James Gunn's Superman movie swooped into theaters Friday, offering thrilling battles, big-hearted heroes and an amusingly untrained canine sidekick. You might want to see the superhero epic if you're into other films written and directed by Gunn (such as Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy) or want to catch the cinematic start to the new DC Universe.

Superman is doing more than simply making us believe that a man can fly.

Director Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie, which premiered in 1978, is a classic piece of cinema that continues to shape the superhero genre today. Most recently, it led the way for writer-director James Gunn to release Superman, a more modern imagining of the Man of Steel’s adventures, with David Corenswet portraying the titular hero.