Forgive me for geeking out on this post. Can’t be helped. I LOVE this movie trailer. Superman is an American myth that endures.

I think it does a fantastic job of setting the stage of the film, introducing the character and building anticipation. All in a minute thirty. Here’s why it works:

1. Shows a guy, working a hard job, drifting, doing the mundane, but a voice over speaks to him of of aspiration and of his destiny. Telling him he will become great. Remember that at least 75% of the people who see the trailer know the basic Superman story. But they will see him here in a way they are not used to seeing Superman — alone, drifting, probably lost. Being most Un-super.

2. Shows flashbacks to childhood memories with a kid wearing a cape, pretending to be a hero. Obviously, that’s him as a kid. But it’s also all of us. We all played at being a hero. Now, it’s clear that he isn’t living up to his ideals as an adult. He’s in imbalance. And putting a character in a state of imbalance is how you start a good story.

3. Shows just a glimpse of Superman breaking the sound barrier, ascending to the sky. It gives us just a taste of what we want to see—our hero doing amazing things. But it’s at a distance. You don’t see his face. You don’t fully connect the man who looks lost with the superhero at the end. That’s where the anticipation begins. You want to see him take that journey. You also want to see him kicking serious ass(something sorely missing from the last Superman film).

I’m very hopeful for this film. Superman as a superhero was never that interesting to me. Superman as a myth, Superman as a cultural icon, Superman as a story, has always been interesting to me. Can’t wait to see what they do with it.