Superman (2025): A Review
First things first, a little context into me as a avid movie go-er. I used to absolutely LOVE superheros and movies about them. That was until the movie industry stopped taking risks, and mass produced barely fleshed out characters. I got bored very quickly, and haven't really watched any superhero movies since Marvel's Endgame, and their TV show about Sam Wilson becoming the new Captain America (and tbh, Sam Wilson is probably my favorite Marvel character overall aside from Spiderman, the people's princess).
The Story - My Thoughts/A Brief Overview
All of the above being said, I really enjoyed this movie. Within the first 9 minutes I knew that this was my next review. I'm not gonna lie, I used to really think that Superman was an incredibly boring superhero, just kinda basic, he can fly and shoot lasers, big deal. But this movie really humanized him in such an interesting way. The opening painstakingly shows how badly Superman lost his last fight, telling the audience that this movie isn't going to be about Superman just going up against a "Big Bad" but more about how he's still figuring out how to be a hero. He even runs back into the fight after not being at 100% because that's all he knows. He isn't changing his strategy, and we can see why its getting him hurt.
Then to find out that this is war between Janhanpur and Bovaria is actually privatized, Lex Luthor being at the heart of it. Wow, just so incredibly relevant, and depicted in such a crushing way. Superman, a symbol of hope and kindness is framed as a "dangerous alien." Lex Luthor even going as far to call him an "it," or a "piece of shit alien." What an incredibly relevant sentiment as well. Throughout this movie it felt oddly familiar, and I can't help but think its because it's very apparent in the sentiments toward Mexican in the US right now. My father is a Mexican Immigrant, and in these terrifying times of ICE raids, racism, and intense police brutality, hearing Luthor say these terrible things feels so real. It feels so close to home, that I think it makes this whole movie feel so much more authentic. The director and writers actually had a story to tell instead of banking on the Superman name alone.
After Superman is called back to metropolis to prevent the entire Earth from being swallowed up by a black hole, he can't be there to help the Janhanpurian people fight for their independence. However, even without him, they rise up for themselves. Even the music swelling as they raise a flag with his symbol as their icon of hope. This movie is also unafraid to show a terrified child, taking on the flag himself, holding it up and whispering Superman's name despite an armed man aiming right for him. What a devastating visual given all of the terrible atrocities happening in Palestine, Sudan, and the Congo.
Overall, this movie felt like it truly understood Superman as a character and an icon of kindness and hope. It made this movie feel so refreshing and optimistic especially given the world right now. What an incredible movie.
The Characters
Clark Kent/Kal-el/Superman (I mostly call him Clark lol)
I was honestly a little worried coming into this movie that Clark would come off as this otherworldly "above it all" character. That he would be incredibly zen about everything and think logically above all else. But the fact that he gets upset, pouts, and even pettily annoyed, makes him so much more human and more interesting as a character.
It also makes it that much more compelling to see him place himself between danger and the innocent. He's not doing it because he can, nor for attention, he does it because he cares. He does it because he knows its the right thing to do, every person he meets he trusts and finds beautiful (as even Lois Lane points out). Therefore, it is personal to him to save people no matter who it is.
This is incredibly well highlighted when it comes to his fight choreography throughout the movie. Especially highlighted in his fight against the giant monster in the middle of Metropolis. Clark focuses on saving other people more than anything, he tried to prevent mass building destruction, save people from fire, from being stepped on. My favorite example of this is when he learns the monster can breathe fire. As soon as he sees it almost hit citizens in an office building, Clark adapts and has the monster look up further and attack solely himself. This directs the fire completely out of the way of any bystanders. Clark even goes out of his way to save a squirrel during this fight, showing us that it doesn't matter who it is, if he can save them he will. He truly believes it is his duty to serve the people of Earth, and that is what he will do.
