On a special bonus episode of Unbenched today, we're giving you our spoiler free reactions to Superman. That's right. We got to see the early screenings, and we're gonna be telling you guys, is this movie actually good? Is it going to start off the DC universe the right way? All that and more on an all new episode of Unbinged starting.
Alfredo Brown:Alright, Jack. Last night, we both got to see Superman. Different theaters. Obviously, we live in different places, but we both, I think, had the same reactions, man. Like, I was nervous.
Alfredo Brown:I was nervous going into this. I had a pit in my stomach. What if this isn't good? It's going to affect me as a human. Like, that's how I felt.
Alfredo Brown:My wife was just kinda laughing at me. How did you feel walking out of the theater last night?
Jagger May:On a high, man. Because it's like you said, we I mean, we both have been texting back and forth in the group chat. Like, I was worried. I'm like, they keep dropping clips, man. When they keep dropping clips, that's weird.
Jagger May:And I'm like, is there gonna be too much crypto? It's just we had to wait. There's so much anticipation. We had to wait so long to get here that, like, finally, when we're close on the precipice of watching the movie, we're already making mental gymnastics and why it sucks. So to be able to leave with that relief was just fantastic, man.
Jagger May:It was everything we needed. I appreciate the direction that James Gunn is doing. Like like a to use literary terms in medias res, like like starting in the middle of things, like, I don't need to see him land on Earth and all this shit. I don't need the whole first thirty minutes of Man of Steel. I'm not shitting on Man of Steel, guys.
Jagger May:Like like like, it was a fine movie.
Alfredo Brown:It's great
Jagger May:movie too. I was just happy that we have an established DCU, and we're just kinda moving forward, man.
Alfredo Brown:Yeah. I thought it was the thing that James Gunn said. He's like, we don't need to see Martha Wayne's pearls anymore. We don't need to see Krypton blow up. We don't need to see anyone get bit by a spider.
Alfredo Brown:Like, we we we've seen it enough times, and I love that he just threw us into the action here. This movie, I was trying to think back to another film where I'm just like, man, that felt like a comic book come alive, or that felt like a Saturday morning cartoon come alive. And I don't know that I can think of one that really hits the same way as the Superman. I left the theater just absolutely levitating. My theater clapped at the end of it.
Alfredo Brown:Everyone was happy. My wife and I walked out just all smiles. She turned to me, and she just goes, that was an amazing movie. We just saw Jurassic World Rebirth. We did not have that same conversation leaving the theater.
Alfredo Brown:She was like, it's good. I'm like, no. It's not. And then we walked out of Superman, and we both looked at each other, and we were like, this this is a superhero movie. This is something that I don't even just think starts off the DCU in a great way.
Alfredo Brown:It redefines the genre because we got so far to the other spectrum. We're like, how can we make this relatable to the real world, to real life? And Superman's just like, no. Here's a Kaiju. Here's a bunch of other stuff that, like, really makes you feel like this is not your world, and it shouldn't be.
Alfredo Brown:We go to the movies to escape, and I love that's what James Gunn did here.
Jagger May:And it it felt like the end of, like, a season of Justice League of animated, like, DCU on here because this the way he set it up, it felt exactly how DC Animated Universe worked where, like, you're gonna drop it on an episode. Here's our problem. Yeah. The there's hot girl. There's there's several lanterns out there, but this is a Superman problem.
Jagger May:And then sometimes these characters are gonna come in and help. And it's and again, man, the we get caught up in origins in the building sometimes. It's like like, we've we've we've we've talked about this now, but it's really been a problem in our superhero movies where we're really into edging. We're gonna edge for an entire phase. An entire you gotta think about it.
Jagger May:The Infinity Saga was like three fucking phases, was it not?
Alfredo Brown:It was it was
Jagger May:three phases to get to the buildup. And I'm not saying that that's not good. I'm not disparaging that at all, but we've gotten that before. So I think it was important for James Gunn to set this up to where we're not just like, oh my god. You know, are we gonna get dark side?
