Superman: Red Son (2020)

Superman: Red Son (2020)

Dir. Sam Liu

An Elseworlds tale that explores what the Man of Steel might have become if he'd been raised and come of age in a post-World War II Soviet Union locale instead of a 'friendly' US state.

The one and only time I read the comicbook miniseries that Red Son is based on was about twenty years ago, so, naturally, I remembered absolutely nothing about it. I hoped the movie's story might attempt a meaningful exploration of how much a location's dominant system of beliefs and cultural identity might influence the cognitive development, moral standing, ethical mindset, psychology, etc, of its citizens.

Or, to put it another way, the nurture vs nature debate, which could've critiqued or commented on the accepted, overused norms of the US version of the costumed superhero and his alien origins, through reflection at the very least. Otherwise, what would be the point of shifting the protagonist's all-important location?

The movie does lay such foundations in the early stages. The first fifteen minutes, in particular, are excellent, furnished with characterisation both direct and subtle, presenting Superman as a symbol of post-war Soviet power and a willing (but naïve) tool of Stalin's Communist goals.

Red Son's quiet moments outclass all other parts of it. When the things that go unsaid have as much clout as what's spoken, it's a wise idea to lean into them for inspiration. The scenes that throw a burden of emotional loss at the hero and audience create some genuinely memorable reactions and realisations. I really wish there'd been more of that kind of thing.

Unfortunately, the meaningful self-analysis that could've evolved further from the set-up is compromised when action scenes featuring superpowered beings beating the crap out of each other takes over. It doesn't devolve fully into a 'my superpowers are better than yours' scenario, but it gets close in the middle section, partially derailing the good work that precedes it.

The 'superhero' conflict part of the story is competent, to be fair, and adds a constructive level of support to one of the movie's most important themes: that even with the best of intentions, it's possible to become a thing that you used to hate. But the balance seems off. As the fists and bombs increased, I was unable to shake the feeling that Red Son could've been something really special in DC's animated roster, if only the writers had kept a more direct aim on the worthwhile targets of the movie's beginning. The self-serving speech at the end didn't help that feeling.