DAVID CORENSWET is the best Superman since Christopher Reeve. And he might even rival our ’78 Supes.
He has more personality, humanity and emotion than perhaps all that have come before and his performance is the highlight of the movie.
But the film’s greatest asset also shines a big spotlight on what may be its biggest issue.
Our new Clark Kent is so good that it’s easy to come away raving about how it’s the greatest Superman movie in a long, ling time.
But it had me asking: “Is Superman 2025 great or does Corenswet mask how average the rest of the film is?”
The Positives
Corenswet’s Man of Steel is tired, pissed off, angry, flawed and … relatable. His two personas aren’t really that different though and if it weren’t for Reeve’s INCREDIBLE dual personalities and performances I’d be saying the newest hero gives the OG a run for his money. He’s that good. Sorry but Routh, Cain and the various others since don’t come close. And, yes, that includes Cavill.
His chemistry with Rachel Brosnahan is fantastic and the way the two interact in such a normal, authentic and doesn’t-look-like-it’s-been-rehearsed way is a joy to watch. The whole thing is quite refreshing in an age of over-acting and stars standing out on screen for the wrong reasons.
Nicholas Hoult is a horrible, horrible Lex Luthor – in a good way – and the best since Hackman. It’s evil genius and vile but perhaps over-done compared to Gene’s portrayal.
Everyone else is good across the board, with the standout being Edi Gathegi as Mr Terrific. I’ll take more of his hero because it looks, sounds and feels different to anything we’ve had before. A new kind of cool.
And if you’re a dog owner like me, then Krypto the caped canine is a adorable for how annoyingly realistic he is. I feared he may be an irritating attempt at cuteness but he is key to the movie in several ways.
A Better Beginning
The movie gets big points for not doing another origin story from scratch, or at least finding new ways to introduce the world and its characters.
It’s great to see more well-judged humour back and it’s mostly Corenswet that nails the subtle delivery.
But, more than that, it’s a welcome return to filmmaking that isn’t obsessed with making everything gritty and dark.
Yes, there are some very dark moments. But the colour palette is a joy, the look of the film is (mostly, I’ll elaborate in a moment) brighter than we’ve been forced to endure, and the overall vibe is one that leans positive. Batman Vs Superman et al seems thoroughly depressing and miserable by comparison.
Importantly, it feels like a movie concerned with empathy, compassion and “doing good” – themes summed up by what Superman is all about. And we need them more than ever in these times. Some with no doubt find something wrong with being caring to suit their own political agenda.
Now for the less pleasing parts.
The Struggles
I’ll start with the music because it could arguably fall into the positive side. There are hints and nods to the original theme but it never really fully hits as you hope it will. At times the main motif just repeats for an unholy amount of times which just made it feel like it was padding out a section that perhaps became unexpectedly longer in the edit. The trailers teased us up for a glorious return of John Williams iconic score and I left feeling it misled me and got my hopes up for a gift I didn’t get to unwrap. But it is good. It was just given a very high bar of comparison and expectation. Perhaps over time, and with repeat watches and listens to the OST, it may find itself standing on its own feet as a soundtrack we love.
Other issues are pacing, some plot points and the feeling that it’s just a bit all over the place with scenes and characters that sometimes don’t feel like they were meant to be in the same movie.
But my biggest gripe is (here’s me circling back to elaborate from earlier) the visuals. Specifically, the CGI elements.
Once again we go down this ridiculous path of everything just looking so digital and fake that it takes you out of the movie and, worse, has you wondering what you’re looking at.
We get more wanton destruction of cityscapes, more action scenes with dark suited characters on dark background and at times had me comparing it to the awful Transformers movies which are just offensive to the eye with so many unidentifiable moving elements.
Superman himself looks great, with a fantastic colourful suit that is a joy to look at and it gets lost in the overcooking of the visual effects.
Look at it! Look at it all!
There used to be great wisdom in filmmaking about how cinematographers use light and focus to direct the viewer’s eye to what they want them to be looking at. This feels entirely lost here. Much like most of the Snyder DC movies and Marvel “epic” end battles.
And it’s here where these potentially fantastic movies with incredible actors fall short compared to films like Superman I and Superman II. And, to be honest, Superman III. They all have their ups and downs and none are perfect. But for the love of Krypton please can we have a movie where there aren’t thousands of optical elements all over the screen, or endless floating CCTV cameras, or a gazillion enemies being wiped out at the same time.
James Gunn did a good job making a fun movie. But at times it feels like a James Gunn movie and to feel that over it being a Superman movie is a crime.
Tonally, it feels more like the ’78 Superman than other efforts since, with a lead that might stand a chance toe to toe with the greatest superhero actor of all time (Reeve, if you hadn’t guessed).
But even though some areas aren’t to my tastes (and let’s remember that movies are subjective) it IS a fun movie.
Like the 1978 film, the first half is a joy when it’s mostly about the character of Clark Kent and his struggles or personality.
It just tends to go downhill when it’s all about the bloke in blue and red battling to save the planet.
It’s thanks to David Corenswet saving the day that this movie is getting such positive reviews right now. But it remains to be seen whether his Superman can stand up to the test of time.
-GB
If you like Superman, stay tuned for our July 23 REWIND episode about the 1978 movie.
