Superman (Christian Movie Review)
Superman’s optimistic tone and intriguing take on the iconic hero are refreshing, but the film’s overstuffed, uninteresting plot suffers from many of the storytelling shortcomings that have plagued the genre in recent years.
About the Film
Despite the explosion of the comic book genre in recent decades, Superman has largely been missing in action, with only one solo film in the last 19 years. (During that same timespan, two actors have won an Oscar for portraying Batman’s archenemy The Joker!) Director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) accepts the weighty task not just of rebooting the classic character but of relaunching the entire DC cinematic universe. Superman’s optimistic tone and intriguing take on the iconic hero are refreshing, but the film’s overstuffed, uninteresting plot suffers from many of the storytelling shortcomings that have plagued the genre in recent years.
I rarely put stock in red-carpet soundbytes (and even less in commentary from political culture warriors eager to capitalize on them), as a film should be evaluated on its own merit. Despite ample clickbait declarations that the film is “super woke” and “political,” it is nothing of the sort. Yes, there are some scattered moments that seem to speak to contemporary political sentiments, but the film’s closing moments are as patriotic and affirming of American values as you’ll find anywhere in Hollywood these days.
A Superman movie can only fly as high as the Superman character takes it, and our new Superman is a good one. Actor David Corenswet embodies the essential traits of the iconic hero, while also bringing a deeper sense of humanity to the role. There has arguably never been less of a distinction between Superman and Clark Kent. This Superman demonstrates more passion and emotional outbursts than previous iterations have. Yet he remains a figure of almost divine goodness, someone who will take time in the middle of a chaotic battle to scoop up a stray squirrel and fly it to safety. At times, leaning into the character’s humanity comes at the expense of his more “divine” nature. It’s a delicate balance, but I found the “relatable” Superman take intriguing.
In typical James Gunn fashion, there are plenty of quirky characters to go around. The weirder the character, the more in Gunn’s wheelhouse they seem to be. He proves less capable with strait-laced human characters. Thus, both Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan)—who isn’t given much to do—and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult)—whose villain motivations are uninspired—are overshadowed by more eccentric personalities. Krypto, the cape-wearing superdog, is awesome. But the fact that he is more interesting than the primary antagonist is problematic.
Zach Snyder attempted to amplify the hope Superman represents by juxtaposing it against the oppressive darkness of the surrounding world. In contrast, Gunn’s entire presentation is bright and colorful. Even as a foreign war erupts or a black hole portal threatens to destroy Metropolis (and ultimately the world), the characters volley quips and jokes. In some ways, because Superman is so goofy and weightless, the lightness of the film itself masks the light its hero represents. Yet there is no mistaking the film’s unapologetically positive approach. There are multiple crowd-pleasing “hero shots” during which the actions slows down and the camera zooms in on the crest on Superman’s chest. Superman is a symbol of goodness, and it is that quality as much as the hero himself that triumphs over evil in this film.
Despite containing a collection of intriguing elements, Superman lacks a compelling or cohesive story. For all the pre-released chatter about a fresh start and a new take on the hero, the film feels more like a greatest hits album. He may have left the MCU behind, but Gunn carries a lot of the same baggage into this new iteration: an uninteresting villain, weightless action scenes, and a fixation on planting seeds for future films rather than concentrating on the story at hand. The result is an unflattering Marvelfication of the DCU
Gunn’s storytelling sensibility has always leaned toward “excess,” with big ensemble casts and sweeping thematic ideas. That tendency gets the better of him at times. This film introduces some intriguing ideas, but the story never adequately explores them. Midway through the film, a shocking revelation recontextualizes Superman’s purpose and identity and sets up a compelling internal struggle. But by then, the film is already juggling too many balls to give the plot development much heft. After a quick pep talk from his girlfriend, Superman is off to punch more bad guys. Too often, Superman is sidelined in his own film, with screentime instead allotted to introducing characters who will presumably pay off in some future film but have little to offer in the present. New Superman, same problems.
Overall, Superman is an enjoyable, energetic comic book film, but it never soars to the heights some fans of the character might hope. It feels more like an introduction to a new cinematic universe than a focused exploration of Superman. But when Superman—who he is and what he represents—is center stage, he reminds audiences of what they have been missing.
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: There are plenty of minor profanities (including “s—”, “h—,” and “a—”), as well as several uses of “God” and an aggressive use of “Jesus Christ.”
Violence: Nothing beyond typical, bloodless comic book movie fare. One character is shockingly shot in the head with a pistol, although the death happens just off screen.
Sexuality: A woman sends a man “sexy selfies,” although she is clothed in them (and they aren’t what they first appear to be). Superman is accused of “grooming” the earth for his own dominance and taking countless human wives into his own secret harem. A woman wears clothes that reveal cleavage.
Engage The Film
Gods and Aliens
Superman is a symbol, but what that symbol represents is sometimes up for debate. As Gunn has stated in interviews, there is a clear motif of immigration, with Superman’s “alien” status clearly endowed with a double meaning. This connection feels on the nose at times, but it is explored mostly in the context of assimilation. Superman does not just represent “the American Way,” he is a product of it. His character is shaped by the positive American values his adoptive earthly parents instilled in him, and he leaves behind some of the less desirable aspects of his Kryptonian past.
There is also a theological dimension at play. Superman has always been a quasi-reflection of Jesus, but that connection is less explicit in this iteration than it has been in some previous versions. Interestingly, the first phase of this new DC universe is titled “Gods and Monsters,” yet those deities align more with Greek mythology than with any sort of Christian framework (as it was in Zach Snyder’s take). As a savior sent to earth from beyond, Superman parallels the hypostatic union of Christ (fully man and fully God). But that internal struggle leads him to embrace his human side while largely rejecting his otherworldly heritage (based on a key plot development, which I won’t spoil here). The result is a Superman more in line with secular humanism. If he reflects Jesus at all, it is a version of Jesus who is viewed as “a good moral teacher” but not “the son of God.” The character represents Christian values, but rather than grounding those values in a divine God, the film presents them as natural qualities of humanity. Superman is far from being anti-Christian, and his embodied traits of kindness, self-sacrifice, and mercy are easy to affirm and celebrate, but viewers expecting ready-made religious visual motifs won’t find many.
