Superman was released in theaters on July 11, 2025. It recently became available to stream on September 19, 2025. The movie is based on the original story of Superman, with a few modern changes. Superman, known as journalist Clark Kent, was sent to Earth as a baby from the planet Krypton. He saves the world without anyone, except for a few people, finding out his secret identity. The plot of the movie is that tech billionaire Lex Luthor framed Superman for escalating a war between Boravia and Jarhanpur. Superman must stop the invasion and Lex Luthor while dealing with public backlash and his own values. I would give this movie 5/5 stars because it was easy to follow, had an interesting story, and Superman was portrayed in a believable way.
I had never seen any other DC movies or read any comics, so I liked that I didn’t need any background information to understand what was happening. If you do have the background knowledge, it is enjoyable because it is a different approach to the story. The movie starts by giving you all the details you need regarding Superman’s backstory. It moves on through him, saving people, his relationship with Lois Lane, and his battle with Lex Luthor. In an interview with Fandango, director James Gunn said, “I think the most important thing is that this works as a movie by itself. It’s a complete story with a beginning, middle, and an end.” This is so that people with no connection to any other previous Superman knowledge can still enjoy the movie.
Another reason to appreciate this movie is because the plot is appealing. It isn’t just a basic superhero story. It does have the central conflict where Superman has to defeat Lex Luthor, but it also has so much more. It has Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and his parents. It also has Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and Mr. Terrific. The relationships built, combined with thrilling action scenes, make this movie memorable. The viewers get to follow Superman’s romantic connection with Lois Lane. They also get to see Superman’s bond with his parents. The addition of other superheroes enhances the plot, allowing the audience to connect with the previous stories of those characters.
The last reason to like Superman is that he is portrayed in a believable way. The writers and director specifically created the movie to make Superman more human. A defining part of his character is his prioritization of humanity over powers, which is reflected in his values of kindness, compassion, and hope, even when the public turns against him. “This is a personal story, this is a story about Superman in the way he looks at himself. And despite all of the big, huge battles and monsters and robots and colorful characters, this is about a guy who is challenged with how he thinks about himself as a person and how he comes out of that on the other side,” Gunn said in an interview with NPR (National Public Radio). This separates the movie from other superhero films and stories because the audience expects Superman to defeat anyone, but what you actually see is a deeper side of the well-known superhero. This makes the movie unique and makes the viewers want to continue watching and be invested in the story.
Overall, Superman is a very enjoyable movie that I would recommend. It has all the action and thrills of a typical superhero movie, with a more believable spin on the characters.