Clark is also unafraid to call out others as well, he yells at the Justice Gang for nearly getting a little girl killed due to their recklessness. In fact, the Justice Gang really reminds me of the joke:
It becomes even more apparent that Clark is different from the Gang when he comments on how they handled the killing of the monster. Clark wanted to take it to an intergalactic zoo, or to at least euthanize it in a less painful way. Whereas the Gang basically dismisses the thought. On top of that, when the crowd of civilians surrounds both the Justice Gang (JG) and Superman, children run right up to Clark, hugging him, climbing all over him, whereas no one really approaches any members of the JG. Its clear that the city loves Clark, thinking of him as one of their own.
Even while the entire city lashes out at Clark later, while his entire reputation is destroyed, he doesn't fight back. He simply walks away as he too is completely freaked out by the end of the message his biological parents sent him to Earth with. He doesn't want to rule over the people of Earth like his parents say he should, his overall reaction of needing isolation is painfully human. A life changing discovery like that would shut anyone down.
At the end of the movie, after Clark takes down all of the obstacles between him and Lex Luthor, they come face to face. Superman doesn't need to punch or hurt him, he simply says that his humanity, his fear, his love, his ability to make mistakes is his power. He even hopes that one day Lex realizes that it is his too. Clark IS as human as anyone is, just how you and I are.
This is emphasized when he interacts with his parents. His Pa telling Clark that it is the choices that he makes that makes you who you are, not who your parents are. GOD I LOVE THAT PA CRIES, HES SO SWEET I LOVE SEEING MEN CRY IN MEDIA. I love his southern parents so much, they genuinely love and care for him so sweetly. Then for the movie to end with the photos and videos of his real parents, the ones who raised him, instead of the recording his bio parents sent him to earth with had me SOBBING.
Side note: I love that when Krypto mauls the absolute shit out of Luthor, Clark is just standing there going "oh gosh, Krypto drop him!" Cant beat that southern disposition.
Lois Lane
I absolutely love this portrayal of Lois Lane. She is an established fleshed out character right out the gate. She is unafraid to call Clark on his shit, and to hold him accountable throughout her interview with him. I love that she's a cynic, that she questions everything, even things Clark does as Superman. She provides a really great balance to the movie, her even being astonished by how Clark can manage to trust anyone no matter who it is. She sees the strength in that ability while also understanding how vulnerable it makes him.
I love that this version of her is also far more rebellious, she will go to superheros, people who could hurt her and tell them exactly what she thinks. She sees the differences between her and Clark even saying she's "just some punk rock kid from Bakerline" and he's "Superman." But her dynamic with Clark is what makes them work. He thinks that radical kindness is just as rebellious or "punk rock" as cynicism is.
This duality works so well in the movie overall, someone can be radically kind while also understanding that not everyone in the world is good, that sometimes killing or harming people is necessary. This is especially true when it comes to killing the President of Boravia. Hawk Girl just kill the bad guy, and its not seen as a bad thing, its portrayed as a victory. This movie just kills the warlord, fascist, genocidal freak. How refreshing.
Additionally, I love that Lois doesn't kiss Clark before he leaves to turn himself in to the government. Instead, she simply hugs him. Their bond is so much deeper and important to her than simply dating, they are truly connected. This helps the flying kiss they share at the end of the movie feel even more deserved. Not just kissing for the sake of "getting the girl."
This version of Lois Lane was so fun and so refreshing to watch. She didn't come off as "not like other girls" nor as a damsel in distress, she felt truly authentic.
Lex Luthor
Holy shit this version of Lex Luthor was incredible. Truly what a devastating and fun villain. The movie beginning with him winning a fight against Superman is such an interesting and cool way to break the typical superhero movie routine. In the average superhero movie, we see the villain doing villain things away from the hero, until they meet and face off. The hero typically loses this first fight, then comes back stronger to win. However, the story instead begins with the first fight, losing, AND coming back just to lose AGAIN. What a unique way to both raise the stakes of the movie and to flip audience expectations.
Then to have Luthor break into Superman's headquarters with terrifying ease and rapidness. How terrifying he becomes as an opponent. Down to the fight choreography done during this break in. Luthor doesn't even break a sweat nor dodge as his team takes down the robots protecting the lair AND Krypto the dog.
