I will be brief and spoiler free.
I enjoyed the Superman movie. I have a great deal of history with the character and the various characters established in the film. For example, I don’t need a scene establishing Steve Lombard as a Sports Writer for the Daily Planet.... I don’t need a scene to tell me Cat Grant is considered a popular, attractive, but vapid writer for the Daily Planet. I don’t need a scene informing me that Mr. Terrific is considered one of the five most intelligent people on the entire planet. I don’t need a scene explaining who Maxwell Lord is or why he might fund a superhero team. SO I cannot honestly say whether my previous knowledge covers holes that other people may see. I’ve seen very mixed reviews. Some people loathe it, one reviewer called it DC’s Howard the Duck which is a vile and rancid statement I cannot give any respect to. Honestly, if you hated the film, you can certainly have your reasons.... but to consider it on par with Howard the Duck rather outs you as a frothing Alt Right Snyder Bro of the vilest order. You can call it meandering. You can call it a mess. You can call it confusing. You can disagree with NOT doing a full-on origin story. You can lament the use of jokes or decry the absence of jokes. You can scream that the movie didn’t set up the DCU at all and you can scream that the movie did nothing BUT set up the DCU. And that’s the thing. Since seeing the movie, I’ve permitted myself to read the reviews. And I’ve read reviews that say all of that. WHICH… says a lot on its own. If a movie can both “have too many jokes” while “not having a sense of humor”… if a movie can “spend too much time on set up” while “setting up nothing for the future”… if a movie can be “filled with mindless fight scenes that further nothing” while also spending “too much time on the Lois/Superman relationship”....... then that, as a coalescing of reviews, says nothing more than “You need to see this movie for yourself if you want to know what you’ll think of this movie.”
For me? I’ll agree that while I liked it, I can see it described as “middling.” I enjoyed it, but it was middling. I have some specific requirements for a Superman film especially one setting up a whole shared universe.
(1) Clark Kent matters. That’s the first rule and holy grail and if you disrespect that, you prove that you understand nothing about the character. He isn’t the fluff to ignore so you can get to the meat of Superman. Superman is the golden truffle in your Wagyu meal that should be Clark Kent.
(2) Which means Clark’s Earth Parents matter. They aren’t humans to ignore or kill off arbitrarily. Ma & Pa Kent form the backbone and the heart of what it means to be Clark Kent and Clark’s backbone and heart are the most important things about Superman. So if you want to show that you understand Superman in any way.... you have to know and show the significance of the Kent family.
(3) As powerful as Superman is, people have made entire careers out of misunderstanding his abilities and weaknesses. Snyder Bros have spent the last many months screaming about “a weak, pansified, pussy Superman” because he isn’t dominating every fight with ease. Superman doesn’t just… dominate every fight with ease. You’re thinking of One Punch Man. Superman is a solar capacitor who can tire, who can wane, who can be cut off from his power supply. Superman is fatally allergic to kryptonite, yes, but he is also a living creature with internal organs that need blood and oxygen that (while different) still need to function for his body to continue. Superman is absolutely susceptible to magic and can get his shit wrecked by even a low-tier user like Black Alice. Sustained attacks of a particular nature can also pose trouble… Doctor Phosphorous and Captain Atom can challenge, hurt, and frustrate Superman. SO… you cannot have a Superman that doesn’t experience any issues in a fight. There are lots of reasons Superman may feel challenged in a fight!
(4) Superman lives in a world with other Metahumans and Meta Problems. This wasn’t always the case. Originally Gotham and Metropolis were NOT on the same earths.... but comic books have changed and expectations have changed. In a world where Mongol or Darkseid are just as possible as Felix Faust or the Floronic Man… how does Superman fit in a way that doesn’t over use, under use, or misuse him?
