Right, before I start – a couple of disclosures.
Disclosure #1
I thought the film was great.
Disclosure #2
I am not at all knowledgeable about DC comics, so may well have missed many of the references in the film. Like I had NO idea who Green Lantern or Mister Terrific were. That level of not being knowledgable.
And I enjoyed the film.
On the other hand, my husband who read all those comic books as a youngster and is therefore 100% more knowledgable than I am, wasn’t very impressed by the film. He kept muttering about how THAT never happened or THIS wasn’t true. Disapproved of Lois Lane knowing that Clark Kent was Superman.
So, to the film.
David Corenswet, the new Superman, is cute looking and seems not to take himself too seriously. He gets bashed around, arrested, incarcerated, jeered, pelted with stones – but never loses his faith in humanity.
Plus he has THE cutest dog ever, darling little Krypto, who is a total scene-stealer.
Rachel Brosnahan is a very likeable Lois Lane – with definite shades of Miss Maisel, all chirpy and determined.
María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer is creepy and terrifying in equal measure.
Nicholas Hoult is perfect as a 21st century Lex Luthor, all skinhead-y looking with slightly unreal eyes, directing operations from behind dozens of computer screens.
Lots of action, with more than a hint of Star Wars, with the droid-like creatures who don’t have feelings…until they do…
There was enough humour to offset the grim, dystopian prison our hero finds himself in, a lot of that humour coming from Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
I love the retro-ness of The Daily Planet, a world where people still read the newspapers, and sit writing articles, and grab their notebooks before heading out to do an interview.
Long may The Daily Planet stay like this, firmly embedded in the 1930s.
Conclusion?
A good, entertaining film, with the right mix of fear and despair and humour. And – of course – Krypto.