I remember the time when the movie still named Superman: Legacy, that was the very early period of the development. Fans were still arguing about the replacement of Henry Cavill and this is gonna be an another Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which you’ll probably see a Superman talking shit and perform in a silly comedy way. After seeing the movie, I’m pleased to say that James Gunn truly amazed me. It’s unique but classic and truly warm hearted.


Spoilers will be included!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Speaking of Superman the character itself, what values is Superman hold———that’s something keeps changing, adapting the society. He was an anti-fascist fighter, an American mid-class family role model, an “international” citizen. The last one also got fully discussed in the movie. Superman stoped a war between two countries. The range of his actions increased from America to the world. This shows the internationalism Superman held. In a world of wars are happening, people are suffering, the Superman we need has to be justice enough to lead us out of the darkness. It might be the worst of time, but we have the best Superman.

In the movie, the core of Superman also the movie itself is highly similar to Christopher Reeve’s Superman franchise. We got to a Superman spent most of his time rescuing and saving humans and others in the movie. A Superman who’s trying to convince his foe to return the good side. You can say that definitely tributes to Christopher Reeve’s Superman franchise whether in art design or core but not in a Superman Returns way.

The identities of Superman in the movie are also multiple. He is the hope of tomorrow, the last male of the vanished home planet Krypton, that sunny boy from SmallVille, the nerd journalist of Daily Planet. After the truth of his biological parents revealed, Superman trapped himself into identity issues. What he believed of his parents are wrong. They wanted him to conquer the Earth, not to help the people and do good. That makes Superman questioned about himself. But as his adoptive father said, you are the person who gives hope to people, whether your parents true faces are, it doesn’t have anything to do with you. What makes the movie different is how Superman seems no longer value the identity of Kai-EI. He stoped struggling the identity issue of “Am I an alien or a human”. He already identified himself as human.

On the other hand, let’s talk about the foe. Lex Luthor. A man who’s jealous. What drives him is just simply because the jealousy of Superman. Isn’t that pathetic? Such arrogance and conceit. Definitely pathetic. He killed people, started war just simply because he was trying to kill Superman. But the conflict between Superman and Luthor can be seen as the conflict between normal people and those who have superpowers. Some of the normals are afraid, some of them are angry, some of them want to kill them. I think the relationship between people and metahumans will be a main issue which DCU are gonna discuss in Phase one.

Anyway, this is really a good movie indeed, as they always said, different generations have different Superman. I hope James Gunn’s Superman will be this generation’s Superman.