Superman (2025) - Review 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

JAMES Gunn’s Superman film is an easy film to like, even if it’s difficult to love.

The writer-director admits to struggling, initially, with how he could freshen up or reinvent the character to make this revival worthwhile. And, to be fair, some of that struggle is evident. Just as the film’s main character endures an existential crisis, so too does the film to a certain degree.

There is a strong case for arguing that the world has never been more in need of a hero in the Superman mould - someone willing to stand up for what’s right and to protect the little guy in an age of dictatorship, war-mongering and media manipulation/misinformation.

And to his credit, Gunn addresses this - sometimes playfully, sometimes angrily.

The film’s starting point finds Superman (nicely played by David Corenswet) at odds with officials and certain elements of the public for his decision to step in and end the invasion of Jarhanpur by its aggressive neighbours Boravia (surely a metaphor for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as Israel’s sustained bombing of Gaza).

But as events unfold, it appears Superman may have been manipulated by media misinformation overseen by Lex Luthor’s tech giant (Nicholas Hoult slyly winking to Elon Musk). Is the real agenda here the demonisation of Superman and the removal of his power?

Here, again, there is allegory at play, holding a light up to current events for those willing to pay attention. Superman is, as some writers have pointed out, the ultimate immigrant - resented by some for being different (and all-powerful), thereby creating suspicion and fear.

It’s little wonder, then, that in the film’s angriest moment Superman loses his temper and delivers a state of society address on what it really means to be human - no matter what race, creed or gender you are. Humanity is decency, it’s about having the courage to fail, to be humble and to get things wrong.

It’s a telling moment and one that, by arriving so decisively towards the movie’s end, shows where Gunn has landed on why to revive this DC icon for modern audiences. He is a force for good in a world currently overseen by bad men.

To Gunn’s credit, the message isn’t rammed home. Unlike Zack Snyder’s DC universe, which overcooked the narratives and felt too self-serious, bloated and dour (by Batman v Superman, especially), this incarnation also exists to have fun.

In that sense, Gunn nods to both his own back catalogue of oddballs and genre subversion, while also honouring the sincerity and playfulness of Christopher Reeves in the still popular Superman films of the 80s.

There’s a lightness here that feels like a very conscious move away from Man of Steel and company. And which feels all the better for it (indeed, has there ever been a Superman movie where its main character has been less, well, steely?).

This is a Superman that exists to celebrate diversity and outsiders - just like the director’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and his take on The Suicide Squad. It is populated by oddball characters, Meta-humans and creatures.

Primary among these has to be Superman’s canine companion Krypto, a dog so loopy and chaotic that he surely rates as this franchise’s Rocket - a rebel with a heart of gold. Krypto epitomises what makes a Gunn film standout, as well as his ability to celebrate difference and find humanity in the most unlikely places.

But there are traces of this everywhere, from the likes of Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, the comically egotistical head of the Justice Gang, Anthony Carrigan’s wildly eccentric Metamorpho, and - perhaps most notably - Edi Garhegi’s appropriately named Mr Terrific, whose matter-of-fact style of delivery brings a coolness that helps him to steal every scene he’s in.

Indeed, the film’s best set piece comes from Mr Terrific, during a rescue mission that sees him lay waste to a beach full of baddies, that encapsulates all of Gunn’s most thrilling qualities as a director - great action, great humour and a kick-ass needle drop to boot.

Like I said, there’s much to like about this Superman.

But some of the film’s successes also come at the expense of its failures, which lend weight to the suspicion that, overall, there's something of an identity crisis at play - that Gunn sometimes struggled with honouring genre expectation and making something different... balancing freshness with the safety incumbent with re-establishing the DC universe as a cinematic super-power in its own right.

Hence, the need for big climactic superhero smackdowns is amplified here, with several big set pieces. And while much of the absurdity that Gunn has brought to past films is also present here, there’s only so much you can do within this context. It gives credence to the argument that superhero fatigue is a thing.

The lip service paid to spectacle also comes at the expense of certain characters, which affects some of the more established ones than others. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane isn’t really given much to do outside of one big interview sequence with Superman, Wendell Pierce is waster as Daily Planet editor Perry White, and Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell strike duff notes as Superman’s parents, The Kents.

As good as Hoult is as Luthor, I could also have done with seeing more of him too.

Hence, Superman isn’t without some significant flaws.

But they don’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment. Gunn goes big, and tries - where possible - to be different. That’s worth celebrating - and his film, for better and worse, feels more distinct and fun for it.

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 2hrs 9mins