“Babies
and Puppies”
A Review of Superman
by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG-13
OSV Rating, A-III
Reel Rating, Three and a Half Reels
Superman is
our culture’s greatest literary Christ figure, and now comic book juggernaut
James Gunn has released the third great cinematic adaption, which also serves
as reboot of the DC cinematic universe, which never really found its feet. The
1978 original was a triumph of innocent fun and visual effects, and the 2013
version was a masterpiece of Christological mythology (and one of my
first reviews for Catholic World Report). This entry fits nicely
between the two; definitely entertaining but not as campy as Reeve or sober as
Cavill. Only time will tell if Superman can successfully launch Warner
Bros’ efforts.
Superman
is a classic example of “in media res” where the audience is thrown into the
middle of a story without much background. Nothing is said about Superman’s
childhood, career as a journalist, or current relationship with Lois Lane.
Instead, he lies bloodied in the middle of Antarctica only to be rescued by his
trusty dog Krypto (Jolene). Superman (David Corenswet) has fallen on hard
times. Despite stopping a major war and saving Metropolis from multiple
otherworldly threats, he is unpopular in many circles, especially with Lex
Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) who has created the supervillain Ultraman to defeat
him. Yet his ultimate undoing may come not from his enemies but from a sudden
revelation deep within his origins that threatens to turn the whole planet
against him.
From the
first scene, it is evident that James Gunn has taken the reins. It has all the
hallmarks: catchy songs, witty banter, oddball characters, bizarre in-jokes,
and a Nathan Fillion cameo. Most importantly, it is endlessly entertaining. He
understands that any superhero film, no matter how dark and brooding, is a
little silly, and isn’t afraid to acknowledge the genre’s inherent nature. For
example, this is the first time Krypto has graced the silver screen. I was
skeptical when I saw him in the trailer, but in Gunn’s tongue in cheek world,
he works. This doesn’t imply that Gunn doesn’t explore the rich history of
Superman’s philosophy, only that it first must be fun. The film also stays
clear of obvious political leanings, hoping instead for more universal appeal.
Anybody claiming the film is too “woke” or “based” is missing the point.
When I was
at film school, a professor told me that if we wanted an audience to
immediately hate a character, “have them kick a dog.” It’s trendy in the genre
today for metahumans to be morally ambiguous or complex; in this sense,
Superman is a breath of fresh air. Even if his execution is rash, his motives
and values are always pure. When confronted with the unintended ramifications
of interfering in an international conflict, he simply yells, “people were
going to die!” Lex Luthor not only kidnaps Superman’s dog, but he also tortures
him for good measure. He also uses an alien baby as ransom to keep Superman
imprisoned. When freed, Superman saves the child at great cost to his person
and the special effects team. Defending the innocent is the most basic quality
of a superhero.
In the
climatic scene, Superman and Luthor square off in a classic monologue scene
where both characters reveal their hidden intentions. Luthor admits, despite
his enormous wealth, he is envious of the Man of Steel, but it runs deeper than
that. He finds Superman’s existence offensive because he believes it brings the
collective worth of humanity down. If Superman can lift a building, why do
humans need to engineer a crane? Nothing we are matters. Superman admits his
powers are daunting but insists it’s his humanity that defines himself. He
didn’t learn good and evil from his biological parents but the simple Kansas
farmers we raised him. Superman also knows that he makes mistakes and is
limited in his scope, which also puts him in the same boat as everyone else.
There is a
way to interpret Superman’s vision as negative. Human nature, on its own, is
stained by original sin and prone to evil. Prior to God’s revelation to
Abraham, paganism reign as Earth’s preeminent philosophy which disdained the
poor and valued power, though there were “gleams of celestial truth” as C.S.
Lewis wrote. We do not need our heroes to “be human” but rise above. However,
understood as a Christ figure, Superman’s speech represents not the fallen
nature of humanity but the love of God who willingly took on “our weakness.” He
became human to save humanity. It could be either, but I’m betting on the
latter.
In a deeply
divided culture, it is vital to have art that provides simple enjoyment, even
if it doesn’t measure up completely. Superman won’t be as well
remembered as its predecessors, but it is an entertaining, competent summer
blockbuster that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It affirms basic Christian
values without allowing itself to be claimed by a political ideology. That’s
pretty super in 2025.
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