"Superman" (2025) Film Review

Superman (2025)

Rating: 3/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    I grew up watching the Christopher Reeve Superman films, with him practically bringing this iconic comic-book character to the big screen for the very first time. That is my perception of how Superman is, and even though I did enjoy Cavill's time as Superman and what he was able to do with the character, it simply didn't fit this mold that I wanted for Superman. Then, many years later, when James Gunn took the reigns of DC after his stint in the MCU, he revealed he wanted to make a Superman movie and from the first images and trailers, it seems like he was going to make a movie that was incredibly similar to the Superman Reeve brought us, making me very excited to go see what he could do with this character. However, I left the theater disappointed after seeing Gunn's efforts, with moments I really liked and aspects I absolutely hated. I really wanted to like this one a lot, but it simply just didn't work for me like it did for others. 

    The film picks up about 3 years after Clark Kent (David Corenswet) revealed his powers and his superhero alter-ego to the world, saving humanity with one act of kindness and bravery at a time. While he is not donning the cape and tights, he is working at the Daily Planet as a reporter, alongside his girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and friends such as Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover). However, his superhero world is flipped upside down when Superman is being criticized for his actions in stopping the nation of Boravia from invading its neighboring county of Jarhanpur, with loads of the criticism coming from billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Now he must not only fight to clear his name, but also to save the people he loves most. 

    Going in, I honestly had no idea what Gunn was going to do with this new Superman and this new story he desperately wanted to tell. I thought Corenswet looked amazing as the iconic hero, and I had a lot of hope for this movie to start a brand new era for DC and really bring them out of the slump that they have been in lately. However, the story simply doesn't work here for me. I understand a lot of viewers enjoyed what the movie did and how it used the social commentary to show how even someone as powerful and kind as Superman can't escape the political and societal pressures of the world, but I felt like it was such an odd idea for a Superman film. I genuinely didn't think the story would revolve around Lex Luthor getting Superman cancelled online from Reddit and Twitter trolls. 

    It is definitely an interesting idea that I think could have been pursued later on the line, and not for the first film of this Superman. I did like the fact that Gunn brought us in at a time where Superman has already existed in this world, but I really wish he gave us more of the hero. I wanted to see Corenswet more established as this Superman in terms of giving us more great action sequences starring our titular hero and finding out more about him as a character, rather than immediately throw him into this frenzy that makes it where we don't see Superman in much action throughout the movie. It sorta seems like Gunn took the approach Sam Raimi did in Spider-Man 2, yet it doesn't work as good here. I left the theater feeling like there should have simply been much more on the screen, and Gunn just played it safe. 

    At the same time, looking at Gunn's previous films, it is obvious he likes to craft his own, unique, odd humor in his films. For the most part, his movies have worked very well, and even benefited greatly, from adding in his bizarre humor. He tries to do the same here, and it unfortunately doesn't work as well as he was hoping. There are hilarious moments that are perfect for the scene and the scenario they are apart of, and then there are scenes that needed the seriousness tone of it to work and he adds in humorous elements. It really doesn't work, in my opinion, and took me out of the film quite a bit. It cheapened the necessity of these more dramatic and heartfelt scenes, and you can definitely see the imbalance between humor and drama here. 

    In terms of the performances here from the cast, I think they all do a good job. Besides Corenswet, Hoult, Gisondo, and Edi Gathegi's scene-stealing character Mister Terrific, there's not really anything here to write home about. I'm torn how I feel about Corenswet's performance here, however. I think he is excellent as Superman and really does fill the role quite well, but his role as Clark simply doesn't work for me. I don't blame Corenswet as I feel like this was a combination of Gunn's writing and directing for this character, but Clark (and sometimes Superman) feels incredibly whiny. The talking scene between Lois and Superman felt almost unbearable due to how whiny and annoying Corenswet was making his character, which like I said, isn't necessarily his fault. However, for the other performances I mentioned, I think the rest of the actors do a pretty good job in their respective roles. Gisondo and Gathegi have charmed a whole new slew of fans and Hoult just proves again how great of an actor he is and can play any role he is given. While I feel like Brosnahan did a good, yet not standout job as Lois Lane, I simply do love the chemistry between her and Corenswet and how they are as a couple throughout the movie. 

    There are many scenes and shots reminiscent of moments from the Guardians films and other movies directed by Gunn over the years, which I simply adore. Consider how great the Mister Terrific scene is at Lex Luthor's camp; very reminiscent of the awesome mega fight sequence that is present in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. But, at the same time, some of the shots seem incredibly cheesy and take the viewer out of the movie. Like I mentioned earlier, it's an interesting balance Gunn has to follow to keep his humor injected into this movie while also trying to add in more serious or heartfelt moments. The cinematography here is no exception, and I feel like it was a major hit-or-a-miss for me. 

    Unfortunately, this is just a middle-of-the-road movie for me. There were aspects I enjoyed quite a lot, and then there were things this movie did that made me absolutely hate it. It all doesn't balance well together, and the movie is a very mixed bag of emotions. Not only do I think Gunn played it too safe in parts, but it also seemed like he was in over his head at other moments. I know I am in the minority for those that did not love this film like a lot of other viewers did, but I'm honestly quite disappointed on how this movie turned out. I really wanted to like this new vision from Gunn, and I unfortunately couldn't get on board the praise train for this film.