#170: Superman
Release Date: July 11th, 2025
Format: Theater (Cinemark Century Huntington Beach and XD in Huntington Beach, CA)
Written by: James Gunn
Directed by: James Gunn
3 Stars
I’ll admit that I’m woefully underqualified to speak on all things Superman. I’ve never read the comics, I’ve never seen the cartoons, and of the more than a dozen films, I’ve seen just one, 1978’s Superman: The Movie.
So in regards to James Gunn’s newest take on the franchise, I can’t knowledgeably analyze how it succeeds or fails to live up to prior entries in the Superman cannon. Instead, I’ll keep my criticism narrowed to Gunn’s script and the storytelling.
And I’ve got some problems with it.
Is James Gunn under the assumption that Superman, the character, isn’t interesting enough to carry his own movie? Is that why he loads his version with Guardians of the Galaxy-esque silliness, such as blogging monkeys in a pocket universe, or a smorgasbord of other “witty” DC superheroes? They sure do eat up a bunch of the Man of Steel’s screen time, and that’s a missed opportunity, because Superman is an inherently interesting character.
Here we have an alien from another planet, an orphan no less. He grows up under a secret identity, who learns to hide his true self from the human race, which is too fearful to accept him for who he is. Oh yeah, and he can fly. He’s limitlessly strong and fast. He’s physically flawless, except when exposed to Kryptonite. He’s morally flawless, except when exposed to the dark nature of human society.
Can’t I just get a Superman movie, James Gunn? Because he sounds pretty interesting to me.
It’s ironic that Gunn includes a shot of Superman and his super dog Krypto (for the record, I like the inclusion of Krypto) after his closing credits, sitting on the moon, in silence, looking down on earth.
Well, damn it, I’d much rather have that scene than the blogging monkeys. Why can’t I have Superman talking to Krypto up there, looking down on the humans he was sent by his parents to protect. He can tell Krypto that he has no answers for authoritarianism and fascism, for the authoritarians and fascists are humans too. Sure, he can go head-to-head with Lex Luthor, his arch nemesis, but he can’t defeat the antisocial personality that drives him and others like him.
Superman is a perfect being dropped into an imperfect world. He can fly to the moon with his dog, but he can’t escape the problems that await him back on earth.
As for Gunn’s social commentary, I’ll give him a polite golf clap. For a $225 million Hollywood movie to make any sort of statement on immigration in 2025 is a risk, but I’m not willing to say that Gunn’s script is brave. The fact that it’s controversial that Superman rejects nationalism and promotes basic human kindness is more of a statement of where we are politically than it is some sort of bold activism. But I like the sentiment.
As for the visuals and the effects, it’s a fun experience, and borderline breathtaking at times. I have no problems there. The performances are good, and David Corenswet in the title role is great. I enjoyed the movie, for the most part.
I just wish Gunn’s script believed more in Superman.
