‘Superman’ soars on 4K Ultra HD powered by visual tech and James Gunn’s storytelling

The Man of Steel has once again been resurrected in a new DC cinematic universe orchestrated by James Gunn and looking to excite a home theater fan base with the 4K disc release of Superman (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 1.90:1 aspect ratio, 129 minutes, $34.98).

As witnessed in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Mr. Gunn has a flair for merging humor, drama and extreme action in any comic book property he touches.

He continues the tradition with a more light-hearted and hopeful spin on Superman (he actually says “golly” within minutes of the opening scene, much to my glee) that will allow fans to quickly forget Zack Snyder’s much darker and oppressive version of the character.

The result quickly throws viewers into a perilous Superman adventure as we learn that the hero (played with a perfect balance of naivete and dynamism by David Corenswet) has prevented the country Boravia from invading its neighbor, Jarhanpur.

He takes a beating for his actions from the mysterious metahuman nicknamed the “Hammer of Boravia” on his home turf of Metropolis, and things get much worse when a message from his parents is released online in its entirety, causing the world to turn against him.

Anyone who loved the early comic book series of Superman knows an archvillain has to be causing all of his woes, and sure enough, it’s his historical menace, a super calculating and jealous Lex Luthor (a perfectly cast Nicholas Hoult) going straight for the Kryptonian’s jugular.

Mr. Gunn also has a tradition of stacking the deck with lots of characters, and he stays true here.

We are told that this Earth has been populated by metahumans for 300 years with super-powered humanoids such as the Hammer (actually a Luthor creation from Superman’s DNA called the Ultraman). One of my favorite heroes in the DC Comics universe, the element-manipulating Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), plays a role in rescuing Superman at a pivotal point in the story.

Viewers are also introduced to the Justice Gang, headquartered in the Hall of Justice (the eventual home of the Justice League). Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Green Lantern Corp. member Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) team up to take part in multiple room-shaking battle sequences.

However, the star of the movie is, by far, Krypto the Superdog, who helps Superman survive and save the day multiple times in the movie. The digitally created pooch is a pure joy to watch onscreen.

Worth noting, viewers do not get an origin story; Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent, is already in a romantic relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), both working at the Daily Planet; and he is well aware of his conflicting role as a peace keeper caught up in international geopolitics while simply trying to save human lives.

Some may complain about the lingering, slightly overhanded messaging of Superman being an immigrant; well, he is, as clearly chronicled in his comics since 1938. His original creators were very much aware (both sons of immigrants), so do not let the current state of partisan politics cloud the enjoyment of a film accurately representing the hero’s roots.

Mr. Gunn smartly concocts a joyous, action-packed interpretation of Superman’s universe anchored by the outrageous theme of kindness (go figure) and akin to the Christopher Reeves’ reverential portrayal of the icon that should give fans a reason to jump aboard the other projects tied to his ever-expanding DC movie universe.

4K in action: Mr. Gunn, with help from production designer Beth Mickle, visual effects supervisor Stéphane Ceretti and cinematographer Henry Braham, offers plenty of visual might to be experienced, delivered through a 4K digital intermediate master and brought to the home ultra-high definition format with high dynamic range grading.

Presented in an IMAX aspect ratio that fills home theater screens throughout, the filmmaker’s penchant to bring colorful superheroes to life through a wide swath of standard and neon hues is on full display.

Start with a Superman’s textured cloth costume with a 1940s retro vibe and paying homage to the comics’ series “All Star Superman.” It features impeccable detail with dimpled stitching tying the blue, red and gold of the garment together, and a red felt cape might have been worn in the 1950s TV show.

Throwaway background scenes are now breathtakingly noticed, such as a neon-tinted battle between the Justice Gang and a tendrilled dimensional imp as a serious discussion with Lois and Superman occurs in an office.

The hero’s fight against a fire-breathing, multistory Kaiju shines as details such as its massive, serrated toenails or Superman slightly cracking a window while pushing the beast away from a building mix with its flaming attacks that practically explode from the screen.

Vivid color and fine detail brilliantly combine in the multiple mineral textures that make up Metamorpho’s body and appendages, spotlighted when his hand transforms into green kryptonite.

The absolute convergence of all that is the 4K immersion comes from Superman’s escape from the pocket universe that has the hero and his rescuers bathed in a neon spectrum blazing anti-proton river, nearly blinding with its celebration of color while avoiding getting sucked into the blackest of black holes.

The Dolby Atmos sound mix certainly immerses the listener and is most comforting when hearing the themes of John Williams’ musical score, as well as title sequences paying homage to director Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman.”

Best extras: Writer, director and producer, Mr. Gunn offers a solo, optional commentary, but there is a big caveat for disc owners.

To hear the commentary, they must use the included digital code and watch the film on streaming services such as iTunes or Fandango or Amazon Prime to get the audio goody.

It’s an unfair trend that should really aggravate disc-loving, home theater owners who are willing to spend the extra money for physical media but, to get the complete extras package, must hope they have a sufficiently speedy and stable broadband Internet connection.

I digress. Of course, Mr. Gunn delivers an informative track and covers his love of DC Comics, comparing this film to other versions of Superman; the character tie-ins to the HBO TV show “Peacemaker”; themes of the movie; thoughts on the current state of the Lois and Clark relationship; edits in the film; and an analysis of some of the more emotional scenes. He often remarks on the onscreen action while occasionally over-explaining the plot and characters, which will delight fans of the film.

Next, an hourlong, kind of production diary that’s more like a documentary, complements the director’s commentary and covers sporadic parts of making the movie — spread from the first cast read through to the final day of shooting.

The documentary explores subjects such as casting; building Superman’s iconic costume; shooting in the Antarctic and Cleveland; the chemistry between the Clark and Lois actors; rationalizing the evil of Lex Luthor; building the stunning interior of the Fortress of Solitude; and the critical final meeting between Superman and Lex.

The best takeaway for the entire segment is Mr. Gunn’s dog, Ozu, was a major influence on him making the movie and certainly in his script’s plot tied to the hero’s important friendship with Krypto, the super pooch.

Another eight featurettes (almost an hourlong in total) further explore the film and are broken down by topics such as the musical score and the origin and creation of Mr. Gunn’s Krypto, as well as focused segments on Lex Luthor, the Justice Gang, Ultraman and employees of the Daily Planet.

Warner Bros. also tosses in a cartoon short featuring the super dog and his encounter with a gastrointestinally challenged pigeon.