Spoilers Superman (2025) Grade and Discussion

[Gaith]

A very odd movie. Feels like a mashup of Man of Steel and Black Adam, of all flicks, plus Gunn's signature weirdness, of course. Probably the best live-action Superman movie yet, though I haven't seen III or IV, but it's still only mid; could definitely have used at least five fewer minutes of crashy-bangy towards the end. It does feel that its heart is mostly in the right place, apart from a very weird comedic runner about a certain female character. Grade: I'm seesawing between B- and C+... I liked the style and bright colors, but suspect that without the novelty factor, repeat viewings would prove underwhelming, so... C+ it is. Still not as good as any of the Thors.

That said, if Hoult grew up watching Smallville, and was inspired by Michael Rosenbaum's performance, while he's certainly a known actor, he isn't as big an actor as Spacey and Eisenberg were when they played Lex, so... why not just hire Rosenbaum himself? The guy could use a break, and if J.K. Simmons can cross multiverses as J.J. Jameson, why not Rosenbaum?!

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Saw it earlier today. Really enjoyed it.

 

[Guy Gardener]

A very odd movie. Feels like a mashup of Man of Steel and Black Adam, of all flicks, plus Gunn's signature weirdness, of course. Probably the best live-action Superman movie yet, though I haven't seen III or IV, but it's still only mid; could definitely have used at least five fewer minutes of crashy-bangy towards the end. It does feel that its heart is mostly in the right place, apart from a very weird comedic runner about a certain female character. Grade: I'm seesawing between B- and C+... I liked the style and bright colors, but suspect that without the novelty factor, repeat viewings would prove underwhelming, so... C+ it is. Still not as good as any of the Thors.

That said, if Hoult grew up watching Smallville, and was inspired by Michael Rosenbaum's performance, while he's certainly a known actor, he isn't as big an actor as Spacey and Eisenberg were when they played Lex, so... why not just hire Rosenbaum himself? The guy could use a break, and if J.K. Simmons can cross multiverses as J.J. Jameson, why not Rosenbaum?!

Because Michael would rather dance naked in Times Square than ever shave his head again?

I'm up to season 5 of Talkville, the Ultimate Smallville rewatch podcast, and shit does this Clyde like to complain about the daily buzz cut they used to force on him.

 

[Starkers]

Saw it yesterday afternoon and for me it sneaks a B+. I'll caveat this by saying I've never been the biggest Superman fan in the world but I would group this with Superman and Superman II. I actually liked Man of Steel (and I am really not a great fan of Snyder) but this is far better than that, and infinitely better than Superman Returns which is weirdly bland.

I thought Corenswet was really good, a little smug in places and nowhere near as good as Reeves in essaying the two halves of Kal-El's life on Earth (i.e. he's better as Supes than Clark). The only thing I found jarring is how much he looks like Ethan Peck!

Brosnahan was also good, but again she just kept reminding me of other people (I was getting a definite Courtney Cox vibe from her). It's good Lois got to do some actual journalism.

Really liked Gisondo as Jimmy, always liked him since Santa Clarita Diet. Did feel a tad uneasy about his 'relationship' with Eve. Glad that Eve was much smarter than she looked but it is still weird that the film put two bimbo-ish characters front and centre (I get that there's more to Cat than looks but we didn't get to see it, she's just there bouncing in her top, she doesn't do anything.)

Hoult was good, and any issues I had with Lex were down to the script rather than his performance. And boy do I have issues. I'm sorry but he was an idiot. Leaving the baby you're using as leverage against Rex Mason in clear view of Rex and close enough that obviously a restored Superman could hop across in seconds was Dr Evil levels of dumb. Gunn tried to make this not as easy a get out for Supes as it could have been but it still felt clunky.

The Justice Gang were fun, I especially liked Terrific, but early doors I assumed they were rivals of superman rather than allies. I just think that could have been clearer.

Ultraman was interesting but he looked too much like Black Noir. Terrific's ship looked a lot like Nite Owl's and whilst the Krypto/Lex scene was fun it was, let's be honest, just Hulk smushing Loki from the Avengers.

I can't even be bothered to get into the optics of the incredibly clunky/reductive Boravia/Jarhanpur conflict.

So very enjoyable if flawed, didn't really give me anything I haven't seen before but was very well put together and nicely cast and when she music swelled and Superman saved the day, well I can't say that didn't get me right in the feels.

 

[Mudd]

I know a guy who was an ardent supporter of Snyder and was part of the "release the Snyder cut movement". When he started praising non Snyder stuff such as The Flash movie and later James Gunn he was inundated with messages of hate to that point that it soured him on the whole movement he was once part of.


Too right. I don't understand how such a pure and hopeful character like Superman could have such vitriolic supporters.

The real nutcases are Snyder fans, not Superman fans. Look at enough of his movies and you can get a sense of where their heads are at.

 

[Gaith]

Because Michael would rather dance naked in Times Square than ever shave his head again?

He'd happily do it just to get a chance to be in serious consideration for the part, and we both know it.

Though I gotta say, it was good seeing you onscreen at last.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

You know what the studios could do to improve their chances of making a profit? Not spend $200 million on every movie.

Inflation is a thing with movie budgets, too. 200 million in 2025 is not the same as 200 million in 2015, or even just 2019.

