******SUPER-SPOILERS!******

My wife and I just saw “Superman” (2025), and I’m going to try to keep this review a lot shorter than most, because it’s too early, and too many have yet to see the movie for one of this column’s usual deep-dives. That said, there will be some spoilers, so with that, let’s get into writer-director James Gunn‘s take on this nearly 90-year old American icon…

Before I get into any specifics, this incarnation of the iconic superhero is much more kinetic, politically-opportune, and less emotionally resonant than Richard Donner’s “Superman: The Movie” (1978); which remains a timeless classic unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon.

In the opening moments of the film, several sentences of text explain to us that this is a universe where “metahumans,” aka superheroes, have been around for centuries, and that Superman (David Corenswet) came to our planet 30 years ago. After going public three years earlier, Superman remains the most powerful metahuman to date. This economic introduction gives us an instant DC universe, but it also makes Superman feel almost like a ‘special guest star’ in what’s more of a rebooted Justice League (aka “Justice Gang”) movie. Nathan Fillion (“Firefly,” “Serenity”) appears as a thoroughly dickish Green Lantern, Isabela Merced swoops in as Hawkgirl, while Edi Gathegi (“For All Mankind”) quietly steals the show as quiet badass Mr. Terrific. These are corporate-sponsored superheroes, à la “The Boys,” who exist in sharp contrast to Superman’s goodness-for-its-own-sake ethos.

Note: While the overly crowded villain and superhero landscape of the movie was a bit taxing, I would more than welcome a standalone “Mr. Terrific” movie. Edi Gathegi delivers his lines with the cool of a young Samuel L. Jackson.

We’re also told that this most powerful metahuman has just gotten his ass kicked after (temporarily) stopping a war in two familiar, yet fictional countries; a war in which he had no authority to insert himself, other than he hates the idea of people being mercilessly slaughtered. Superman is rescued by his unruly super-canine “Krypto” (a legacy from the comics) for the first of several times in the movie. Krypto belongs to super party girl Kara Danvers, aka Supergirl (Milly Alcock), who makes a late cameo in the film. This is a very crowded Superman movie, with too large an ensemble for more than just the core characters to really register as three-dimensional personae. The movie’s breakneck pacing really stuffs a lot into its 129 minute runtime.

Superman’s self-appointed impositions into world conflicts puts him at odds with this Daily Planet reporter colleague Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who is in a romantic relationship with Superman/Clark Kent, and who acts as something of a public relations sounding board; reminding him of how unethical his actions might be perceived. This Lois Lane’s journalistic tenacity reminded me of Bitsie Tulloch’s interpretation from “Superman & Lois” (2021-2024).

Despite the fine performances from Corenswet and Brasnahan, their characters feel less in love, and more like romantic frenemies. Sometimes it feels like more attention is paid to Superman’s relationship with rambunctious rescue super-pooch Krypto than to his relationship with Lois. Yes, Krypto is a funny, deus ex machina gag, though I wish more of the dog’s screen time had been devoted to Clark’s relationship with Lois. There’s also a very odd subplot between cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and Lex Luthor’s gang moll Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) that is ridiculous, but does serve a point.

More successful is Clark’s relationship with his adoptive parents, Jonathan Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and his wife, Martha (Neva Howell), which is put to the test once a damaged holographic message from Superman’s late biological father Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) is fully restored, revealing a far more tyrannical intent for his surviving Earthbound heir. Pruitt Taylor Vince really shines in what amounts to little more than a cameo role as the man who instilled his own cornfed morality into his super-powered adoptive son. Unfortunately, Martha isn’t given as much to do.

The movie’s fictional war (an on-the-nose foreshadowing of the Israel-Hamas war, combined with the Russian invasion of Ukraine), is being manipulated by oligarchical tech-bro genius/villain Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) for the simple reason that he wants the public to stop showering attention and gratitude on underdog champion Superman, because Luthor’s brilliant, yet painfully thin-skinned egomaniac wants all the accolades for himself. In that way, Luthor is both Musk and Donald Trump. Hoult delivers a powerhouse performance, and is quite possibly the best Lex Luthor in any incarnation of Superman to date (with Jon Cryer’s Lex in the CW’s “Supergirl” running a close second).

