It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Rorschach Test!
We decided to see for ourselves what the fuss was all about and our staff went to Superman, like we did Disneyland in 2023.
Having read perspectives from the left and the right, we were conditioned to see political messages throughout the film. What we saw in our minds’ eyes was a film that was unexpectedly unironic, upholding virtue and kindness, but not without the signature humor we’ve come to expect from James Gunn in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy.
In one over-the-top scene, Superman rushes to save a squirrel from the tail of a monster destroying Metropolis. Gunn has emphasized that Superman is a story about "basic human kindness" and that "being kind is cool", and even "a rebellious act." He has described Superman as "the story of America," focusing on the value of basic human kindness, which he feels has been lost in some current contexts.
Why do older reviewers find political Easter Eggs from the left and the right? Because the primary lens for them has become political. They are unable to see virtually anything in the world without imposing their politics onto it.
We wrote about this in our review of Andor a few months ago.
“I’ve heard people say ['Superman'] was woke, and then I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s not” Gunn said. "It’s a story to me about kindness. That’s the center of the movie for me. That’s the thing we can all act upon, is kindness. And so what does that lead to? Well, does that lead to the way you vote? Sure. Does that lead to everything? Yeah. Does it lead to how many people are dying from road rage? Yes. All those things are affected if people just start to value kindness. I mean, people did value kindness in the past. That was an American value, was kindness, and it doesn’t necessarily seem to be that way to me anymore. So that was always the center of the movie for me, and it wasn’t about anything other than that.”
What Superman really is, for Gen Z, their first metamodern blockbuster.
Metamodernism is re-constructing what post-modernism deconstructed. It is our hope for the future. And it should be celebrated.
Whereas post-modern Millennials are skeptical of all institutions, and often view life with a cruel and teasing irony, Gen Z is the “metamodern” generation. Gen Z is replacing ironic cynicism and institutional skepticism with a wide-eyed, and joy-filled expectation. Rather than deconstruct, they re-construct.
Surveys are showing that they love their families, they aren’t consumed by polarizing, partisan and political disagreement, and they are even rejoining traditional religious communities, especially ones rooted in ancient beliefs and practices.
Gen Z, you are replacing Seinfeld with Superman.
When we view everything through our ideological lens, we are sure to see everything in culture war terms. How can we enjoy life when it is always a pitched battle? We may go to the movies to be entertained, but we leave agitated and joyless.
How tragic.
Can we change our lens? Of course we can, and do. As life changes, so does our lens. A near death experience, a faith conversion, a new child can change our lens. And maybe, to a lesser extent, a movie like Superman can, too.
As Gunn said about the true message of the film: “It could be seen as Pollyanna today, but Pollyanna’s about the edgiest, most punk-rock thing you can be … the fine line is finding the humor in a person without making fun of him, because I think it’s honorable the way Superman is. I wish more people were more like that.”
