Superman explores Clark Kent/Superman’s (David Corenswet) journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive human family in Smallville, Kansas.

The Man of Steel returns, and this time, it’s under the offbeat, kaleidoscopic gaze of James Gunn. With Superman, the first official entry in the newly minted DCU’s Gods and Monsters chapter, Gunn lets loose with his signature flair, and while it doesn’t quite soar into the stratosphere, it’s still a breezy, above-average watch packed with pop, colour, and a whole lotta heart.

Gunn’s Superman isn’t aiming for dark and brooding. Instead, it’s a bright, candy-coloured comic book romp that feels like a four-colour splash page come to life. Drawing heavily from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman, Gunn embraces the mythic optimism of the character while layering it with his trademark ensemble-centric style, punchy humour, and an eye for oddball detail. While it gives you the broad strokes of Superman’s origin and classic good vs evil storytelling, this version leans more into Gen-Z sensibilities and kid-friendly charm than gritty pathos.

David Corenswet steps into the red cape as Clark Kent/Superman, and he’s a solid fit. He’s not trying to be the next Henry Cavill, nor is he echoing the operatic weight of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Instead, Corenswet channels a bright-eyed sincerity more reminiscent of Christopher Reeve, with a wholesome dose of the Big Blue Boy Scout energy. He’s got charm, warmth, and a slightly goofy likability that works, especially in his banter with the ever-intrepid Lois Lane, played with wit and spark by Rachel Brosnahan. Their chemistry is playful and grounded, giving this version of Superman a throwback romantic energy that’s endearing, if a little stylised.

Nicolas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is bound to divide fans. His take on the iconic villain is less cold mastermind and more tech-bro megalomaniac — think Elon Musk with a Messiah complex. Some will find it a refreshing update; others might find the smugness grating. Still, Hoult holds his own, giving Superman a worthy, if not exactly terrifying, adversary to clash with.

Where Superman really feels like James Gunn’s sandbox is in the sheer number of characters he introduces. This is less a solo movie and more a launchpad for the DCU. Standouts include Nathan Fillion’s hilariously obnoxious Guy Gardner (his Green Lantern is pure chaos), Edi Gathegi as the brainy and composed Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced’s fierce Hawkgirl. Cameos from John Cena’s Peacemaker and a surprise Bradley Cooper as Jor-El are sure to get fans buzzing. And yes, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl makes an appearance, teasing a future that looks mighty exciting.

Special mention must go to the Daily Planet newsroom, which feels lifted straight from a comic panel. Wendell Pierce is pitch-perfect as Perry White, Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen is full of eager charm, and the ensemble, including Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, and Christopher McDonald, rounds out what could easily carry a spin-off series of its own. Seriously, give these journos their own show!

But let’s be real — the MVP of this film? Krypto the Superdog. Bratty, powerful, and full of doggy attitude, Krypto steals every scene he’s in and might just be the breakout star of the entire movie. If you weren’t already begging for a spin-off, you will be once the credits roll.

The tone of Superman is somewhere between Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s got action, yes, but also plenty of quips, comedic beats, and that wink-at-the-audience tone that’s become a Gunn staple. Some of the humour lands, some doesn’t. The action is solid but not jaw-dropping, with a few standout set pieces balanced by more modest skirmishes. The visual effects and animation are decent, and there’s a definite comic-book logic to how the world functions.

Ultimately, Superman is a film that doesn’t try to out-muscle the past—it sidesteps it completely and carves its own lane. It’s fun, colourful, and a sign of interesting things to come. James Gunn clearly loves these characters, and while not every choice lands, there’s heart here. And with Corenswet flying high, the DCU looks like it will have plenty of room to grow.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

The post ‘Superman’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

A string of violent robberies in the Pacific Northwest leads veteran FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) to a white supremacist group; the group plans to overthrow the federal government.

