“Superman” is more than just DC’s return to form. It showcases Director James Gunn at the absolute peak of his craft, revitalizing the superhero movie genre that has become so stale in recent years. It exhibits the perfect mix of emotion, action and style which coalesces into the most fun superhero experience of the past decade. And it delivers just the type of message the world desperately needs in especially trying times. “Superman” is the absolute gold standard for the modern superhero movie.

First, the casting in this film is simply phenomenal. David Corenswet exceeded expectations as Superman and Clark Kent, wonderfully displaying both sides of the character. In stark contrast to his predecessor, Henry Cavill, Corenswet provided a deeply empathetic and kind Superman who, over the course of the two-hour and ten-minute runtime, must overcome a degree of self-doubt and internal struggle to halt the dastardly plans of his archnemesis, Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult’s Luthor was just as impressive. Luthor was the most entertaining character owing to Hoult’s outstanding performance, through which the audience feels every drop of hate and envy Lex holds out for Superman. Rachel Brosnahan does an incredible job rounding out the main cast as Lois Lane by establishing Lane as an inquisitive and capable journalist. Additionally, Corenswet and Brosnahan share amazing chemistry, which further elevates their on-screen romance.

Each new side character that Gunn introduces in this movie elevates it, helping to build his new DC Universe by expanding its breadth in just its first installment. Many might recognize Beck Bennett from his SNL days as clueless Daily Planet reporter Steve Lombard. Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant and Perry White round out an ensemble of reporters and editors who make the breathtaking Planet newsroom quite lively. Jimmy Olsen’s breaking reporting wouldn’t be possible without the addition of Luthor’s obsessive girlfriend, Eve Teschmacher, who feeds Olsen Luthor’s nefarious plans out of anger. Eve contrasts as the lone colorful member of Luthor’s roster of goons, including Ultraman, the Engineer and other technicians who help Luthor fight Superman from a control center overlooking downtown Metropolis. Comprising Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific, the Justice Gang also adds spots of moral ambiguity to the metahumans of this universe, in contrast to Superman’s strict moral code. Finally, Krypto the dog serves as an endearing companion to Superman, who saves the hero on multiple occasions. Although they may not all be fully fleshed out, each of these characters offers more insight and personality to this new universe Gunn has crafted, making the audience crave more DC action.

The film’s cinematography, costume design and set design all combine to create an unmatched sense of style that makes the viewer feel like they’ve been inserted into this comic book world. The movie doesn’t take itself nearly as seriously as previous DC installments, and benefits greatly from it. Instead of shying away from Superman’s comic book origins, Gunn created a universe that leans into them, making for a delightful viewing experience with just as much gravitas.

The action sequences are stunning, with highlights including Mr. Terrific’s solo effort against Luthor’s supersoldier crew on the beach and Superman’s final fight against Ultraman. Gunn simply possesses a certain intuition for his action scenes that surpass almost any other director in the genre today. Without being exorbitantly flashy, Gunn manages to craft incredible fights that showcase impressive choreography and top-tier visual effects. Backing these scenes is a hopeful score and soundtrack, which features a triumphant main theme and songs like “Punkrocker” by Teddybears.

The highlight of the film was Superman’s final monologue to Luthor. It is the most emotional moment of a superhero movie this decade. Superman, describing the mistakes and emotions that make him human in spite of Luthor’s hateful, vitriolic rhetoric, strikes a chord with the audience, leaving them in tears. Superman’s words reflected the feelings of so many viewers who recognize that kindness is key to healing today’s divisive rifts. The scene bounded with compassion, empathy and humanity. Gunn understood the importance of hope in a storm of hate.

“Superman” wasn’t just what a blooming DC Universe needed. “Superman” is what the world needed.