Superman debuts to strong Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics calling James Gunn's new DC movie "charming," "playful," and "a breath of fresh air"

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Critics are largely positive on James Gunn's Superman

David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in Superman
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The first reviews are in for Superman, and the new DC movie has debuted to a strong Rotten Tomatoes score.

The first theatrical outing in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters currently has a critics' score of 86% on the review aggregator site, based on 151 reviews. Despite a smattering of negative reviews and a general consensus that the movie is a little overstuffed when it comes to plot, the DCU's big-screen fare seems to be off to a good start.

Screen Daily's review is in agreement, saying "Although overstuffed and uneven, at its best Gunn’s Superman combines the most admirable attributes of both character and director, resulting in an ambitious, occasionally stirring film that is weirder, nervier and more thoughtful than most blockbusters."

"Gunn’s screenplay can certainly be faulted for piling on too many elements," echoes The Hollywood Reporter. "But what matters most is that the movie is fun, pacy and enjoyable, a breath of fresh air sweetened by a deep affection for the material."

"By all of these measures, Gunn’s charming take on the Superman myth succeeds — it even won over a particular superhero-weary critic," writes the New York Times, while ScreenCrush calls the movie "a super-breath of fresh air – for DC Comics and for superhero movies in general."

"Superman hasn’t had this much charm and personality since Christopher Reeve made you believe a man could fly," reads the Boston Globe's review. "And while David Corenswet won’t replace the memories of Reeve, he’s certainly the best Superman since the late actor hung up his cape and tights."

Not everyone was so positive, though. "It’s hard to make a comic book come to life at the same time as you’re trying to bring life into a comic book," writes IndieWire. "But it’s even harder to care if a man can fly when there isn’t any gravity to the world around him."

The Times, meanwhile, thinks "Gunn approaches the nerdosphere’s most celebrated property like a giddy amnesiac who has missed the precipitous rise and fall of multi-character Marvel superhero movies and is instead stuck somewhere in the early 2010s."

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

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