Jagger May:Are we gonna get, you know, Brainiac or something like that? Like, it was just a good fucking movie. And and like you said, man, I felt like a little kid to where this is where I hope some people feel like when they watch this movie, where all I wanted to do is read a comic book once I was done, man. Like
Alfredo Brown:I felt like I lived the comic book for that moment. I I so I woke up yesterday morning watching Superman the animated series, Justice League Unlimited. I threw on the Christopher Reeves Superman. I got myself into the mindset. And I walked into this movie and felt like it was just so full of all of the hope and love and and and the beauty that comes from all of those versions of Superman, and it just encapsulated it in the very best way possible.
Alfredo Brown:And now the next morning when I wake up, I'm sitting here trying to give it a more of, like, an analytical lens. I'm like, okay. This one thing could have been better. That other thing could have been better. This maybe didn't work for me.
Alfredo Brown:But overall, I'm still in love with this film, and I can't wait to go watch it again. I'm gonna go watch it one more time before we do our full spoiler review on Monday. And I just I have so much hope for the DCU and for James Gunn. I I don't know how you feel next morning after the theater.
Jagger May:Same, dude. Like, it's it and I love the way you said, like, I'm gonna try to be analytical about it, but I just can't. And I think that's what's good about a movie. You know? Or just like, I'm gonna throw on my mister terrific jacket and prance around the house.
Alfredo Brown:You know? Yeah. Like, when when the movie takes you beyond being able just to look at it, that means it actually transported you to another world. It made you feel like you were part of that universe, not a person sitting in a chair. And that's something I don't think we've had in a long, long time.
Alfredo Brown:I was talking to my wife. I said, maybe since Endgame, maybe Spider Man No Way Home were, like, the last times where I really felt like I am in a different world for this moment. Superman, I think, is right up there with Endgame, with with everything else. And I wanna ask you, how does it compare to maybe some of those Marvel things or, like, a Man of Steel, original Superman, animated series? How does this compare to to those other movies?
Jagger May:Thank you for setting me up for this because, like, you've been at least, with me on this journey. By with me, I text the group chat. I'm regoing through the MCU, man. So I left Superman, And where I'm at in the MCU is I just finished Ms. Marvel, which is pretty good.
Jagger May:Then I had to watch Quantumania. You know how hard it is to watch Quantumania after you watch Superman? Dude, like, to quote Deadpool, I was like, mother fucker, you are hard to look at. Yeah. Yeah.
Jagger May:Like, dude, it was it it it's like such a drastic difference. And, again, I don't wanna shit on what the MCU's done for me for the last years. I'm not I'm not Andy throwing away Woody right now.
Alfredo Brown:Yeah. We don't need to tear one down to build up the other.
Jagger May:Yeah. But it I haven't had that feeling. Like, I will say Deadpool and Wolverine was close. Like, I felt I just enjoyed it. I had a good time.
Jagger May:And when I'm taking off the podcaster hat, if a movie lets me take off the podcaster hat, it's done its job. And I think what Superman has done, it's been the best at doing that in a long time. I haven't left the theater wanting to go right back in and watch it. Or, like, last night, I was like, I wanted to be like, Alfredo, are you up? I'm two hours behind you.
Jagger May:Only 09:00, baby. Let's rip off a pod. Yes.
Alfredo Brown:I was thinking about it. I was not gonna lie. After my drive back, it was just too late. But, man, this I they did such a good job of just setting up a universe here while still giving you a story while making you fall in love with characters. James Gunn had the weight of the world, the DC universe in its entirety on this film.
Alfredo Brown:If this was not a good film or people did not have fun watching it, that was honestly kind of it. Like, if you can't hit with Superman, nobody's showing up for Supergirl. No one's showing up for any of the other movies that you've got. They're gonna be like, alright. Bring back the Batman, and let's just go dark and gritty, and the SnyderVerse is is back.
