Superman (2025)

 

That Superman sure is nice guy, isn’t he? This primary characteristic of the Last Son of Krypton has been out of focus in the last decade or so as Hollywood had tried to cast him as a darker hero more in the vein of his Gotham City compatriot, but if the newest Superman film does anything it reminds us that Big Blue wants to help us, from the biggest alien invader to the smallest squirrel. It proudly wears its comic book heritage on its sleeve, and though its unironic earnestness sometimes slips into corny territory it mostly makes for a fun, if simple, viewing experience.

It's David Corenswet’s turn in the cape, and his broad shoulders wear it well. In Superman the titular hero’s brand of simple altruism is tested when geopolitical realities enter the picture and the realities of life conflict with his ideals. But the film's ultimate optimism is never in doubt, nor is the inherent goodness of the character. But as good as Corenswet is, it is Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, House of Cards) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor that steel the show (“steel” as in “Man of Steel?” Never mind), each embodying their characters perfectly with pure electricity. There have been a couple of good to great Superman films over the years, and Christopher Reeve will forever embody the character for most people including myself, but this is the first time it has ever felt like I was actually watching a Superman comic in movie form, and it is largely thanks to pitch perfect casting and acting.

Another big part of the appeal is the unashamed silliness of some of the concepts. Krypto the Superdog is in this movie, and his mere presence shows that Superman is not afraid of its often goofy heritage. I for one loved this unabashed embracing of what makes comic books so unique, but there is no doubting that Superman occasionally goes over the line and dips into campy territory. Again, this wasn’t a problem for me and it won’t be a problem for a lot of people, but others I can see rolling their eyes.

It's not the most complex film, and the real-life parallels are a bit clumsy and obvious, but any film that celebrates kindness in our turbulent age while still managing to be loads of fun is welcome in my book. Superman is the first entry in what Warner Bros./DC Studios promises to be a sprawling new connected movie-verse, but even if you’re tired of them at this point it’s still worth checking this one out.

Superman is now playing in theaters.