Superman (2025) Review - My Turn To Fly
Format Reviewed: 4K UHD Digital
Director: James Gunn
Producers: Peter Safran, James Gunn
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release: July 11th, 2025
Genre: Super Heroes
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 129 minutes
Budget: $225 million
Box Office: $588.8 million (as of this writing)
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.
I don't know anything about Superman.
Sure, I know he is from Krypton, I know that his secret identity is Clark Kent, I know that he is in love with a woman named Lois, and I know that he is weakened by Kryptonite.
But that is all I know. The most basic, surface level understanding of this comic and pop-culture icon.
I've never read a Superman comic. I've never played a Superman game. I've never watched a Superman movie - unless you include Batman vs. Superman, which I really didn't care for.
I mention all of that because at some point during the lead-up to this film, I made a conscious decision that this was going to be my Superman movie.
I've heard so many people over the years debate the DC films and so many of them talk about how Man of Steel was great! ..but it wasn't really Superman. Or how the 1978 film is perfection! ...yet the sequels lost themselves along the way.
Combine this with the general zeitgeist of comic book fandom where nothing will ever compete with this run of magazines versus that one and as an outsider looking in, I've been left with this overwhelming sense of expectation and a level of 'nerd cred' that I lack without devoting a massive amount of my time diving into all of the old material to prove that I am deserving of being a fan of this character too.
So when I heard that the new movie was going to be a completely fresh reboot of the universe and that it was being directed by James Gunn who helped introduce me to the Marvel Universe at large, I was immediately interested and ready to lock in.
This movie would allow me to experience the story and world of Superman for the first time alongside everyone else without the stigma of knowing the lore and more importantly, without the pressure or expectation that the film needed to achieve a certain threshold to prove itself against the old contenders.
I was a blank slate and this movie was ready to leave an impression.
Now, usually in my reviews, I try not to dive too deep into spoiler territory so my friends can hear my general take on something without having to have parts of it ruined in case they decide to take the plunge themselves.
But this movie deserves a lot more than a surface level brief on the quality and expectation, it deserves a deep dive look on so many parts to highlight their strengths and that allows me the opportunity to really get into the nitty gritty of why I feel the way I do about this film and what that means for the future of Superman and me.
So, let me say this.
If you clicked this review and you just wanted to get a vibe check on what I thought, I adore this movie.
I have watched it twice in two days and I'm eager to boot it back up for another go at any minute.
This movie, more than any other I have seen, feels like a comic book come to life on the screen.
The world and its characters are presented in such a matter of fact way that you accept the presentation as reality and find yourself living in it for the duration of the runtime, which is an extremely impressive feat considering the absurdity of it all.
If you're looking for a recommendation that you should give your time to this movie, this is your sign, and I give you full permission to take whatever steps you need to take in order to do so.
... and if that's all you came for, now is the time to back out and close the article because from here, we're going to be talking details.
Spoilers ahead. If you do not want Superman (2025) spoiled for you, click away now.
The movie opens with some short sentences flashing onto the screen explaining the origin of Superman, how he got to Earth, what he's been doing since he arrived, how he just got his ass kicked for the first time, and then he slams into the arctic landscape we've been staring at while reading the set up.
Right off the bat, this movie avoids the trope of super hero films by avoiding spending 30-60 minutes focused on introducing the character and who they are because the filmmakers rightly assumed that everyone, and I mean everyone knows who Superman is.
It goes back to my opening statements in this blog. Even though I have never had any real exposure to Superman as a character, I know his origin story and the bare necessities of his character.
They utilize the status of this pop-culture icon to the best of their ability and throw us right into the action while still ensuring we have a starting point fresh in our minds.
Then, as he lay battered and beaten on the shimmering snow, he whistles and we are introduced to one of the absolute best stars of the show - Krypto.
