So we watched this and its clear to me that James Gunn fundamentally doesn't understand what makes the character of Superman work. Much like Nolan and Snyder's take with Man of Steel got a lot right but missed on a few key points (too much batman/grounded) that led to a flawed movie, Gunn gets a few things right but covers them up seemingly out of embarrassment, in a movie that should have been given to another director who could whole-heartedly commit to the premise and let Gunn give notes to build the universe, or made his universe builder a wholly separate project.
So much about this movie just sits wrong with me: It starts out with a Superman, loss, "his first". Gunn does nothing but diminish Superman for the 95% of the movie, and expects his meta-reputation to carry him. Why does anyone in this universe or in the audience like or respect him? What has he done? We don't get to see him do anything worthy of this vaunted reputation that Lex rants about diminishing humanity. Does Superman win or even come out on the better end of a single encounter until the very end? Lex calling out moves to SuperClone to win fights is stupid for supposedly the "most powerful metahuman on the planet".
Forever it felt like the Lex Luther movie; Movies where the villains magically have a plan for everything already aren't satisfying at all. Superman effectively "loses" the Kaiju fight, because Mr. Terrific kills him against his wishes. Superman "loses" the interview with Lois, who was going to break up him. Lois, who has been banging the most powerful man on the planet who can fly, is in awe of Mr Terrific's combat abilities when he beats the Raptors when they go after Superman. Superman needs concentrated Sun and robots to heal after Ultraman beats him up, and a dog to drag him to Fortress of Solitude. Superman who doesn't need to breathe in space (Kryptonians proven capable of suitless space travel as Supergirl gets drunk in other star systems "Later bitch"; gets punked by cousin for keeping dog) gets choked by nanites because plot.
Someone else mentioned it in this thread but if you can create enough energy to open a pocket universe, why the fuck to you care about OIL? Script writers (Gunn) think you are stupid.
While Snyder killed Jonathan Kent in an, lets say controversial (stupid) way, Gunn goes full retard and makes Jor-el full blown Viltrumite a-hole, all in service of making Ma and Pa Kent, (who Gunn made hick rubes who could barely use a cellphone in 2025 rather than backbone of America Glenn Ford in Superman 78, FFS) seem like "Superman's parents". What a stupid needless dichotomy: He can easily love them both. Part of the Superman symbology is that he both human and Divine, Kryptonian and American, and doesn't have to choose between Nasty imperialist Alien Parents and Rube Imperialist American Parents: He is the son of both, and after Jonathan Kent dies and he learns the lesson that despite his great power he can't save everyone he rediscovers a "relationship" with his AI Kryptonian Father.
Also, People immediately hear and believe this message somehow? How fast this news travels that people JUST SAVED by Superman run away when there is a billboard news blast Superman supposedly has a secret harem? You know this would make him more popular in some communities, rather than feared, and in the same crowd someone throws a can at him when they found out the powerful man on the planet is supposedly here to rule us? It's surrealism at best.
Fake Edit #3: But they use it at speed to bring down Lex@!!! It's just as stupid then, along with everything else to do with the "war".
Fake Edit: It seems like WB realizes how stupid and against almost all cannon this is and are trying to create some doubt now about the veracity of the Jor-el message. This was a stupid decision for the movie and hopefully James Gunn is rethinking many of the other stupid decisions made in this movie.
This really feels like a prequel story written for a much, much younger Superman, Superman: year Two, which I guess its supposed to be but an early 20's Superman, not someone early 30's and Lois maybe mid 20's not 35. He's a naive aww shucks boy scout, which makes sense for Capt America kinda as a man out of time, but this Superman would have grown up in the 90's and 2000's. He would have seen 9/11. Even if they didn't have 9/11, they would have had grunge at least.
I loved Mr. Terrific, and The Justice Gang, and the Hall of Justice. I don't hate Gunn and think he has made some good/great movies. I love Nathan Fillion and glad he got to be in this; Guy Gardner was way less annoying than I thought he would be. This is just so far from Gunn's wheelhouse. This should have been a Justice Gang movie with Superman in it setting up the universe. Re-cut it, take out the Superman and Lois stuff, film some additional stuff with the Justice gang and make it about the formation of the Justice League and them saving Superman from a Lex plot, add in a couple of other cameos in the final fight and boom, Justice League DC Universe kick-off, leading into real Superman movie where no one calls Superman a bitch in his own movie.
Fake Edit #2: I think the Hollywood Bubble just doesn't get that Woke Moment has past. People want authentic, earnest patriotism again. The World wants movies that are earnestly unabashedly American again. Stifling American heroes because they are ashamed of them won't make them sell better overseas, and won't make them sell better domestically either. Give people what they want. How did Deadpool+Wolverine do mad bank? It put Wolverine in the costume and gave us the boys the boys as we always wanted them. A Superman 78 remake would have made a Billion+ but James Gunn isn't the guy for that. Give the next Superman movie to Joseph Kosinski.
