Superman – 4 stars
Great fun. The new Superman is nothing short of winning (his recent angst has been jettisoned for an earnestness that cannot even countenance the needless death of a squirrel); director James Gunn (the Guardians of the Galaxy movies) has no pretensions beyond that of making a smart summer popcorn flick; the villain, Nicholas Hoult, is both interesting and funny; Krypto the unruly super dog is a great bonus for the kids; and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Superman have real sexual chemistry. Ultimately, what I loved most about the film was that it was for kids but elevated enough that adults are also entertained, rather than some hideous transmogrification of a kid’s comic dirtied up, made noir, or otherwise infused with big serious themes, because a bunch of 41 year old fat asses sitting in their parents’ basement need to justify their childhood fetishes.
The nits are minor. A few characters get short shrift, a foray into something called a pocket galaxy is a bit long, and the last second introduction of an obnoxious Supergirl feels Something Wicked This Way Comes (next summer).
filmvetter 
This movie is really bad. The plot is so hopelessly complex, and the characters so numerous, that you need Cliff Notes to follow it all. Superman yells at his girlfriend in a political argument, but he’s still noble enough to save not just squirrels, but to also feel pain over the death of giant kaiju rampaging through Metropolis. The dog looks like a Saturday morning cartoon. The story is filled with so many schmaltzy moments – Superman holds the hand of his dying robot; Superman’s Kansas mom (was that an Irish accent?) fetches his new boots before the big showdown; Superman saves a mutant baby from a pocket universe; Green Lantern saves some random brown kid on behalf of Superman – that’s it hard to stay at such an emotional pitch for two-plus hours.
Will the Justice Gang stay together? Will Eve Teschmacher and Jimmy Olson find love? Will Krypto prefer Supergirl to Superman? Will Superman continue to save Metropolis’s squirrels? Will the public continue to support Superman as he prevents the wars of the future? We will just have to stay tuned for the upcoming films to be sure.
OK. Apologies for the delay. There’s a couple of things that drew me to liking this film, although I don’t really have much of an objection to what you wrote.
First, this one just seemed like it was for kids, but was done in such a way that adults could dig it. And so much of this genre has just been hijacked by fat fucks in their mother‘s basement, I had a rooting interest in liking it, and was charmed by its innocence. I also was watching kids in the audience watch it as well, and was impressed by their interest throughout, not just the action.
Second, I generally can’t stand these movies. I did a quick review of all of the flicks in the DC and the Marvel universe, I probably have seen maybe 40% of them. I probably liked about five or six and this was one of them. I don’t want to be a full hypocrite, I really did like the Christopher Nolan Batmans and they were dark and more adult, but that was my fill. After that, all of the serious and deep intonation shit just seemed moronic. I liked the first Spider-Man, I liked the first Iron Man, I liked the first Guardians, and I really liked Thor: Ragnarok, because it was hilarious. So, perhaps my meter was set to be less exact here.
Third, I will say some good things about the movie – I dig this Superman. Thankfully, he does not really have the entire weight of the world on his shoulders and that kind of gets explained when he saves a squirrel. He’s not brooding and he’s an innocent. The political fight with Lois was really more her looking out for him and his naivete’. And sue me – I liked the dog.
Lastly, Luthor was a blast.
Superman: You’re driven by envy, Luthor. You couldn’t be more obvious!
Lex Luthor: No shit, I’m not dim. I’m aware envy consumes my every waking moment. 13L.[Ultraman blasts Superman in the eyes with his lasers]
Well written.
I understand your dislike for comic-book movies. Like you, I enjoyed some of the early ones, but they’ve become stale and predictable. The DEI-driven casts and plots are irritating. The franchising adds too much complexity; plots often rely on what are for many people unfamiliar elements. The audience is lost if it doesn’t religiously follow all the tie-in shows, which have now moved from the big screen to the little screen.
GUARDIANS was the last one I unequivocally liked. It didn’t take itself seriously. There were a lot of laughs and a good soundtrack. In that environment, the cartoonish raccoon fit in. I didn’t want to see SUPERMAN after seeing the trailer, but the good reviews and Gunn’s directorship lured me in. I thought maybe there’ll be some laughs. But Superman is apparently too boring a character to laugh with or at.
I have thoughts. Stay tuned!