Superman – A Controversial Movie

One thing that people visualize when they visit the movie theater for a fictional superhero is someone who is kind, reliable, and representative of all people. The new “Superman” movie is currently streaming in theaters and despite being a beloved DC superhero, is now the focus of controversy on social media platforms. This stems from the political nature of the film.

The movie has grossed above 614 million dollars worldwide since release. In the movie, Clark Kent faces backlash after a corrupted message from his parents is decoded and put in the media, ruining his image and the people’s trust in him. This ultimately is a ploy by the villain of the story, Lex Luthor, to undermine his credibility and use the masses’ fear to be rid of Superman. Given that this is used to garner fear around Superman being an immigrant, it parallels the real world media and government inciting fear and hatred directed toward those who are also immigrants. The movie came to the defense of Superman, and in turn, the defense of immigrants in the real world as well. This movie’s message is that immigrants are just as human as anyone else.

The film itself has political themes. A common argument among people that dislike the film is that movies meant for mass consumption should not be political, for fear of it indoctrinating children and adults to one way of thinking. Another argument is that it is “progressive propaganda” in the act of challenging corporate power, represented by Lex Luther. Many aspects of this movie mirror real world events, and take an anti-war stance.

Overall, the film has some discrepancies with logic, as is common with movies, scenes with Krypto the Superdog, and appealing visual effects. Movie-goer Maria Garcia said “I enjoyed the movie and it looked cool. I liked the reference to Kara too. I didn’t know that the dog was hers.” Alongside her, Macy Hernandez said, “I liked the movie too, the chemistry with Superman and Lois. It seems natural.”