“Film Review: A strange take on ‘Superman’ beats a dull one any day.”

Is it a bird? A plane? Nope — it’s a purple-and-orange shape-shifting science experiment?

Writer-director James Gunn’s take on Superman was always destined to be an odd blend. Known for his quirky, offbeat superhero ensembles in Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, Gunn tends to favor the weirdos and wild cards of comic book lore — the kinds of characters that lurk in the dusty corners of back issues.

So pairing him with the most all-American, straight-laced superhero of them all was bound to produce something unconventional. Let’s be honest: without the nostalgic glow of Christopher Reeve, Superman often runs the risk of being, well, kind of dull. The thrill — and at times, the challenge — of Gunn’s new take is watching him twist and reshape the myth to make the Man of Steel feel fresh.

In this latest reboot, David Corenswet brings an easygoing charm to the cape. Gunn ditches the well-worn origin story, gives Superman a dog, and fills out the cast not just with the usual suspects — Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) — but with some unexpected oddballs, most notably the vibrant, element-swapping Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan).

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