Superman Review!

 Out of the darkness of recent superhero movies, there comes the one hero named Superman to bring a DC Universe into the light coutesy of writer and director James Gunn! Superman is the legend spinning out of the anthology comic, Action Comics #1 (1938) with the cover and art by Joe Shuster and first story, “Superman, Champion of the Oppressed” by Jerry Siegel! A very popular comic book figure that eventually found his way into live action serials with Superman (1948) played by Kirk Alyn. The next Superman was George Reeves in Superman and the Mole-Men (1951). This led to the television series, Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). Reeves was the image of Superman until Christopher Reeve took up the cape starting with Superman (1978) directed by Richard Donner. There was again another long pause until Superman Returns (2006) played by Brandon Routh.

Henry Cavill was the next Superman and now it is David Corenswet to fill the boots of The Son of Krypton! Gunn had created the animated series, Creature Commandos (2024), as the first entry in DC Universe called Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. His last film was wrapping up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Title cards begin the film with the appearance of metahumans, the DC Comics term for persons with superpowers. Leading to the era of Gods and Monsters. This was 3 centuries ago,1725, before the Revolutionary War. These metahumans may be Uncle Sam II, a spirit that bound to a human giving him powers, and in the 1800s, Max Mercury, a speedster, and Icon, a Terminan alien, and a powerful black superhero. Then, 3 decades ago, Jonathan and Martha Kent find the spacecraft and adopt the baby as Clark Kent. Three years ago, Superman makes his first public appearance.  

Then, 3 weeks ago, Superman stops the conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur. Boravia was an European country, changed in the movie, that was introduced with Superman #2 (1939). Jarhanpur was also a fictional country created more recently in JLA #62 (2002). Three hours ago, Superman was attacked by the Hammer of Boravia in Metropolis. 3 minutes ago, Superman lost his first battle. Nice countdown using 3's, a nod to the DC Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman? He impacts in the Antarctic snow. David Cornswet plays Superman, he was in the disaster film, Twisters (2024), and also the horror film, Pearl (2022). We hear hints of John Williams' "Theme from Superman" which goes to electric guitar courtesy of composer, John Murphy. Superman is wheezing, beaten, and can just give out a piercing whistle. A vulnerable and defeated Superman puts him more in the light of vulnerable and more human. This answers the criticism of the character that he is too over-powered and invulnerable. 

In the distance, a flurry of snow builds and out of it is Krypto! Superman’s pal was created by Otto Binder and Curt Swan in Adventure Comics #210 (1955). Krypto’s other live action appearance was in the show, Titans. He painfully pounces and bites Superman. He is finally able to move his cape, and tells him, “Krypto, home.” Home is one of the important themes of the movie.The other ingredient for a good genre film or show is the cute figure. The superdog drags him across the snow and finally the Fortress of Solitude rises, a cluster of crystal towers. Fascinating that the fortress retracts to keep it secret from outside eyes. They face the fortress door which has the Superman insignia. The big stripe design, a stylized “S”, looks like it is from the limited series Kingdom Come (1996) except with yellow in the background. Krypto barks and the door retracts. Inside the fortress corridor, they are met by four Superman robots. Their more robotic, humanoid design and number identification seems to take inspiration from the All-Star Superman comic series. 

They lift him up and Superman thanks them. 4 (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is the lead robot and says that “we are merely automatons here to serve.” 12 (Grace Chan), is new and says, “He looked at me!” 4 is playing the message recorded by Superman’s parents to soothe him. Jor-El is almost unrecognizable played by Bradley Cooper and Lara (Angela Sarafyan). 4 translates the message from Kryptonian and says that it was damaged in transit. They place him on a medical bed and 5 (Pom Klementieff) says his damage is severe. 4 orders a “healthy dose of yellow sun” magnified through lens to the medical bed. The recharging of Superman’s cells has him cry out in pain. Outside of the Fortress on the Antarctic plain is the figure in black, The Engineer, played by Maria Gabriela de Faria. Aphrodite, in the action comedy, The Duel (2023), was portrayed by de Faria. She was also in the series about a school of assassins in Deadly Class (2018-2019). 

The character, Angelica Spica, has a body of nanites. The Engineer’s first appearance was in Stormwatch #48 (1997). She reports to Lex Luthor, "He landed somewhere near here." Luthor tells her to keep searching for Superman. The Kryptonian sees that the Fortress has been wrecked and 4 says they can't stop Krypto! He flies back to the battle even though 4 told him he is at 83%. The Engineer sees him fly overhead and says, "The alien is on his way back." We see Superman flying into icy canyons and then focus on the insignia of Superman! The Hammer of Boravia, a bulky, armored suit and rounded helmet, flies above Metropolis with a burning building behind him. A mysterious figure for this new character. The Hammer of Boravia demands that the city turn over Superman over the Boravia conflict. He unleashes a beam that slices into a building. Superman checks on the civilians and then tosses the Hammer of Boravia away. 

Taking selfies, funny in its absurdity, while the battle is ongoing is Eve Teschmacher portrayed by Sara Sampaio. Another film by Sampaio include the sci fi film, Wifelike (2022). Her character was introduced and memorably played by Valerie Perrine in Superman. The LuthorCorp are monitoring the battle. The head of the group is Sydney Happersen with the black mustache (Stephen Blackehart) who debuted in Superman #2 (1987). The other important member is Otis Berg (Terence Rosemore). His character is ruthless and not the lovably goofy henchman introduced in Superman the Movie and played to perfection by Ned Beatty. Then, we see out of the blazing sun, Lex Luthor! He is played by Nicholas Hoult who also starred in Nosferatu (2024) and also from the comics, Beast in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Luthor is obsessed with destroying Superman. He has studied 2,500 of his fighting moves and calls out attacks to his team. 

