I was procrastinating whether to go out and watch this movie. But I was worried that I would’t be able to watch it in the cinema as it had been a while since it first premiered. So after finishing up my chores as fast as I can, I was on my way to the cinema.
Upon arrival, I went straight to the ticket booth so I had plenty of time to do some shopping. 10 minutes before the movie started, I was already settled in my seat and I enjoyed the whole ride from beginning to end — I ended up wanting to learn more of the adventures, not just of Superman but also those of the supporting characters.
And when the movie ended; everyone anticipated an end credit scene which was worth the wait.
In The Middle Of It All
Unlike previous iterations of Superman, this movie did not start from the beginning but in the middle of everything. We get a “slice of life” perspective of what Superman and Clark Kent’s day is like. We also get to know a little bit of the other heroes through their interactions and reactions to whatever is happening around them and to Superman.
It is refreshing to actually see what Superman’s adventures are like – what challenges he faces throughout his day, or week – as he tries his best to fulfill what he thinks is his goal for being sent here, as his parent’s intended for him.
This goes the same for the other characters. We meet other superheroes who already know about Superman – and that he is Clark Kent. Their reactions also show that working with Superman, or hesitating to help him, is just another day in their life.
It is a relief that Lois Lane is finally, not clueless about Clark Kent being Superman from the start of the movie. The other supporting characters also have their own challenges to overcome. More importantly, even the bit roles like Jimmy and his quirky, obsessive girlfriend, are not helpless people waiting to be rescued. They overcome their own struggles in their own way and end up helping Superman.
Super Heroes Are Human Too
As you watch Superman and his reactions and interactions with other characters, including the other superheroes, you realize that he acts and thinks just like any other human being on the planet. Except he tries to take care of extra responsibilities because he has the extra powers to get them done. Just like what Spiderman’s Uncle Ben said: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Superman tries to fulfill this responsibility every day of his life.
He does so not just because of his parent’s last message to him. But also because growing up on planet Earth has shaped him to think and live like any other human who fulfills different roles throughout their life. He is a good son to both his biological and adoptive parents. He tries to be a good friend even to the other seemingly, not-so-friendly superheroes. He tries to be a good employee by doing his job well – even to the point of pretending to interview Superman to get a scoop. He tries to be a good boyfriend to Lois Lane. Despite having a conflict with her – and with the government – because of his principles; he tries his best to be a good human being.
Superman having conflicts with his girlfriend was never a part of the previous movies. He is usually fighting against government villains and aliens. He is always portrayed as the dreamy, almost perfect, husband-to-be. You would never imagine him and Lois Lane having an argument. But here they do, and just like any normal couple, they don’t resolve it immediately. Clark Kent even walks out in the middle of the argument and Lois Lane voices out her doubts about their relationship working out. But just like any feel-good love story, they overcome the conflict and end up still loving each other – and floating while embracing and kissing – as they affirm their commitment to each other. I have always loved this scene in every Superman movie. It reminds us that he is a “super” man for a reason.
Even though he is a super man, like any human being, he also struggles when he encounters negative circumstances. His super powers don’t really serve him in resolving matters of the heart. Ironically, while his identity was always a firm answer to resolving a lot of humanity’s problems, he is now struggling to find the answer to his own identity crisis. He also gets angry, sad, conflicted, and confused. He basically goes through all the steps to process his grief. He also goes back to the loving arms of his adoptive parents to rest his mind and body as he processes his conflicting emotions and questions his identity.
Finally, he decides that his past doesn’t define him and how he moves forward is more important. And because he is Superman, he still chooses to be a good guy even when most of humanity now thinks negatively of him. He doesn’t let other people’s opinions and labels of him change his personal principles and core values. I love how Superman’s self-talk while he is fighting off his enemies, is also full of humor and sarcasm.
The other metahumans are shown to be as human as Superman in the way they navigate the same issues. They do not claim to be his friends and they do not see him as someone superior to them. In fact, they sometimes hesitate to lift a finger to help him out but they still end up doing so because it’s the right thing to do – and it entails theirs and other people’s survival as well.