While I don't want to get too far ahead of myself here, I want to give heaps of praise to the CGI time that worked on Krypto for this film. They are, without a doubt, dog lovers. Krypto is a super powered canine that behaves in a way that makes you buy that "yup, this dog really does have super powers, and he really is just a dog". His movements, actions, body language, and even his facial expression all reminded me of things my own pup Wishbone does. It's like they took a dog actor, filmed him playing and running around, and just put computer animation over his body to have him perform in the role and it is so, so good.
Anyway, Krypto ends up pulling Superman back to his Fortress of Solitude, which looks stunning as it rises out of the ground and glimmers against the sunlight.
Once inside, a group of robots start tending to Superman, showing him clips of a message his parents left him when they sent him to Earth to comfort him while they expose him to the sun to help regenate his powers.
Again, this scene is a perfect example of how well this movie presents itself as a real thing because as an audience member, I just bought into it. I didn't stop and ask why Superman has a group of robots helping him like medics, I didn't wonder why the sun gave him powers, and I just accepted the fact that I was watching an alien get regenerated by a star as old holographic footage of his parents played in a language I couldn't understand and they just happen to explain that the second half of the recording is broken and we can't hear it. This was a ridiculous scene but they were selling it to me, and I subconsciously bought it.
Shortly after this, Superman returns to the scene of the battle he'd just lost at the beginning of the movie, and even though he's only operating at around 80% power, he tries to stop this guy named The Hammer as we're simultaneously introduced to another character called The Engineer who is wandering the tundras of Antarctica in order to locate Superman's hidden base, which she succeeds at doing just before it sinks back into the ground, which she makes sure to relay to another new character and highlight of the show, Lex Luthor, on the other end of the radio.
Back in Metropolis, Superman and The Hammer fight, the Hammer beats down Superman and starts dialoguing about how the fictional company of Boravia would not accept Superman's meddling in their affairs as they try to invade the country of Jarhanpur, which he had done by intimidating the Boravian president Vasil Ghurkos.
Now I want you to re-read that last paragraph.
How can someone watch a series of scenes covering that exact paragraph and not be pulled out of the movie or feel confused?
This completely fictional world is presented with such confidence that I immediately believed that it really existed and just found myself sitting there, appalled that these dictator type leaders would dare to try and invade a nation of innocents and then get offended when Superman steps in to help.
But if I keep breaking off to hammer this point home, this article would take so much longer than it already is, so I really hope this just hammers home how well crafted this movie is for people who are showing up with zero knowledge or expectation. We were included and it rocks.
The Hammer ends up knocking Superman down into the city streets and it looks like he might be beaten. Some bystanders come out to help Superman back up and by the time he's ready to fight, The Hammer has already finished monologuing and he decides it's time to hit the road and takes off.
As he flees, we see him using these strange portals and ultimately winding up back in Lex Luthor's office which tells us that Lex Luthor is behind everything we've just been exposed to and that The Hammer is a metahuman Lex refers to as "Ultraman".
This makes you wonder how important this guy really is. Why is a seemingly normal bald guy so deeply embedded in all of this and how?
Usually when you watch a comic book movie, the villain is an alien, or a dimensional being, or an invasion force, or... something other than just a guy!
So you start to wonder about this and then we're suddenly introduced to Clark Kent.
Clark is working at the Daily Planet, a newspaper publication for Metropolis, and we get a brief glimpse at a normal day in the life of a super hero. Rather than fighting a super-powered machine man like The Hammer, Clark is working on putting together something for the paper while a TV recaps the events of the earlier brawl and co-workers provide commentary leading Clark to offer off the cuff remarks which are countered by Lois who also works at the Daily Planet.
This exchange is seemingly innocent and we believe that Clark is just defending his alter ego, but as we transition to a later shot of Lois and Clark hanging out at Lois' apartment, we learn that Lois clapped back to try and keep Clark from saying too much and revealing his true identity - after all, isn't it weird that Clark Kent seems to be the only interviewer who gets to interview this Superman?
So Clark flips the script, he says that Lois can interview Superman, and much to his surprise, she eagerly jumps at the opportunity and asks him "Right now?"
Reluctantly, while still trying to play it cool, our hero agrees to the interview and suddenly we're witnessing hard hitting journalism.
