Pop Commentary

James Gunn somehow found a way to make the new “Superman” movie feel fresh by making it more upbeat than the most recent iterations.

The film follows the iconic superhero as he gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, and when his actions are questioned, tech billionaire Lex Luthor takes the opportunity to try and take out the Man of Steel.

It’s giving classic Superman, but put through a “Guardians of the Galaxy” filter. And I mean that as a compliment.

What I liked most about the film was that it just jumped into the action and wasn’t bogged down with a bunch of backstory.

I also loved that movie introduced Superman’s dog, Krypto. Even though he was CGI, he helped to humanize the hero and provided comic relief.

And I thought the casting was great. David Corenswet had big shoes to fill after Henry Cavill, but I think he did a great job playing opposite Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan, who were also fabulous as Lex Luthor and Louis Lane.

I’d say my biggest critique of the film is that it’s not very deep. The plot is pretty straightforward and when it does venture into complex topics, like international war, it quickly resolves those issues and moves on. Unfortunately, that’s just not realistic or interesting.

I also didn’t think the addition of the Justice Gang characters was necessary outside of Mr. Terrific, who helped to drive the plot forward. The Green Lantern and Hawkgirl seemed to just be there for fan service or so they can have bigger parts in other movies down the line.

Overall though, I had a good time watching the new “Superman” film. It’s not very deep, but it was a fun two hours.

If you’ve seen “Superman,” let me know what you thought of the movie and subscribe to Pop Commentary for more pop culture reviews and news!