Superman (2025)

Look Up in the Sky.....

Superman is back and this time he's directed by James Gunn who also helmed the Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy before switching sides in the superhero genre to now lead DC Studios and this is the FIRST official release now kicking off a brand new extended universe....hopefully.  There's a lot riding on this cinematic re-introduction to the Man of Steel (THAT film was the last time) and this time, he's played by David Corenswet (Twisters, We Own This City) in a story which takes place several years into this superhero's introduction to the world.  Once again, he also works at the Daily Planet alongside his secret love, intrepid reporter Lois Lane now played by Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and his arch nemisis is local Metropolis billionaire Lex Luthor played by Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max Fury Road, Warm Bodies, Nosferatu, The Menu).  But beyond a few other returning characters, everything else is VERY different from previous Superman movies....including the presence of other meta-humans on the planet, two living parents still back in Kansas, and....the live action introduction of Krypto the Dog?  It's time once again to find it we can STILL believe that a man can fly......

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

SUPERMAN - 2025

Directed by James Gunn

Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Skyler Gisondo, Isabela Merced, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Mikaela Hoover, Alan Tudyk, Sara Sampaio, Wendell Pierce, Zlatko Buric, Beck Bennett, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, Michael Ian Black, Neva Howell, and Pruitt Taylor Vince

Genre: Superhero Fantasy (Audio clip)

To declare this to be THE best Superman movie since Superman II is accurate but not exactly high praise...it also happens to be the first FULLY-REALIZED Superman movie in that time period as well. (Man of Steel came closest but not quite) And considering just how many different things director James Gunn tries to throw into this 130 minute superhero fantasy, that actually IS high praise. :) On paper, this movie should NOT work....it literally contains all of the common tropes which have littered most Marvel AND DC films alike over the past fifteen years:

- side characters with distractingly high power sets
 - large-scale urban destruction
 - meta-humor (not just meta-humans ;))
 - Easter eggs for other shows and/or films within this universe

And yet....because as its writer, Gunn keeps the narrative 100% focused on a relatively straightforward three-act structured plot with just ONE simple (if corny) theme, it holds together pretty well. Well that and it's anchored by three very strong performances at its core: Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and of course David Corenswet as the titular Superman/Clark Kent. Each of these characters are written in broad strokes but they're portrayed with plenty of passion and good timing to make it all work.

The chemistry between Corenswet and Brosnahan is undeniable and like most of the best relationships between different characters in this movie, they all feel pretty natural with minimal exposition to set them up. From minute one - with a sequence taking place up north which has already been heavily spoiled via trailers and released clips online over the past several months - this film just barrels forward with a confidence that is both disarming and admittedly a bit disorienting. 🤫

There's that Krypto dog, the Fortress of Solitude, and a team of Kryptonian robots (?) ready to heal our injured hero....and within 15 minutes, it's abundantly clear that Gunn is going for a more cartoonish tone and vibe which is NOT gonna work for everyone. 😮 Never having personally been a fan myself of most of his movies, I wasn't even really sure if I was initially on board. Oh there's JOKES, gags, banter, winks, etc....not all of them land but enough did to keep me smiling and intrigued.

And then fortunately the movie does slow down with the first of several clever and touching scenes between Lois and Clark. Even though we've already witnessed over-the-top villains AND heroes (besides Superman) within crazy 360 degree-viewed action sequences by this point. 😆 What this film demonstrates with those key relationship scenes and gratefully never loses its grasp of is the ONE key element which to me at least has always separated the best and worst of this now overcrowded superhero genre.....SINCERITY. It's key to any good story with fantastical elements and gratefully it's there not only in Corenswet's earnest-yet-playful performance but it's imbued within Hoult's rather tricky performance as Lex, making him an effective villain. 

And Brosnahan.....I have to admit that I haven't seen every incarnation of Lois Lane including the two more celebrated versions on TV. But she is definitely in the running for the best version of this character which I have seen on the big screen! Not only her relationship with our titular hero but I genuinely enjoyed all of back-and-forth, goings-on at the Daily Planet. :) This includes a scene-stealing performance from Skyler Gisondo (Booksmart!) as Jimmy Olsen! It's funny but even a running gag about HIS character would seem to be potentially grating on paper....but as with most of the sillier elements in this film, it's integrated well into the overall plot and never bogs things down.

That goes for Krypto the Dog too....yeah it's fairly obvious by this point that Gunn just LOVES hanging with his plucky overactive animal-adjacent side characters from Groot and Rocket Raccoon to King Shark. Me personally, I have not been a fan of these characters....sorry I even started finding Baby Yoda grating after a few episodes. 🙄 Well the rambunctious Krypto is in that grand tradition and....well at least he doesn't talk. 🤔 He was FINE....the rest of the audience was clearly eating him up more than I was. I'll say this: if they had capped his screentime a bit more, thus COULD have been on the level of Milo from The Mask! Alas a bit of Krypto goes a long way.....