The questions Lois asks start off broad and Clark seems almost entertained at their little game but as she starts to dig deeper, you start to wonder if Lois is interviewing her boyfriend, or if she's interviewing Superman, and her concerns regarding his actions come to light in a way that we don't expect as she grills him on acting on world events without any consideration to the political fallout that follows.
Clark grows frustrated and then angry as he defends himself and his actions by screaming "PEOPLE WERE GOING TO DIE!"
The tension of this moment is palpable.
You can truly feel the concern from Lois as well as the disbelief from Clark that he is being reprimanded and questioned about doing what is objectively the right thing - saving lives.
As a viewer, we can see the point on both sides of the argument, but personally, I found myself firmly on the side of Superman and agreed with his actions. There is no reality where genocide can be acceptable because men in power want to play in their political theater.
This scene is what set the expectation for who Superman is and what he stands for.
In such a brief interaction, I am led to believe that this guy is hellbent on doing the right thing and helping others, no matter the cost, even when it leads to ridicule and judgment from those around him, including those close to him.
It is rare that I am able to pinpoint the exact moment that I fall in love with a character but for me, this was it.
I saw a lot of correlation between Clark being caught off guard by the scrutiny of his actions when he thought they were simply right and my own personal experiences where I was criticized by friends, family, or co-workers for standing up for what I believed was right by calling out injustice or bigotry. It's an uncomfortable situation where you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to hear out the concerns of those close to you while standing firm that you can't see a world where you just let these things unfold for the sake of peace or proper.
From this point forward, I cared about Superman, I cared about Clark Kent, and I was locked in.
We have a little bit of a time skip here and Lex Luthor and his team of bad guys unleash a cute tiny creature on Metropolis. Except, sike, this little critter ends up becoming a kaiju with the quickness and and suddenly we have a certified super hero team in action.
Superman is rescuing civilians from the chaos the monster is causing while Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl show up to battle the monster under the team title, the "Justice Gang".
Despite Superman wanting to capture the monster alive so it can be studied, the others work on beating it at any cost, and Mister Terrific ends up killing it.
While all of this is happening, Lex Luthor and his team are back in Antarctica looking for the Fortress of Solitude, revealing that the kaiju was just a distraction while the real goal is to break into Superman's house and find some dirt on him.
The Engineer vocalizes that they're wasting their time since the fortress only reveals itself when Superman is around but she's cut off as the Fortress suddenly reveals itself as they approach, leading Lex to say something about having his ways. This comes full circle a bit later, but for now, it's not something I paid much attention to.
Once they're inside the fortress, The Engineer and Ultraman dispatch Superman's robots without much fuss, all while Lex Luthor continues approaching the terminal in the fortress with a casual pace which is a standout moment thanks to the cinematography where the cameras rotate around Lex showing robots diving for him only to be stopped at the very last moment by his goons.
Lex and his team finish off the robots and then access the terminal to discover the message from Superman's parents, the one he watched while recovering because it soothed him, and they find a way to play the remainder of the message - the second half that Clark Kent never heard - and boy is it a doozy.
As it turns out, Clark's parents gave him plenty of praise and hyped him up in the first half of the message, but in the second half, they explain that the inhabitants of Earth are simpletons, and they urge him to conquer Earth and take many wives to help restore the Kryptonian race.
Talk about whiplash.
Lex Luthor ends up broadcasting this message around the world and going on talk shows to explain how concerning it is that Superman is allowed to run freely around the planet with his powers, interfering with political affairs on his own whim, all while his true purpose was to take over the Earth and rule us.
Your mind immediately makes you think that this is doctored footage. Maybe old Lex pulled up ChatGPT and threw in the right prompt to get the audio and video he needed to fool the world, but no, we are reassured by multiple characters that the footage is in fact legitimate and has not be doctored in anyway - which feels like the filmmakers telling the audience, "Hey, they're bad guys, yes, but they didn't make this up."
It worked.
