“Superman” Revels in Goodness to Find Greatness | ForReel

There are those who will tell you that Superman is a difficult character to write.  Because he’s so powerful, there’s no foe he cannot defeat, and no obstacle he cannot overcome.  This is, of course, wrong.  Superman is not a difficult character to write; he’s the easiest, since all that you need to know about him is that he’s a good man, raised by good people, to do good in the world.  

He’s an inspirational figure, not because he can fly, but because he sees the right thing to do and then he does it, without hesitation, even in the face of overwhelming odds or political blowback. He might make mistakes along the way, but he will always admit to them, return to correct them, and learn from them.  Superman is super not because he’s more powerful than a locomotive or faster than a speeding bullet, but because he cares, and cares deeply about the world, and all the people in it.  

James Gunn, writer/director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and now Superman gets it.  His new film is big, bright, colourful, and unapologetically earnest.  Watching it feels like reading a comic book, but not the dark, gritty, grounded comics you read as an older teen or adult (which have influenced so much of modern superhero filmmaking), but the light, unsubtle, and fun comics you read as a kid. It is, in a word, wonderful. 

Link: https://thisisforreel.com/home/movie-review-superman-revels-in-goodness-to-find-greatness