The Superman we need right now, not the one we deserve.

It’s hard to put into words just how much the character of Superman has been put through the cinematic wringer over the past few years. After the initial high of Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve’s 1978 take on the iconic superhero, we’ve seen multiple big screen Superman iterations come and go, however, despite the odd bright spot, these versions have largely missed the mark.

As the most recent take on the hero, for many, Henry Cavill made for the perfect Superman, yet the consistent fumbling and misunderstanding of the character by both Warner Bros and Zack Snyder killed all enthusiasm dead. Over the course of one full film, one shared film, an ensemble outing, and several half-baked cameos, everyone’s interest in Cavill’s Superman (through no real fault of his own, it must be said) had almost entirely evaporated.

Which leads us to where we are now, looking at a new approach, not only to Superman himself, but the entire DC Universe around him. But is James Gunn’s newest iteration enough to keep the Superman enthusiasm alive? Or is this yet another nail in the Man of Steel’s cinematic coffin.

When Superman (David Corenswet) gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are questioned, giving tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) the opportunity to get the Man of Steel out of the way for good. Will intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Superman's four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help him before it's too late?

In its attempts to distance itself as far as possible from its predecessors, Superman overloads itself unnecessarily with plot, characters, and lore, yet despite feeling overstuffed and overeager to please, there’s so much to love with it.

Quite frankly, we’ve been needing this Superman for a long, long time, and while there were always pockets to appreciate with the Zack Snyder and even the Superman Returns versions, James Gunn’s take feels like the most definitive big screen Kal-El we’ve had since Christopher Reeve.

Earnest and sincere but with tonnes of charm and a big dollop of levity, David Corenswet is everything you could want in a Superman, and while we don’t see him quite so much in Clark Kent mode here, he nevertheless feels like the true embodiment of both sides of the character.

Alongside him, Rachel Brosnahan both looks and feels the part as Lois Lane, while Nicholas Hoult plays a fittingly twattish, modern twist on Lex Luther. Elsewhere, there’s a vast assortment of side-heroes and side-villains, few of whom make too much of an impression – aside from Edi Gathegi’s effortlessly cool Mister Terrific and the scene-stealing Krypto the Wonder Dog, who are the only supporting characters to offer any real personality.

For better or worse, Superman is every bit the James Gunn movie you expect it to be, and while many of his more gnarly and idiosyncratic sensibilities have been dampened somewhat here, there’s plenty of his signature style, writing, and sense of humour going on to ensure this very much feels like his film.

Often goofy, sometimes touching, occasionally irreverent, and always heartfelt, Gunn’s Superman tries to be many things - maybe too many at times - but the mix is never less than entertaining throughout.

With big, bold colours, lively action, and creative camerawork, this is a Saturday morning superhero cartoon in the most positive way possible, as Gunn gets things spot on visually. And while the overload of CGI can be quite draining at times, there’s more than enough going on to keep things enjoyable, engaging, and a whole lot more interesting than the grim, gritty, and overly moody Superman we’ve been exposed to over the past few years.

Yes, the plot is far too busy, and yes Superman’s big reintroduction to us really didn’t need so much going on and so many side characters thrown in around him, yet there’s such an endearingly wholesome and infectiously positive energy to this film that it’s easy to overlook its issues.

It’s early days yet and who really knows where Superman, James Gunn, and the DC Universe will go from here, however, there’s enough here to suggest that there’s plenty of life left in this franchise yet.

In its attempts to distance itself from its predecessors, Superman unnecessarily overloads itself with plot, characters, and lore, however, despite feeling overstuffed & overeager to please, there’s much to love with it. Earnest, sincere, charming & tonnes of fun, this is the Kal-El we’ve been needing for long, long time.

Superman is in cinemas worldwide now.