Superman (2025) - MOVIE REVIEW (Spoiler-Free)

The time is finally here. My most anticipated movie of the year - James Gunn's SUPERMAN - is finally arriving in theaters this weekend. I had the incredible opportunity to see this movie at an early Fan First Screening yesterday, which is how I'm getting this review out about the time it is debuting worldwide, in a select few countries today. This is the official, theatrical launch of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU, that I really hope will actually have the chance to thrive. I love DC Comics, and I've loved Superman since I was a small child. I was introduced to the character through the Justice League cartoons and the original 1978 Richard Donner film. I dressed up as Superman and tried to do the curl and all of that. It has been a LONG wait to finally have another Superman movie on the big screen, and - boy, oh boy - has it been a tumultuous one.I was a huge fan of Henry Cavill's Superman and am one of the people who love Man of Steel. Zack Snyder's Justice League is one of my favorite comic book movies of all-time too, but the toxicity around the excitement and hate for this new movie has been rough. It's the 'sports-ation' of movie fandoms that has really frustrated me over the last few years, and it's showcased no more clearly than how people talked about this movie up until release (and probably after release too). That being said, because the character means so much to me and because James Gunn's film really resonate with me on an emotional level, I've always known he was going to deliver a worthy film that starts the Big Blue again. You'd know that about me if you've listened to any of my reviews of James Gunn's films and shows, which are all glowing, and listened to my breakdowns of the trailers. The trailers certified for me that it seemed like Gunn was finally taking the character back to its much needed hopeful and optimistic, yet slightly retro, roots. So, does James Gunn's Superman deliver on its promises; is it the truest version of Superman we've had in a long time? Find out in this SPOILER-FREE review!Superman:Written and Directed by: James GunnSuperman created by: Jerry Siegel & Joe ShusterProduced by: James Gunn, Peter SafranExecutive Producers: Nikolas Korda, Chantel Nong Vo, Lars P. WintherMusic by: David Fleming, John MurphyDirector of Photography: Henry BrahamEdited by: Craig Alpert, William HoyCasting by: John PapsideraProduction Design by: Beth MickleCostume Design by: Judianna MakovskyCast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, María Gabriela de Faría, Sara Sampaio, Skyler Gisondo, Terence Rosemore, Wendell Pierce, Pruitt Taylor-Vince, Neva Howell, Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Frank GrilloSynopsis: Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.