Superman (2025) is the hero we need during these times
The DC universe reboot is officially on its way with James Gunn’s version of superman and there is a lot to unpack with his depiction of the man of steel. These range from the heavy politics to the CGI.
is it better then the Snyder verse
For die hard fans of superman this film stays true to the real superman. James Gunn doesn’t just see the man of steel like Zack Snyder did but instead saw the symbol of peace which superman is. The film is filled with puns that just scream superman because he isn’t a serious man. Well he can be but when he’s superman and not Clark Kent he is this light hearted man who sticks up for the little guy. Now comparing this to the Snyder verse superman there are major changes. Zack Snyder’s superman is obviously a strict and hard man who is serious. You don’t really get to see the symbol of hope with this superman as Zack Snyder focuses on the brute strength of him and only see’s superman through the lens of the man of steel. So if you are going into this superman expecting him to be this then change your lens because James Gunn doesn’t do this.
The pros
One of the major pros of this film is the colour grading. This film is what a superman film should look like, bright colours even in the dark there are flares of colour. This colour grading really helps push the feelings of the symbol of hope as the colours fill you with joy and ease. The colours are never harsh or overwhelming during the film at all. Another thing I enjoyed was the fact the film starts in the middle of a battle. This is refreshing from most superman films with them always starting when he crashes and is found ext. This film lets the audience know what’s happening with short text giving basic information.
The film shows that superman isn’t always a winner as it shows him being beaten multiple times and needs help from the justice gang aka the future justice league. We are able to see his resilience with this as he constantly doesn’t give up to do what is right. The acting is incredibly well done with David Corenswet gives an authentic performance as superman and manages to portray both the serious and sweet sides of him, Rachel Brosnahan also gives a great performance as Lois. However who really steals the show is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. He manages to portray Luthor’s hatred for superman so well and manages to steal the attention of the audience every time he appears on screen.
Negatives
One of the major issues with this film is that there is so much there isn’t enough runtime to fully develop all of these characters. Due to the amount of characters in this I felt that the development of Superman and Lois relationship felt lackluster with them not really having enough screentime to push their relationship a lot. I will say that the chemistry between David and Rachel is so amazing it felt like a real. The CGI in this film is bad at times with it taking you out of the moment to go well that doesn’t look that great however majority of the time it was done quite well.
superman is the political hero
Superman in himself is extremely political with him being basically an immigrant to earth and the USA. James Gunn takes this to a new level with using language that people use to immigrants in this film. Words such as alien is used in a context to degrade superman and make him seem lesser than because he’s not from earth and while yes he is an alien the context makes it so important. James also carries the theme of Palestine and Israel. Its heavily implied with so many parallels to it that I cant go to deep into without spoiling however this invasion in the film can also be compared to the Uranian and Russia conflict. Overall this film is extremely political so don’t be shocked to see this be review bombed people.
Overall superman is for the fans and is unapologetic about that. While it might not be the best as it does have its faults the film stays true to the comics. Overall I would give this film a 4.5/5 maybe even a 5 but go and watch it and form your own opinions.