Justin Kurzel is a filmmaker who is known for pushing these boundaries and who is unafraid to tackle subject matter from a slightly different viewpoint, as we’ve seen with his works such as Macbeth, Nitram and The True History of the Kelly Gang. There’s an almost punk rock sensibility to his style as a filmmaker, and his films are always captured in a rugged, gritty style. His style and aesthetic as a filmmaker are a perfect fit for The Order, the true story of a cat-and-mouse game between the FBI and a group of fringe white supremacists in the early 1980s, and the results are a gripping and psychologically intense piece of filmmaking.

At the centre of the picture is Jude Law makes a complete 180 turn as FBI Special Agent Terry Husk, a burn-out, scarred-up has-been who has been sent to the middle of nowhere America in Idaho and who stumbles upon a dangerous right-wing movement under the leadership of the white supremacist movement of the Aryan Nation, and a growing violent splinter faction that will become known as The Order. The character of Husk is something completely different for Law to take on, and he’s a volatile and snappy creature who is more than happy to move the line or take things too far if it means nabbing his prey, But a life lived on the edge has taken it’s toll on Husk, and it’s starting to show in this his last gunfight. Law delivers on the complete spectrum of emotions when it comes to Husk, and audiences will be prime by his intense and pulsating presence as he goes to extremes to make his arrests, and is willing to push any boundary to do it.

Playing opposite Law is Nicholas Hoult, who delivers a chilling portrayal of real-life white supremacist and domestic terrorist, Bob Matthews. With a volatile hatred for the US government and growing tired of the established white separatist moment under the Aryan Nations and its founder, the charismatic yet sinister Richard Butler, Matthews orchestrates a series of rapidly dangerous bank robberies in an effort to finance his plans for multiple terrorist attacks inspired by his obsession with the book, The Turner Diaries, a piece of White Supremacist fiction that delivers him his ideas for mass destruction. Hoult disappears into the role and delivers a performance of a fanatic who is as repulsive as he is fascinating, and his charismatic and terrifying performance grabs your attention as an audience member.

As a viewing experience, The Order is a powder keg of a movie that builds at a slow pace before erupting into moments of absolute carnage. Its storytelling is multilayered, and Kurzel builds a portrait of all of the characters, both law enforcement and the criminals and terrorists they are hunting. Kurzel also makes this picture very much a detective story, and we see Law’s Husk, an outsider, finding his way into this murky and dangerous new world that he uncovers in the picturesque country of America. It’s almost like there’s a hidden rot that he uncovers amongst the beautiful landscape of the open frontier, and Kurzel digs deep into the dangers that lie beneath the surface.

The fact that this film is based on a completely true story makes it all the more scarier, and Kurzel hones in on the detail of the film’s setting, and this makes the experience of the film that much more gripping and intense because of it. While it is primarily a cat-and-mouse detective story, Kurzel also brings a subtle Western quality to the storytelling and setting of the picture, and the final showdown between Husk and Matthews goes out with a literal bang!

Justin Kurzel’s The Order is a film that delivers on its palpable sense of dread with a narrative that unfolds methodically and amps up the tension for a gripping detective story. You’ll be holding your breath right up until the very end with this one.

Image: Prime Video

The post ‘The Order’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Set during Tolkien’s formative years, the new film chronicles the moments that would define his life and which would lead him to craft the phenomenal works of fiction in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings that the world now knows him for.

A brand new featurette takes audiences behind-the-scenes of the film and chronicles how this incredibly beautiful piece of cinema was brought to life:

Focusing in on stars Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins who star as Tolkien and his life-long love Edith Bratt, and how his relationship with Edith in addition to his boyhood and schooling and the effects of the First World War would make him the storyteller the world now remembers.

Of the film’s appeal star Lilly Collin said “it brought it back to a very modern place, audiences may just assume that it’s a period piece, where as in fact these experiences are timeless.”

Along withe his growing relationship with Edith and how their love together informs his writing life, Tolkien also takes steps to show how the author’s imagination was born and the film is filled with beautiful imagery that is both fantastical and surreal.

For those longing for a great love story and who interested in how the notion of creativity is born, Tolkien will make for a perfect watch and it will arrive in cinemas on June 6.

The post The creation of a storyteller unfolds in ‘Tolkien’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.