By Lynn Venhaus

What superhero fatigue? With clear-eyed focus and a reverence for the comic book mythology, writer-director James Gunn has restored Superman to his altruistic roots, his stranger-in-a-strange-land dilemmas, and the always necessary spirit of fun and adventure this beloved symbol needs to possess.

Most important of all, this iconic American superhero, first seen in an Action Comics book in 1938 (later DC), is decency personified – kind and untarnished humanity, universalistic. In this new direction, he is not invincible, but he stands tall for all the right reasons.

The result is the best “Superman” film since “Superman II” in 1982 and the best on-screen characterization of both the man and the myth since Christopher Reeve donned the red cape. David Corenswet’s heartfelt portrait of the noble Kryptonian trying to save the world from constant nefarious threats is a genuine beacon of goodness.

Corenswet is captivating in ways the wooden Henry Cavill in the darker “Man of Steel” and Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” films, and Brandon Routh, one and done in the 2006 ‘Superman Returns,” could never be.

Corenswet projects everything you want in a Superman – strong, selfless, hopeful, honorable, loyal and caring.

In Gunn’s bold world-building, Metropolis is a place where robots, metahumans and ‘pocket universes’ converge, and a fragile geopolitical society is easily manipulated by megalomaniac tech billionaires with power-mad intentions.

Such is the latest rendering of super-villain Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult tears into the ruthless, selfish nature of a sociopath with gusto. His wealth gets him far, and he’s trying to control the media and the public image of the alien “Kryptonian” as the perpetual outsider, raising suspicions about his intentions. A corrupt slimeball, he doesn’t care about truth, nor justice, and has acolytes and syncophants at his beck and call.

As is customary, an epic battle of good vs. evil is at the heart of this, and sure, all the state-of-the-art computer-generated visual effects are on display – fancy gizmos, shiny tools, strange creatures and weird synthetic forces built to be killing machines. However, it seems less video-game action to convey the mayhem in this go-round.

Those familiar with this fantastical universe will recognize characters the casual fan won’t, but that doesn’t detract. In recent years, Marvel has lost its way because the movies required homework, but not in this DCU case. It’s easy to get up to speed about the “Justice Gang” metahumans.

The addition of Green Lantern (a hilariously cocky Nathan Fillion), sarcastic Hawkgirl (easily annoyed Isabel Merced) and impatient Mister Terrific (amusing Edi Gathegi) is fun because the actors are convincing, as is an unrecognizable Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”) as Metamorpho. Superman does most of the heavy lifting, but he can’t be everywhere, and that’s when the support shows up.

Gunn, from St. Louis, wears his comic book heart on his sleeve. He gets it. You feel how much he cares about getting this right, about making a Superman for a new age, yet holding the values we’ve always believed him to represent.

Gunn doesn’t get bogged down in origins, plopping us into a fully realized crazy modern world that keeps the Daily Planet staff busy with chaotic breaking news. Lois Lane and Clark Kent are already a ‘sorta thing,’ although not public, and the chemistry between Rachel Brosnahan as the crackerjack reporter and Corenswet as the earnest Clark is palpable.

Their testy interview scene is a dandy way to introduce their relationship, as she struggles to reconcile his two ‘sides,’ raises uncomfortable ethical questions.

Meeting his adoptive parents, Martha (Neva Howell) and Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) Kent, at their Kansas farm is illuminating. Making them older works, and in their minimal screen time, tug at the heartstrings as the loving mortals who raised their special kid.

Superman’s inner torment is exacerbated when a glitchy tape of his parents on Krypton, Jor-El and Lara (Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan) is restored by Luthor’s henchmen and used to cast aspersions on ‘the immigrant.’ He loses the faith of many fans, now suspicious. Or in today’s lingo, basically “cancelled.”

How does he get back in the public’s good graces, especially when he’s incarcerated in a shady maneuver by Luthor?

The plot thickens, with Luthor intending to profit from a war — Boravia plans to invade Jarhanpur. The international consequences as well as life-threatening danger in America are colliding in a high-stakes way.

Meanwhile, the Daily Planet is investigating Luthor’s business dealings, and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) has an inside source. The newspaper staff is suitably articulate, skeptical and trustworthy, with Wendell Pierce as no-nonsense editor Perry White and ex-SNL Beck Bennett as sportswriter Steve Lombard.

By the time Lex is throwing everything in Superman’s path, including look-a-like clones, lethal bad girl The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) and a gigantic glitch in the cosmos, our bloodied and battered Superman valiantly is tasked with taking care of the world order – and sanity – for at least a little while until the next DC Universe adventure.

Entertaining new additions include a frisky superdog Krypto who often misbehaves, helpful robots in the Fortress of Solitude who are as likable as C-3P0, and comforting use of John Williams’ original 1978 “Superman” theme through composers David Fleming and John Murphy . There are some fun cameos and plentiful Easter Eggs too. Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, is a reporter.

Gunn, who helmed all three “Guardians of the Galaxy” films plus 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” has made the visuals pop, the aerial flying zippy, and the story interesting. Henry Braham, the cinematographer he used for those aforementioned films, is back with a clear understanding of the assignment.

Although, in fairness, by the time we’re seeing multiple battling clones, bombardment of raptors in the sky, and crumbling infrastructures, the film needed to wrap up – and do so quickly.

Nevertheless, this thrilling new direction bodes well for franchise-building, which DC Studios heads Gunn and Peter Safran are intent to do.

With heart, hope and humor, Gunn faithfully honors the inspiring “‘Superman’ legacy, first created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, with an unwavering integrity and optimism.

This Superman believes in the goodness of mankind, and the importance of kindness in an increasingly hostile, cruel and cold world. To be reminded of what Superman has always meant in pop culture, and how he’s captured our fancy for nearly eight decades, is a remarkable feat.

While the film may not be perfect, this “Superman” comes close to redefining the superhero’s place in our hearts and imaginations. And it checks all the boxes as a splendid summer blockbuster.

“Superman” is a 2025 fantasy-action-adventure-superhero film written and directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, Isabel Merced, Wendell Pierce, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, Anthony Carrigan, Edi Gathegi, Alan Tudyk, and Beck Bennett. Its run time is 2 hours, 9 minutes, and it’s rated PG-13 for violence, action and language. It opened in theatres July 11. Lynn’s Grade: A.