Superman (2025) Written and directed by James Gunn

 

David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult are the main characters in this first James Gunn outing for DC comics. He does all the right things though the plot is still, like most of these films, over complicated. I like that Superman isn't all powerful and can be hurt and defeated so there are stakes not always present in other versions. I also like how naive he is in many ways, always taking the high road and believing saving lives is more important than politics. I don't think he is wrong and because he is Superman, he can afford to be that way. At one point the people of earth, or at least the city of Metropolis, turn against him because of Lex Luthor on a TV show. I would LOVE to say this is dumb but after seeing how easily people in the United Stated and elsewhere can be fooled into believing the most obvious con jobs, it sadly might ring true. 

There are far too many characters in this film, a DC hallmark but in this case they play well as more background characters and stay in service to the main plot instead of having a million plots and trying to make them all work together. Hoult I think is good but his talent is wasted  in a role that doesn't really bring anything new to the Lex Luthor character. Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern is a fantastic asshole and not like any other green lantern I know of. 

Crytpo the super dog could have been a terrible mistake and he is overused but so well done and I love dogs so much it wasn't a distraction for me. The James Gunn "banter" between characters is sometimes a little much and doesn't always land but again, it's work well enough to keep you engaged. It's no Gardians of the galaxy in that respect. 

I would see a sequel and other films in this new chapter for DC. Maybe they will have the right tone finally but as superhero movies are losing appeal at the moment, it might be a little late. 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2021 directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

 At the start of this films mother bestows a special pendent to her children as she puts the pendent around her son's neck, I said out loud to my brother also watching the film: "One day you wake up wearing this pendent totally hot looking and shirtless". And that is exactly what happened. This is not to say that this was any more predictable than other Marvel films, it isn't and it has plenty of nice touches that puts it apart from the growing library of superhero movies already produced. Not far apart, but enough to make it a pleasant watch. The leads are good and the supporting cast ids even better. Michelle Yeoh is in it and that alone makes it worth watching. 

The story is more complicated than some action movies and covers a long expanse of time as the Xu Wendy discovers 10 rings that give him power and immortality which leads him to conquering and exploiting the world until he falls in love and give it up. He is the father of the two children I mentioned with the pendants and he returns to his powerful rings and habits after his wife is killed by criminals seeking revenge on him for his past deeds, The son is taught to be a tough fighter while the daughter is ignored but teaches herself to fight and be ruthless. The son finally runs away from his family and leads a fairly normal life until he is attacked for his pendants the story really begins. Great fight scenes and action pieces ensue and they are certainly fun to watch. He does this all with the help of his quirky best friend Katy and the actress, Awkwafina, is really good in the role. The two end up on and dangerous adventure where family secrets are revealed and a secret magical land is discovered. The two leads do not become romantically entangled, no one does and for that alone makes this a stand out movie for avoiding all those tired tropes. It's nice to see friendship shown so strongly in any film. 

There is, of course, the fight between good and evil forces which doesn't always work or make complete sense but it's entertaining and the supporting cast brings it all to life. I would love to see what Disney and marvel does to include these characters in their universe.

SHAZAM! (2019) Directed by David F. Sandberg

 I know it seemed impossible but this a very good DC superhero movie. Wonder Woman was great but faltered towards the end by going for spectacle over what could have been a perfect introduction to that character. SHAZAM! though lighter and filled with clichés of its own manages to own those clichés and give us something entertaining with good performances pulled out of what could have been bland characters. I do have questions as to what age this film is aimed at... it's funny and seems like an ideal children's film but the violence and killing in it, though not bloody is too intense for kids. I mean, a guy shows his brother out the windows of a high rise while a demon bites the head off someone else... not family friendly exactly.  So let's say teenagers were demographic. 

It's a rare comic book film where the characters motivations, including the villains, are so clear. It knows not to pull at the heartstrings too hard and brings the source material into today's world and what I would have to describe as a side-car film in the DC hero universe. It's too light and fun to fit into the other films and knows to not take itself so seriously, which is why it works. The plot points seemed earned, even the battle at the end is tapped down to a certain extent and comes from the events in the story and doesn't feel like a marketing excuse for a 100 million CGI battle. The movie gets into the action right away and doesn't waste time with a prolonged prologue. There is an end credits scene, of course, but for once I feel like... Yeah, I might go see that next one.