I was still firmly on the side of Superman because I knew that he didn't know the remaining contents of the message but it still came as a shock that this guy who seemed to stand for everything that was right in the world and had the sole goal of helping others was actually sent here with a much darker motive in mind.
The public opinion starts to turn on Superman and this is pushed further when he is caught on camera showing up to angrily confront Lex Luthor while looking for Krypto, who they stole while raiding the fortress.
Knowing that he is being watched by the world, Superman doesn't engage further with Lex and leaves to avoid further controversy.
Back at Lois apartment, Superman shows up to take a moment and process everything that is happening.
Earlier, I mentioned that this movie is the most comic book movie I have ever seen, and this scene alone really cements that.
Lois and Superman, or rather Clark, though he's still in the suit, are having a genuine and heartfelt conversation on the couch about everything and the entire time this conversation is happening, we can see this interdimensional being outside the window being attacked by the "Justice Gang" including the Green Lantern making a giant baseball bat to keep slapping the thing with.
At one point, Lois asks directly, "Shouldn't you be helping with that?" and Clark responds, "That's just a dimensional imp, they've got that." or something similar, and the moment just sticks so well.
As the conversation progresses, Clark reveals that he is going to turn himself in to try and find Krypto, since it's the only way he can think to find him.
Lois rebukes the idea by exclaiming, "Clark, it's just a dog!", to which Clark replies, "Yeah, and he's not a very good one either, but he's alone, and probably scared."
This is moment number two.
This is when Clark Kent, Superman, whatever you prefer to call him, begins to represent a true force of good in the world. In spite of everything going on and knowing that he is 100% walking into a trap, he decides to push forward and put himself in harms way to save his dog.
I am extremely close to my dog. I feel the same way about him that other folks feel about their kids. I would do anything for him and I would do it without hesitation. I do not view him as a pet or property - he is a member of my family and gets treated as such. I would walk through fire just to see him safe - and any super hero that does the same for a dog that isn't even theirs immediately connects with me on a deep level.
This scene concludes with Lois explaining that she never for a moment thought Clark was evil or anyone other than who he has shown himself to be and with Clark confessing his love for Lois.
Next, Superman turns himself in and the US government turns him over to Lex Luthor for detainment and questioning inside of a pocket universe where Lex has been keeping all of his enemies, including Krypto.
... again, I just bought it and rolled with it.
Luthor puts Superman into a glass cube with another metahuman named Metamorpho who is able to turn his body into any elemental compound at will.
As Lex is putting Superman into the prison, he's monologuing about everything and Superman realizes that Lex wouldn't be telling him this if he ever planned to release him.
Lex praises Superman for catching on and points out Metamorpho's infant son, Joey, in another glass cube with another prisoner with the implication that if he doesn't do as he's asked, baby Joey will be eliminated.
So a horrified Metamorpho turns his hand into pure kyrptonite which immediately begins to weaken Superman and Lex takes his leave.
Superman tries to compromise with Metamorpho, but with his son's life at risk, this guy takes absolutely no chances and screams at Superman to not talk to him, pushing the kryptonite closer to shut him up.
The next day, Lex Luthor shows back up with Vasil Ghurkos, the dictator of Boravia, as well as Malik Ali, one of the bystanders that stopped to help Superman once he was knocked out by The Hammer.
Lex pulls out a revolver, puts a single bullet into the cylinder, spins it and slams it shut before putting the barrel of the gun to Malik's head and informing Superman that he's going to ask him a few questions during a very messed up game of russian roulette.
Superman pleads with Lex, explaining that he barely knows the guy, that he simply gave him food one time, but Lex doesn't break.
"Who are you working with on Earth?", he asks, Superman pleads that he isn't working with anyone as Malik cries out, "Tell him nothing Superman! I have no family or nothing. You taking my food was a great honor Superman!" Lex pulls the trigger. Thankfully, the round wasn't in the chamber.
Superman continues to plead to stop but Lex spins the cylinder again and moves on to question number two, "Who raised you as a child?"
