REVIEW: ‘Superman’ loses shine due to clumsy story, despite dedicated cast

About 15 years after his first go round in the genre with 2010’s dark comedy “Super,” James Gunn presents his latest film featuring the most well-known hero around.

Yes, the Man of Steel is back on the big screen. It’s a new era for DC heroes in cinema, with the Extended Universe in the rearview, ending with an Atlantean chomping on a cockroach-topped burger. Now, we have a whole new universe, where Superman and other heroes are well established in society.

Things aren’t going well for Supes lately, though, as public perception has been turning against him recently for his independent involvement in a geopolitical conflict involving a U.S. ally. As Clark (David Corenswet) navigates the situation and his romantic relationship with co-worker Lois Lane (Rachel Brosahan), he also has to deal with the latest plot from Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).

Gunn’s “Superman” begins promising enough. The flick shows Superman in a vulnerable position, immediately putting the audience more on edge. This opening humanizes the character, and the viewer gets a whole sense of his personality. It’s a good start, followed by an intriguing set up involving Supes’ actions in a foreign affair.

It’s a solid hook, and the fact that it picks up with Superman already being on hero duty for a while is no sweat either. Most audiences are familiar with the origin, if not having seen it in either the 1978 or 2013 adaptations. Getting right into the thick of it isn’t bad.

Then the movie begins a pretty quick decline, with the next hour and 40 minutes or so being a largely underwhelming experience. In part, it’s because of how the film rolls out its plot over the rest of its runtime. It’s a picture that feels both over stuffed and clustered, while at the same time seeming to lack real substance.

The conflict Superman involved himself in, his dealings with a super team made up of three heroes, Luthor’s side project involving a dimensional prison, Clark’s relationship with Lois and his connection to Krypton are all at play here. Unfortunately, it’s all jumbled together in a messy way, rather than a more streamlined approach like the 78 feature had.

At the same time, it feels like the film is just bouncing around these plot points without much below the surface. Underneath the colorful, vibrant sheen is an underdeveloped romance, Luthor’s one-dimensional hatred of Superman and a half-hearted exploration of Clark’s views on his heritage.

That’s not to say all the ideas and story bits presented are bad. Gunn, who also wrote the movie, offers some genuine scenes of emotion, intrigue and fascination. But it doesn’t ultimately come together well. Additionally, Gunn’s approach included punching up the film’s humor a little too much.

It’s understandable that this was going to be a pivot from the darker version seen in “Man of Steel” (full disclosure, a film I love), and a lighter tone isn’t inherently a problem. But it felt excessive in a few moments.

As for the characters, the central figure is done fairly well. It’s good seeing a Superman who has some experience under his belt and is driven by strong convictions, but is still young enough to have some naivety, doubts and, overall, things to learn. It’s a modern take that still has elements of the classic hero.

Corenswet, recently seen in 2024’s “Twisters,” deserves praise for his portrayal. He works as both Clark and Superman, and even shows a blend of the two when interacting with Lois and his family. As Clark he’s a sharp but respectful reporter, and as Superman he’s compassionate but firm and strong in his ideals. One just wishes the movie around him flowed better.

One also wishes the other characters were handled better, too. Lex Luthor, for example, acts like such a total spaz and has such little depth. It’s such a shame because Nicholas Hoult is such a superb actor, but he isn’t really allowed to show his range.

The members of the Justice Gang are fairly one note, too, but that may have been that they weren’t given proper time to really get fleshed out since it’s one of many things this film is juggling. What is more disappointing was how the Kent parents were shown. While there is one good emotional scene, they more often than not come across like overly simple country bumpkins.

At the Daily Planet, meanwhile, Brosnahan works quite well as Lois, who is a properly tenacious journalist. There could have been more scenes with her and Superman together, though. However, Jimmy Olsen, wasn’t handled as well. He’s in a B plot that feels out of place in a “Superman” flick.

In terms of spectacle, there is quite a bit of entertainment on screen, although there aren’t many moments that really “wow” a person. Many action set pieces have a sort of, “monster of the week” vibe, meaning the stakes don’t feel super high. Plus, the final climactic battle ends up mostly being a letdown. In fact, the best action scene of the movie doesn’t even involve the Man of Steel.

There have been a multitude of super hero films released over the last 25 years, and this one certainly doesn’t sit with those at the bottom. Yet it also doesn’t rise to a high level either. That’s especially rough when it features an iconic figure and is meant to launch a new franchise.

Unfortunately, despite a good lead performance and a few solid scenes, this one is below average because of its clunky story, hit and miss character work, and middling entertainment value. 2.5 out of 5.