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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a broken man. A broken Kryptonian who’s trying to find his place on this earth. Just like the rest of us.
The themes of finding oneself, especially after others have tried to redefine and demonize you, is an all-too-common occurrence. And it’s just one of the many ambitious, topical and relatable themes in this modern, soul-searching take on a superhero legend that dates back to 1938. That’s when Superman was introduced by DC Comics. He appeared in film in 1948, on TV in 1959 and in numerous films since then. The pioneers, and those that came later, played it safe. This 2025 movie is more of a daredevil. Unafraid to wade knee deep into today’s social/cultural issues and unrest. Immigration, invasions, corporate greed, fake news, gaslighting, shallow influencers—all the inhumane people who dehumanize, demonize and victimize others.
Credit the offbeat and principled writer/director James Gunn for having the audacity to venture into the fray with a comic book movie, no less. He’s most known for the extremely rebellious and irreverent Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. So, expect cheeky, outlandish humor and oddball characters in this good guys vs. bad guys saga. A legacy dating back to the 30s is getting a James Gunn baptism. In the process he chooses sides in our chaotic world, adds a sense of absurdity to the good fight against evil and coordinates the action scenes well—but not extraordinarily so. E.g., the slow-motion gimmick of Superman saving someone is nice, but it gets stale. And, when a movie ends with a rush to save the world, that’s normal and not exceptional. Even if he does it in a fairly riveting way.
Something plummets from the sky onto a frozen, arctic-looking tundra. It’s Superman (David Corenswet, Twisters). He’s face-planted onto a bed of hardened snow. It looks like someone just kicked his ass. He’s bruised and motionless. Barely able to whistle but puts his lips together and blows. Something heads towards him, going across the ground faster than the speed of sound, leaving a trail off snow dust behind. It starts licking him and playing around. What the f—? It’s his white dog, Krypto. An adult dog with a puppy personality. Or as some would say, a crazy canine with no impulse control.
Fast forward and the man of steel is back on his job, trying to protect the citizens of Metropolis. Crime isn’t the only issue. The devious machinations of a jealous and evil billionaire named Lex Luther (Nicholas Hoult, Nosferatu) cause more harm. He’s so ambitious, he’d destroy the city for a silver dollar and setup and kill Superman for the fun of it. He’s backed by a team of techies, manning surveillance machines, and bolstered by deadly metahuman thugs. Like the fighter Ultraman and The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), whose body can morph, granulate into nanites and strangle adversaries. Though her buzzsaw-blade fists are a favorite weapon.
Is Superman up to the challenge? In some ways yes. In some ways no. His insecurity is most obvious when his alter ego Clark Kent, a reporter at the Daily Planet newspaper, has a long heart-to-heart conversation with his colleague and lover Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). As they ponder their relationship, she eggs him on to do an interview as Superman. That’s when he reveals his life mantra: “To serve others and make the world a better place.” His altruistic nature gets tested again and again as he fights the enemies and schemers and becomes the center of negative attention himself. This isn’t your granny’s Superman, a pillar of strength and confidence. He’s searching for both.
The rapport, between Superman and Lois is so new age. She’s confident, brassy and not sure she needs him. He, as her man, questions his place in her life. It’s a dance modern couples do in a world of everchanging mores. The lovers’ frustrations and dilemma, as shown over several exposition-heavy scenes, may be admired by adults, who understand its implications. But less revered by genre fans and kids who like their superhero movies fast, lean and mean and not bloated.
The Dark Knight set the bar high for visuals in a super hero movie. Images in this film don’t reach that level. Not the cinematography (Henry Braham, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), as the lighting, composition and angles are decent but never spectacular. Nor the production design (Beth Mickle, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), which creates a cartoonish feel, but never in an astonishing way. The music (David Fleming, John Murphy) does its job, eccentrically. While the costume design (Judianna Makovsky) may be the production element that’s the most noteworthy. In closeups, Superman’s suit has a grainy look, almost like painted burlap. When the camera pans over the big red “S” on his chest, there’s so much texture, no slickness. A nice change. Largely the sets look like sets. Falling buildings look like CGI magic. Even a wonderful scene of the S man trying to swim through what looks like a sea of lava, could be better.
Corenswet, built like a rugby player, is photogenic and must have been waiting for this role his entire life. It fits him organically. His acting prowess and ability to build a character emotionally, from the inside, carries the most stagnant scenes. He’s totally believable when he’s loving, confused, nerdy, and circumspect: “I’m not what I thought I was.” When he’s feeling alienated, like a maligned immigrant. And especially when he’s near death. He can bring this franchise forward. As can Brosnahan, whose interpretation of a career woman and challenging lover is animated, centered and a joy to watch. Charming when she wants, brave when she needs to be.
They’re surrounded by a great cast: Wendell Pierce as editor Perry White; de Faria is a unique villainess and Edi Gathegi as “Mr. Terrific,” a superhero in Superman’s posse, which is called Justice Gang. Gathegi is confident as a tech wizard, blunt and cool as hell as the Man of Steel’s buddy. Something seems a bit off with Hoult as the narcissistic, vindictive tech bro. The performance feels like a college kid playing a bad guy. That wasn’t the case in the film The Order, when Hoult played a vicious white nationalist. He did that antagonist well. Possibly he’s too emotional here, when maybe a better approach would have been being cold as ice. Like the bald-headed Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two, as played by Austin Butler.
This is an entertaining reboot. A quirky refresh. An eccentric, humanizing and socially conscious interpretation of a classic story retold for this generation. This movie gets to where it needs to go. Eventually, it builds, gathers energy and blasts off. Soaring high into the sky.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2woCZg5QdVE
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.