The reviews for Superman have rolled in, and it’s time to see how the next DC film is going to fare. Lets take a look and see.
Deadline
Whether it reignites the franchise or turns out to be another one-off remains to be seen. For me, in addition to its strong entertainment value, I see it with something to say about who we are, what we are becoming, and what we should aspire to. In that regard this could be the most political Superman of all, a good thing in a time where you really wish there was a Superman to save us all.
The Guardian
But what is the point of a film so stymied in its digitally encoded and generically prescribed world that it can’t even go through the motions, as that would imply some level of activity and signs of life? How many more superhero films in general, and Superman films in particular, do we need to see that all end with the same spectacular faux-apocalypse in the big city with CGI skyscrapers collapsing? They were fun at first … but the thrill is gone.
The Hollywood Reporter
Pumped up by DP Henry Braham’s dynamic camerawork, Beth Mickle’s imaginative production design, the effects team’s top-notch CG work and a galvanizing orchestral and synth score by John Murphy and David Fleming that weaves in the immortal John Williams theme, Gunn’s Superman is overloaded, even muddled at times, but relentlessly entertaining. Perhaps its biggest strength is that it sidesteps all the revisionist murk of superheroes onscreen in the last decade or two and reverts almost to an enchanting state of child-like wonder.
Rolling Stone
So much fun, in fact, you may not notice some of the things Gunn has embedded into his summer movie. Created by two Jewish artists in the 1930s, Superman has always been an outsider, an “other,” an immigrant. This is a fact, and given how facts have become Kryptonite to the political right, it’s not surprising that MAGA-affiliated blowhards and other shit-stirrers have taken issue with this notion being part of the new movie. What’s more interesting is how that aspect is used. Luthor, a man who sponsors dictators and “wants to be a king,” grounds this idea of the guardian being from a different place within a smear campaign. He manipulates the public into fearing and hating Superman, as well as using political capital to try and have him sidelined. All of this is done for Luthor’s own benefit and attempt to consolidate power. Pop art may or may not be political. But despite the lies being spread and truth being warped, you’re never in doubt of which side Superman is on. The same goes for Gunn. Hopefully, the same goes for you.
The Times
There are glimmers of intrigue, as well as quirks and curios. Rachel Brosnahan performs miracles with her threadbare Lois Lane, making you wish for more than the paltry scenes she’s given with Corenswet (a serviceable turn). There’s a handful of callbacks to the Reeve era, including the title font, as well as a belaboured running gag about office gofer Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) being irresistible to women. Plus, in this world, the power of the broadsheets is unassailable. They can stop war, instantly, with a single headline. And they can alter the fate of the entire universe. Turning back time and creating better superhero movies? If only.
USA Today
What’s most important here, however, is that the guy in the tights works. In the past, that “S” on Superman’s chest meant hope, and Corenswet imbues his hero with joy and optimism, from the boots all the way up to his signature spit curl. It’s the Man of Steel who’s perhaps deemed old-fashioned by some yet seems most vital now.
The Wrap
But as Superman himself argues, making mistakes is what makes us human, and trying to do the right thing is noble even if you don’t always get it right. James Gunn tried to make a great Superman movie, one that embraces the wonder of the character as an action hero and a moral paragon, which derives its drama from how people react to his faith in us. He succeeded. “Superman” is as super as a Superman movie gets, and it’s worthy of our love.
As of publication, the Rotten Tomatoes score is 89%, and on Metacritic it is at a 74.
Superman is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
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