James Gunn's "Superman" Flies High

Title: Superman Director: James Gunn Studio: DC Studios Genre(s): Action Rated: PG-13 (For violence, action and language)

Although I believe superhero movie fatigue is real, one thing that could potentially put an end to that is bringing some joy and humanity back to the genre. DC Studios has struggled for more than ten years, producing movies that were largely profitable yet devoid of joy or happiness, despite the efforts of "Wonder Woman" and "Shazam," who wants to spend up to $100 for a family of four to watch a movie where Batman and Superman are beating each other up over petty differences rather than uniting to protect the everyman that they claim so much to care about. Enter James Gunn, the director of "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Suicide Squad" (the good one).

Gunn not only has a wicked sense of humor, but he also understands that the key to making characters relatable is to make them likable. His Superman is not cold, brooding, or even all that serious.  He's the kind of guy who will pause fighting a monster just to make sure everyone in a building doesn't get hurt. Heck, he's so concerned about humanity, he even takes the time to save a squirrel from being crushed by rubble. Not only does Superman act like, well, SUPERMAN, but even as Clark Kent (David Corenswet), he is a genuinely nice guy that any woman would be happy to bring home to mom and dad.

The worst thing about his life is that he has a rich billionaire who has a God complex that wants to kill him (you know: typical superhero problems). And while everyone knows Lex Luther (Nicholas Hoult) as a man who uses his money and political influence to create problems for the Man of Steel, this Luther also knows the power of social media and a really good talk show interview (while he uses his wealth to build rifts in the universe). Yes, I suppose this is "modernizing" the characters to an extent, but I have less of an issue with that as I am concerned about the spirit of the classic characters. Heck, they even found a way to make Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) a modern woman without turning her into a man-hater (unlike what Snyder did).

Why, there are even crumbs of future movies with cameos of characters like Hawkgirl and someone from the Green Lantern Corps, and for the first time in years, I'm actually excited about the idea of a new cinematic universe. This is because "Superman" captures the fun of the Silver Age comic books while delivering the excitement of a modern action movie. The most radical thing Gunn has done is make Superman a man who desires peace and kindness despite his destructive powers. Look, I don't have an issue with dark superheroes. Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is still the best superhero film ever made, and I appreciated Marvel's exploration of depression in "Thunderbolts*" more recently.

However, the word "hero" is in the genre name for a reason: because audiences love heroes. They love to root for them and cheer them on. With "Superman," James Gunn has delivered a hero audiences can believe in, action sequences that audiences can cheer for, and resolutions that made audiences in my screening stand up and applaud. I love "The Dark Knight." I love "Spider-Man 2." I love "Logan." But I also love movies to be a joyous experience, and James Gunn's "Superman" brought joy to the summer movie season that I have not felt in many a year.