The moment that got the single biggest reaction at the packed screening of Superman that I attended was when Superman saves a squirrel. It takes place during the kaiju battle, it’s over in seconds, and it’s composed of two shots. In the first, we see a wall of debris roaring toward the innocent creature, and a streak of blue and red whisking it away. In the second shot, Superman (David Corenswet) flies into the frame in a peaceful spot away from the battle, gently sets the squirrel down, then returns to the fray.

It’s played for laughs, and it got a huge one at my screening. It’s a perfectly executed visual gag. The timing is immaculate. The contrast with the scale of the monster disaster engulfing Metropolis is absurd. It’s a joke at this Superman’s expense, consistent with the movie’s portrayal of his niceness and wholesomeness as adorable and kind of dorky, almost to the point of being naïve and short-sighted. This is a Superman who likes cheesy pop-punk, lets a dog bully him, and can’t tell when an interview — or a talk with his girlfriend, or both at the same time........

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