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Review: SUPERMAN (2025)

Director: James Gunn Writer: James Gunn Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, Frank Grillo, Sara Sampaio   Reviewed by: Joshua Raynor   Summary Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way, he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned. Also, with the help of Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific, he must also stop Lex Luthor, his mysterious henchman Ultraman, and The Engineer from destroying his good name, and the world.   Positives I'm going to start this review off by saying I know there are people out there who will disagree with my thoughts on this film, and that's alright. Film is subjective. Everyone who watches it will have their own unique experience with it. You don't have to agree with me, but no matter what, these are my thoughts and opinions on this film. With all of that being said, I thought this film was absolutely incredible! James Gunn delivered a wonderful story of hope and strength and what it means to truly be good. It's a perfect start for his DCU, and makes me incredibly excited for what's to come next. Gunn did an impeccable job pulling double duty, writing a solid script that really managed to understand who Superman truly is, at his core, while also directing this incredible film and showing us all that brightness doesn't take away from what a superhero can do, and being a good person is exactly what Superman strives to be every single day.

The entire cast in this was phenomenal, starting off with the Man of Steel himself, David Corenswet. He brought to life this version of Superman that we haven't seen in quite a while. People have become too cynical over the years and only seem to want a Superman that's focused on violence and destruction, instead of doing what's right and being a good person. David's performance here is so wholesome that it might come off as hokey to some, especially when he uses words like "golly" and "darn," but that's what I loved about it. And it worked particularly well juxtaposed against the Justice Gang. The Justice Gang saw Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, and Isabela Merced bring to life the characters of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl. This team works for Maxwell Lord (who we get a quick glimpse of, played by Sean Gunn) and their goal is to protect the planet from intergalactic threats, no matter what. So, for example, whereas Superman wanted to get the rampaging kaiju out of the city alive and study it, the Justice Gang were all about the fight and killing it quickly. At one point Guy even mocks Superman's rule about not killing if possible, and we see Hawkgirl straight up kill a dude, saying "I'm not like Superman." Then there's Mr. Terrific, who is very much so emotionally separated from other people, which is basically the opposite of Superman, who embodies empathy for all humankind.

Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor was a stand out as he was probably the closest to the comics version of Lex that I've ever seen done in live action. He's definitely become my favorite portrayal of this character. He's smart and cunning, yet cold and calculated, and is absolutely vicious as well. The fact that he was able to create a side of himself that was able to trick everyone around him, while hiding his true intentions, shows just how cunning he really is. And with the help of The Engineer and Ultraman, Lex is able to really tear apart Superman's good name with the people of Metropolis, and of the world. It's such a cold-hearted, devious plan.

Speaking of The Engineer and Ultraman, I thought they were both portrayed in really interesting ways. The Engineer, while typically shown as a vigilante, working with groups like Stormwatch (I assume PlanetWatch was meant as a reference to this) and The Authority, made for a great side villain, and with The Authority on slate as an upcoming DCU film, I'm really hoping we will get to see her again. And then we have Ultraman. What I loved about this version was that instead of opening up the DCU to the multiverse already, they went a different route, basically merging characters like the comics version of Ultraman with the Kon-El Superboy and Bizarro. It was quite fascinating.

We also get to see a nice little arc for Metamorpho, or as Lex refers to him as, The Element Man. Anthony Carrigan does an incredible job playing this role. And he looked amazing! I was shocked when I got to see him in his entirety. I was worried that he would look ridiculous, but he didn't. I also want to mention the Daily Planet crew, specifically Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Played by Rachel Brosnahan and Skyler Gisondo, respectively, these two did a wonderful job of shining amongst their super-powered co-stars. They embodied the characters perfectly and I really hope we get to see them pop up periodically in other projects, perhaps the upcoming Supergirl movie.

And speaking of Supergirl, her appearance at the end as the drunken party girl version of Kara makes me really excited for her movie, and especially for how she will interact with Jason Momoa's Lobo. Even though there are a lot of side characters in this film, I never once felt like they were overshadowing Superman. They played their roles perfectly, and never once took away from the fact that this, at its heart, is a Superman story. Even the Justice Gang's outfits do a great job of downplaying them, not being flashy at all, allowing them to remain out of the main focus. There's so much more I could talk about in this movie, especially all of the amazing easter eggs and references to the comics (and I'm sure there's more that I missed), but I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the bright spots in this film... Krypto. This rambunctious little dog was so cute and adorable. He was a perfect addition to this film, going so far as to give Superman a reason to get really angry with Lex. Perhaps Lex should have watched John Wick, because then he'd know you just don't mess with someone's dog.