Luthor's intelligence being his weapon is not new, however the ruthlessness behind his intelligence is so severe in this film. It makes him an even bigger threat early in the movie. He essentially kidnaps Clark to a pocket dimension where he has sole power over, as shown through the giant prison he keeps there. He even thinks to put The Element Man, Rex into the cage with Clark. Luthor uses Rex as a weapon, making him form kryptonite to legitimately torture Clark. The complete brutality of Luthor as a villain made the stakes of this movie feel much greater than other "Big Bads" in other superhero movies. What makes this even more viscous is how Luthor threatens to kill Krypto, and to show how Rex is being held captive just as Clark is. Rex's son being held ransom in the cell across from him shows just how truly evil Lex Luthor is. His power surrounds Clark from all angles, creating the feeling that he will strangle him eventually.
Then just as you think it can't get any worse or more brutal, he brings in Mali. This is a calculated move, Luthor knows that it doesn't matter who he takes, Superman won't let an innocent person die. Mali, a sweet man who gave Superman free food once, and tried to help him up after being injured at the beginning of the film. It hurt to see him there, and even worse for him to tell Clark "don't tell him [Lex Luthor] anything, I don't have family or anyone." He is so willing to die so immediately, just because he knew Superman was a good man, and appreciated the good he did in the world. What an incredibly impactful character for being on screen only twice. Then when Lex does in fact murder Mali, it feels so much more painful. Like holy shit, I genuinely gasped at the visceral scream Clark lets out.
The beginning of Lex Luthor's downfall in the movie is what really cemented this as an incredibly well written film. It was his own inhumanity when it came to killing Mali. It caused Rex to feel immense guilt, and instead helps Clark escape the prison. The way that this movie goes out of its way to show the humanity and beauty in almost every single side character no matter how big or small was beautiful. It really made the clear divide of Lex/the Bovarian/his goons much more jarring. The complete lack of empathy vs humanity.
Toward the end of the movie with the attempted murder of Clark Kent, while the nanobots are filling his lungs, and infiltrating his brain and eyes was so incredibly hard to watch. (Note: Clark flying straight up so they have to free him too shows off how he's so genuinely intelligent. )
Luthor is still managing to push just how barbarous he is as an opponent, and I have never felt so genuinely distressed by a villain like I did watching him. He set incredibly high stakes and keeps delivering on them. Although Clark survives the nanobots, watching them come out of his mouth so painstakingly added to the overall horror.
All of these terrible and horrifying things come to a head when it is revealed that the soldier, Ultraman, under Lex Luthor's control was in fact, Clarks CLONE was an absolutely insane twist. I did not expect that shit at all (I know this happens in the comics or whatever but still I just didn't think that it would happen. I just assumed like robot or something). Then for Luthor to say "brain beats brawn," a sentiment I have found myself rooting for in the past, felt so disgusting. His twisting of the idea that anyone can be powerful even if they aren't strong, into how he will use that for horrendous purposes truly left me feeling gross. Then, the clone fight is such a fun and logical way to have a close fight with superman, raising the stakes further. Then for him to have the advantage because hes kind enough to make friends, to take in a foster dog as he calls Krypto, and to be smart enough to destroy the cameras that help the clone fight, makes him a truer hero than it makes Lex Luthor smart or devious.
(NOTE: MALI BEING FEATURED IN THE NEWSPAPER AS A HERO AT THE END OF THE MOVIE I LOVE)
Mr. Terrific (he's literally my favorite character omg)
I needed to add a quick section about this absolute diva. I love him. He is so intelligent, he carries so many of the major problems in this movie, while also being HILARIOUS.
The comically long garage door scene took me OUT. He had such a fun and strong characterization that made him so likeable immediately. My favorite example is when he casually mentions how he puts nanobots in everyone's bloodstream. Its so silly because yes its a weird invasion of privacy but its nice that he worries about his friends and wants to be able to locate them in emergencies.
Then when he and Lois go to save Clark from the pocket dimension, Mr. Terrific has to fight a bunch of soldiers. He quickly puts a protective field around Lois while "5 Years Time - Noah and The Whale" plays. This fight was as funny as it was well choreographed. There is no fat in the fight, just pure, lean, straight-up action. It wasn't unnecessarily long, and serviced in further developing Mr. Terrific as a great superhero. (plus his dynamic with Lois was so fun to watch, "circles?" "they're T spheres, cirlces are flat." LMAO my poor man was so exasperated)
The Humor!
