Punk Rock Hero

I honestly didn’t think I was going to revisit this movie for the site. Sure, I like to rewatch films and superhero movies are the kind of easy, breezy content you can pop on and rewatch whenever you just want to make your lizard brain feel good. For that reason I knew that sooner or later I’d rewatch Superman, I just didn’t think I’d write about it. It would come around on HBO MaxThe oldest and longer-running cable subscription service, HBO provides entertainment in the force of licensed movies along with a huge slate of original programming, giving it the luster of the premiere cable service. Now known primarily for its streaming service, HBO Max (formerly Max, HBO Max, HBO Go, HBO Now, et al)., I’d pop it on, spend a couple of hours with it, and then move on with my life, no harm, no foul. Why bring up the movie again here?

Well, the reason why is because I feel like I have to reevaluate the things I said in my first review (which wasn’t all that long ago). I saw the film once and wrote down what I thought of it, which is the job of a reviewer. That’s how we do this whole thing. But Superman is also the kind of movie where I feel like my opinion on it has shifted once I could go in and watch it again. You see a movie once and it has to meet the expectations you built up for it. You see it again and you already know how it all played out so you have a different experience the second time around. That’s how it went here. Knowing what the film was like, and what I was getting when I went into it, I actually ended up enjoying it a whole lot more the second time around.

In a way I liken this to Mystery Men, another superhero movie (from way long ago). In the case of that film, I thought I was going to get a different film from the one I got. Brighter, funnier, more action-packed. And it’s not that Mystery Men didn’t have those things, it’s just that the film as it actually played out was very different from what was advertised in its trailers. I wanted one thing, I got something else, and I hated it. I had to rewatch Mystery Men to really like it, and now it’s one of my favorite films.

I didn’t hate Superman when it came out. In fact, as per my original review, I rather liked it. I did have qualms with it, though, feeling that the film was a little rushed, a little overstuffed, like it needed a second or third movie before it to set up everything that happens in the film. I don’t know that my opinion on that has completely changed; I think a short film before the main event, maybe fifteen minutes or so just around the Daily Planet and Luthor Corp. offices to give us a feel for the world before the story starts, could have helped a lot. But, even then, now that I know how the film works and what I’m getting into, it’s taken a film I liked pretty well to one I really enjoyed.

That’s the thing: I really enjoyed my second time watching Superman. I didn’t have any qualms. I didn’t think things felt that rushed or overstuffed. Knowing how the film was going to play out the second time around meant I could just kick back and let it wash over me and, because of that, I felt my enjoyment of the film rising. I liked it more, enjoyed the character beats better, and thought things really gelled together in a way that made sense. In short, with a second watching of the film I understood James Gunn’s vision a whole lot more. It clicked.

There are a couple of things I would change if I had my true wishes. Another scene or two of Clark and Lois at the Daily Planet would be nice. Maybe if the film opened with that before the first battle with the Hammer of Boravia instead of the text scroll. That way we could see how they fit together in the office more and could just see Clark being Clark as he’s viewed by everyone else. Similarly, another scene or two between Lex and Superman would be great. They don’t even confront each other directly until nearly halfway into the film, and it feels like we’re missing a lot of their back and forth animosity. Building that out would be nice.

Of course, on that front, the already announced sequel, going under the working title of Man of Tomorrow, is supposed to put Superman and Lex together to fight a bigger threat, so, who knows, maybe we’ll get all the character dynamics I wanted in that film. Still would have been nice to get it here, but I’ll save my harsh words. I liked their dynamic and I wanted more, so I will take what I can get, but if this film had just a little more of it I don’t think that would be a bad thing.

And if I’m being honest I think the final battle in Jarhanpur between the Justice Gang and the Jarhanpur army could be a little longer. We get a short sequence mostly showcasing Guy Gardner’s powers, while Metamorpho gets to show up and then the film cuts away. While we have a second battle going on over in Metropolis, and it’s important to focus on that, it just would have been nice to see the Justice Gang do a touch more so that when we cut back to them and they’re getting their accolades we feel like they earned it.

Still, these are tiny quibbles and I don’t think they ruin the film. By and large most of my big issues with the film from the first watch through faded away entirely. I really did enjoy everything that we got on screen, from the first scenes at the Fortress of Solitude, through to the awesome beach fight featuring Mr. Terrific, through to the climactic final showdown. All of it really hums along, bringing the audience with them and making them cheer. It’s a crowd-pleasing Summer Blockbuster that does everything it needs to, and does it really well.

Most importantly, though, I get why James Gunn did so much of what he did here. This film sets up a lot, and, yes, it has a lot it has to carry. But when you go back and watch it again, that fun flow, the energy the film has from start to finish, makes it fun to just kick back and groove. It’s a fun movie to go back and revisit, and I can see it working again and again because of its energy, its excitement, and its joy. It’s hard to go back and rewatch the DC Extended UniverseStarted as DC Comics' answer to the MCU, the early films in the franchise stumbled out of the gates, often mired in grim-dark storytelling and the rushed need to get this franchise started. Eventually, though, the films began to even out, becoming better as they went along. Still, this franchise has a long way to go before it's true completion for Marvel's universe. films because they’re so dark and dour and slow. This film picks you up and brings you along, giving you fun all along the way. It’s a fun film through and through, which isn’t something I can say for almost any of the DCEU films at all.

So yeah, Superman works for me. I liked it a lot more the second time around, and I’m sure in a few months or so I’ll end up watching it again (especially right before the second DCU film, Supergirl, comes out). I wouldn’t say I was wrong in my first review, as my critiques were fair. But I will say that if you were on the fence the first time around, maybe give the film a second watch. You might just like it a whole lot more.