There’s a heck of a lot more riding on the success of Superman than merely the film studio's spreadsheet. This is the reboot not only of the Man of Steel, the most enduring superhero in pop culture, but also of the DC universe, under the watchful and imaginative eye of director James Gunn. 

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Gunn is the perfect choice to helm a comic book superhero universe as he crafted cinematic superhero magic in The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the reboot of The Suicide Squad. And while one of Gunn’s greatest strengths is crafting superhero groups that are well fleshed out that we care deeply about, here, with Superman, it becomes a distracting weakness. In a Superman movie we want Superman to be the absolute centre of the film - the hint is in the title. But unfortunately he isn’t here. While it’s filled to the brim with subplot and characters with its main character somewhat lost in the midst of it all, Superman is at its best when David Corenswet’s fresh take on Superman gets to soar. 

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When Superman gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are questioned, giving tech billionaire Lex Luthor the opportunity to get the Man of Steel out of the way for good. Will intrepid reporter Lois Lane and Superman's four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help him before it's too late?

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There’s one scene in Superman that perfectly sums up the narrative clutter of the film. In a pivotal scene, both in the film and in the development of the characters of Superman and Lois Lane where Superman declares his love for Lois, the Justice Gang are fighting some alien creature, out of focus, in the background. It’s just downright distracting, taking away from the poignancy of it all. 

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That being said, there is still plenty to like here. Corenswet is superb as Superman, perfectly capturing an old-fashioned sense of morality and way of being in the world but also filled with a, pardon the pun, steel and resolve. Gunn crafts out some humanity for Superman as he’s battered and broken for most of the first couple of acts too which helps to humanize him instead of being this big, bad, nothing can stop me battering ram. I desperately hope that this film does well enough for us to see him again in the role. 

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The problem is that we just get moments with Superman instead of a movie, with seemingly subplots of the Justice Gang (Mr. Terrific is spectacular, stealing every scene he’s in), Lex Luthor's troll farms, a war between two fictional countries, and black holes clambering for attention. However, there is still a lot to like here from the colourful palate that bursts from the screen and the fight sequences that are gritty, brutal, and boy are they fast. And of course Krypto the super dog is just adorable. 

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Rachel Broshanan is a cynical counterbalance to Superman’s wide-eyed optimism, Nicholas Hoult is electric; head veins popping, spit flying as Luthor, and Edi Gathegi follows firmly in the footsteps of his character and is just terrific. 

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While it’s filled to the brim with subplot and characters with its main character somewhat lost in the midst of it all, Superman is at its best when David Corenswet’s fresh take on Superman gets to soar.