Superman (2025) – 7.25/10 – Oozing with potential but falls short
Overall
SUPERMAN, another Superman remake, had much promise yet struggled to live up to it. It’s surprising because James Gunn usually has tight scripts. The emotion often seems shallow or missing, so I connect little with the characters, the plot, and Superman, a symbol of hope & inspiration. I will discuss that further later. There are a couple of homages to Christopher Reeve’s 1978 Superman movie (the only true Superman to me). I wasn’t a Superman fan in my childhood, but he has become one of my favorite superheroes. A bigger presence of the comic book Superman here is a pleasant surprise, unlike other Superman movies. The comic books have a ton of content perfect for the big screen; I hope that continues. My rating is 7.25/10.
Plot (spoiler-free)
In an alternate universe, Superman (David Corenswet) comes under attack from supervillain Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and his mutant minions. Lex has plans to grab power and cut backroom deals with a tyrant. But Superman threatens those plans. Public sentiment turns on Superman when Lex unlocks a missing part of the message sent by his Kryptonian parents. With help from his girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), the Justice Gang, and his friends at The Daily Planet, Superman must go toe-to-toe with the evil genius Lex. Lois, fellow reporter Jimmy Olsen, and editor Perry White work together to exonerate Superman’s name and tarnished reputation.
Technicals
SUPERMAN is solid in terms of technicalities, but it has several flaws. The best areas are cinematography, visuals, camerawork, CGI, and action scenes. I liked them cutting out the Krypton backstory that is in every Superman origin story—we know where Superman comes from and how he arrived. There are a few heartwarming scenes, like a boy raising a Superman flag as armed enemies close in. Oh, and hats off to Krypto! The acting appeared excellent in the news and trailers, but it’s a letdown when you view the finished film. Corenswet often carries the Superman presence and personality, but it’s nothing special. Brosnahan is decent as Lois but underutilized. Hoult’s performance as Lex is satisfactory. He is not as good as Smallville’s Lex (Michael Rosenbaum), the best Lex to date, but serviceable. Justice Gang is intriguing, but again underutilized with little characterization. A lot of the casting is hit-or-miss. The script may be the culprit in the inadequate character development. I didn’t feel the atmosphere except in bursts, which is surprising for a James Gunn film. Having said that, Gunn is typically a big-picture director, so we have to wait for the sequel to see his vision unfold. I want to give him that chance, especially after the work he pulled for Marvel. Peacemaker’s presence here makes it plain Gunn has more up his sleeve. DC needed a change after their lack of vision.
Would I recommend this?
Not a must-watch. If you are a Superman/DC fan, see it. Otherwise, it’s an okay movie. Though it offers entertainment value, SUPERMAN could have been better. I don’t know if this adds much to Zack Snyder’s vision for MAN OF STEEL, which left us wanting. At least Snyder nailed the atmosphere and the spirit of Superman. Do we need another remake that isn’t an improvement over the earlier remake? It’s worth watching once, but nothing to rave about.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
