Superman
Review: Within the last month, 2025 has REALLY picked up when it comes to movies. My overall power ranking has shifted all around and we now have another film that has earned a spot near the top. The start of the new DCU & a very promising start at that. This film had so many highs and managed to pack in so many characters, so much world building, & so much lore in just over two hours, which I know was a big concern of some folks. But I think this film made absolutely the right choice. The film starts with this world & its rules already established just giving us a few opening cards to let us know the state of things. I’ve watched several interviews with James Gunn about this movie and one thing he said was that he didn’t think it was necessary to show Supes’ origin story because everyone is already familiar with it. Again, I’ll reiterate that this was the right decision in my opinion and if SOMEHOW someone was unfamiliar with the character, the film still does enough to get you up to speed. The ensemble in this film was so strong that I almost want to list out every name to give them their credit, but I’ll hold off on that. Some people that really do need to be mentioned by name though for stellar performances are Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, & Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen. Even all the actors I didn’t mention slid seamlessly into pre-existing characters to bring them to life on the big screen. I also thought the inclusion of Krypto (or ‘Pluto’ as my dad called him) was a fun addition to the film. Another great choice this film made was retaining the core of John Williams’ classic ‘Superman’ score from the Christopher Reeve films which has become synonymous with the Man of Steel. I have (naturally) seen a lot of complaints from certain media sources & figures about the political state of this film, with others complaining that it’s political at all. To them I’ll say, go watch the old Christopher Reeve ‘Superman’ films to see that the character has always been willing to give a stance on real world issues. I’d also say that just about every film that really was made from the heart of a filmmaker is going to give us some sort of view or stance on the world, and this film definitely falls into that. Scroll all the way down for some thoughts & reactions with a spoiler warning. The final thing I need to add before getting into my High & Low is that this was the most electric theater experience I have had in a very long time. I don’t think my theater has been this visibly excited in a couple years with the film getting some really loud laughs, oh’s & ah’s, and even a round of applause at the conclusion (last theater that happened in for me was ‘Barbie’). And as people were waiting through the credits & even filing out of the theater there was a palpable air of excitement that was a welcome feeling.
High: There was a very notable exclusion in my listed cast members, because David Corenswet deserves recognition all his own. He perfectly stepped into the red boots, tights, & capes of Superman, while balancing the glasses and dorkiness of Clark Kent just as perfectly. Corenswet also gave Superman a necessary third persona, that I’ll call Kal-El, who is who the character really is when he’s not donning the cape or the glasses. Corenswet of course looks the part. And he sounds the part. But a part of his performance that I hope doesn’t get undersold is the physicality. He has completely different mannerisms as Clark & Supes, and you can see him slide back and forth between them when he’s being interview by Lois. And if you watch real life interviews with the actor, he really is Superman. No offense to any other actor that has played Superman in the last few decades (here’s to you Henry Cavill), but Corenswet is truly the successor of the mantle from Christopher Reeve.
Low: This film is unapologetically a comic book superhero movie for comic book superhero films. Personally, I love that & it’s not a low at all. I also think that’s what will make it a hit with wider audiences. But I do understand & get how that could not be someone’s cup of tea (though it does make me ask why they’re going to see a superhero movie anyways). James Gunn recently said that he doesn’t really believe in ‘superhero movie fatigue’ but believes in ‘mediocre movie fatigue’ (which certainly feels like a shot at a certain studio he has worked with in the past, but is now his arch nemesis). I personally agree with this statement because there aren’t more superhero movies than there are of any other genre, people are just more likely to see them & they’ve certainly declined in quality. But this film really brought the bar back up & between this and the solid year Marvel has had, I think it’s safe to say the world of superheroes is in a good spot. And DC is certainly in good hands going forward #GunnsBlazing
Rating: 9/10
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-SPOILERS BELOW!
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Spoiler Review:
Listen, even though I saw the Ultraman being a Superman clone reveal coming (because I’ve seen Internet theories and am vaguely aware of the character & storyline) it was still pretty cool.
Shoutout to Bradley Cooper for randomly being Jor-El and telling Kal-El to start a harem. That’s fun for him.
John Cena got a HUGE pop as Peacemaker. I saw this opening night so I’d expect some real hardcore DC fans to get excited about this, but was shocked that everyone seemingly knew the character and was excited to see him.
Also loved the addition of Milly Alcock making a quick preview as Supergirl, since that is of course the next movie in this continuity.
Finally, the ending where Clark watched the reel of his parents made me shed a tear. Brilliant work.
