Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it superwoke?
The latest Superman movie, directed by James Gunn, hit theaters this past weekend. It is the highly anticipated first film in the new DC Studios division of Warner Bros. Discovery, co-led by Gunn.
Gunn is no stranger to superhero films, having directed Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, as well as DC’s “The Suicide Squad.” He jumped at the opportunity to form a Marvel-like franchise, dubbed the DC Universe or DCU. Since the release of Marvel’s “Iron Man” in 2008, DC has played second fiddle to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s astonishing 34 films and umpteen streaming shows.
Therefore, being the film meant to effectively launch the new DCU, a lot is riding on this movie. However, days away from the movie’s release, controversy hit when Gunn made the following statements describing the film: “I mean, Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Well, as many know, Superman embodies the spirit of America, as explicitly expressed by the superhero’s famous motto that he stands for “truth, justice, and the American way.” Yet in calling Superman, an alien from the planet Krypton, an immigrant, Gunn was seemingly expressing his objection to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration here on Earth.
Indeed, later Gunn said, “Yes, it’s about politics. But on another level, it’s about morality.” He adds, “Do you never kill, no matter what — which is what Superman believes — or do you have some balance, as Lois believes? It’s really about their relationship and the way different opinions on basic moral beliefs can tear two people apart.”
Gunn’s statements, unsurprisingly given Hollywood’s woke values, triggered a backlash from a number of conservative media personalities, including Fox News’s Greg Gutfeld. Gunn is “creating a moat of woke, enlightened opinion around him,” Gutfeld asserted. “He’s got a woke shield.”
Kellyanne Conway, former senior counsel to Donald Trump during his first term, responded to Gunn’s comments, saying, “We don’t go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.”
Meanwhile, Gunn’s brother Sean blasted the criticism and doubled down on his brother’s comments, saying, “We support our people, you know? We love our immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants, and if you don’t like that, you’re not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way.”
Given the political rhetoric surrounding the movie, is Superman another insufferable wokescold of a film, shoving a leftist social justice message in the audience’s collective faces?
Far from it.
Despite his political leanings, Gunn proves to be a gifted director. A good movie requires good storytelling, and simply preaching at an audience always fails to deliver.
While some may seek to read certain contemporary political messaging into this movie, it is clearly not the primary or even a secondary theme of the film. Indeed, Gunn presents the audience with a Superman who is confronted with identity issues and those who hate him for his power and its use.
His long-time nemesis, Lex Luthor, seeks to destroy Superman purely out of envy — an ironic theme given the Trump Derangement Syndrome that infects much of Hollywood today.
While this is far from a great movie, it is by no means a bad film. Gunn delivers a movie that fits well into the Superman and superhero film genres. It’s a fast-paced (perhaps a little too fast at times) movie that presents a return to a more comic book-inspired take on America’s most iconic superhero.
Furthermore, the cast is well-chosen, with David Corenswet as Superman presenting a likable, if not a bit too human, portrayal of the Man of Steel. If anything, Gunn’s Superman is more “man” than “super.”
There’s a reason why Superman is scoring well with critics and audiences alike. At the box office, it’s a movie that simply delivers.
