Superman Review: A Strong Shot of Hope
Theatrical Movie Review - Comic Book Movie/DCU
Few comic book characters have captured the American imagination as much as Superman. Standing for truth and justice, and eventually, the American way, the character has embodied the kind of goodness that we hope to possess within ourselves. In the kickoff to the new DCU, James Gunn’s Superman goes back to basics with this iconic character, reminding audiences just who Superman is.
The film begins three years after Superman (David Corenswet) made his presence known to the world as a force for good. Despite being the strongest of the Metahumans, we open on a Superman who is broken after battling the “Boravian Hammer.” After Superman went to Boravia and stopped them from overtaking Jarhanpur without the blessing of the United States government, the already concerned US military speaks with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who posits that Superman has not been helpful but has instead been grooming the world to accept him as their overlord.
As Superman is telling this story, it also tells the story of Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), three months into their relationship. Her cynicism and his optimism cause friction, but the chemistry between these two actors is absolutely electric. All of the scenes at The Daily Planet are a lot of fun, with Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen being the standout.
The film also introduces the hilariously named Justice Gang, led by Gunn favorite Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, as well as Isabela Merced as an underused Hawkgirl and a scene-stealing Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific. The three provide much of the humor in Superman, while also highlighting the innate goodness in the titular character.
The behind-the-scenes superheroes for this movie are absolutely the team of special effects designers who brought Krypto to life. This naughty, yet still very good boy, is fantastic, and it's clear that the folks who worked on him loved the character and adore dogs. Every frame with Krypto is perfect.
And that’s part of my struggle with this movie. The cast is perfect. The score from David Fleming and John Murphy is perfect. The dog is perfect. Yet even with so many exceptional aspects, Superman felt like it was missing something. In resetting the entire world Superman lives in, the story seemed a bit too broad to really focus on the character of Superman. One of the most poignant scenes is between Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Clark, when it is just the two of them on a bench. The small moments in the film work so beautifully, sometimes feeling throttled by the larger action set pieces.
Even with some aspects that left me feeling perplexed, I still felt hopeful when the film was over. Superman’s charm is less about his laser eyes or super speed or ice breath, and more about his commitment to care for those who need his help. We have seen gritty Superman, and that is not what Gunn provides here. Despite a few minor missteps, Superman is a sometimes subtle, sometimes bombastic call to our better angels.
Rating: 4/5
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on July 12, 2025.
I agree with you! I would have happily traded one big fight scene (like the kaiju) for a little more character development and focus on Superman, which is so clearly the strongest part of the movie.
Nice work. I wonder how they'll use Superman throughout future films, but I loved getting back to the core human part of the man.