Written and directed by James Gunn, this reboot of Superman is the first film produced by the new DC Studios, which Gunn and Peter Safran head. As can be expected, a lot is riding on this film, given that the superhero film genre is in dire need of the proverbial ‘shot in the arm’. With an armful of experience in the genre, Gunn is the anticipated genre savior - he was behind the three Guardians of the Galaxy films of Marvel’s MCU, then took on Suicide Squad and Peacemaker for DC Comics.

Distributed globally by Warner Bros., Superman opens today in cinemas, and the advanced screening I attended was the ‘filmed in IMAX’ 3-D version. I would recommend this as the best way to enjoy the film’s technical aspects. Other than a few sentences flashed onscreen to set the stage as a prologue, Gunn gets us right into the action, informing us that Superman has just been defeated, and we see him crashing to Earth, somewhere in the Antarctic.

I won’t go into plot details or spoil your appetite for cameos, end credits, and Easter eggs. This is James Gunn, and he knows exactly which boxes to tick for fans of the superhero film genre. Loosely inspired by the comic book series All-Star Superman (2005-2008), the film goes for a more existential, questioning, and conflicted Clark Kent/Superman. He’s around 25 years old in the movie, so while younger than the Henry Cavill version, it is an older Kent than the Smallville TV series. The plot revolves around reconciling his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive Smallville family, and how to resolve this dichotomy.

David Corenswet portrays Clark Kent/Superman - I remember him best for the limited series Hollywood, created by Ryan Murphy. And from the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, we have Rachel Brosnahan in the role of Lois Lane - she interviewed several journalists so she could portray Lois as a modern reporter. The always impressive Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor, channeling the likes of Elon Musk in his portrayal of Lex.

Of note is the existence of a Justice Gang in this film, composed of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced - who you may recall played Dora), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Surprisingly, it’s Green Lantern who provides the trademark shafts of humor and comic relief that Gunn is known for. And it’s Mr. Terrific who comes very close to stealing the film. His extended action sequence was the first that had the audience at the premiere spontaneously applauding, even if somewhat derivative of what we’ve seen Gunn produce in Guardians.

For those who will pan the film, this would most likely be the root of their discontent. One can see the Guardians/ensemble cast DNA tugging at Gunn, so rather than being an actual blue Superman film, this treatment is like an ensemble party struggling at the leash, begging to be cut loose. It’s not the darker, more serious DC we’ve come to expect, but a brighter, more polished, slick version. Without mincing words, with the alternate pocket universe concept, and this repressed ensemble element, it’s very much like a DC-Marvel offspring, or Superman meets the Guardians (via the Justice Gang).

Whether that’s good or bad will depend on your sensibilities. I could see how this will be a great success, and that audiences will flock to watch it and enjoy it. Is it a great new Superman? I would have liked one with more ‘soul’ and Internal struggle, as we all know who will ultimately end up victorious in the fights and battles. But for now, enjoy that Superman is back!