I had my hopes up for this Superman reboot, after all James Gunn has made some amazing movies and bringing him into the DC universe seemed like the perfect match but after watching Superman 2025 I felt more confused than excited about what I just witnessed. The movie starts off strong with Superman already three years into his superhero career, which I actually appreciated since we didn't have to sit through another origin story but this decision also created some problems that haunted the entire movie in my opinion. David Corenswet looks perfect as Superman, he has the jawline, the build, the wholesome American charm that makes you believe he could be the Man of Steel but somehow his performance never quite reaches the level of commanding presence you expect from Earth's greatest protector, I mean this guy felt more like an activist rather than the invincible hero, spend more of the time getting beat up badly. Rachel Brosnahan does well as Lois Lane and their chemistry works, specially during the small fights they have as a couple, they feel like a real couple who have been together for a while, which is refreshing compared to other superhero movies where romance feels forced but the problem is we never get to see how they fell in love or what makes their relationship special, how she find out he was Superman and when did he told her neither. The movie itself is a beauty with all the visual spectacle, the bright colors pop off the screen in ways that make you feel like you are reading a comic book come to life, the costume design is fantastic and Metropolis looks like a real city where superheroes would exist but all these technical achievements can't mask the fundamental storytelling issues that drag the whole movie down.
Rottentomatoes Rating
What bothered me most about this movie was how weak Superman felt throughout the entire thing, he is supposed to be the most powerful being on Earth but he spends most of his screen time getting beaten up by various villains who shouldn't even be able to touch him, its like they downgrade him on purpose. The opening scene shows him already defeated and bloodied in Antarctica, which sets a tone that never really changes, he was constantly struggling and needing help from other heroes who seem more competent than he does, both using their powers and even smarter than him. Mr Terrific steals every scene when I honestly thought would be the weakest of them all but them that guy has a brain and powers, he feels more like the main character than Superman himself, he was the one solving problems, making the smart decisions and generally being more heroic than the actual hero of the movie, he was even with Lois during the hole time so all he had to do was ask her out and Superman was done done. Nicholas Hoult does a great job as Lex Luthor although lets be honest he doesnt beat Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Justice League, did have that manic energy that makes him hateable in all ways possible, his plan to frame Superman as a threat so he can profit from military contracts is clever and feels grounded in real world politics, a page taken by Iron Man in a way, but even Lex seems to have Superman figured out in ways that make our hero look incompetent rather than noble. Guy Gardner brings some comic relief as the obnoxious Green Lantern from the comics, Nathan Fillion nails the character's arrogant personality perfectly but like most of the Justice Gang members he feels underutilized and more like a cameo than an actual character. The movie tries to juggle so many different characters and plot threads that none of them get the development they deserve, leaving you wanting more of some characters while questioning why others were even included and even made me feel lost at times like whats next? because it does felt like I had no clue where the movie was going next.
The pacing of the movie feels rushed in all the wrong places and slow in others, we jump from scene to scene without letting emotional moments breathe or giving us time to understand whats actually at risk. The relationship between Superman and his adoptive parents feels surface level, we see them for maybe ten minutes total and they come across as simple farmer who don't really understand their son's world but still loves him very much, which could have been interesting if the movie had explored this characters more but I can understand they wanted to jump in to the Superman of now rather how everything started. The political subplot involving the fictional war between Boravia and another country feels heavy handed, the imagery clearly references real world conflicts but the movie doesn't really have anything meaningful to say about war or Superman's role in global politics beyond "killing civilians is bad" thats it. Krypto the dog is cute and will probably sell a lot of toys but his presence feels more like a marketing decision than a story choice, although we can also argue that he most likely belong to another movie after all Krypto is Supergirl dog seems, he shows up to save Superman when needed and disappears when convenient. The fortress of solitude looks amazing but serves mainly as a place for Superman to go when he's hurt, which happens way too often for my liking, I want to see Superman win fights not constantly need healing and backup, is this Batman movie?.
James Gunn clearly understands the comic book source material and isn't afraid to embrace the weirdness that makes Superman stories special, the pocket dimension sequence and kaiju fight show he is willing to go full comic book in ways that other directors might not as to stick more traditional to the Man of Steell we all have known for many years, that can be good and bad depending who the majority of your audience is. The problem is that understanding the source material and translating it effectively to screen are two different things, this movie feels like someone read a bunch of Superman comics and decided to adapt all of them at once without focusing on what makes any individual story work. The humor hits sometimes but misses just as often, Superman's "golly gee" personality can be charming but it also makes him feel immature in ways that undercut his authority as a leader and protector, even Lois felt had more authority over everyone else including Superman. The action sequences look good but they are shot in a way that makes everything feel chaotic, almost like you know Superman is going to get beat up every time, the camera moves around too much during fight scenes and you lose track of what's happening, which is frustrating when Superman is supposed to be graceful and precise in his movements. Lex Luthor's motivation makes sense but feels over the top, especially when he fights Superman it feels like they playing Playstation throwing combos a Superman, he's so obviously evil that it becomes cartoonish rather than menacing, I want a Lex Luthor who could convince people he was right even when he is wrong.
I found myself thinking about all the missed opportunities this movie had, there was clearly passion and effort behind every it but never comes together into something greater than the sum of a couple of cool scenes. The biggest problem is that Superman never feels like Superman, he was too weak, too unsure of himself, too dependent on others to be the inspiring figure this character should be, I wanted to feel like the good times of DCU heroes, ngl some of the Wonder Woman and The Batman, those make you fell excited about being a good person but instead I felt frustrated that they made the Man of Steel feel so small. The movie sets up a larger DC universe and introduces characters who will probably get their own movies but it doesn't make me particularly excited to see more of this version of these characters, especially if Superman continues to be overshadowed by everyone around him. David Corenswet has the potential to be a great Superman but the script doesn't give him enough moments to really shine, to really feel like he got a single fight under control, he is likeable but never gets to be truly heroic, there was just the single guy rooting for Superman as a hard core fan and gets shot, WTF!!. The visual effects are solid and the production values are high, but technical competence can't replace good storytelling and character development, this movie looks like a Superman movie but doesn't feel like one where it counts. I give Superman 2025 a barely 7 out of 10, it's not terrible but it's not the Superman movie many of us wanted after waiting so long, maybe the sequel will give us a Superman who actually feels super instead of just wearing the costume.
#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #superman, #jamesgunn, #davidcorenswet, #reboot, #dcuniverse, #disappointed, #superhero, #review, #lexluthor, #rachelbrosnahan, #mrterrific, #krypto, #metropolis, #weak, #underwhelming, #comic, #justice, #loisklane, #nathanfillion, #nicholashoult, #pacing, #visuals, #storytelling, #mediocre, #potential