Hoult (“Lex Luthor”) have all been acting since childhood, and all are accomplished theatre actors. Corenswet co-wrote and produced his own web series, Brosnahan was cast in a Michael Bay horror film while still in high school, and Hoult was also a dancer and basketball player. Corenswet has had series regular and guest star roles on TV and supporting roles on film, but this is his first major feature role. Brosnahan won two Golden Globes for her role as “Midge Maisel” on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Hoult may be best-known for his highly charged comedic-dramatic performance as “Peter the Great” in The Great.
Corenswet brings heart to Superman. He seems genuinely in awe of his own superpowers and the responsibility that comes with them. Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is strong, sharp, smart and takes no prisoners. She is self-aware and constantly questioning, which adds spice to her relationship with Superman. I heard a reviewer say that there is no love in this movie, but I couldn’t disagree more. There is not a lot of screen time devoted to Superman and Lois Lane’s relationship, but the chemistry is there, between two sometimes polar personalities. They are both independent and have separate arcs, but when they get together the sparks fly. Hoult is extraordinary as Lex Luthor, who uses social media to sway public opinion and shows a glimmer of vulnerability lurking beneath his callous self-serving persona. Another wonderful addition to the cast is “Krypto” the Superdog, modeled after Gunn’s own rescue dog, who is irresistible as a raucous, over-energized, unruly but joyful and loyal companion.
Gunn notes that he’s “telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.” A 1950’s ad featuring a rendition of Superman reads “if you hear anybody talk against a schoolmate or anyone else because of his religion, race or national origin, don’t wait: tell him THAT KIND OF TALK IS UN-AMERICAN.” Gunn says, “Superman is the story of America, an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” and that it’s basically a story about human kindness. As much as it seems hyper-relevant to deportations being carried out now, remember that the film was written in 2022 and shot in 2024, during the last administration. Superman represents hope, no matter the political climate from which he is viewed. Brosnahan calls the film “a real shot in the arm of hope.”
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
