You always see them – contests for incredibly lavish or once-in-a-lifetime trips – but very rarely do you think about the people who actually win them. Well, I’m here to tell you that it does happen. Thanks to a bit of superhero knowledge and a healthy dose of luck, I just became one of those people. I recently won an all-expenses-paid trip to LA for the premiere of the new Superman film, and it was everything my nerdy heart could have desired and more. Three of my friends and I were among some of the first people to see the new film, and it did not disappoint.
Last month, the morning show on my favorite radio station announced they were qualifying listeners for tickets to an advance screening, with an overall winner getting a trip for four to the Los Angeles premiere of the film. On the day I happened to get through, the qualifying game was a Superman trivia game. I represented my fellow nerds well and won, earning my qualifying spot. A week later, the station called me while they were live on the air to let me know I was the grand prize winner. As you may expect, I was completely flabbergasted, and a part of me isn’t completely convinced it really happened!
The next couple of weeks were a whirlwind of getting together the friends I would take with me, finalizing travel arrangements, and deciding what I’d wear for the premiere. Three of my nerdy friends were able to join me, two of whom live in different states, meaning I don’t get to see them very often, and I was glad that each one of them as able to share this experience with me. The hotel we stayed at was the Hollywood Roosevelt, a historic four-star hotel right across the street from the TCL Chinese Theater, where the premiere would take place. While it was a quick trip (Sunday-Tuesday, with the premiere taking place on Monday), it still gave us the opportunity to explore Los Angeles a bit in our free time. Since our hotel was right across the street from the theater, we even got to see them setting up the red carpet area on Sunday night!
There was a group of about 16 of us who had won this trip from all over. One winner I had the chance to talk to won by calling into her local radio station and telling them about her hero, a social worker who helped her out when she was younger and inspired her to also become one. She even brought that woman with her on the trip!
As we were being escorted to the theater for the premiere, we were briefly allowed to be in the red carpet near the front entrance to the theater and take pictures. There was a background with the Superman logo, a statue of Krypto, and mannequins wearing Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Superman’s costumes on display. Once we were ushered inside, tables had been set up where we could grab a bag of popcorn and drinks, and we were briefly checked by security before entering the theater. The actual red-carpet event with all the celebrities took place while we waited inside, and at least one person in the theater was watching it on the phone. Before the movie started, we were warned by security more than once that recordings of any kind were strictly prohibited.
Watching the movie with a host of fellow fans made the movie all the more enjoyable, as many who have attended opening night screenings can attest. There were cheers and gasps at all the right moments, as well as a bit of fangirling when a surprise character made their appearance!
After the movie, we had to take the long route back to our hotel. This ended up working in our favor, because that was when the actors and filmmakers exited the theater after seeing their own screening of the film. They were being mobbed by fans and autograph seekers, so my friends and I stayed back a bit and just observed. We managed to see David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, María Gabriela de Faría, Bonnie Discepolo, Edi Gathegi, James Gunn, Sean Gunn., and Kumail Nanjiani A good number of them signed autographs for a little while and a couple even made eye contact with us.
So, what did we think of the movie? It was absolutely stupendous! The following is a summary of a conversation my friends and I had about the movie afterward and our impression of it.
Personally, I was never a huge fan of Zack Snyder’s version of the character. Henry Cavill did the best he could with what he had been given, but it was not particularly true to who Superman really is. James Gunn and David Corenswet have given us a Superman that does not give up. Even when he is at his lowest (and he certainly get put though the wringer in this film), Superman still has hope, has optimism, looks to do the right thing, and tries to inspire others to do the same. When the Justice Gang is pulling out all the stops to stop a monster attacking Metropolis, Superman works to minimize the damage. He tries to convince them not to kill it and genuinely seems upset when they do. There are the usual shots of Superman bearing the full weight of falling buildings to save the citizens and buildings in its path of destruction, but he also does the same for both a stray dog and a squirrel when they are the only ones who might be killed. This version of Superman was very much a callback to Christopher Reeve’s Superman, but also a response to Zack Snyder’s gritty Superman in that he was very much the opposite of that depiction. The one time he loses his temper is over a dog. Kidnapping a dog is what crosses the line for him.
In the film, Clark and Lois talk about punk rock. In a way, Superman’s kindness is akin to punk rock in that it rebels against the norm. Helping people and doing the right things is unexpected but he still does it. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt – not even a dog, squirrel, or monster if it could be avoided. He still experiences emotions like anger, sadness, feeling scared, and like many people he doesn’t necessarily know what to do about it, but he puts one foot in front of the other and finds a way forward. Just like everyone else, he’s shocked by the second half of his parents’ message, but he does his best to prove the assumptions about him wrong. He still fights to protect his adopted home because that is the mission he has always had and knows that is the right thing to do. He is an inspirational figure, but he’s human just like everyone else on this planet, and his speech to Lex is proof of that.
Nicholas Hoult truly embraced the role of Lex Luthor. He is unashamedly a villain, despite how much he did to hide it from the world. And despite being incredibly intelligent and charismatic, he’s still a terrible person. I mean, what kind of person kidnaps a dog and imprisons anyone that ticks them off in a pocket universe? Clearly, Lex Luthor would. Hoult’s Lex truly managed to achieve a level of pettiness and evil that I do not think has ever been achieved before.
When I asked my friends who their favorite character was, we were evenly split between Clark/Superman (for many of the reasons cited above) and Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. They said Lois was their favorite because she was assertive, go-getting, and could take charge. In essence, she was who Lois is supposed to be.
We thought the chemistry between Lois and Clark was spot on. Because this wasn’t an origin story, we jump into their relationship after they’ve been together for a while, and it truly feels like it. It was things like him making her breakfast for dinner and offering to give her an interview with Superman, and even their fight. You see them working through the later stages of a relationship, such as navigating the trickiness of saying “I love you.” Even their kiss when he floats them up in the air at the end was magical.
My friends and I agreed that Mr. Terrific stole the show. His fight scene with the music montage was on an epic scale, but he was also the only super who chose to listen to Lois. He didn’t scoff at her or take things at face value. His reaction to Kypto eating his spheres was incredibly relatable for anyone who has had a wayward pet destroy their belongings. Even having a slow garage door made sense; he’s not going to work on making it better because he’s more focused on his tech.
One of the hallmarks of a good filmmaker is the ability to make even minor characters feel part of the world. Cat Grant, Eve Tessmacher, Mali the falafel guy, and so many more not only had personalities, but motivations for their actions. Ma and Pa Kent were the solid, reliable parents who raised Clark to be who he would become, knowing when to give him some space but also knowing when he needed a nudge.
As one would expect from a James Gunn film, the music was on point. John Williams’ iconic theme was undeniably there but updated. The needle drop tracks were also excellent. In an interview before the movie’s release, James Gunn revealed that there were so many songs he would have liked to use that he partnered with Spotify to create playlists for each character, as in songs that he feels that each character would listen to. If you haven’t listened to them, I highly recommend you do so!
From start to finish, Superman was a treat for fans of the character. If this sets the tone for James Gunn’s DCU, then it certainly is off to a strong start.
To be able to see the film as part of such a unique experience and share it with some of my closest friends made it even more special. Many thanks go to 101.9 WTMX, Warner Brothers Studios, and everyone else involved for giving both myself and others something that truly was a dream come true.
Additional photos and videos by Carol Schulke and Jen Watson.
