James Gunn’s “Superman” movie landed in the box office, with mixed reviews across the political spectrum. At the end of the day, many are glad to have a new soundtrack for the summer and a return to the traditional values of what Superman is all about.

In the first two weeks of its release, “Superman” soared past its $225 million production budget, earning $416 million worldwide. The film is overall rated 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.6/10 on IMDb. 

Sergio Burstein with the Los Angeles Times said, “This week’s ‘Superman’ installment is a decidedly intentional throwback that will likely please a generous segment of fans but disappoint many others due to its innocent nature and dramatic simplicity.” 

While many worried the film would be too dense with many different characters, the story did not waste time on lengthy introductions, and used its broadcast journalism bit to give reporter-style context. 

The film does an excellent job at using journalism for storytelling and playing with the idea of public perception. There’s a modern lens when it comes to crowd mentality in the age of the internet, and the use of bots (or monkeys), using that to the advantage of an individual. At the end of the film, it was good journalism that took down the enemy.

Gunn, who has floated between Marvel and DC the past few years, is best known for his wildly successful Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. His experience bleeds into this new DC universe, balancing the comedy of Marvel and the heavy undertones of cultural commentary. 

This year’s “Superman” is a decent break from Zack Snyder’s films, which had a habit of keeping the audience in the literal dark. Gunn brought the bright lights and vibrant colors recognizable in his past Marvel films. 

If Henry Cavill’s performance in “Man of Steel” was a precursor to his role in “The Witcher,” Corenswet’s (“Pearl” and “Twisters”) sweet and silly interpretation lines him up to play Prince Charming in an inevitable Disney Cinderella remake.

Reviews remain mixed. Richard Lawson with Vanity Fair wrote, “It’s a shrewdly balanced film, a mix of flippant merriment n.and real dramatic stakes. Gunn would have a much harder time selling his new approach had he not cast smartly. Fortunately, he’s found an appealing Kal-El/Clark in TV actor David Corenswet.”

Criticism around the movie centers on the political commentary of the film. Superman, in an attempt to save lives and do good, intervenes in a foreign invasion, stopping a U.S.-backed nation from attacking a neighboring, poorer, country for its resources. This is merely the set up of the movie, with the premise of the film watching the fallout of Superman’s actions. 

For those watching with compassion and an awareness of what’s happening in Gaza, the fictional Boravian-Jahranpurian conflict pricks the heartstrings. 

Fox News and other right-wing media outlets called the film, “Superwoke”, after comments from Gunn described Superman as an immigrant story. 

“I’ve heard people say it was woke, and then I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s not. I am curious as to what in the movie is considered woke,” Gunn told EW. While Superman is the story of a man who comes to America after his home is destroyed to have a successful life, Gunn agreed, “Yeah it’s a story about an immigrant, but mostly it’s a story to me about kindness, which it is. That’s the center of the movie for me.” 

Nell Minow, Movie Mom, wrote, “While it is (thankfully) not an origin story in the traditional sense, it is a story about a man from another place whose sense of himself is tied to his ideas about his origin, and the ideas of those around him as well.” 

**Mavrie has been serving as editor for the ThunderWord since 2024. She is also the founding president of Highline’s Non-fiction Writers Circle.**