Alfredo Brown:Like, you know, this had the weight of everything on it, and the movie delivered. And where I think it delivered most was this cast. We we all loved the castings right away, but when you actually sit there and watch it my wife, it's so I keep bringing her up. It's funny because she was like, no. It's not Henry Cavill.
Alfredo Brown:Not Henry Cavill. And then we get to the theater. She's like, you know what? That David Corn sweat, though, he kinda got it going on. Like, she was all of a sudden, she's she's changing her tune.
Alfredo Brown:And she's like, yeah. He's he's Superman. It felt like the hopeful Superman, the the big blue boy scout that he's always referred to. That's what it felt like. Not this a no shade at Cavill because I like him, but it wasn't this stoic version of Superman that just needs to be visually striking.
Alfredo Brown:This kinda hit every single beat.
Jagger May:Yeah. And I and I I just wanna go ahead and say this because I this is gonna be my question for you. Is David Corn Sweat the best Superman we've had since Reeves? Because again Yes. I love Cavill.
Jagger May:I'm not like, Cavill's one of us. You'll never hear me slander Cavill. If anything, I'm blaming Zack Snyder. Because Zack Snyder, he he that's a problem with Watchmen. He makes everything cool.
Jagger May:And sometimes that that's not how depth works. You know?
Alfredo Brown:And Everything's an energy drink in a Zack Snyder movie. It's monster energy drink on a screen.
Jagger May:Exactly. And Corn Sweat is a he's not just a good Superman. He's a great Clark Kent. I felt like this was the first time like, I haven't I'm gonna be honest, guys. I haven't watched the Christopher Reeves Superman in a long time since, like, with my dad.
Jagger May:Those don't connect with me, like, like, anymore. Like, I'm just young. You know? This is the first time I felt like I've connected with Clark Kent. Like, I've connected with Bruce Wayne.
Jagger May:I've connected with Peter Parker. I've you know? And I'm talking about the alter ego. I'm not meaning, like, the superhero. This is the first time, like, I saw Clark Kent, and and and it was it it was great because Zach Snyder didn't do that very well.
Jagger May:I love Amy Adams, dude. Amy Adams, not a great Lois, dog. Like, those pictures where they say chemistry is everything, I fucking see it, doc. Yeah.
Alfredo Brown:The chemistry with Rachel Brosnan was insane. It was so like, it was palpable every time they were whether they were they were talking, arguing, just standing next to each other, sharing a kiss, anything. It was like, I feel bad for their their significant others because, like, it felt real to to watch that on screen.
Jagger May:Like, it
Alfredo Brown:it almost it almost made me uncomfortable for their significant others.
Jagger May:Poor corn sweats wife. Yeah, man.
Alfredo Brown:Sheesh. But, like, what I loved about this, and and I don't wanna get into any spoilers or anything, this was a Superman that had a lot of hope. And what was so different about this Lois is that she is the Lois from the comics, from the animated series that questions everything, that has no trust in anyone, and they counterbalance and counteract each other so well in this perfect yin and yang that it was almost the opposite in the Snyder verse where you had this Superman that was just kind of losing his faith in humanity, losing his faith in everything. And Lois sort of had to be the one to bring him back, whether that was physically or or or metaphorically so many times. And this was kind of a thing where Superman really got to be this beacon of hope, which is what he is.
Alfredo Brown:And in a time like this where whatever your opinions are in the state of the world or state of of The United States, like, Superman is what we need. It it was just it was so beautiful to show that this person keeps his faith in humanity, that he relates himself to being more human than anything. I I I love that that beat, that emotional beat of this movie.
Jagger May:A 100%, dude. And it's like and you know me better than, like, most people, especially since, like, all of all we talk about is the shit that we consume. You know, my style. I'm not a soup guy. I'm not, like No.