These metahumans are even funnier than the other human characters. Green Lantern is quite petty and his teammates know it but they still stay in the team because each one of them still respects each other. They respect Green Lantern’s decisions as their leader even though he seems jealous of Superman for always getting the credit and the people’s love and attention. However, just like Superman, they are pretty serious about their role in keeping humanity safe and sound – even from conflicts against each other.
They have been helping Superman manage any unwanted entities on the planet and even help him resolve a situation that he started. Mr. Terrific helped Lois Lane to find him and rescue him and the rest of the metahumans also helped quell a war when he wasn’t available to handle it. They may not call him friend but Superman calls them his friends and they act like they are.
The Dark Side of Being Human
Though Green Lantern is quite petty for his bias against Superman, he is not as petty as Lex Luther who turns out to be just an obsessed, envious person. Even though he is the mastermind behind everything, he did not accomplish everything by himself. He had people by his side who were willing to help him. They enabled him to realize his skewed ambitions.
As Albert Einstein said: “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” In Lex Luthor’s team’s case, they did not just watch but they actively participated in doing something detrimental to Superman despite the negative consequences it will create. Although the individual motivations of his team were not entirely explained; money is obviously a big part of it. Other people, like Jimmy’s girlfriend Eve, may also love the privileges and perks of being in close proximity to an influential person. In fairness to Eve, she still decided to help out Jimmy even at the risk of being found out and punished for it.
The verbal confrontation between Lex and Superman is a highlight as well. It makes everyone realize that Lex’s actions are driven more by jealousy than by pure, evil intentions. He is less a megalomaniac and more a flawed human being who succumbs to his flaws and his team members are the same.
For me, the fact that he cried out his frustrations to his ‘rival’ himself and did not resist authorities when he was arrested, gives me hope that he could potentially change for the better after this experience. After all, being toppled down from his pedestal of being a top genius to being a criminal in just an instant is a life-changing transition that should give him major life realizations. Plus, he will have a lot of time to reflect in prison.
He is almost the exact opposite of Superman in his outlook in life. Superman has extraordinary strength and other abilities and he decides to use them for the good of all. Lex Luthor has an extraordinary intellect but he uses it for selfish reasons. Superman chooses kindness and Lex Luthor choose the path of arrogance and pride. In the end, we are left wondering how his childhood must have been like if he grew up like this. Would he have been a better human if he had caring, adoptive parents like Superman?
Pets Must Always Be Protected
One of the cutest character is of course the dog Krypto. Just like Superman, Krypto is not just a dog, he is an extraordinary dog. He rescues Superman from freezing in the North Pole and takes him back to his fortress where he can heal himself. But he is still a dog, so he gets lonely and destroys things when there are no other humans around and he becomes extra playful when his human comes back from ‘work’. Superman struggles to discipline him, in vain, but he does everything to find him and rescue him when he gets kidnapped.
I had flashes of John Wick when he got kidnapped but luckily, he was unharmed. He didn’t even get tired from running all that time he was in Lex Luthor’s lab. He was both chaotic but helpful to his foster parent. We learn later on that he is owned by Superman’s cousin. Which is another heart-warming revelation – Superman still has family from Krypton and he’s even taking care of her dog while she’s away – like any normal, human family member would.
Goodness Wins In The End
While I love the previous Superman movies, I love this one just as much. It portrays Superman as one of us instead of a God who can solve humanity’s problems or destroy the planet if he wants to. We always focus on him being an alien but we forget that he grew up here with human parents, which makes him one of us – a dual citizen, so to speak, but also a refugee. He didn’t choose to be here and yet he has grown to love this place and is doing what he can to preserve it and the people on it. He is just doing his best to be a good human being just like the rest of us. This movie shows that part of him in such an encompassing way that we can’t help but relate to him as a person.
If I say anything more I would be spoiling the whole movie. So I will end it here and just say that this is such a refreshing and feel-good movie. Superman finds himself again and humanity restores his faith in him. He is a human like any one of us on this planet but he is also a symbol of the good that each human can contribute to the world if they act for the greater good.
Feature Image Source: Keith and The Movies
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