Saw the new Superman movie yesterday. I don't go to theaters nearly as much as I used to - mostly because home theaters are awesome now. Big TVs are affordable, surround sound is excellent, and let's be honest: nothing beats being able to pause the movie when you need a snack or a bathroom break. There's nothing worse than sitting through the last 20 minutes of a movie with your bladder ready to burst because you had to drink the giant 100 liter Diet Coke LOL.

That said, I still like the theater for the big stuff. Superhero blockbusters. Star Trek movies. Epic fantasy like Lord of the Rings. The kind of movies that belong on the big screen. The only downside is trying to avoid spoilers online, which, let's face it, is almost impossible unless you live under a rock. So I try to catch them early without dealing with the weekend crowds. Hence, Tuesday matinee.

Now, let's talk about the movie. Don't worry - no spoilers until I say "Spoiler Alert!" below.

I really enjoyed it. The pacing was solid, the story was entertaining, and there weren't any major plot holes that pulled me out of it. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely fun. From what I remember, it stuck pretty close to the comics - though to be fair, I haven't read Superman comics since I was a kid, so who knows what kind of crazy stuff they've added in the past 30 (okay, 40) years. :)

The humor was on point. Krypto the Superdog completely stole some scenes. Yeah, he was CGI, but they did a great job with him. Funny, expressive, and just adorable. And there was a father-son moment with Clark's dad that got me right in the feels. If you're a dad, you know what I mean - those scenes always hit.

I will say the movie leaned a little heavy on the CGI. Not as bad as the Star Wars prequels, where every single thing looked like it came out of a video game cutscene, but still. Some of the effects could've been dialed back. That said, the flying sequences were really well done. They gave us some cool new angles we haven't seen before with Superman in flight.

Casting-wise, I thought they nailed it. Nicholas Hoult was a great Lex Luthor. Intense but believable. The new Superman? I liked him. Henry Cavill is still my favorite modern Superman (1), and I really like Tyler Hoechlin from the Superman & Lois series. Brandon Routh did fine too, but he was handed a terrible script. My only hang-up is that this new guy, David Corenswet, just seems really young. When you've hit your 50s, it's tough to look up to a Superman who looks like he just got out of grad school. (2) He did a good job, don't get me wrong. I just wish he had differentiated his Clark Kent a little more from his Superman. Christopher Reeve was a master at that - voice, posture, the whole persona. This version? Not so much. He changed his clothes and hairstyle, but not much else.

Nathan Fillion absolutely crushed it as Green Lantern. Hilarious and cocky. He stole every scene he was in. And yes, this is in the trailer, so it's not a spoiler: the moment where he makes giant green hands flipping the bird and knocking over tanks? Comedy gold. I was cracking up.

Hawkgirl was a little grating - her battle scream got old quick. Mr. Terrific, though? Underrated character and handled really well. Cool fight scenes and a great presence.

It's also nice to see Superman and Lois at a point in the relationship where they just started dating, but they're not quite a serious couple yet. In the original movie, we see them where she doesn't know who he is. Same with Man of Steel. In Superman and Lois, they're already married and have kids. In Superman Returns, same thing, Lois and Clark have a kid already. So this was a different angle to the whole relationship which was kinda cool. (3)

SPOILER ALERT!

Alright, I'll put the following spoilers in a code block, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't click on the details link below.

Details

My only real gripe with the movie is the cheesy "computer guy saves the world" ending. Lex Luthor opens up a rift to a pocket dimension (which is cool), but then it's tearing Metropolis apart. And of course, it turns out Lex left the kill code in his system somewhere. So Mr. Terrific rolls in, hacks the computer, and boom - problem solved. It just felt lazy. Like they ran out of time and went, "Okay, someone type something on a keyboard and fix the plot." That kind of stuff always bugs me.

Overall, though? The movie was fun. Solid 8/10. I'll definitely watch it again once it hits streaming, and I'm optimistic about where the DC universe goes next.

Anyone else see it yet? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Fair warning to everyone else: the replies may contain spoilers!

Live long, and don't forget to silence your phone at the theater.
RR

(1) I say "modern" Superman because Christopher Reeve will always be the GOAT.

(2) I did like Tom Welling as Clark Kent in Smallville, but that series was made to be about Clark in high school becoming Superman. So you didn't feel like you were watching an adult Superman who was younger than you, even though Tom Welling and I are about the same age.

(3) And while I do love origin stories, I'm glad they skipped it this time. However, the "becoming" a superhero is usually better than the "being" a superhero.