But silliness aside, the action in this film was actually more propulsive than I expected.
 The flying LOOKS and sounds great and while there are the requisite number of fights with other otherworldly threats, the focus remains on what Superman is SUPPOSED to be focused on...SAVING PEOPLE! ;) There's a good balance of various types of action and even a couple of distinctive hero shots which don't completely ape those from previous Superman movies.

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film):

Wow what a herculean to task to even ATTEMPT to construct a distinctive new theme for a Superman movie….because the bar is just SO high.  You’ve got the classic John Williams them from the run starring Christopher Reeve – this is DEFINITELY among the elite all-time hero themes. (Audio clip) 

And in my opinion, the different more guitar-based theme from Hans Zimmer for Man of Steel?  Almost JUST as good….just a shame it wasn’t utilized more, even within Man of Steel. (Audio clip) 

So WHO could possibly follow up such two distinct acts?  Well in my opinion, Mr. Gunn chose wisely because Liverpool, England’s SECOND favorite son of music – yes behind The Beatles – John Murphy who coincidentally enough composed some of the more impressive scores for several Danny Boyle films, featured just recently during this podcast’s “Living for the Boyle” series.  You could even make a strong case for Murphy as a strong blending of the sounds of both Zimmer and Williams, bombastic orchestrations but with plenty of synth and guitar thrown in.  And while his new MAIN theme for Supes this time around sounds much closer to Williams’ with regards to the overarching melody, you can hear some of the Man of Steel sound too…..most notably in one track which we hear over part of the extended climax which I won’t DARE to spoil….but the title of this track should give you a hint, it’s called, “Look Up.” (Audio clip) 

I like but though I don’t LOVE the new main theme – it works overall to convey the majesty of the main character.  But if I had to select my favorite part of this score, it’s actually what I would presume could be the main theme for its villain….yes Mr. Lex Luthor. And yes it sounds VERY much like the theme to a Bond villain….we hear it early on as we now enter the main control room of his skyscraper headquarters in Metropolis and what’s especially cool about this introductory sequence is to get a full sense of the LAYOUT of this place – several techs at different stations controlling different aspects of the mechanized monster which is putting a beat-down on Superman at this moment.  With a well-tailored Lex strutting around this room barking different fight moves at techs, it has more of the energy of a high-pressure call center or stock trading boiler room….this synth-heavy track is called “LuthorCorp.” (Audio clip)  

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

Now not EVERY performance completely worked for me even with the overall sincerity intact. I have to say that whatever clearly non-Kansas accents Pa and Ma Kent (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell) are saddled with, they're often incomprehensible and even distracting at points. 🙄 Same with the super-bubbly vibe of Sara Sampaio who plays Lex' on again/off again girlfriend Eve Tessmacher - she's REALLY going for it for most of her screentime even as she becomes increasingly instrumental to the plot and.....the main driver for her character revolves around just how SELFIE-obsessed she is and it gets a bit repetitious and silly. 😒

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

As much as I enjoyed much of the high-flying action – including some cool treachery which I had not yet mentioned….from likely Lex’ main hench-person The Engineer played fiercely by Maria Gabriela de Faria – it still comes down to those more dialogue driven scenes between Lois and Clark….or Lois and Superman, well it’s more Superman in these cases but that’s ok.  My personal favorite comes roughly halfway into the movie I THINK at Clark’s high-rise apartment where Lois comes to visit and have a chat….he’s currently sitting in his Superman gear, it’s nighttime, and out the window is SOMETHING….resembling a incandescent light show but apparently it’s some kind of low-stakes fight between something otherworldly and the Justice Gang?? Look I’ve only seen this once so I can’t be sure as the explanation Clark provides was too short to recall….but the point is we see our two star-crossed lovers having a serious, extended conversation about not only where they are both at with regards to their relationship but Supes has to do next to counter the latest machinations from Mr. Luthor.  The dialogue is sharp, advancing the plot….and yet you CAN’T take your eyes off of what’s occurring out that window….SHOULD Superman be out there helping them?  It KINDA looks like it's under control….just a fun scene. 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

Even though I'm not personally down with every aesthetic or tonal choice he makes (including some creature and costume designs), I have to give major props to Gunn for delivering the most satisfying version of a James Gunn Superman epic possible!  For writing and directing this gem while also laying the groundwork for a potential new universe, Mr. Gunn is the clearcut MVP. 

Final Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Overall I just had a great time with this, better than I expected. It's bright, boisterous, and it bops at a such a breakneck pace that you rarely feel the seams of your typical superhero screenplay. Even some of THE best superhero films of recent years like The Batman or Black Panther or 'Across the Spiderverse.....they've each suffered a bit from too much plot. That's just not the case here and gratefully, this runs at least 10 to 15 minutes shorter than than the last two stand-alone Superman films.  Kudos once again to James Gunn for pulling it off!  Let’s just keep him away from Batman....yes I'm still FIRMLY behind letting Matt Reeves continue to do his thing and to just keep that universe separate. ;)

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And that ends another FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET review!