There is also much buzz about the movie’s refreshing random acts of kindness–something in short supply these days–with many quick shots of Superman dashing to save as many people as he can during the frenetic action sequences. He even rushes to save a squirrel. One of the more poignant bits in this whirlwind film involves a seemingly minor character named Malik (Dinesh Thyagarajan), a local food vendor who helps Superman up from a crater of his own making, after our hero falls to Earth during battle. Malik returns mid-movie for a gut-punching scene which personifies Superman’s greatest vulnerability; he suffers mightily when people die from his inability to save them. As painful as it was, I wish there were more moments like it, and more minor characters like Malik. It would’ve given this busy movie a bit more gravitas.

Much controversy surrounds the movie’s politics, and I certainly agree with the movie’s political messaging. I certainly appreciated that its heart was in the right place, as well. Superman, an alien refugee himself, makes a strong case for the contributions of undocumented immigrants. The movie also offers pithy commentary on the seemingly endless wars of the Middle East and in Eastern Europe. Granted, the movie was probably written well before the hideously destructive Israeli-Hamas war, though the movie’s fictional onscreen war feels all-too prescient.

The movie’s depiction of ICE-like goons using gestapo tactics isn’t subtle, nor is it meant to be. Lex Luthor is also an Elon Musk-placeholder, complete with his army of DOGE-like tech-bros. All of this reads as text, not subtext. Little attempt is made to dress any of it up in movie-guises, and the result feels as if the film is preaching furiously to the converted.  Those who need to hear the movie’s messages will simply ignore them anyway (or mindlessly dismiss them as ‘woke’), so the extra volume doesn’t help, sadly.

Before going to see this latest Superman movie, I heard so much about its optimism and odes to kindness, but I didn’t really feel those qualities very deeply in this crowded, video game-paced story. Much like an online gamer, Lex and his team even manipulate their mysterious “Ultraman” and other flying villains by shouting commands via headset and user controls. This gamer feel continues as Lex unleashes a fast-growing keiju monster (as you do) while he tends to his other dastardly deeds involving a secret ‘pocket universe.’ Once again, this is a wildly overstuffed toy box, that often goes for spectacle over depth.

Note: I won’t spoil the identity of “Ultraman,” but like many other characters in this crowded movie, the character’s revelation isn’t given the attention it’s due, either.

With a perfectly fine core cast and an exceptional Lex Luthor, I asked myself if “Superman” 2025 is a ‘bad’ movie or a waste of time. Not at all. The movie is certainly never boring, and its shorter-than-expected runtime doesn’t suffer the bloated pacing of the Snyderverse DC movies. However, this “Superman” just didn’t resonate as deeply with me as I hoped it would.  An army of characters are introduced, but only a few are developed. Wendell Pierce (“Malcolm X”) as Daily Planet editor Perry White is criminally underused. Even Superman himself spends quite a bit of screen time healing or out of action–to say nothing of his alter-ego, Clark Kent, who’s little more than a cameo. There is that great moment between Superman and his human dad, and it’s my favorite of the film; in fact, I wish there were more like it, but this hyperkinetic movie simply doesn’t make time for such things.

Every generation has their own favorite Superman; from Kirk Alyn in the late 1940s serials to Tyler Hoechlin in the underrated recent TV series, “Superman & Lois,” which was my second favorite incarnation of the character’s mythology, right behind Richard Donner‘s “Superman: The Movie.” Speaking of the Donner movie, John Murphy’s score sample bits from John Williams’ definitive “Superman” theme from 1978, though it’s reduced it to a motif, and never allowed to soar. Then again, it doesn’t really fit this particular movie, anyway.

For many fans, James Gunn’s “Superman” will be the answer to their Silver Age comics’ dreams. This is a fun, colorful, comic-book rollercoaster ride that’s well worth a look, though it lacks the majesty or depth of the 1978 movie. Old coots like myself will always have the Donner film to watch whenever we want, but this is the Superman movie for a new generation, and that’s exactly as it should be.

Up, up and away, indeed.

Where to Watch

James Gunn’s “Superman” is still in exclusive theatrical release at the time of this column. Because it’s a Warner/DC film, it’ll most likely make its eventual streaming debut on HBO-Max.