James Gunn's Superman Feels Like the Product of AI

Superman is the Joker from Batman's perspective (dressed like a clown, always with a smile on the face, etc).

Batman is Lex Luthor from Superman's perspective (rich, creates megalomaniacal inventions and gizmos).

This movie corrupts (or subverts? depends on whether you like it or not) these classical dynamics by having Superman have technological gizmos, and a "bat-cave" he retreats to when defeated.

It's very weird. Any writer working with these characters should know that. I doubt that AI was used though.

It feels like Batman trapped in an illusion.

Having seen all 3 summer blockbusters (Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, and Fantastic Four: First Steps) after years without moviegoing, I think Covid has a lot more to do with the changes in movies than AI.

By any measure, movies were pretty bad before Covid. Then, people stopped going entirely. I think this caused the studios to rethink what they have to sell.

We're getting storylines that wouldn't be in previous versions of these films, like dogs and pregnant women. Pacing is also changing and storied franchises are being mercilessly rebooted with their entire canon tossed or disrupted because it doesn't appeal today.

We're also seeing more large format feature films (IMAX and XD) where these used to be reserved for documentaries or special events. I watched all of the mentioned films in large formats and paid extra to do so.

Rather than AI, I think these changes represent the response of people at the studio to changes that customers want to see at the movies, lest they stay home and watch standard fare on streaming.

They're saying 'Superman' is really about Palestine (and/or Ukraine) because there's a scene set in Africa. (But I think that says more about National Review than the movie...)

I've just never liked "Superman" stories. It seems like they first have to show all the evil that his various villains are performing... so Superman can then be "good" (by punishing those evil-doers). This movie did a better job of giving Superman an actual personality/social life -- but he still has to get back to being "good" in the face of "evil". And I've just always found that a little tedious.

(Although old-timers may remember that Seanbaby.com hated the Superfriends more than anyone...)