James Gunn’s rendition of Superman will leave you confused and angry as you attempt to understand how much money, production, and time can produce such a bad movie.
By Brad Bowling
From the very first frame of the movie Superman, we see a beaten up, broker superhero. And the movie literally gets worse from there.
Superman is a 2025 American superhero film based on the eponymous character from DC Comics. Written and directed by James Gunn, it is the first film in the DC Universe (DCU) produced by DC Studios and the second reboot of the Superman film series.
David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. The film attempts to reintroduce the character to us with a few new wrinkles, but it fails to deliver on any level.
David Corenswet is an acceptable actor to play the role of Superman. He is tall, good-looking, and has great hair. But the movie fails to show him as anything other than a less capable superhero who gets beaten up for almost the entire movie.
As you watch the film, you hope to see him do heroic things that remind you of the power of the character. But what you get to watch is the universe’s most powerful superhero get destroyed repeatedly to the point where you almost lose respect for the character.
Your respect flips to Lex Luthor, played by Anthony Carrigan, based on his ability to dominate the screen. He does an amazing job as the villain of the film. Luther has such control over Superman that you unknowingly begin to appreciate the villain.
Do not get me started on the horrible choice for Superman’s earthly parents, or his stupid conversations with Lois Lane, or the darn super dog that does not listen to any commands.
The movie is frustrating because it fails to even explain most of the plot. There are so many gaps in the storyline and unexplained occurrences that you begin to beg for any part of the movie to be to your liking.
There are some small wins for Superman. However, they appear so few and far between that they are gone as soon as they appear on screen.
The film must have been made with children in mind because any adult who has any sort of relationship with the character will feel cheated by this latest attempt at Superman.
The sad part is the expectation of the average moviegoer has been lowered to a standard where we just want to be entertained for two hours. We no longer expect great character development, or throughout plots that allow you to escape into the world you are watching.
We no longer dream about becoming the characters you see on screen. We understand that whoever is writing and making these films lacks the imagination to provide us with the kind of storytelling we used to get.
But this film does not even connect the dots. The who, why, what, and where are void in Superman. And if you do have some level of understanding as to how a creature can start off in a small box, only twelve hours later become the size of a 40-story building, then you are a genius.
My advice is to get the snack package that includes some cool stuff, because that is going to be the best part of watching Superman. Outside of that, maybe there is a poster sitting at a table somewhere as you walk out. Other than that, prepare to be disappointed.