Superman continues to plead, "I can't!", Malik exclaims "I believe in your Superman! Don't tell him nothing!" and then the gunshot rings out.
Malik hunches over in his seat, Superman screams in anguish, Metamorpho sits in shock, Lex states in an almost joking tone "I didn't imagine that would go so quickly", as Vasil laughs.
This scene ramps up the tension and stakes of the film immediately.
Up until this point, we've seen giant monsters and a robot man fighting Superman and destroying the city, but the heroes have always managed to save the innocent people around them.
So what happens when there's no one there to save them?
We are faced with the sudden realization that despite being Superman, a character often thought of as unstoppable and unfailing, even he can't save everyone.
The weight of this moment is massive and it marks a very significant shift in the stakes of the film to a degree that it suddenly feels like you're watching an entirely new movie from this point forward.
Lex and Vasil leave with Malik's corpse as Lex declares that he'll return tomorrow with someone else Superman has talked to for more questioning.
Superman lay on the floor of his cell feeling defeated as Metamorpho sobs behind him, racked with guilt for failing to act when an innocent man was executed in front of him for no reason other than talking to our hero and providing him food.
Metamorpho asks Superman if he can really get to his son, to which Superman replies that he can, so Metamorpho returns his hand to normal, removing the kryptonite from the cell.
While this immediately relieves Superman of the tortured state he's been in, he isn't completely healed, Metamorpho even asks hurriedly "What do you still look gross!?" and Superman speculates that it's the lack of sun in the prison, as he gets his powers from the sun, a fact that we've already been exposed to thanks to the opening of the film where they fit an entire origin and setup into about two minutes of show time.
Metamorpho mentions that he can't make a sun but he can make something close to a sun and ends up creating two elements on each of his hands and combining them to create a miniature star in the cell to help regenerate Superman, which causes the prisoners in adjacent blocks to begin freaking out and calling for the guards out of fear of reprimand from Lex Luthor.
... again, the most comic book super hero movie of all time!
While all of this has been going on, Lois has been busy back in the real world where she's currently at the Hall of Justice pleading to the "Justice Gang" to help Superman who has been captured and stored in a pocket dimension by Lex Luthor.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that while Lois was back at the Daily Planet trying to figure out what Lex Luthor was gaining from all of this when a co-worker, Jimmy Olsen, revealed that he had a "source" on the inside and got the information about Superman being captive in the pocket diminsion. This is another one of those moments where stepping back and thinking hard about this moment makes you wonder how you just accepted this turn of events as fact, but it gets us where we're going, and I feel like the storyline involving the "source" pays off in a really good way.
Anyway, back at the Hall of Justice, Lois pleads her case and is surprised when Green Lantern, who is played by the incredible Nathan Fillion, and Hawkgirl refuse to interfere due to the risk of upsetting the stage of global politics.
This moment is such a good use of holding up the mirror to Lois who, earlier in the film, absolutely grilled Clark for acting without considering the political fallout of his actions, but is now being stone walled due to the same concerns by others and realizing how difficult it is to just do the right thing.
Thankfully, Mister Terrific follows her out of the Hall of Justice and agrees to help. This guy ends up being another star of the show and even though I know nothing about the character, I adore him now. I would absolutely rock his jacket ever day of the week.
So, Mister Terrific and Lois go to this military style camp where the portal to the pocket diminsion is being kept, and we are treated to what is one of the absolute best fight scenes I've ever seen.
Mister Terrific absolutely decimates an entire platoon of goons with this incredible song playing in the background as we watch from Lois' perspective as she is shielding in a bubble protecting her from all of the action.
As he works to eliminate all of these guys, his expression is so stoic and just fed up, giving the impression that this is just another Tuesday workload and he's ready to get this out of the way so he can move on with his day.
Dude, Mister Terrific fucking rules.
So they clean that up and locate the portal causing Mister Terrific to exclaim in disbelief that "he really did create a pocket diminsion!" and we get the exposition that doing so is highly unstable and can cause a black hole at any moment ever time you open or close the portal.
