Some individuals argue that superhero movies should remain “apolitical.” They often disregard the fact that political elements have been integral to the genre from the start. Superman symbolizes the immigrant experience, Wonder Woman was created as a feminist icon, the X-Men represent marginalized groups, and the concept of a “Captain America” inherently suggests a political stance. When faced with these examples, such individuals might offer poorly constructed excuses or feign ignorance to fuel their outrage.

James Gunn is well aware of these critics, and his “Superman” film doesn’t shy away from them: the well-meaning ones are depicted as irritating enthusiasts with poor hairstyles, while the disingenuous ones are likened to frantic keyboard warriors. Yet, his portrayal of Superman (played by David Corenswet) remains steadfast in his mission to save everyone, because that’s the essence of the character.

It’s no shock that Gunn’s “Superman” is deeply rooted in political commentary. Gunn’s past DC projects include “The Suicide Squad,” which critiques American imperialism; “Peacemaker,” a spin-off where a previous villain seeks redemption by confronting his racist father; and “Creature Commandos,” an animation that involves battling Nazi sympathizers. With its clear moral messages — such as immigrants deserving respect, the injustice of incarcerating people without due process, the immorality of wars of aggression, and the often dubious ethics of tech companies — “Superman” might appear non-controversial, yet these themes resonate loudly given today’s global landscape. As a fresh start for the DC Universe, “Superman” delivers thrilling entertainment, but it also seeks to inspire viewers to enact change in our own world.

Forgoing the origin story everyone knows, “Superman” opens with some quick titles establishing this universe of “gods and monsters.” Clark Kent landed on Earth 30 years ago and has been operating as Superman for three years. He’s decided to involve himself in defending the nation of Jarhanpur against the invading forces of Boravia — a military power that’s both a long-term U.S. ally and making suspicious deals with a certain Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). As the film’s action begins, Superman has lost a battle for the first time.

If you’ve watched the “Superman” trailer, you’ve seen how the movie begins, with Krypto the Superdog dragging Superman to the Fortress of Solitude to heal. Krypto is a very good boy — while the film’s CGI is inconsistent in other places, Krypto never looks less than perfect — and perfect for establishing the suspension of disbelief necessary to enjoy this Silver Age-inspired take on Superman. James Gunn is introducing the DC Universe the same way most kids since 1938 have been introduced to the comics: dropping you right into a story where a billion crazy things have already happened and a billion more are going to happen. The wacky bits are funny but not necessarily a “joke” either. There are a few self-aware genre-savvy bits (like the Fortress of Solitude’s robots cracking wise about their supposed lack of emotions) and Marvel-style quips (most notably centered around the Justice Gang, a corporate super-team that seems like Gunn’s commentary on his previous bosses’ superhero universe), but this movie embraces the weirdness of comics by mostly taking it seriously.

Moving faster than a speeding bullet between a few different conflicts and a huge cast of characters, “Superman” plays like a super-sized Saturday morning cartoon in live-action — but it’s a cartoon with brains and some edge. It’s Bruce Timm rather than “Super Friends,” though it lovingly references the latter, and while you can take the kids, there are moments that border on Adult Swim territory. It’s “mature” in the sense that key plot points revolve around the surprising sex appeal of Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), and “mature” in the sense that Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) can challenge Superman on journalistic ethics and civic responsibility in a lengthy interview that’s as involving as any of the action scenes.

If “Superman” has one big flaw, it’s that it’s so busy that it can’t possibly nail everything it’s trying to do as perfectly as it wants. The ending tries to center Superman’s feelings about his two sets of parents (Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan as his Kryptonian parents, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as his adoptive Earth parents) as the central emotional arc, and it did make me a little emotional. But said arc feels like such a relatively smaller aspect of the preceding film that it didn’t hit as hard as, say, the similar thematic concerns in James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” Some jokes are less funny than others, and I’m not a fan of the “hypno-glasses” excuse for nobody recognizing Clark is Superman when human psychology is the better explanation (remember, celebrities lose celebrity look-alike competitions!).

But being overstuffed while having such good character instincts also means there’s a lot to love here. Despite ties to “Peacemaker” and the upcoming “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” the worldbuilding is less about setting up future projects and more just introducing so many entertaining characters that you’ll want to see more of all of them. Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) might be my new favorite, an autistic-coded superhero who gets this film’s signature Gunn one-take show-off fight scene and offers a strong counterpoint as the good tech geek against Luthor’s evil tech geek. Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), the film’s weirdest metahuman, is another small but impressive supporting character. 

The three leads are of course excellent. David Corenswet makes Superman his own with a take more flawed than Christopher Reeve’s but more human than Henry Cavill’s. Rachel Brosnahan is all steely confidence and sharp intelligence as Lois Lane, while Nicholas Hoult’s Luthor combines traits of all the real world’s most detestable villains for a singular portrait of envy turned toward destruction. If the narrative’s valorization of journalism and the role it plays in Luthor’s defeat is ultimately the least realistic thing in a movie that also involves a guy who can make helium with his hands, remember this is a fantasy. It’s fun to dream.

“Superman” opens in theaters on July 11.