Superman is finally releasing this week and the early reviews are extremely positive. It has been over a decade since the last solo Superman outing on the big screen. 2013’s Man of Steel was a big, epic Superman film, but it didn’t resonate with audiences at the time. Despite a massive box office takeaway, the film was divisive for its bleak tone and the controversial decision to have Superman kill General Zod. The film has been reassessed in recent years, but after Batman v Superman and Justice League, Warner Bros. put Supes on the backburner for a while and let the heat die down.
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Now, James Gunn is rebooting the entire DC universe and it all kicks off with the release of Superman. Given the iconic nature of the character, many are expecting this film to be a smash hit, but if it underperforms or misses the mark from a quality standpoint, it could signal a rocky future for DC. A lot is riding on this movie and Warner Bros. has spared no expense when it comes to marketing Superman, but it looks like this movie is going to be the DC reboot that fans have been waiting for. Early social media reactions to Superman were extremely glowing and now, the full scored reviews indicate that James Gunn nailed it.
Superman Reviews Signal Bright Future for DC Universe
The first wave of full Superman reviews are rolling in and things are looking positive. At the time of writing, Superman sits at a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes making it the highest rated film in the franchise to date. Although there’s a strong chance it might drop a few points, so long as it sits at 89% or above, it will remain the highest-rated live-action Superman movie to date. ComicBook’s Spencer Perry gave Superman a 4 out of 5 in his review, praising James Gunn’s direction with the character and expressing hope for the future of the DC universe on the big screen.
“Like all his other films, James Gunn’s Superman has a pitch-perfect cast, oozes style in its action set pieces, and has a poise that many DC fans have been waiting to see realized in live-action…As audiences have found themselves in a malaise regarding superheroes, Superman has landed almost as an antidote to that.”
“Superman is a wonderfully entertaining, heartfelt cinematic reset for the Man of Steel, and a great new start for the DC universe on the big screen. […] Director and DCU maestro James Gunn throws a lot at us here and trusts that decades of practice watching superhero movies will carry us through any storytelling corners he’s cutting in favor of keeping the pace brisk and the fun abundant. It’s a dense and at times overwhelming adventure, but it feels like the right one for the moment.”
“Superman is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for those who have spent the last three decades watching superhero movies, and for those who are new to the genre or have fallen off in recent years. After watching Superman, I’m more excited than ever to see what Gunn and Safran do with the DC Universe.”
“This is a Superman movie unlike any you’ve seen before; for (mostly) better and (barely) worse. It’s epic, emotional, and proof that the Man of Steel isn’t boring; by the end, you’ll believe that James Gunn’s DCU can fly. Look up, and look forward to what’s next.”
At this point, it’s rare for superhero films to give a sense of wonder and a reminder of how beautiful these films can be when executed well. But Gunn has brought optimism, hope, and care back to Superman. It ends up becoming one of the best DC films in years, and one of the best movies of the summer. This universe could be great, and Gunn has the light to show the way for where the DCU could go.
“Yes, Superman is a frequently corny movie because Superman is a corny character, a Kansas farm boy alien who saves squirrels in danger and listens to lame pop music. There’s nothing grim or dark here, just a real sense of entertaining silliness that left a big, stupid smile on my face. In our current media landscape, such an approach feels surprisingly bold.”
Despite the overwhelming praise, there have been a few negative Superman reviews as well.
“Gunn is right to recognize that a certain amount of silliness is key to Superman’s charm, but here it mostly just distracts from the seriousness of what’s at stake. It’s hard to make a comic book come to life at the same time as you’re trying to bring life into a comic book, just as it’s hard not to admire Gunn for trying. But it’s even harder to care if a man can fly when there isn’t any gravity to the world around him.”
“Gunn is striving for high trash, but what he achieves here is low garbage. Utterly charmless. Devoid of humanity. As funny as a toothache”
Superman hits theaters on July 11th.
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