I’ll never get over how phenomenal Superman (2025) is. It is arguably the best Superman movie as it focuses on the humanity of Superman, and the ways in which his devotion to mankind shapes his character. He is a symbol of hope that strives to protect and save as many living beings as possible. He will save any person he can (protecting people from falling debris in addition to whatever enemy he is fighting) as well as any animal. I personally love the little detail of him saving the squirrel because while it may seem silly and/or unnecessary, it shows just how determined Superman is to protecting everything. He even wanted to save the Kaiju or, at the very least, kill it humanely. His determination to protect is admirable and such a big part of his character that this movie does an amazing job exploring and focusing on.
This movie also does a great service to Martha and Jonathan Kent and Superman's roots in Kansas. I think while many of the other movies mention or show his parents, they fail to really capture just how important they are to Clark and his role as Superman. They may not be his biological parents, but they raised him and acted as his family. As Superman said, he is just as human as the rest of us, and part of that humanity lies within the way he was raised. There is also a clear contrast between between the Kents and Superman's biological parents which is most notably shown at the end when the "soothing video" of his parents is no longer of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van but of Jonathan and Martha. This is such a touching moment where the audience can see a major shift in Clark’s thinking regarding his parents (both of them). While Jonathan and Martha were always his Pa and Ma, a part of him was still holding onto his biological parents and the image he created of them with the limited knowledge he had. After learning their true intentions for him and finding comfort back home on the farm (and motivation after his very touching conversation with Jonathan), his image of both his parents change. This movie best depicts Jonathan and Martha’s tremendous impact on Clark/Superman and the way in which family, love, and community can shape a person.
I also really love how Superman was shown interacting in other countries (one of the things I loved about Superman returns) because while he was raised in America, he is a global hero. I think many heroes have a set area that they protect but Superman protects everyone regardless of where they live in the world. He is focused on Metropolis (which can be seen in this movie when he goes to fight in Metropolis and sends the Justice Gang to help the people of Boravia), but is willing to go into other countries to help anyone in need.
Perhaps the most outstanding theme present in this movie is Superman’s status within society. This goes hand in hand with his humanity, but the way his status as an alien was portrayed was amazing. It is very reflective of our actual society (especially in America at the moment) which I think is important. When he is arrested, he is told that he has no rights because he is an alien and is improperly detained in a makeshift secret prison. Near the end of the movie, Lex calls Superman a “Martian” and pays no attention to being corrected because he does not care. This movie is a wonderful reflection of real world issues that are happening currently and represent how we are all human no matter where we come from. We all embody the human traits of love, empathy, compassion, determination, etc. so our citizenship status does not matter. As someone who had an immigrant parent who didn’t gain their citizenship until a few years ago, it was hard to witness the difference in rights that I had with them. After living in America for 46 years, they could finally vote simply because they were deemed a citizen and no longer an alien. We were fortunate enough to never have any issues regarding their lack of citizenship or within the citizenship process, but that doesn’t remove the years of injustice, lack of rights, and general fear for removal. My personal connection to this topic really makes this message in the movie resonate with me, but even without that connection it is a very strong message that needs to be understood. No one is alien on Earth. We are all human no matter where we come from.
There is so much more to talk about regarding this movie. To keep is short, I will briefly highlight a few other notable things. Malik Ali and his role in supporting Superman and showing the cruelty of Lex. Lex Luthor and his representation of corrupt billionaires who pray on society for their own personal benefit. The way social media can be used to completely turn on people and the manipulation of social media. The power of journalism and its importance in times of crisis. The power of understanding one another and empathy (particularly thinking about Metamorpho).
Lastly, I would love to praise the casting department for the wonderful decisions they made. The cast was absolutely perfect and each character was played beautifully. All of the acting was very strong and the emotional scenes were absolutely phenomenal due to this. I expected to be blown away by Superman, Lois, and Lex, but I was pleasantly surprised with how amazing the others did too. Most notable were Mr. Fantastic and Metamorpho who really stood out in all their scenes. Overall, great cast for a great movie!
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