Superman is the archetype for comic book superheroes. He has been brought to life in film and tv many times, but do we really need another version? This recent incarnation wisely skips the origin story and assumes a reasonable level of knowledge of the character and associated cast, starting the story in media res with Superman crashing to the ground, beaten and bloody after his first defeat in a fight. He is rescued by Krypto the Superdog which immediately sets the tone - this is not another grim dark take on the character, rather this one is the big Boy Scout with his pants on over his tights.
The plot of this film revolves around Superman becoming involved in geopolitics by stopping a war between rival nations somewhere on the other side of the world, purely to save lives. That the invading nation is a US ally and has been well supplied with arms by Lex Luthor is the thing that is going to get him into trouble.On top of this we have a supporting cast of all the usual suspects of a Superman story - Lois Line, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, as well as Green Lantern, Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl as members of the "Justice Gang".
Cue much mayhem with monsters to fight and evil schemes to thwart, played with a light touch and a satisfying number of twists to the story. Some parts don't entirely work - some of the cgi effects feel a little bit floaty and lightweight in places, and the subplot with Lex Luthor's social media influencer girlfriend and a somewhat unlikeable version of Jimmy Olsen is a bit reductive.
On the whole, it's an enjoyable film for a bit of light hearted fun and a James Gunn's take is pleasant change from the previous brooding and dark version of the character from Zack Snyder.
