Okayyy, so I’m beyond glad that I’m finally able to talk about this film. It’s been a hot topic since it was released, with so many takes. Assenting, dissenting, critical, right out condemnatory, and all of that. Either way, I was looking forward to when I’d eventually see it, so that I could determine for myself whether the critics were right or not.
Superman (2025)
Anyway, let’s just get right into it. It’s Superman, so I doubt a plot should be given. Superman cosplaying as a human journalist (Clark Kent), and Lex Luthor as always trying to destroy Superman in all the ways he knows how to, and then some. Only this time, it is by DC Comics, directed by James Gunn, and features a whole new set of casts, particularly David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
First off, they did brilliantly with the casting. I loved how a good number of them interpreted their roles. There was a lot of emotion and depth to the characters, especially with Lex Luthor whose acting I even somewhat preferred to Superman’s. Yes, it’s about the envy and the singular drive in all his villainous acts and atrocities. But he wasn’t your regular villain, he wanted to make you see why he was the villain, and the thought process that drove him. He nailed it for me, really.
I also, contrary to what a lot of people are saying, I actually like the humour. Yeah, it is nothing new, and just lines everyone is used to, but it was okay for me. Some felt forced and out of place, given, but it isn’t as bad as you would make it out to be. It’s just humour. I particularly liked the scenes revolving around Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific. Epic scenes, really.
When it comes to Superman, I love how less emotionless he is, as compared to the sombre and somewhat stoic versions of Superman we're used to. Superman is, after all, more human than alien, but I guess that may have led to a problem of him being too emotional and his raw power diluted. Too many sweats and childish decisions, and was being saved way too many times by others and not himself, which is not what the movie should have been about.
Superman is about the awesomeness of Superman. How he’s able to show super strength, defeat his enemies, bring himself out of precarious situations, and smile while still being Clark Kent, but this Superman was constantly being rescued and pulled out of situations by others far too many times when the story is about him. I didn’t get to be in awe of his greatness as I should have been. Took out a whole lot of the fun for me.
Then, there were the plot holes that I struggled to make sense of. I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I won't get deep into it, but it left me feeling unsettled, and gave off the vibe that this film was mostly rushed and wasn’t done with as much finesse as was needed for a movie of this calibre. The ending, or was it epilogue seemed kind of hollow. I kept asking myself, “Is that it?” long after the credits rolled. No promise of what’s to come? Just there.
The acting was great. The movie was nice, even. I even had an emotional moment, but still not the best. Maybe a 6/10 would be fitting enough. DC is off to a somewhat great start, either way.
Jhymi🖤
Images from IMDB.
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