A Bright Ray of Hope. Review of the movie Superman

To cover all the details, details and contexts of the creation of a new Superman film, you would have to write a separate large article or even an entire book. Here you have James Gunn's creative path, full of scandals and bold decisions, and the financial failure of the DC cinematic universe, as Zack Snyder saw it, and the general evolution of the superhero genre and trends in the perception of entertainment by society. Problems and changes in the industry were layered and layered. Therefore, it is natural that Superman 2025 immediately became the object of close attention. But all skeptics, excited geeks and just fans of good cinema can relax. After all, the start of the new DC cinematic universe turned out to be almost perfect.

You know the story well. Clark Kent (David Korenswet) works as a reporter for the Daily Planet, where almost no one suspects that their slightly clumsy colleague is actually Superman, one of Earth's mightiest heroes. Only his colleague and lover Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) knows about Clark's true nature. At the beginning of the film, Superman has been leading a double life for three years, but his first serious test awaits him, as Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) prepares a plan to destroy the hero. And finally, the time has come to make it a reality.

The last time audiences saw a solo Superman movie in theaters was back in 2013. Zack Snyder's Man of Steel was a pompous film about the nature of the divine and the superhuman, desperately lacking a bit of down-to-earthness and a simpler attitude towards himself. Snyder and his team seemed to cling to the image of Superman solely as the most powerful being, forgetting that Clark Kent is also a simple guy from Kansas.

The benchmark combination of the majestic and the mundane is perfectly traced in the comic book All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quietly. This is a very good publication, I strongly advise you to read it. It was it that James Gunn took as a source of inspiration for his version of Superman. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why the new version of the iconic superhero turned out to be so successful.

In the new Superman, Clark Kent can be insecure, clumsy, naive. His facial expressions and movements are sometimes devoid of grace, and in some scenes they seem to be deliberately made comedic, even if the overall context is quite serious. But this is not annoying, but quite the opposite: the new Superman almost instantly conquers with sincerity and closeness to ordinary people. These are the qualities that were sorely lacking in the Henry Cavill version, although it is worth noting that his excessive approach also found its fans.

Humanity seeps into every element of the film, shining brighter with each passing moment. For a superhero movie, the new Superman pays surprisingly much attention to ordinary people and everyday circumstances. During large-scale battles, the camera still focuses on ordinary citizens or even furniture to show how Superman's actions and aspirations affect the "ordinary" world.

But don't worry, there are plenty of well-staged fights in the film too. Superman in this version is not yet experienced enough, but he has managed to master all the key abilities, such as lasers from his eyes. Therefore, each confrontation turns into a bright show, the impression of which is multiplied by Gunn's frantic, aggressive and slightly chaotic direction. To be honest, some scenes turned out to be even too chaotic: the camera in them moves along wild trajectories, and the plans change so quickly that it can be difficult to follow the events on the screen.

The cast of Superman is a clear winner. David Korenswet and Rachel Brosnahan are the perfect Clark Kent and Lois Lane for a new generation. There's incredible chemistry between them, and their performances combine classic charm with modern energy.

But the real star of the film is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. His Lex is not just a cartoonish villain. He is a potentially tragic figure, a genius poisoned by envy and an inferiority complex in the face of a "god" from another planet. He has no positive qualities, but his hatred of Superman is so sincere, and his intellectual superiority is so convincing, that you can paradoxically feel sympathy for him. This is one of the best antagonists in superhero cinema in a long time.

James Gunn approached the construction of his universe with great love. The film is full of characters and references to DC comics, both famous and not so famous. Both Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and the lesser-known Mister Terrific (Eddie Gathegi) look organic here. They don't just appear in a fan-service film, but feel like part of a living, breathing world that existed before the events of the film - and will definitely exist for a very long time.

However, there is a slight downside: for viewers unfamiliar with the comics, some characters and nuances may remain unclear.  Superman does not chew on every detail and moves forward without unnecessary stops for exposition, which rewards long-time DC fans but can be a little confusing for newcomers.

The socio-political commentary woven into the film's fabric deserves special attention. Gunn subtly criticizes modern media, which are ready to broadcast any opinion convenient for their customers for the sake of ratings or money, manipulating society. Superman also touches on the topic of proxy wars, where large powers use smaller nations as a field for clarifying relations. Some will see in this an echo of the Palestinian conflict, while others will see parallels with the war in Ukraine, where one nation is fighting for its existence against imperial aggression fueled by the interests of other beneficiaries. The film does not give direct answers, but it asks the right questions.

The climax of the film is not only a physical, but also an ideological battle. It is a kind of farewell to the idea of the "evil Superman", which pop culture has been dreaming about in recent years thanks to projects such as Injustice or The Boys. And from this new Superman you begin to respect with new strength.

This moment is beautifully emphasized by the soundtrack - as are almost all the others. Unlike the films of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, there is no constant stream of licensed songs here. They sound occasionally, but always appropriately. And the main original theme of Superman is a powerful, heroic and inspiring composition by John Murphy (28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Miami Vice, Sunshine), which is able to win hearts and stay in the head for a long time.

James Gunn's Superman is the success that Superman fans have been waiting for for so long. It's a bold, intelligent, and surprisingly heartfelt film that returns the character to his most important trait - humanity. It's the perfect start for a new DC cinematic universe (DC Extended Universe forgotten, long live DC Universe), built not on chaos and explosions, but on strong characters and a fascinating story. Minor flaws, such as the chaos of some action scenes or the high threshold of entry for unprepared viewers, are completely lost against the background of its numerous victories.

The main thing is that the new Superman is able to give hope. For each person his own, but definitely tangible. And this is the main sign that Gunn and the team did everything right.