I NEEDED to mention how well written all of the jokes in this movie were. It was so subtle and authentic, sprinkled throughout the movie without feeling disingenuous. Below is a list of my favorite jokes/bits:
THE IMP FIGHT happening in the background of an emotional scene. Love the random chaos that also adds beautiful color to the film.
The GIANT amount of sugar Lois puts in her coffee
The monkey bots rage farming and coming up with #supershit, incredible.
Just all of the Krypto shenanigans, ESPECIALLY when Supergirl appears LOL, Krypto SLAMMING her head into the ground had me CACKLING. It explained SO much.
The Music
The Superman theme was used so strategically, not overused and emphasized such incredible moments. The entire soundtrack was incredible and felt so connected to the character of Superman.
My favorite instance of this is after he saves a woman from being crushed under a building in the last act of the movie. He appears out of the dust, the sun shining behind him, and his theme swelling. Such a beautiful depiction of hope.
Finally, the way that the video of his bio parents change to his actual parents with the song "Punk Rocker" playing was SO iconic. He truly is punk rock, and this song is a wonderful call back to that idea, while also capturing his exact tone. Superman isn't harsh, loud, nor angry like how typically people imagine "punk rockers" to be. This song is gentle, hopeful, cheerful. It is a simple and genuine message, Clark is just a man trying his best, and will keep that hope alive by being punk rock.
The Visuals
Say what you want about green screen, but I really loved the use of it in this movie. The way that the CGI and green screen work together to give this movie an almost cartoon-y, surreal feeling is so fun. All the fights look so visually interesting, the choreography was really amazing. The way that these two elements work together to make the fights involving superman look less gritty, like how a lot of modern super hero movies are, it looks a little more jaunty, more adventurous and fun than nail-biting or necessarily "plausible". And honestly, that's a relief, its fun to just watch Superman do his other worldly fighting without it having to look "realistic". Although for the more depressing/brutal fights and shots the CGI instead works to show the grandness or the complete visceral nature of the fights. This is less gritty or real, and still rather meant to be impossibly grand.
THIS MOVIE IS SO COLORFUL! I know everyone and their mother's have been saying that about this movie but wow, its so true. Every shot, even the ones with mundane backgrounds, have so much color. Like look at the comparison photos below:
The first is a clip from Superman, the other two are from marvel movies. Just the saturation alone is so much brighter in Superman, and the fact that the director/costume design team gave all of the extras actually colorful clothes is so much more visually interesting than the flat greys Marvel employs. Even in the image where multiple heros are shown, their colors are muted and "realistic." And while that type of movie has it's own merits, I can't say that it doesn't feel a little overdone at times.
While superman is being arrested and taken to bolivia/peacewatch detainment, he is the only thing with bright colors for like the first time in the movie and its so hard to see. It almost hurts to see this man, who is literally trying his best, get restrained somewhere so depressingly devoid of life.
His colors persist throughout the entire movie, even in the darkest times, in the pits under the city after he nearly dies, his suit is still shining brightly.
POST CREDITS:
Clark's little interaction with Mr. Terrific is just so funny and sweet. Mr. Terrific getting offended by Clark and kicking a rock while pouting cracked me up. Then for the scene to end with Clark just saying "darn it i can be such a jerk sometimes."
Such a fun little extra piece of Clark humanity.
Author's Note
If you read all of that thank you so much. I really loved that this superhero movie had such a relevant message. I wanted to talk about it mainly because I really hope it inspires others to write films like this instead of banking on the marketability of the name alone. This felt like such a refreshing update to Superman, and really cemented him as one of my favorite superheros. This was truly a beautiful movie, and I only hit a couple main points. It has so many fun little pieces of humor, musical beauty, and writing choices. If you haven't watched it I highly recommend you do.
Thanks again! And if there is another movie you want me to write about/watch please comment it below. :)