 

[Aragorn]

I don't understand how such a pure and hopeful character like Superman could have such vitriolic supporters.

When the first X-Men movie was being made, there were a lot of alleged die hard X-Men fans complaining about a gay actor playing Magneto. Think about that one for a moment.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

When the first X-Men movie was being made, there were a lot of alleged die hard X-Men fans complaining about a gay actor playing Magneto. Think about that one for a moment.

In today's climate, it would be a lot worse, unfortunately.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Inflation is a thing with movie budgets, too. 200 million in 2025 is not the same as 200 million in 2015, or even just 2019.

I just did a quick search online.
Gone with the Wind, the highest grossing movie of all time, cost $3.85 million to produce with another $3 million in post-production and marketing. Total cost $7 million.
In today's market GWTW would cost $85 to $152 million dollars to make.

 

[The Realist]

In today's market GWTW would cost $85 to $152 million dollars to make.

Still relative peanuts compared to a lot of modern blockbusters, yet the film remains as sweeping and grand in feel as any ever made.

 

[Gaith]

Still relative peanuts compared to a lot of modern blockbusters, yet the film remains as sweeping and grand in feel as any ever made.

So much stuff was cheaper back then (land rentals, materials cost, labor rates, insurance for stunt persons, etc.) that I'm not sure any mere inflation adjustment can be at all useful.

 

[rocketscientist]

So I saw the film again, this time with my 14 year old son. A few more observations.

1. My son, who has beautiful red hair (and yes, it was a big surprise since my wife and I are blonde and brunette, respectively, and our folks are/were the same), pointed out that Guy's hair is blond, not strawberry blonde, as I thought it was, and definitely not red. I think Gunn might be against gingers! Guy is one of only 4 DC heroes who has red hair: Guy Gardner (Green Lantern), Wally West (Flash), Roy Harper (Arsenal/Red Arrow), and, I think, Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man). He should've been a definite red head! And he should've been wearing his GL uniform with the giant boots!

2. My asked me why Metamorpho was so whiny and wimpy. I had this same observation earlier, but I was surprised he had it too, since he hasn't read my Justice League Europe/International comics. I asked him what he was basing his criticism on and he said it was the animated Justice League episode where Metamorpho's origin was featured. I told him he was right, that Metamorpho was tough and grouchy, kind of like the Fantastic Four's Thing. Gunn decided to make him very sensitive.

3. BTW, I didn't care for the way Joseph Mason, Metamorpho's baby son, looked. They should've made him look more like a real baby.

4. Finally, on hearing Jor-El and Lara's message again, I just think something might be up with that. I mean, Jor-El was encouraging his son to kill dissenters his mom wanted him to establish a harem. I was thinking of the various depictions of Superman's parents over the years. The Byrne version of Krypton was very inhuman but I got the sense that Jor-El, while wanting his son to know his Kryptonian culture, had no ill designs on earth itself. There was an Elseworlds where the Kryptonians conquered earth, for its own good, but, again, this was the more inhuman version of Krypton. As depicted in the film, Jor-El and Lara are together and profess their hope and love for their son. It's a hard sell seeing as that compassion can't extend to other sentients. Sure, they might think, compared to Krypton we're warlike and savage, but I think the previous depictions were more logical, and, obviously, more inspirational. It just seems contrary to the whole meaning of Superman's crest, which stands for hope.

This makes me think that the message was tampered with. In the movie, they say it's genuine, but, again, if Brainiac or the Eradicator, a Kryptonian AI was behind it, I doubt human experts could pick it up.
Anyway, I hope this is the case, as it would fix the incongruity of Superman's Kryptonian parents and lead directly to the introduction of Brainiac or the Eradicator.

 

[Mudd]

It is clearly meant by the writer to be true, which is why it's framed the way it is. What might or might not be hypothetically true of non-existent alien technology is not important in contrast to what the creator chooses to be true.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

This makes me think that the message was tampered with. In the movie, they say it's genuine, but, again, if Brainiac or the Eradicator, a Kryptonian AI was behind it, I doubt human experts could pick it up.

Another possibility would be that the message we saw is what exists in the Kryptonian computers that Superman has onsite at the Fortress of Solitude, at one time corrupted but now recovered. However, this is not what Jor-El and Lara ever said in history. The out would be that the message that came to Earth with Kal-El in the first place was false.

In other words, the out would be that what we saw is authentic, because the message was only ever that, but it is not a genuine recording of anything Superman's parents ever said.

Personally, I'm not emotionally invested one way or another. But generally speaking, I like new takes, if the essential elements aren't undermined.

Looking back to Superman (1978), the climax depends upon Superman disobeying Jor-El. We aren't presented with a malicious Jor-El, but we are presented with one whose ideals not to interfere in human history are beliefs that Kal-El ultimately rejects.

So, the idea of Superman being in disagreement with his parents' vision of who and what he should be, or at least his father's, and forging his own path, is not a new idea at all.

 

[Mudd]

James Gunn Shares Update On Wonder Woman Casting & Reports About Film Being “Fast-Tracked” After ‘Superman’ Release

James Gunn is clearing up reports about the future of Wonder Woman as his DC Universe takes shape on the big screen following the release of Superman.

deadline.com