(5) A good comic book movie of any sort should have easter eggs only the fans notice. Maybe it is a throwaway headline on a newspaper that indicates trouble with Intergang; maybe it is a computer file marked OMAC, or a reference to Kahndaq; maybe it’s a phone call from a distant cousin who goes unnamed on screen, or the hero receives a letter sealed with the PROJECT CADMUS seal… something.
(6) Superman or Clark Kent needs to connect with people. He needs to have friends, loved ones, and (eventually) romantic ties. I’m not demanding a full Lana Lang backstory or a Lois Lane immediate attraction. I’m… accepting of a Diana of Themyscira romance but it’s not my favorite. But Superman/Clark Kent needs to have significant ties to the people around him.
(7) Superman needs to be hopeful and inspiring. There are plenty of stories of “What if Superman went bad” and they have their place… but they CANNOT and MUST NEVER be the primary story. Superman as Tyrant strokes the Absolute Power fantasy of too many; and the Superman as Of Service to Humanity is where he lives. I will live and die on this hill- Superman is not the story of a God living among Humans.... it is the story of a Good Man using tremendous power for Good. He must start there, he must live there, he must exemplify this message. For… SO many reasons! But perhaps my favorite literary reason? Because Superman and Lex Luthor must be opposites. Superman is an alien OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO OTHERS; Lex Luthor is a human OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO HIMSELF. Superman uses immense physical prowess to serve the world; Lex Luther uses immense mental prowess to force the world to serve him. That dichotomy must be strong and must be established.
(8) Superman doesn’t just not kill, but he is aware of his power and seeks to protect the cities from the battles he is forced into. Doomsday was dedicated to killing Superman. Superman spent a lot of his physical and mental energy in that fight trying to force the fight out into farmland. Superman sometimes can physically overpower an opponent.... drop a building on him or something.... but Superman uses restraint in an effort to protect others. Even dangerous animals.... my favorite part of the Animated Fortress of Solitude was the XenoZoo. A way for Superman to honor what it means to be “an endangered alien species” by preserving, maintaining, and caring for other “endangered alien species.”
SO.... with all of that and more in my head for “What does Superman mean to me?” The movie was good but middling. Middling in that I didn’t leave the Theater inspired to fight against injustice or moved or anything deep. But good as far as a Superman or Comic Book movie of this century. I honestly think Rachel Brosnahan was an amazing Lois Lane. Now, obviously, my favorite Lois is Dana Delaney and I enjoyed Teri Hatcher in the role.... but in terms of “Is it believable that who Lois Lane is could turn out to be how Rachel Brosnahan is playing her? Absolutely. Does Rachel Brosnahan have a good look as Lois? Absolutely.” It was tremendous to see such ignored characters as Mr. Terrific and Metamorpho get some real, legit, honest screen time and characterization. IT was good.
So, that’s what I’ll say about it. I liked it. I enjoyed it. I would be willing to see it again.
As for the reviews? Well, on the same website I read both “This is the end of comic book movies! It kills the genre that was slowly dying of boredom, stale stories, and CGI. I’m glad that Superman is such a bad film because maybe with comic book movies dying, we can get something original or something of quality back in the cinemas!” and on the same website I saw “This is the revitalization comic book movies needed. It feels like it shakes the rust off of a genre that was starting to become stale. This isn’t some paint by numbers until we fight a giant sky lazer film. This tries to be its own thing and succeeds. A balance between humor and heart at a time where it’s never felt more important!”
So… take every review, even mine, with a massive grain of salt. What kind of movie do you want to see? What kind of Superman do you want to see? Because that’s the other thing. If you want to see it… it is out there.
Inspirational? See Superman vs. The Elite or All Star Superman
Edge Lord? See Superman: Man of Steel or Batman v. Superman
Charming if Regrettable: See Superman Returns
Classic and Endearing: See Superman or Superman II
Goofy: See Superman III or Superman IV
Long Form Content: See The New Adventures of Lois and Clark or Smallville or Superman & Lois
Animated: See Superman The Animated Series or My Adventures with Superman
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