Superman (2025) Film Review: James Gunn's attempted reboot is a disappointing disaster
- reeltalkin'
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Written and directed by the man behind the acclaimed and beloved Guardians of the Galaxy (2014 - 2023) trilogy comes a fresh take on the legendary caped crusader, Superman. The film is the first in the newly titled DC Universe, Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
In this latest adventure, Superman (David Corenswet) must reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as news reporter, Clark Kent, whilst also proving to the world that he is their protector, as the fiendish billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) conducts a plan to turn public opinion against him and all metahumans on Earth.
Arguably one of the most anticipated summer blockbusters of the year, the film bolstered effective marketing with an exciting teaser trailer, which piqued general audience interest surrounding the return of one of the world's most famous comic book superheroes to the big screen.
However, despite the appeal of a promising director at the helm and the intrigue of kick-starting another cinematic universe, 2025's Superman is ultimately a failure in crafting a coherent narrative and squanders any untapped potential with an almost insufferable tonal imbalance and overall poor directorial choices.
The above outlined synopsis only covers the bare minimum of the film's cluttered plot, which features an overcrowded cast of colourful characters and narrative threads that struggle to compete for much-needed screen time. The movie juggles way too much, from Superman's internal conflicts involving his complicated relationship with the savvy, no nonsense Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and the true nature of his biological parents, as well as attempting to justify his political stance in the world as Earth's ultimate protector and prove the likes of Luthor wrong, to introducing a whole new superhero team, known as the Justice Gang.
From the very beginning, where a relay of opening captions provides exposition regarding the current timeline of the titular character, viewers are quite literally thrown into the middle of the action with little to no build-up. On the one hand, it's refreshing that Gunn chooses not to rehash the well-known origin story of Superman, which has been covered multiple times in other onscreen versions of the comic books.
However, the reliance on simply telling audiences the narrative context feels lazy and unengaging. It is as though we are missing a vital first act to properly introduce and develop the characters and adequately build up the world, resulting in an empty viewing experience, which simply relies on the icon of the superhero, where we are expected to care for the characters without the sufficient groundwork laid out beforehand.
Similarly, the pacing of the film is generally poorly handled. Events quite literally fly by as the movie struggles to prioritise its many plot threads, leading to scenes feeling rushed, which is further hampered by cringeworthy, forced humour and badly integrated one-liners. The script is definitely lacklustre, with some good dialogue emphasising the charm of the titular character and natural banter with his friends, but the majority of attempts at humour fall flat due to their misplacement in otherwise darker, more serious sequences, or simply detracting from an action set piece.
Without giving away any spoilers, the film's final act reverts to the typical CGI-heavy, shaky cam fest viewers are well accustomed to from the genre, lacking any originality or real sense of stakes, as our heroes and villains have not been awarded enough development to justify our emotional engagement.
Regarding the film's visual aesthetic, the majority of the special effects for the battle and flying sequences are solidly serviceable. Similar to well-flagged problems plaguing Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013), the camera tends to whip pan whilst Superman takes flight and is often shot in extreme close-up, making it difficult to clearly make out the intricacies of the fights.
The addition of Krypto the Superdog is also a bit of a mixed bag, as although the canine provides a handful of sweet moments with his chaotic energy and loyal devotion to his master, the (understandable) reliance on CGI is unfortunately a constant distraction. The majority of the movie's overall look is quite bland, with no standout shots jumping to mind, other than an admittedly warm, inviting tone established when Clark returns to his adopted parents' idyllic farmhouse.
John Williams' iconic Superman theme is utilised and reimagined by composers David Fleming and John Murphy; however, the original score does not leave a strong impression and exists as a generic superhero movie soundtrack, relying on a simple, hollow repeat of the familiar Williams fanfare.
Fortunately, David Corenswet makes a positive impression as this more light-hearted take on the character, complete with a strong physicality and a combination of believable charm and a noble moral compass. Hoult is clearly having a lot of fun playing the villainous Lex Luthor, but the sloppy writing seriously lets the actors down here.
It is difficult to buy into the supposed deep connection that Clark has with Lois, as their literal first scene together results in a heated argument, painting Superman in quite the unattractive light, and he can sometimes come across as too cocky, with Luther also displaying confusing moments of childish outbursts which greatly hinder his sense of threat.
All in all, Superman (2025) is a clear-cut example of style over substance. Although the movie provides flashy fun and is speedy in its execution, its baffling tone and forced attempts at humour fail to cover up the film's many issues. Quite simply: the movie is a huge mess. Too many characters, plot contrivances, and not enough focus on the titular character himself.
It is difficult not to compare this iteration to Richard Donner's classic 1978 Superman. Whilst by no means perfect, showcasing notable campy elements and shaky production qualities which were very much products of the time, the film revolustionised the superhero movie genre and set the precedent for decades to come by crafting an engaging story of epic proportions, which respected its source material and featured the pitch perfect of Christopher Reeves in the leading role. Gunn's latest offering lacks the substance and sincerity that made the original film the hugely influential success it was.
Hopefully, future installments in this new DC cinematic universe are more promising!
Check out the trailer for Superman (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!