They input the moves to the Hammer of Boravia through drones that surround the battle. This Luthor fighting Superman by proxy. Superman is caught and then thrown down to the street! Metropolis citizens see their fallen hero and only one, Malik Ali (Dinesh Thyagarajan), a falafel vendor helps Superman out of the crater. A brief part, but one of my favorite characters in the movie. Similar to John Henry Irons, the superhero Steel, Superman's inspiration should be to help people and even Superman if he needs it. Luthor orders the Hammer of Boravia to return to base. Eve runs over to hug him for the win. The armored villain returns to a camp made of military tents in Boravia. The workers are all in holiday leisure wear which is unusual. The Hammer of Boravia stomps over to the last tent with the flaps opened by workers. In it is a circular portal that leads to a pocket universe, he crosses a bridge, and then this leads to Lex's base. 

The pocket universe was first seen in Peacemaker's season one episode, "The Choad Less Traveled" (2022). Peacemaker stored his weapons in what he called the Quantum Unfolding Storage Area. It's comics debut was in Legion of Super-Heroes #23 (1986). The Hammer of Boravia removes his helmet to reveal the black mask and goggles of Ultraman. This powerful villain first appeared in Justice League of America #29 (1964). This moves out to see the LuthorCorp tower, two buildings with a bridge between them. The Engineer lands on the roof of the tower and we fade to black, an obvious end of Act I. We see the golden globe spinning on the roof of the Daily Planet building. This shifts to Clark Kent, in a business suit with glasses, awkwardly making his way to the offices of the news organization. He sees Perry White (Wendell Pierce), the show Elsbeth stars Pierce as Captain C.W. Wagner. Pierce also played Congressman Gary in this year's MCU film, Thunderbolts*. 

Bully, Steve Lombard, played by Saturday Night Live veteran, Beck Bennett, greets Clark, "Hey, loser." He is a Superman fan wearing a button on his lapel. Superman #264 (1973) was Lombard's first appearance. Clark gets a call from Pa (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Ma Kent (Neva Howell). Taylor Vince starred in many genre shows and films including Grill in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and in the DC universe, he played Father Hennessy in Constantine (2005). Howell starred in the horror movie, Ghosts of the Ozarks (2021). They play a Mid-Western farm couple complete with charm and accents. Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover) compliments Clark on his interview with Superman. She voiced Floor in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Cat made her debut in Adventures of Superman #424 (1987). Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) smacks Clark's leg admiring his story. Gisondo was Howard Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). 

Lois Lane cuts in posting that the Hammer of Boravia's attack "demanding Superman to show up." An excellent performance by Rachel Brosnahan. She is known for her lead performance in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She was also in this year's spy thriller The Amateur. Lois is the counter for Clark. They argue about Clark writing the stories about Superman. On the television screens is a news report on the president of Boravia, Ghurkos (Zlatko Buric), who says there was a relationship with his country. Buric starred in Pusher (1996) which led to two sequels. He was also in the over the top disaster movie, 2012 (2009).  Lois Lane cuts in posting that the Hammer of Boravia's attack "demanding Superman to show up." An excellent performance by Rachel Brosnahan. She is known for her lead performance in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She was also in this year's spy thriller The Amateur. Lois is the counter for Clark.

Clark writing his own story as Superman, kinda arrogant, but we don't get Lois dubbing him with the Superman name. Did he finish a rescue and say, "I'm Superman!" Then, Lex Luthor, how did he become a billionaire? What was the incident that set him on revenge against Superman? Lastly, Lois falling for Clark, what was the pivotal event? Part of her comics background is that she is an army brat, her father is General Sam Lane, this could give some depth to the film character. Starting off past the origin is fine. The Batman (2022) has done so successfully which seems to be the plot structure of this movie. We knew enough of The Batman's partnership with Commissioner Gordon that we don't need it shown. An origin story is not needed or flashbacks, it could be some dialogue. It really feels like starting to read a comic book at issue 3. Something is missing. I like the characters, but don't love them. The characters feel incomplete. Two women interns fan themselves over him.This Jimmy Olsen seems to attract women, he seems commitment-phobic. His other co-workers don't understand his appeal, he can't explain it, so it is confusing. 

Ghurkos denies using the Hammer of Boravia and says that the U.S. has had involvement with his country for 30 years. The Pentagon, Lex Luthor gives a presentation on Ultraman, who throws a truck into some cargo containers. Then, The Engineer whom he had injected with nanites. He also brings up his armored soldiers, the Raptors. General Rick Flag, Sr. says that Superman did stop the war. Grillo plays the father of Rick Flag from The Suicide Squad (2021). He voiced the character in the Creature Commandos animated series. Florence Crawley (Tinashe Kajese), director of the FBI says that 80 billion of arms from LuthorCorp was sent to Boravia. Kajese played Crawley in The Suicide Squad. Albert Tyler (Luis R. Hernandez), attorney general in the comics says there is no longer any Kryptonite. Hernandez was in the comedy film, Gilda Sue Rosenstern: The Motion Picture (2018). The comics character is the father of Dee Tyler, Phantom Lady, who was in the Hall of Justice mural. They first appeared in Action Comics #636 (1989). Luthor says that Planetwatch could at least bring in Superman for questioning. 

Five Pocket Universes out of Five! 

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