Jagger May:I'm not I'm not a Superman guy. But that this is why it was a great Superman is because, like, it it would it's like layers. Superman gives all the people around him hope, and then me in the theater, I'm like, wow, man. You know, peep it it made me feel like the end of a Batman versus Superman where bat that terrible bat fuck line where he's just like, people are good. You know?
Jagger May:It was like that time felt, you know, afterwards. Like, I felt hope. I felt great, and it made me like this corny ass fucking Boy Scout. Like like, that's where I'm at. Like, he's a boy scout.
Alfredo Brown:Wanting to be a better person. Like, I left, and I was just like, you know what? Let me hold the door for you, stranger. Oh, you dropped this. Let me pick that up for you.
Alfredo Brown:Like, that that was the vibe in the theater too, by the way. My wife and I had separate seats that were two spots away from each other, and a couple saw me, like, kinda look over to her excited. And they're like, do you guys wanna switch and and move over and sit next to each other? And it was just that one just small simple example of humanity comes out of people just being excited for a symbol. It shows you what it can do, where this whole this whole franchise can go.
Alfredo Brown:I just I I I keep talking about it, the humanity, and that's something that gets pointed out in this is that Superman is is more human than anything. And that was, I think, just the beautiful theme of this. And I'll say this as well. The nonhuman in this crypto, loved them. I didn't think that they overdid it.
Alfredo Brown:I was worried they were gonna overdo it because James Gunn is always like, here's a cute animal to make you feel bad about yourself. And that didn't happen. Like, they did a good enough job where it was those funny beats, those cute beats, they didn't overdo it. There are times where the movie is overdone, maybe one or two less jokes, right, to let the emotional beats go longer. But I think that every character in this played the right part and was in it the right amount.
Jagger May:Mhmm. Yeah. You knew that was my big worry too, man. You know? Like, again, guys, I don't like cute shit.
Jagger May:I don't like happiness. You know? I'm just like, Warshacks Journal, October 28. You know? Like, that's, like, my style and shit.
Jagger May:So, like, having being able to enjoy crypto. And even for me, I'm like, that was just, a touch too far. That's just me, and I know it was perfect. If it was just a touch too far for me, I know for the general public
Alfredo Brown:Everyone else is good.
Jagger May:It was good. Yeah.
Alfredo Brown:And and, like, once again, don't wanna get into spoilers, but I think the way that they worked crypto into this story of why he is with Superman made a lot of sense. And it's like the one thing that sets up future stuff, which I think is going to be fun to discuss.
Jagger May:And I will say this. I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna put my dashiki on just for a second. You know? And I'm not this is the only closest thing in the spoiler I'm gonna get. If you're a black dude out there, go watch this for mister terrific.
Jagger May:He, like, he straight up steals the show. For me, why mister terrific is so dope is as a black dude, all of our characters are kind of the same with the exception, I would say, of, like, maybe Jon Stewart. We're all big brawny dudes or, like, war machine. It's like, I bring flavor to the franchise and I'm strong. You know, it's just nice having a dude who is just smart and like Iron Man in his own right.
Jagger May:War Machine is a soldier in an Iron Man suit. Like, mister terrific run shit. He's brilliant. Having seeing the way that he fights and takes care of things is just so inspiring. And I hope there's just, a nerdy black kid out there that, like, just wants to, like, get Legos and start robotics.
Jagger May:That's what I hope that this movie did. You know?
Alfredo Brown:Do mister terrific was awesome. And once again, I know it's it's hard not to comp it to to previous things that we've seen. The only other version of this that I had seen on camera was in the Arrowverse on the CW. And, like, that that just wasn't it. Like, that wasn't a cool version of mister terrific for me.
Alfredo Brown:This was he was a scene stealer. Every time he was on the screen, there's some stuff that, you know, we won't get into, but there's, like, some really cool battle stuff that happens and where I was just like, oh, mister Terrific can he can rip it.
Jagger May:We we got we got a shift, dude. I'm gonna spoil it.
Alfredo Brown:Okay. Okay. Okay.
