The new Superman movie is deeper than it seems at first glance, particularly regarding its theme of nature vs. nurture.

First, the movie, a James Gunn production, is great fun, and you should see it. It will make you feel good. The movie succeeds at so many things that it feels churlish to say this, but it lacks one element: a cathartic moment that reinforces the theme. That would have shifted the story from very good to great. Okay, spoilers below.

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

TRIPLE WARNING: BELOW BE SPOILERS!

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Superman: Nature vs. Nurture

This Superman movie drops us immediately into the action. Clark is already working at the Daily Planet, Luthor already hates him, and Superman is well-known as a protector of Earth. He’s earnest, he’s a little dorky, and he hates to see injustice. His faith in his mission is reinforced by a message from his birth parents. The full message is corrupted, but the first part convinces Clark that he was sent from Krypton to help.

However,  when Luthor translates the full message, it’s not good. Instead of being sent as Earth’s protector, Kal-El was sent to Earth to dominate its people. There’s even mention of a harem. (I think that was a bit much but Gunn will be Gunn.) Naturally, this message confirms Luthor’s inner certainty that Superman cannot be as altruistic as he seems. To Luthor, it’s inconceivable that Superman (or anyone) would be, so, well, kind. He uses the message to destroy Superman’s public reputation.

The full message also sends Clark into a personal tailspin, which leads him home to Ma and Pa Kent. In this movie, the Kents are not action heroes; they’re not particularly good with cell phones; they’re as ordinary as possible. They’re good, kind, decent people who loved and raised the child who unexpectedly showed up on their doorstep.

And Pa is mushy. He tells Clark that he’s proud of him. That scene is going to end up in the pantheon of movie father/son scenes, right up there with Father and Son playing catch in Field of Dreams. I’m not sure if the dialogue is a deliberate echo of Iron Giant or the fact that Iron Giant was drawing inspiration from the Superman mythos. Either way, it’s the same theme: you are who you choose to be.

Clark is who he is because of the love and nurturing of the Kents. The Kents’ son is just like them: good-hearted, open-minded, compassionate, and sweet-natured. They choose to be good parents. He chooses to be a good man.

This theme gains resonance with the final revelation of Ultraman’s identity as a clone of Superman.

A clone of Superman, not Clark. That’s important. Ultraman is only based on Superman’s DNA. He’s a child of accelerated aging, but he’s been treated as an experiment and a weapon.  Luthor controls his every movement. He calls his creation ‘stupid.’ Luthor is worse than Superman’s Kryptonian parents. They at least wanted him to grow up in a place where he would be independent and powerful. Luthor doesn’t even see Ultraman as a person, only as an extension of his hatred for Superman.

Ultraman’s values are based on what little he’s been taught by Luthor.

Given this upbringing, it’s no wonder that Ultraman becomes violent and very, very angry once Luthor’s controls are removed. It’s all he knows. Strike and strike and hurt and hurt. Ultraman is exactly what Luthor made him, in the same way that Clark is what his adoptive parents made him.

Perhaps Luthor considered his clone’s anger part of Superman’s essential nature, not realizing his creation pulled the anger from his creator. Luthor’s son is just like Luthor. And so, Ultraman only knows that he should keep hitting and hurting. It leads to his destruction.  (Well, comic book destruction. We all know what that means)

I love this parallel as Superman faces a version of himself. But there’s one flaw in the plot: Clark, who is shown saving squirrels and other small animals, Clark who wanted to save a destructive Kaiju, Clark who literally can’t hurt a fly; yet Clark seems unconcerned with allowing Ultraman to be sucked into whatever that void is at the end.

That’s where the overall catharsis is missing in this movie.

I hope Ultraman’s fate is followed up in the next movie. I also hope the theme of nurture vs. nature will be present in Supergirl’s upcoming movie, given she lived as a Kryptonian until she was a teenager.

Superman is a fun, enjoyable story. And it has greater depth that will hold up on repeat viewing.