What Does It Mean To Be Superman?

Superman.

You know who I'm talking about because he's a globally recognised character. You imagined a handsome, strong man in a blue suit with a buckle belt and red trunks. The strongest man in our universe.

With James Gunn's Superman movie releasing on July 11th and people giving it a negative reception — being fans of the previous Zack Snyder's Man of Steel — I decided to review both movies.

What Superman Stands For :-

See, Superman's always been this bright character. Someone who doesn't believe that the world can be a dark place. Everyone deserves another chance, and he's a hero kids wouldn't be afraid of approaching.

The Cinematic Experience That Went Underappreciated: Man Of Steel

I went in without any major expectations. And I was pretty blown away. People were not lying about the cinematography or the music. Henry Cavill is truly a handsome man who rocks the Superman look and the suit pretty perfectly too.

This movie is the perfect example of how cinematography can change the game completely. Amazing visuals, shots and enigmatic scenes that do feel quite immersive and — Super, if I may.

But as I did say, there's a dark feeling to this movie. Superman feels foreign. And although most things about this movie were good, it felt like this wasn't a Superman movie.

An expressionless, cold Superman that doesn't save individuals but saves them from calamities.

Him, but not really him.

The fight scenes felt like a drag. There were loopholes such as Superman leaving his own father to die despite being "Super".

I think the part that strayed away the most from comics was the fact that Superman had to kill Zod for saving humanity. But canon Superman always tends to find a way to make things right without having to kill someone.

I think as a movie-goer, if someone convinced me this is a movie about a superhero who's not Superman, this would genuinely have ended up being an 8/10 movie.

But as a Superman fan, I did feel like this movie strayed away from a lot of concepts of Superman.

Which isn't necessarily bad — but not great either.

This is a great competition between choosing to innovate a story or embrace originality.

Man Of Steel was all about innovating Superman from a bright, friendly, goofy character into a dark and more gloom-filled soul.

Unfortunately or fortunately, due to people not liking this film as much, and the failure of later projects, DC decided to depart Zack Snyder, the director.

His vision for Man of Tomorrow basically ceases to exist. Would he have changed things and brought the character closer to the comic? Or would he have innovated further?

No one knows.

The Paradox of Choice

The saddest part about the paradox of choice between applying innovation or choosing to embrace originality just means trying to impress people of two avid and opposite natures. Some people can never be happy no matter what you give them.

Hence both Man of Steel received hate for the movie itself, and the Superman trailer received a lot of hate for trying to change things and bring the film closer to the comic-books.

The New Superman

Superman Superman Superman.

Where do I begin with.

I'd say DC has hit the hammer right on point with this film. It's the classic Superman comic-styled movie that has everything.

An emotional and empowering Superman that is perfect but not so much for the human world. A man who's not even close to his potential yet strives to do better and save anyone and everyone — whether a kid or a squirrel.

The Good Stuff

An entertaining movie that has its own cinematic elements, humour and character.

This is definitely a must-watch as this gives a start to the new DC Universe, so there's more to watch out for.

I think James Gunn did a great job embracing originality and bringing all Superman fans together once again.

A Few to Work Upon

A few things that could've worked better is the lack of exposure towards Superman. I think James Gunn recycled one of his old methodologies of "a team" working together in a movie to solve a crisis.

So even though the movie is called Superman, this wasn't based on any solo heroics. There are more characters.

I'd assume James does this to provide writing relief for one character. But he's yet to realize that with characters like Superman, we don't mind him being 100% of the show.

Although it does make sense as to give a jump start to form bases for other characters and stories.

Final Thoughts

My conclusion for this film: I think James Gunn had a huge responsibility on his head, and Superman was a big bet — which I'm glad has worked out in favor for the company.

As much as I would wish for a better score, more cinematic moments, we need to accept that for a character like Superman, this is one of the only right ways of depicting what Superman is about.

This movie is a certified theatrical moment.

Go to cinemas in 3D to watch this movie for the best experience.

You will enjoy this movie regardless of how much you know about Superman. It's all about invigorating hope, trust and goodness through this enigmatic metahuman that we all know as Superman.

But What About Everything Else?

Truth is — none of the movies left every Superman fan happy. Some still wish to see Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder continue his direction, some are fine with what DC made and await the sequel.

I think the truth lies in the fact that people will never be truly happy, no matter what you give them.

As much as James Gunn's Superman felt hopeful — trying to blend in, being judged for being himself — there's just something more inspiring about seeing the perfect man from afar and wishing you could be him — what Man of Steel did.

Conclusion

I guess I just need to respect and love the past, and brace for the future.

People will always argue and want their version of Superman.

Just like how everyone has different versions of hope and what it means to be good.

It's all subjective — fortunately or unfortunately.