Mister Terrific sets off to hack the portal so they can get in and find Superman. Once the portal is open, he and Lois step inside to the edge of the portal and realize they can't traverse any deeper and instead, he uses his t-spheres as cameras to begin searching.
Back at the prison, the guards have taken notice of the bright light coming from the suddenly spawned miniature star in their jail and Superman has been partially restored which is accompanied by a beautiful piece of music.
He breaks out of the cell and slams into the one with baby Joey to free him from his captor and return him to Metamorpho, but Metamorpho informs Superman that he will have to carry baby Joey, because he can't hold him while he changes forms allowing him to fly.
Now we cut to Krypto who is being tortured in his own way by having squirrels beamed into his brain leading him on an endless chase with no satisfying conclusion.
The feeling of satisfaction when Superman slams into the machine at full speed immediately freeing Krypto is so strong and we are immediately reminded once again that Krypto is indeed just a dog as he dives from Superman to play rough with him as he's excited to see him.
Superman, Metamorpho, Joey, and Krypto reunite and make a plan to reach the portals and escape when they are suddenly attacked by the guards.
This leads to an epic action sequence of Superman fighting off the guards and trying to survive the dangers of the pocket diminsion while holding a baby the entire time.
Metamorpho also has a really great move here where he converts his body into acid and explodes onto all the guards causing them to melt. This immediately makes him a standout and piques my interest in learning more about his character.
As the scene unfolds, it is revealed that a black hole has been created and is starting to absorb the pocket diminsion and Superman and baby Joey are close to being sucked in when Krypto comes to the rescue!
... or so you think. But since he is a dog, and an untrained one at that, he instead just licks baby Joey in the face despite Superman's pleas.
Metamorpho shows up and tries to help but isn't sure what to do.
Superman grabs hold of Krypto and forms a chain between all parties this uses his super breath to propel them away from the black hole and back to relative safety.
Again. THE MOST COMIC BOOK MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
It's about this time that Mister Terrific finds them with his T-Sphere and is shocked to see a flying dog. Krypto, seeing the T-Sphere as a toy, immediately chases it and catches it in his mouth.
He really is just a dog with super powers and I adore him.
Mister Terrific gets the attention of Superman and the others and uses the T-Spheres to lead them back to the portal where they all escape at the last possible second.
Once they escape, it becomes clear that Superman is suffering from kryptonite poisoning and Mister Terrific states that he will recover but he has to take some time to do so and instructs Lois to take the T-Craft (which has easy and intuitave controls!) and get him somewhere safe.
Lois takes him to the home of his parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, out in the country to allow him to recover. When they arrive, Jonathan asks if Clark is going to be ok with tears in his eyes, and Lois reassures him that he will recover. Martha interjects to let Lois know not to mind "Pa" because he's always been "Mush".
As someone who lives in rural South Carolina and grew up in families with this type of slang between here, Virginia, and Kentucky, the moment felt very much like home to me.
The next morning, Clark is sitting out in the yard eating breakfast as Krypto plays with the cows, and his dad comes outside to sit with him.
The conversation seems normal enough at first but then we learn that Jonathan has noticed a difference in his son and pries just a bit to try to find out what's going on.
Clark confesses that the message from his parents has been gnawing at him. He's struggling to reconcile with the fact that he was sent to Earth with the intention of being it's ruler, not its protector, and he states that he isn't who he thought he was.
Jonathan informs his son that "parents aren't for telling their children who they're supposed to be" and that his choices and actions determine who he is, not a message left by his parents. Through tear filled eyes and a choked up voice, he exclaims that he couldn't be prouder of him.
This is the moment I cried.
Seeing this super human who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and sets himself to such a high standard allow himself to be vulnerable and human long enough to accept the support and advice of his father put his characters into such a perfect perspective and as the two of them embraced, I lost it.
Clark's mom, Martha, interrupts this loving moment by cracking open the screen door, calling her husband "mush" endearingly, and telling Clark there's something on the "box" he might want to see.
