Superman was never my favorite superhero, but I always enjoyed his character. I was very worried about this film, but I turned out to be pleasantly surprised by one of the best superhero movies in years.
Superman (2025) hasn’t been thought of in a while. We had Superman in the Zack Snyder universe, and it seems like that was a long time ago at this point. Henry Cavill was considered one of the best Supermans in a long time as well. Many, including me, were concerned with a new Superman film being made.
For me, it being made by James Gunn was a strike. I think he is a good filmmaker, and I’ve enjoyed some of his films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy. I just wanted someone else to make Superman (2025). James Gunn ends up making a ton of superhero films, and I wanted to see someone else do Superman (2025), but I was pleasantly surprised.
Superman (2025) has several things working in its favor. It has a great look and color. With modern superhero films, many are hesitant to be colorful and resemble a comic book, which is what they’re based on. Sometimes, looking bleak can work if it’s Batman or a similarly dark superhero. With Superman (2025), it was great to see a colorful palette used in his film.
If you compare this to Man of Steel, it appears quite different visually. Now, this film isn’t over the top with its visual appeal, but it still has a bright color palette, which really helps it visually. It feels like a true comic book movie, but has a pretty thoughtful story that adults can enjoy as well.
Superman (2025) is truly a film made for all ages. I believe kids will enjoy watching this and have a good time with the action and some of the comedy, but adults will appreciate the film’s darker tones and themes. It has themes that everyone in the world needs to hear.
It comes down to one quote in the film that I adore: “Kindness is the new punk rock.” In an age full of argument, fighting, and political turmoil, I think everyone in the world could use a little bit of kindness. Even if it’s just walking down the street and smiling at someone or being nice to your server at a restaurant, those small acts go a long way.
A lot of movies nowadays want to show how screwed up the world is, and that has its time and place. But we still need movies that can show optimism and hope. I was genuinely moved by Superman’s speech at the end of the film, when he discussed how making mistakes is a human trait and that those are the greatest aspects of him.
He went on to say that getting up every day and trying to be a better person was what made him who he was. I believe many people need to hear this nowadays, and I think it’s a great message for kids to see as well.
I don’t know a ton about Superman. I enjoyed him as a kid, and I’ve enjoyed a couple of his films, but I felt that this was the true message of Superman as a character. In the film, you see a man from another planet come to terms with living in the real world. But he’s not perfect, and he makes plenty of mistakes. He owns up to it, and in Superman (2025), the world appreciates him for it.
Superman (2025) was definitely not perfect, as I believe they crammed a little bit too much into the film. I kept thinking this would be an awesome TV show or miniseries. There are a lot of great characters in Superman (2025). I don’t think any of them don’t work.
It’s just a lot in one movie and a lot of ground to cover. There are a lot of things being shoved down your throat, especially in the first hour of the film, and it can be hard to follow for people who have no idea who Superman is or don’t know much about him.
Unfortunately, that comes with them wanting to set up a new DC universe. They need to create as many characters as possible in this film so they can continue to make spinoffs and miniseries based on them. But I loved every character in the film, just about, so I look forward to seeing what’s next for them.
I think, even though Superman (2025) has its ups and downs, the overall message I got from it is what makes me feel so fondly about it. I felt like a kid in the movie theater again, watching a film that had such a positive message, and I was still thoroughly entertained.
I don’t want to call the movie a mixed bag, but I would definitely say it has a few things, such as bloating, that definitely hurt it. Some of the action scenes had a bit too much CGI, but there’s only so much you can do with that when you’re flying around and fighting monsters.
Superman (2025) really shines when it’s relying on his characters to act and bring these larger-than-life characters to life. They definitely did; the casting was great. I think this might be one of the best Superman films I’ve ever seen. I can definitely say this is my favorite Lois Lane I’ve seen.
One of my other small gripes is Lex Luthor. He’s definitely one of my favorite Superman villains, but I found that he was pretty close to stereotypical. The performance was pretty close to what Jesse Eisenberg did in that Zack Snyder universe, so it didn’t feel as fresh as it could’ve been. I would’ve liked to see a new Lex Luthor, who was more cunning and not just an over-the-top, nerdy douchebag.
Now he’s still an interesting character in the film, and I appreciated what they did with it. I just wish it was done a little bit differently, but it doesn’t change. Ultimately, that’s how I feel about the film. Like I said earlier, these are mostly small things I had with the film, and the good definitely outweighs them.
There are so many evil Superman spin-offs or characters like Homelander from The Boys that are an evil version of Superman. So it’s good to have a completely good Superman who isn’t perfect but tries his best. Also, we see a lot of Batman and how dark his world is, which I love. It’s great to see something else well done in the DCEU.
We need more positive films in today’s world, especially mainstream ones. I find that movies with this tone can sometimes come off as corny or over-the-top. But this time it felt like it was done very well and could be received by all ages, not just children. I was truly touched by it, not because I’m a massive comic book fan or a movie fan, but because I truly was inspired by Superman.
