When I stop to think about it, my first exposure to a comicbook character had to be Superman. As a kid, when I would go to the newsstand, I’d see the spinner rack and my eyes would gravitate toward that red, blue and yellow costume. That “S”…THE “S”. The one easily identified across the globe. I may have picked up an issue or two, not really understanding the perils he was involved in. Just absorbing the imagery within those pages.
I remember watching George Reeves’ version on television. Loving the fact that a comicbook character lept (in a single bound) from page to TV screen! And then to go from the small screen to the BIGGEST screen imaginable?! My young mind…blown! Okay, so I still watched it on the small screen (Network TV or we rented it) but still, to paraphrase the tagline to the movie, “I Believed a Man Could Fly”. Christopher Reeve was MY Superman (It also didn’t hurt I was born the year it came out. I felt a connection).
My enthusiasm for the sequels perhaps dwindled with each entry. A considerable drop was felt after the third. Nevertheless, I championed the character. I believed in the good. The Truth. Justice. And the American Way. That may have been seen as corny growing up. Especially in the early 90s, book sales had dipped for favor of more gritty storytelling. So, some people at DC Comics decided, “Let’s kill Superman”. They put that old adage to the test; How much do you miss something when it’s gone…?
It worked. People were up in arms! How are you going to kill Superman?! There was almost an immediate backlash. However, those same people probably flocked to the shelves to get that fateful issue. Sales for that book were through the roof! Alas, those of us in the know, who read comics, no one stays dead…except Uncle Ben. Because he came back, baby!…No, not Uncle Ben, Superman. Sorry, Parker.
That was in the books. Another resurrection, of sorts, came when Zack Snyder got ahold of the character. Presenting a grounded, more realistic take on Superman’s story for a modern audience. This time, emphasizing his alien origin. Making him a stranger among us. The world being unsure of his intentions. Doing more harm than good. That’s the thing, you can do that for a character like Batman. For Superman? Not so much. He needs to be hopeful. He needs to on a different level. And I think James Gunn succeeded in doing that.
Prior to the release of Superman, the amount of vitriol online was concerning. Have we become so cynical that anything that doesn’t look like the Snyderverse is seen as a bad thing? Suddenly everyone was a cinematographer! Talking about the movie’s color grading! Or saying, “David Corenswet isn’t Henry Cavill!” #notmysuperman “Bring back Henry Cavill!” Well, guess what? Henry Cavill wasn’t Brandon Routh! And Brandon Routh wasn’t Christopher Reeve! Each one of them made the persona of Clark Kent/Superman their own. Here’s an idea. Ready…? You don’t like something…? Don’t go see it!
Even with all the trash talking the movie received before I got in my seat, I was excited to Superman. And I’m not even a DC guy! I’m “Mr. Marvel”! Here’s a little insight on me, I can walk between the two studios and still enjoy them. Although, my knowledge of DC’s characters and their origins are a bit…murky. Nothing a good google search couldn’t provide. I know Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion). Just as much of a blowhard as in the comics. I only know the image of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and to see him on screen, was…well, terrific. Made me want to check out his story. There was Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), who I’m slightly familiar with but, come on, it’s in the name. Hawk and girl. Everyone else, I know or have seen before. The call sheet for this movie runs deep and the internet made me question if it was going to seem overstuffed. I can happily report, it was not. Everyone had ample screen time.
As far as the main players, Nicholas Hoult was a despicable Lex Luthor. Some of his actions had me gobsmacked. As dastardly as the others were, he takes the cake. I know in the comics, at one point, he becomes President. I think from how he presents himself in this, those future plans are, how can I put it…? Dashed. I can’t say, I knew too much of Rachel Brosnahan beforehand. Having not seen a single episode of The Marvelous Ms. Maisel. Truth be told, I think she was one of the better Lois Lanes. Strong-willed and tenacious. My favorite, though, of all the people in this, was Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo). What a surprise performance of a usually tertiary character. So good.
One knock I have to mention is, the score. Composers on the movie were given a thankless task with the scoring of this movie. I mean, John Williams raised the bar REALLY high (dare I say, sky…high?) in ‘78 with his iconic theme. It’s not fair for the rest of them. Crucify me for saying this but I actually can’t think of anyone else’s scores in any of the other iterations. I’m sure if I heard them or you gave me a clip, it would click. Other than that, I got nothing. Nothing but that sweet, sweet John Williams theme. This version just sounds like the original JW version synthesized through Top Gun’s theme. Maybe it’s me.
Superman couldn’t have come at a better time. With all the issues going on in the world, we need a distraction. We NEED to look up. To quote the man himself, “I love, I get scared. I wake up every morning and despite not knowing what to do, I put one foot in front of the other and I try to make the best choices I can…” We don’t have to be perfect. We just need to try. Try to be good. Try to help our fellow man. Be kind. Right now, we need Superman.
Arguing With Myself 