It's a gutsy move to open a movie with your hero being beaten six ways to Sunday, but that’s precisely how James Gunn’s new Superman movie rolls. It's unexpected, and this cold open grabs you immediately, keeping you off balance and a bit unsure about what’s happening. Things are already underway, and the viewers are now trying to catch up.

It plays well into Gunn’s and fellow DC Studios steward Peter Safran’s vision of the new DC movie universe. Gunn has said in interviews that metahumans have existed on Earth for 300 years, and so this movie is a sort of overall cold opening to the whole narrative they’ve been cooking. It is also the kick-off of that narrative’s first chapter: Gods and Monsters.

David Corenswet takes on the dual role of Superman and his mild-mannered alter-ego, Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet. Opposite him is Rachel Brosnahan, who steps into the shoes of intrepid reporter and Supe’s lady love, Lois Lane. Brosnahan plays Lois much like her other famous role, Mrs. Maisel, strong, opinionated, and independent. But with Lois already a star reporter, she has a lot less to prove. Both Corenswet and Brosnahan have a wonderful chemistry on screen, with a palpable connection between them whenever they are together.

Nicholas Hoult crosses over from the other great big comic book franchise to play one of the more imposing Lex Luthors in recent memory. He’s brilliant, laser-focused and unapologetically jealous, resentful, and hateful toward Superman. He’s a worthy adversary to the Man of Steel, all the things you’d ever want from a Luthor.

Some have labeled Superman as silly with the return of the trunks and Krypto the Superdog; one might think it goofy or childish, but that is a narrow way of looking at things.

One might look for a more grounded or darker Superman, but all that angst and darkness falls under Batman’s purview. Superman has always worked best in the light, as an inspirational as well as an aspirational symbol, representing the good in all of us that we need to recognize and let out.

Gunn and the crew understood what they were doing. This movie goes back to the basics of who Superman is and what Superman is all about. The previous iteration, to its credit, got some of it right; he’s about hope. But he’s also so much more than that. He’s about doing what’s good and being a good person for no other reason than it being the right thing to do. And the movie does this, for the most part, without pontificating.

Perhaps more than anything, though, this movie is a love letter to fans, young and old, veterans and newcomers. It reaches far, far back into the mythos and lore of Superman, pulling out bits and pieces that are relevant, and some that can be made applicable in today’s world. There is a lot of love and respect for the source material as well as those that consume it, and that can’t be said for all adaptations and interpretations these days.

From the suit to the excellently updated score of the incomparable John Williams, this Superman channels the original Christopher Reeve's version, reinterpreting it slightly, making tweaks here and there. It’s a large cape to fill, to be sure. Still, Gunn, Corenswet, and the rest do so with aplomb, delivering a fun, uplifting experience with action, heartfelt moments, and sweeping, iconic visuals.

This Superman will leave you with a whole heart and a smile on your face, and a cheer in your head. Which is the way we like it.