Negatives After watching it multiple times, I still don't have any negatives for this movie. It has the perfect runtime, great pacing, an incredible score, really cool effects, and a great story, on top of everything I stated above.   Verdict Overall, this is one of my favorite superhero movies of all time, and is currently my favorite movie of the year. It's such a strong start to the DCU and opens doors for things to come, including the Lanterns series, The Authority movie, the Supergirl movie, and even a possible project centered around The Terrifics. I can't wait for more!!   Score: 5/5

"Fire in the sunrise, ashes rainin' down Try to hold it in, but it keeps bleedin' out This is what you asked for, heavy is the Heavy is the crown"

I've never broken down before. I always hold up. I've always been proud of that. I never looked down the road, forward or back. There's nothing to see, zero visibility. That's how I live.

Yeah, you can have a strategy, but... forget about a plan. Forget about what you want in life. You don't know. Focus on yourself. Be honest. Assess who you are... who you're with. Are you alone? Do you deserve to be? Where do you fit into this world? How are you gonna survive? Maybe you won't. Maybe good things are coming.

And then let it go.

Don't examine it. Don't take it apart. Just accept it. You gotta think like a Stoic... Which boils down to enduring life's ass-whippings without complaint. That's how I live. I put my head down and I fucking grind. But don't ever think you're safe, 'cause when your head's down, that's when you get caught.

And we all get caught.

End of Watch asks you to re-evaluate how you feel. About David Ayer's usual take on the police and its subjects. At first, it's hard to relate to the film's characters. Police officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) are not what you picture when you hear the words “protect and serve”. They’re rude, short-tempered, foul-mouthed, and juvenile. They’re also good at what they do. The pair catch the attention of a notorious drug cartel after doing little more than doing their day-to-day duty.

Neither Brian nor Mike are what you would call professional. At one point, Zavala gets into a fistfight with a suspect while his partner watches and records it on tape. They're not that bright and often, they’re straight-up a-holes. It rubs you the wrong way at first but as the film progresses, you realize that all of it: the pranks, the joking around, the casual disregard for petty crimes, the search for glory, are not signs of incompetence. They’re survival tactics. Our heroes see the ugly side of society. Drug addicts, violent thugs who will throw their lives away for any reason, people who hate the police because years ago, they threw their drug-dealing boyfriends or brother in jail (which is right where they belonged, even they'll admit it) are who they deal with all the time. If they took their jobs as seriously as you'd expect them, their psyches would resemble a watermelon dropped from a skyscraper. Their attitudes might even be called... healthy. Unconventional? Yes, but so are the crimes these guys face. The way that fist-fight plays out shows they know exactly what they're doing.

This story hinges on its story of friendship. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña have incredible chemistry. You swear they’ve spent years together through thick and thin. Like brothers, they joke around, they make fun of each other. They swap stories about the women in their lives, about who they think is awesome and who's on the level of smelly roadkill. The better you get to know them, the more you'll find them endearing.

It's also got a bit of a romance angle. Taylor has a sweetheart, Janet (played by Anna Kendrick). Their scenes are gold. The moments with those two and with Zavala and his wife (Natalie Martinez) are the extra little toppings that ensure you want to see the protagonists go home safely at the end of their shift.

As a police thriller, it's only got two things preventing it from flawless status. The first is its attempt to be a found-footage film. It never commits believably. You buy the police's footage but the criminals are also recording things (yeah, right) and in many shots, it’s clear no one is holding the camera except Ayer. My second issue is related to the first. At times, the story lacks confidence. The characters and their plight are more than enough. There’s no need to have a gimmicky found-footage thing going on or for the old “hey man, good news! I just found out that we’re having a baby” or “Wow, can you believe it? I asked X to marry me, and she said yes!” It’s the kind of stuff you make fun of because it’s a cheap tactic.

The performances are strong, the story compelling, the story of brotherhood engrossing, and the overall plot delivers what you want in terms of police procedure and gunfights. End of Watch is original and satisfying. Though it succumbs to familiar pitfalls of both its genres, Ayer's writing keeps you excited to see what comes next. (on DVD, April 13, 2015)