DC’s latest attempt at a Superman movie actually captures the heroic spirit of its lead, and it shows in moments big and small. Most of the best segments in the film weren’t about Clark Kent doing sick shit with his superpowers, they were him showing kindness, determination, and empathy, even when someone might not deserve it. We wanted to highlight some of our favorite moments from the movie, though we’re sure there are plenty more to list off. Spoilers ahead!
Supes saves a squirrel
We’re often told that animals’ lives are less precious than humans’, and not only is that some bullshit, but it’s not part of Superman’s code. We see Clark saving a lot of people in the movie, but one of the standout moments of him going out of his way to protect someone is when he scoops a squirrel off the ground just as a giant kaiju monster is about to squish him with its tail. No life is too small for Superman, and you bet your ass I popped off when he saved the little guy. — Kenneth Shepard
Guy Gardner giving fascists the finger
While we didn’t get Hal Jordan or John Stewart as the DCU’s first Green Lantern, Nathan Fillion makes a great first impression for the Green Lantern Corps as the snarky, egomaniacal Guy Gardner. For most of Superman, Guy is an antagonistic, reluctant ally, but his prickly attitude is best personified by how he fights in one of the film’s climactic battles. When the Justice Gang flies in to help protect the people of Jarhanpur, he puts his ring to work taking out an army of Boravian soldiers and tanks. This includes making giant projections of human hands putting up their middle fingers, which knock the army’s artillery around like flies being swatted. The whole fight sequence is pretty cathartic, but Guy giving fascist invaders the middle finger was one of the best summations of his character and the audience’s feelings by the end. — Kenneth Shepard
Pa Kent’s talk with Clark/Superman
A key piece of what makes Superman such a good person and such an interesting character are his adoptive parents, Ma and Pa Kent. And Gunn’s new Superman movie spends the correct amount of screen time showing us how much the Kents love and worry about Clark. But the best moment comes when Clark, after going through some shit and questioning his place in the world, chats with Pa Kent. The old farmer imparts some vital wisdom about what parents are (and aren’t) supposed to do for their kids, and what defines who we really are. He then tears up as he tells Clark how proud he is of him, and the two embrace. Let’s just say Pa Kent wasn’t the only one shedding a tear. – Zack Zwiezen
Superman saying hello to the group of kids
Just before Superman takes a dark turn, we see Clark celebrating a well-fought win with the people of Metropolis. As a bunch of kids excitedly greet our hero, he takes time to give them all hellos, high fives, and hugs. I just think Superman being a symbol of hope for young kids is pretty punk rock, to be honest. — Kenneth Shepard
Kara being a burnout
Almost every superhero we know of in popular culture has been portrayed differently across decades of iteration (and often across no shortage of multiverses, too), and Kara, Superman’s cousin and a superpowered alien in her own right, is no exception. She’s Supergirl, and thanks to the popular depiction of her in her self-titled CW show, a lot of people view her as more or less a genderbent version of her cousin, but that’s not always the case. The Supergirl we meet at the very end of Superman is a bit of a burnout, likes to go to planets where the sun doesn’t power her abilities so she can actually get drunk at parties, and will apparently be going down a vengeful path in her own film next year. Though her screen time was brief, it was refreshing to see the DCU exploring a different path with the character than most of the audience might be used to. Kara’s been an anger-driven Red Lantern before in the comics. The girl’s got some demons to fight, and we’ll hopefully get to see them in her movie. — Kenneth Shepard
The reveal of the full message from Superman’s parents
When the movie reveals that Superman’s parents sent him here to take over the world and spread his “seed,” I was worried it would follow that up with a reveal that this was just a fake message planted by Luthor. Instead, the movie sticks to this change from the usual Superman mythos and I think that’s great. It makes the Kents even more important and provides more tension between Superman and his detractors. -ZZ
Every time Krypto was on screen
Dogs are good. Super dogs that beat the snot out of their owners with unbridled super-powered energy are still good. Krypto is a scene-stealer every time he shows up, so I can’t even narrow it down to one moment. Is it when he pulls Clark to the Fortress of Solitude by his cape? What about when he lies on top of the superhero as he recovers from his injuries in his childhood bedroom? Maybe it’s when he rocked Lex Luthor’s shit? Take your pick. — Kenneth Shepard
The “LutherCorp” needle drop
Once the fight with the Hammer of Boravia ends and Superman gets his ass kicked a second time, we see the Iron Man/Juggernaut hybrid fly to a distant island as an ominous, whirring industrial beat drops. The track is called “LutherCorp” and was composed by John Murphy. It plays a bunch of times throughout the film, but it hits perfectly that first time when it’s revealed that the Hammer of Boravia is actually a Luther lackey in cosplay and that Lex has a network of portals connected through a pocket universe. — Ethan Gach
Hawkgirl killing that dude
Hawkgirl doesn’t get a lot of time to shine in the movie, but she does get the moment that made my theater laugh and cheer the loudest: When she grabs the evil dictator of Boravia and drops him to his death. Superman might not kill, but Hawkgirl gets the job done. -ZZ
Jimmy publishing the biggest story of his life directly in the CMS using airplane wi-fi
Reporters interviewing themselves? Romantic relationships with sources? Not reaching out for comment before publishing? The Daily Planet isn’t setting the world on fire when it comes to journalistic ethics, but the movie nailed the rush of breaking a story by having Jimmy Olsen post it in the most haphazard way possible. — Ethan Gach
Mister Terrific destroying Luthor’s tent city interns
It’s probably the best action sequence in the movie. While there are much bigger set pieces, none of them are as slickly choreographed or entertaining to watch. Edi Gathegi nails the “do I gotta to do everything myself?” attitude throughout, and the scene finally lets him get out of his chair and show why his goofy T-balls are no joke. — Ethan Gach