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Warning, this review contains spoilers for Superman.

James Gunn’s Superman is a refreshing and heartwarming return to form for the character, especially amongst the other gritty and inauthentic portrayals we’ve gotten these past few years. Gunn, as well as actor David Corenswet, seem to be men who truly understand what makes Superman Superman, who and what the character is at his core, giving us one of the most sincere live action portrayals to date.

The key to understanding Superman, you see, is recognising that it’s not a fantasy about having unimaginable power, but a fantasy about what it would be like if a truly good person had imaginable power. That’s Superman. And no Superman story would ever work without understanding that. Trust me when I say Gunn understands it very well, especially with how he handles Clark’s parents.

With endearing performances from Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince, Ma and Pa Kent are the reason Superman, or more importantly Clark, is as good of a person he is. He is the kind of hero who prioritises saving innocents over defeating villains because that is the kind of man he was raised to be, the kind of person he was shaped into by these two kind farmers who themselves, before everything, are sincerely good people.

Superman doesn’t save humans (or squirrels) because it’s “the right thing to do,” but because it’s the human thing to do. He believes and embodies humanity in a way that, ironically, nowadays feels inhuman. With an unwavering hope in the best of people, he is a character that has always embodied how kindness is strength in a world where many claim it to be naive, and this movie is proud to represent that truth.

That is what makes this film stand out amongst the rest of the failed movies in the superhero genre in recent years; its willingness to believe in its own heart. There’s no trace of embarrassment in how earnestly it approaches its truth, with few attempts to try and hide its ideals behind unnecessary layers of self aware banter or edgy revisionism. It simply is, and allows itself to be the story it is. One not focusing on not the Man of Steel, but on the Symbol of Hope.

That is, perhaps, an accurate summary and description of this blockbuster — authenticity and sincerity. Authenticity when it comes to Clark, in terms of who he is and what the world of Superman stands for, and sincerity in trusting its audience to understand and reconnect with the roots of the superhero.

Compared to how recent Hollywood releases feel the need to undercut or undermine any emotional or complex moment on screen with a (frankly often unfunny) joke or sarcastic quip, Superman respects its audience enough to assume they have an emotional capacity greater than a teaspoon

Now, I’m not going to pretend this film is revolutionary. Quite honestly, it’s not even Gunn’s best, but that isn’t a very fair standard to set considering just how acclaimed the man’s work is (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad). However, this film is special not because it is Superman reinvented or reimagined, but because it is a return to what makes the character as beloved and impactful as he is. Rather than prioritising fleeting relevance, Gunn re-centres the film around what makes the character timeless.

The standout performance is undoubtedly from Corenswet as Clark Kent and Superman — whatever name you want to assign him. He embodies the character in a way that would make even Christopher Reeve proud. However, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor certainly is a close second; we haven’t had a true hater-coded villain in years. We love to hate them, and Lord is Lex Luthor asking for it. A man-child in his truest form, but I can’t deny how well Hoult pulls it off.

Other notable performances include Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane with a rather refreshing plot line, Edi Gathegi as Mr Terrific helping wonderfully to balance tone, and, of course, Howell and Vince shine as Ma and Pa Kent. Nathon Fillon’s Green Lantern was also a comedic highlight and Wendell Pierce is wonderful as Perry White.

Other under appreciated highlights include just how well the soundtrack immerses the audience into not just the world but the ideals of the movie, which is unsurprising considering that’s Gunn’s thing. With directing and vibrancy that feel like a comic book come to life, Superman knows exactly what it wants to be (and is).

It’s also impressive when you consider that Superman is the kickstarter to the DCU (DC Universe), modelled after the masterpiece that was the DCAU (DC Animated Universe), and for a movie carrying a whole cinematic universe on its back, it did quite well.

Now, spoiler territory; let’s address the elephant in the room.

I did NOT expect such explicit Israel-Palestine references in a major Hollywood blockbuster, but God was it wonderful to see.

To summarise, the ambiguously European(esque) and militarily advanced country of Boravia is invading the neighbouring ambiguously Arab nation of Jarhanpur under the guise of “freeing them from a tyrannical rule” when in actuality they intend to invade and take the land for themselves and split it with primary antagonist, Lex Luthor.

The film starts with the general American discontent with Superman’s involvement where he stops Boravia’s first attempt and attack. Clark explicitly states how just because Boravia has traditionally been “a US ally” and Jarhanpur had traditionally “not” doesn’t make anything justified. The final battle of the film is Boravia reattempting its attack while Superman is occupied in a different battle with Lex Luthor and the scene could be taken straight out of any attack on Gaza. Even the direct imagery and parallels of children as the face of the conflict wasn’t subtle.

While I was originally extremely happy and excited about this portrayal and such a blatantly pro-Palestine plot line, I also think it’s important to think about how this really helps the people who actually need it. Yes, there’s awareness, and yes, it’s a milestone, and I will never not be a fan of everyone working on the movie for it, but what has it actually done? This has gotten the movie a lot of attention and publicity, and in Hollywood these types of tactics aren’t rare. It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge the possibility of there being not the most genuine intentions behind it, but if I’m speaking based off my personal opinion I do think just the directness of the critique is impactful.

Regardless, please do watch Superman. It’s a film, and superhero, who isn’t embarrassed about actually caring. Everyone who has worked on this knows, and everyone who leaves the theatres understands, Clark’s powers aren’t his actual strength. I highly recommend experiencing that yourself.