“Brain beats brawn.”

The final note I had in my book after watching the latest Superman read, “Gunn wasn’t the right choice for this.” That’s in reference to the director James Gunn, now the head of DC Studios, and I think I meant that more towards his directorial duties than his overall involvement as a producer. This latest iteration is almost too faithful to the comics, stuffing so much into this single picture that it feels like a a heavy Turducken. There’s so much information, so many characters new to mass audiences, and so little time for any of it to register. Superman comes across as a limited series bent and twisted and forced inside the skin of a lean motion picture, and it’s literally bursting at the seams with material. Latex can only stretch so far.

In a refreshing turn, Superman begins with the titular and original superhero (David Coresnwet) temporarily defeated, battered and bruised, dragged by his dog Krypto back into the Fortress of Solitude. He’s healed, finds his way back to The Daily Planet as Clark Kent, hiding his relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Opposite Superman is Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), determined to defeat this alien creature and all he stands for. A lot more happens, too many more characters are introduced, and it becomes clear about a third of the way in that this film is going to be relentless. As someone who’s pretty oblivious to Superman lore, I felt like I was in a game of dodgeball where the older kids began to prey on the lone victim from a lower grade, dipping and dodging the barrage of information being hurled at me. It’s a good film, but it’s too much.

Superman comes across as a film that knew a sequel would get greenlit no matter its performance, partially because of Gunn’s involvement as director but more specifically because of how integral the character is to the success of the new DC Universe. In that regard, the movie knocked it out of the park with the casting. Corenswet brings the brain necessary to balance out his characters sheer brawn, and in the film’s best performance comes from Hoult, who somehow humanizes Luthor’s bigotry and menace. It’s shocking how twisted and cruel he can be, and it’s infuriating that – like the best villains – he sometimes has a point. It’s too bad the film places so much focus elsewhere, because we could have had a good heavyweight bout. Instead it’s an over the top, loud Royal Rumble.

At this point, after watching almost all of James Gunn’s films, I’m starting to realize that I simply don’t care for his sensibilities as a director. There are exceptions (Guardians 1 & 3), but for the most part, watching his work feels like trying to have a conversation with a colleague you simply do not vibe with. Granted, every now and then you’re bound to find a good 3 minute conversation here and there, but for the most part you just do not connect with the person on one of the most basic human levels. That doesn’t mean I automatically dislike Gunn’s films either. They just don’t speak to me personally, and as such, Superman might as well have been a film watched on mute. It looks incredible, but for me, the messaging was either heavy-handed or too lost to a convoluted story for its whistle to ever ring out on its own.

“I’m not who I thought I was.”

Rating: 3 out of 5