Jagger May:Not to spoil it. Outlook
Alfredo Brown:on the DCU going forward. We've talked about this because James Gunn won't be directing all these movies, but he is running the DCU going forward. Where's your trust level with him after this on a scale from one to 10? 11. Hell yes.
Alfredo Brown:Let's go.
Jagger May:You know me, dude. That means a lot. Like, it's it's an 11 for me. It's everything that he says is right, man. Everything the man says is right.
Jagger May:And he it's like he delivered. We we've talked about it. You sent a screenshot of James Gunn's Rotten Tomatoes score. Homie doesn't miss. He doesn't fucking miss.
Alfredo Brown:Squad, peacemaker, creature commandos, and that's just the DC stuff he's doing so far.
Jagger May:Yeah. And that's just like little side shit. Those are those are, like, side like, creature commandos. Go watch it. It's a side quest.
Jagger May:You wanna see more Rick Flag? Fine. You know? But it's good. You know?
Jagger May:It it like, to me, everything he says from, like, I've rejected scripts. Holy shit. Really? I've never seen the MC reject a script.
Alfredo Brown:They're like,
Jagger May:well, there's there's a there's Hailee Steinfeld. Nailed it. You know? Like, my my confidence is is high. Because one thing I really like about this that this does better already than the MCU is I think that we're gonna have high highs and low lows.
Jagger May:And what I mean by high highs, I mean emotional high highs and low lows. Sometimes the MCU is kind of all glitz and glamor. Sometimes it's all a little bit that that and I know that we're talking about the hope of Superman, but there are straight up low moments. This is the darkest Lex Luthor I've ever seen. Yeah.
Jagger May:Like, this is the darkest. Like, I don't know how to say this without spoiler.
Alfredo Brown:No. I I I think I know what spoiler you're talking about as well, and I'm just like, oh, okay. Like, he he came to play. He's got his big boy Lex Luthor pants on.
Jagger May:Like, I if anything, the only thing with character development that I think I missed and I'm and this is, a tiny nitpick. It's like Lex Luther. I'm just not used to this. I'm used to Clancy Brown, Lex Luther. That's just, like, cool, calm, collected, and fucks.
Jagger May:And this this ain't it. This ain't this ain't it. Well, it's not Jesse Eisenberg either, guys.
Alfredo Brown:No. It's not. I I I love this version of him where there are many times where you see he's cool, calm, collected. You see that he has used his wit to be like, I know how to handle Superman up until this point. And and and I think like every villain, he does have his breaking point where things change.
Alfredo Brown:You could
Jagger May:see He's over the edge.
Alfredo Brown:Yeah. The ego maniacal, you know, psychotic version of, of Lex Luthor that is here. Man, I I we could go on about this forever. Like, I I was I was all in on Monpa Kent. Like, I think they were the perfect version of this that didn't we didn't need sexy Monpa Kent, you know, to try to
Jagger May:step the scene. That was a real Kansas mom and dad right There there wasn't no
Alfredo Brown:I'll get your boots for you. Like, it was perfect.
Jagger May:It was
Alfredo Brown:perfect, man.
Jagger May:Thank you for saying that. Like, I grew up in the South. I'm like, that is mom pop.
Alfredo Brown:Diane Lane, you're beautiful. That's not Kansas, baby girl. Too hot. That ain't it? Too hot.
Alfredo Brown:Too hot.
Jagger May:Too guilty. You're too guilty to be my my market.
Alfredo Brown:Alright. Before before we I don't want us to keep getting into, like, spoiler stuff. We're gonna be back again on Monday on YouTube with our spoiler review with everyone back from the podcast. All of us are gonna be here with our Superman spoiler review on Monday, for YouTube. If you're listening on the audio side, that'll be on Tuesday morning on the podcast stream as always.
Alfredo Brown:Wanna thank everybody for watching or listening all the way through. Go see Superman. It is a phenomenal movie. We loved it. We'll see you next time.