Inside, the TV shows the forces of Boravia getting ready to invade Jarhanpur again, and as their forces rally, the people of Jarhanpur raise a flag bearing Superman's emblem, and begin chanting his name.
As a side note here, despite never reading a single Superman comic, I feel like I have seen art or a cover with this exact flag being erected in a warzone before, and it's a very powerful image.
Martha let's Clark know that she's washed his boots and she'll go get them for him and he prepares to go stop Boravia from invading but he's interrupted when Mister Terrific reaches out to inform him that Lex Luthor has opened an unstable portal to the pocket universe, creating a rift in reality which begins to split the city in half, and pleads that he needs Superman's help there or else thousands of people will die.
Again. THE MOST COMIC BOOK MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
Around this time, we get a cut away that shows Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet employee with the "source" close to Lex Luthor, meeting with his source.
It turns out that his source is Eve Teschmacher, the girlfriend of Lex Luthor who has been seen throughout the entire movie taking selfies ever time something big was unfolding, an an ex-girlfriend of Jimmy Olsen's.
Eve calls Jimmy telling him that she is so done with Lex Luthor after he yelled at her and threw a pencil at her and that she has all the evidence Jimmy needs to expose Luthor for the maniac that he is.
In return, Eve wants to spend the entire weekend with Jimmy, and Jimmy begrudgingly accepts the offer. Eve is caught right as she sends the evidence to Jimmy through a series of selfies where the background continues vital information to Lex Luthor's scheming.
In Metropolis, the rift is tearing the city apart and as a building collapses onto a bridge and almost smashes a car with a lady driving inside, Superman catches the building and saves her at the last second.
As she drives away, Superman rises through the ruble into a cloud of smoke against the sunlight and we are presented with a scene that is beginning to be printed and framed as fine art and this is just one of MANY times that this occurs throughout the movie.
Superman then meets up with Mister Terrific and they begin discussing how to stop the rift tearing through the city when Engineer and Ultraman attack them.
The following battle is awesome with huge set piece moments including Superman flying to the edge of space and crashing back to Earth to defeat his attackers.
It's here that it is revealed that Ultraman is a clone of Superman and that's how Lex Luthor managed to break into the Fortress of Solitude.
I told you we'd come full circle!
It's also revealed that the clone isn't very intelligent and Lex Luthor has been calling the shots from the very beginning by studying Superman's moves and learning how to counter them then instructing Ultraman from afar.
Lex taunts Superman through Ultraman's suit by informing him that the rift was a diversion to allow the invasion of Jarhanpur to continue, and Superman retorts that Jarhanpur doesn't need him because he sent some friends.
Cue the "Justice Gang" and Metamorpho arriving to fight off the invaders in another epic fight scene that highlights Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho and their unique skillsets.
They make quick work of the Boravian forces and Hawkgirl captures Vasil Ghurkos who taunts her as being soft like Superman, to which she replies "I'm not like Superman" and drops Vasil to his death.
Another whiplash moment that makes you realize that even though these characters are super heroes, they're very much people, and they have their own personality and morality to go along with that.
We then see a quick glimpse of the Daily Planet team, who are evacuating the city on the T-craft (which has easy and intuitive controls!) as they publish the article with all of the evidence exposing Lex Luthor.
Now we cut back to Superman and Ultraman fighting and Ultraman begins to get the upperhand on our hero. Lex Luthor monologues as he details ever tiny detail of his plan and expresses that he didn't create this plot to kill Superman in order to justify the invasion of Jarhanpur, but he created the invasion of Jarhanpur to exact his plot to kill Superman.
During this scene, Nicholas Hoult absolutely shines as Lex Luthor.
His acting is incredible and the way the shot is presented, it makes you feel as if you're in a theater watching a play. He is so committed to this role and truly becomes him right before our eyes and it's really, REALLY damn impressive.
Suddenly, Krypto shows up and helps save Clark!
It's at this moment that Clark realizes that Lex is using cameras floating around to monitor Ultraman and provide call outs for combat and he instructs Krypto "Krypto. Get the toy."
