James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman reboot promised much but delivered little. Despite a talented cast, including David Corenswet as a young Superman, the film fails to soar due to its overstuffed plot, toneless direction, and subpar visuals.
Gunn attempted to address DC’s cinematic universe woes by introducing a new reboot, but instead of fixing them, he created another generic superhero movie. The story is cluttered with too many characters, none of whom get meaningful development or screen time. This leads to a shallow experience where audiences are left feeling disconnected from the heroes.
The film’s tone is particularly jarring, veering wildly between optimism and cynicism without finding a middle ground. The humor falls flat, and Gunn’s signature snarkiness feels out of place in this iconic superhero role. The lack of conviction in the story’s themes and messages makes Superman feel like any other generic superhero.
Visually, the film is an assault on the eyes, with too much CGI, distracting color palettes, and overly aggressive action sequences. Even the score, which reuses elements from the 1978 Richard Donner film, feels forced and unoriginal.
Ultimately, James Gunn’s Superman reboot fails to deliver a compelling story or memorable characters. It’s a predictable, run-of-the-mill superhero movie that fails to capture the essence of this iconic character.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2025/07/09/superman-review-james-gunns-man-of-steel-is-a-painfully-mediocre-super-generic-mess-of-a-movie