Cat Chats: Superman (2025)
I find it a lot harder to critically review superhero films (that aren’t The Batman 2022- she still gives me chills) because I already have so much nostalgia and personal connection to these characters beforehand. With so many comic book films out now, I focus first on how much respect the film shows to the character and universe. Then I ask: is this plot genuinely good, or is it just a flashy, obvious, slightly insulting shortcut?
It’s like arguing with an Austen fan about every Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Some fans want a faithful retelling, others want something radical and new. Either way, someone’s walking out upset. Nerd spaces are exhausting (I still love it, dw baes). But unless you're Christopher Nolan making The Dark Knight, you can't please everyone.
Superman is one of the most heavily adapted characters across the superhero genre, with 12 (TWELVE?!) different live action castings over the years. Which is pretty wild, honestly. This is also the character's seventeenth appearance in a live-action film. With a legacy this stacked, it’s nearly impossible to create something entirely original and individual. So the strategy has to flip. The filmmaker has to think: what do I want the audience to feel? This time, James Gunn made the film more focused on spectacle and audience experience- which is where I think he really excels.
One thing I love about press screenings is the energy in the room: everyone laughs, gasps, and claps at the right times. It makes watching the film fun and collective. And for a film like this, it’s the perfect setting for your first watch.
The scale is much bigger than expected, especially when compared to the intimacy of the 2022 outing of The Batman (LAST mention I prom prom), but these are two very different characters, in very different universes. And that’s the point, Gunn doesn’t try to ground Superman in grittiness. He brings back vibrancy.
The vibrancy of this film is its biggest strength: the humour, the colour, and the pace. We follow these saturated frames and plucky dialogue (well, most of it) through a plot that sometimes feels a little overstuffed but still easy to follow.
Despite some really great performances from the supporting cast, by the end of the film, we’re left wanting more. The only character- other than Supes- we get a solid arc for is Luthor (not mad abt this btw). Ultimately, the cast feels underutilised, with pockets of great moments scattered between the action. This leads to a sense of underdevelopment and a lack of polish.
One thing I really loved was how the film gave Mr. Terrific a proper moment. As a longtime DC enjoyer, it’s such a pleasure to see these characters get the spotlight. This is something Gunn leans into with his comic book adaptations: taking secondary and often forgotten characters and giving them real purpose. Even including minor characters from the Daily Planet, like Jimmy and Cat, makes the universe feel cherished to fans like me.
Lois and Clark are hot. Like, really hot. The CHEMISTRY between these two is a real highlight, they’re clearly into each other, but so much is lost in the quiet moments, it’s like the humour is used to replace the emotional development between them. Making the final product feel like two hot people kissing and not really having much else holding them together. This is a kind of recurring theme in the film, which is referenced earlier. The pockets of great moments that don't quite intersect.
This is a recurring issue in the film. Moments that are great on their own; intense scenes, big reveals, emotional beats, that just don’t always intersect. They exist, but they don’t quite connect.
To be fair, Gunn manages to introduce Superman’s lore without drowning us in the heavy eye-roll of exposition (no small feat.) But even with that restraint, we’re still faced with a pretty overstuffed crust of a plot including:
Four more heroes
Luthor lore
Nanotech and clones (Connor Kent WHEN)
Ma and Pa Kent (I CRIED),
A pocket universe
A war between two fictional European countries
Lois and Clark being hot.
That’s a lot. And it starts to show, especially in the action. There is such a lack of excitement in Superman's fighting style (tough one, sorry gang- there’s only so much cape-pulling I can watch) especially when we got an insane Mr Terrific number at the midpoint (featuring the classic Gunn needle drop).
Overall I smiled and laughed through the two hour runtime. I really enjoyed the film as a fan, it made me so excited for upcoming DC projects and the potential of this universe. For a film launching a new era of DC, Superman lands safely. There’s real promise here, but the next flight needs more heart, more cohesion, and a little less cape-pulling.