This is another scene where Krypto shines. The expression on his face as his name is called followed by the utter conviction to get the toy is the exact same way a dog looks when you tell them to get the ball or ask if they want to go for a walk.
Seriously, kudos to the CGI team on Krypto. They absolutely nailed it.
Krypto attacks the cameras leading to Lex being unable to give Ultraman the proper call outs and after a brief skirmish, Ultraman is cast into the black hole to never be seen again. At least, that's what I assume, I don't know how black holes work in Superman comics.
Mr. Terrific, Krypto, and Superman start heading for Lex Luthor's base as Lex instructs his team to pack it up so they can make their escape.
As they're packing their things, Lex looks out the window, and starts running towards the door but Superman smashes through the glass and grabs hold of him right away.
Mister Terrific has a great line here as he moves to the terminal to work on closing the portal. A guy offers to help him, he puts his hand on the guys face and pushes him away as he exclaims, "I don't need no help! I'm god damn Mister Terrific!" (HE IS SO COOL!)
Lex shouts in frustration calling Superman "you piece of shit Alien!" ... and man... the reply is so, so good.
The camera cuts to Superman and we see his frustration for a brief moment before he replies in earnest...
"That is where you've always been wrong about me, Lex! I'm as human as anyone! I love! I, I... get scared! I wake up ever morning and despite not knowing what to do, I put one foot in front of the other and I try to make the best choices I can! I screw up all the time! But THAT is being human! ... and that's my greatest strength. And someday, I hope, for the sake of the world, you understand that it's your too!"
The music that accompanies this delivery is so good and emotional and powerful.
While I was immediately swayed and holding back tears, Lex wasn't so impressed, he immediately challenges Superman and follows up with threats only to be absolutely mauled by Krypto.
The comedy of this scene breaks the tension so quickly and allows you to untense your shoulders after not realizing you'd been doing so for so long.
God, I love Krypto.
Mister Terrific closes the portal and the world begins putting itself back together as it closes.
Lex rises to his feet, cradling his broken arm, when a cohort calls his name and brings his attention to the TV where multiple news agencies are covering the exposure of Lex Luthor as a traitor and expressing their apologies to Superman for doubting his morality.
Nicholas Hoult continues to show his acting prowess as he portrays Lex devastated by the coverage, crying from anger as he struggles to come to terms with being bested - particularly in a battle of wits.
Up next, we get a closing montage highlighting the resolution of multiple plot points.
The "Justice Gang" are celebrated in Jarhanpur and Metamorpho is accepted as a new member.
Some political guys express that the metahumans seem to be in charge now... not sure if I was supposed to think more of these guys or not.
All of the prisoners of the pocket universe are freed, including Eve, who reunites with Jimmy.
Lois confesses that she loves Clark too after not saying it back earlier in the film.
... and then Clark returns to the Fortress of Solitude to recover.
As he recovers, one of the robots inform Clark that his cousin has arrived, and we see a very drunk Supergirl stumble into the fortress complaining about the door being moved and asking where her dog is.
Krypto runs and tackles her as she laughs while he jumps all over her, giving us insight into why he's such a misbehaved pup.
As she leaves, his robots turn on footage of his parents to sooth him as he recovers. Only this time, it's a montage of his childhood on Earth with his real parents, Martha and Jonathan.
I cried. A lot. Sobbed. It's a beautiful moment and I relished it as the credits rolled.
So, apart from an extremely entertaining post credits scene, that was Superman.
After two hours, I have completed my introduction to this world and understand why so many people love and value this character.
My first experience with Superman was a wonderful one and I connected with him on a level that I would have never expected.
The performances in this movie were so powerful and the story, regardless of how outlandish it seems on paper, was so believable to me that it provided a well needed escape in a time where I struggling to find the courage to face each day with any ounce of optimism as the world around me seems to burn.
This was more than just a movie to me, it was an experience, and a lesson, a lesson to never stop trying, no matter how hard things get.
... and I am going to treasure it forever.
Superman serves as my perfect entry into the DC universe and proves to be an unforgettable experience.