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I have to resurrect my tumblr from the dead for my thoughts on the new Superman movie:

THIS WAS AN AMAZING MOVIE. THAT WAS SUPERMAN.

He’s corny, he’s midwestern, he’s a nerd and everyone kind of bullies him for it. He says things like “what the hay dude” or “I’m punk rock- I’m totally punk” completely seriously. He takes several extra precious seconds to save a squirrel. He’s ready to fly headfirst into danger to save his dog because the dog’s probably “scared and all alone” even though it���s not a particularly good dog all the time. He loves his parents. He has bad band posters hanging in his childhood bedroom. He takes the time to calm a lady on a rooftop in the middle of a fight. He cares. 

As for the actual plot- it’s really difficult to make a Superman movie feel high stakes, especially while trying to keep it real. In the comics Superman gets into situations it would be nearly impossible to show on screen, like fighting in front of a black hole, but somehow this movie makes it work. James Gunn tapped into his experience making Guardians of the Galaxy and it shows in the best way possible. You find yourself wondering how in the world Superman is going to win- and that’s what makes this such an amazing superhero movie.

Superman’s true weakness isn’t kryptonite, it’s thinking and planning ahead. All the villains that beat him in the comics match his brawn, but have the brains to get an edge and have better fight strategy. All superman knows is that “people were going to die” and since he’s such an unbelievably GOOD guy, that’s all that matters to him. We saw it when the “justice gang” was helping him fight the alien monster and we saw it in Louis’s interview. When you have a superhero with barely any weaknesses, you need something more than the threat of losing a fight to make him interesting. 

Now for Lex- no notes. He was brilliantly written. It can be difficult to take his character seriously, but that speech at the end where he was screaming to be recognized because, to him, humanity’s ability to overcome odds and achieve through innovation is critical and Superman’s existence risks overshadowing that? That was deadly serious. 

Last serious note- I’m glad they kept it political. The United States government being scared of an alien and the threat of invasion despite the fact that Superman has done nothing but help them? A billionaire approaching the government to encourage foreign intervention because it will allow him to profit? A foreign power that the U.S. is officially allied to even though everyone knows they’ve committed horrible war crimes but nobody actually KNOWS that and the smaller neighbor they’re threatening to wipe out in order to “free” them from an oppressive regime? Superman declaring that he’s just like everyone else, that he’s human too and that’s his greatest strength? The idea of radical love? Yeah. 

FINAL NOTE: I think that a scene from this movie sums up what I got from it very well. It’s when Louis is talking about how Clark isn’t punk rock. She says that he trusts everyone he’s ever met and he thinks that everyone is beautiful. And he responds: “maybe that’s punk rock.” He’s right. It is. And that’s Superman. 

Anyways…good movie. Go watch it.

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Ohhh, bless the new Superman movie for giving me back the boy scout who believes in the innate goodness of humanity. Who thrives in the sunlight. Who thinks of himself as a servant to the world.

Bless it for giving us a smart and insightful and nuanced Lois Lane, who asks the difficult questions about power and privilege, even of those she loves. Perhaps especially of those she loves. The Lois who is a hero in her own right, on her own merits.

Bless it for Me Terrific, who was honestly terrific, and for Lex Luthor, who dripped his narcissism and rage with such convincing characterization.

Bless it for the small, charming moments from Perry, and Jimmy, and the Kents themselves, who actually seemed like Kansas farmers and not beautiful Hollywood actors wearing plaid.

Bless it... And I can believe I'm saying this... For Krypto. Who was actually value added to this delightful movie.

Superman was a delight. I have missed seeing Clark this way. Thank you cast, crew, writers, and all. I appreciate you.

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Weird take, but I love that Clark’s parents were so… normal. They weren’t the expected hotties with a swagger and a confidence in everything they do. No. It’s a dad who cries because he’s scared his son is injured. It’s a mom who calls to congratulate him on an article he wrote and published. It’s the dad listening in but not saying anything because he doesn’t want to disturb his kid. It’s the mom with a typical midwestern accent and mannerisms. It’s the 20+ missed calls when their son disappeared.

It’s not “oh yeah he’s Superman, guess he’ll come around when he comes around.” It’s just so endearingly normal and human and parental. This is their little boy who drinks coco and saves squirrels and doesn’t want to kill a giant goblin creature because “there’s a gentler way”. A gentler way because he saw his gentler parents. A gentler way because he had a gentle upbringing. A gentler way because his parents are not heroes, they won’t be running around finding danger but if they see a injured squirrel or a bird with a broken wing, they take it in and help it heal.

My heart is literal mush with the family dynamics of these Kent’s. They did so good at raising a clumsy ass oaf and I love them all with my whole heart.

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Post-theater thoughts:

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the way Martha and Johnathan Kent in Superman 2025 are just two ordinary farmers from the midwest

they're older, they struggle with their phones, their home is run down and their farm humble, they're not Hollywood looking, they have accents and kind smiles

the way Clark calls them Ma and Pa

these two found Clark as a baby in a field, they looked past their fear and saw a baby that needed love and they gave him that love, they did everything they could for Clark

they gave him love

and the Clark we see? he's a reflection of them, of hope and love and what it means to be human

they dont have a lot of screen time but they left an impact that you feel through the film

they're not Kal-El's parents, but they are Clark Kent's parents

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What I really loved about this portrayal of Mr. Terrific was that yes he is the smartest man there. But he is so expressive. So many smart characters have to act like their above emotion and reacting. But no he's getting mad because he knows he's too smart to be dealing with this shit

"Quit playing around!!!"

"You brought the damn dog????"

*shoves guys face out of the way with his entire hand*

A lot of geniuses on shows and movies become detached because their so much better than everyone else. But Mr. Terrific is very much present and kind of always pissed about that. He's human and caring enough to not just Dr. Manhattan his way out.

He gets the job done but he will also tell you "Hurry your ass up!!!"

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Absolutely LOVE the fact that unlike most superhero movies, Superman didn’t do everything.

It was set up as “oh no Metropolis and Jarhanpur are in trouble! He needs to quickly finish one and then help the other!” But no. Instead he just called his friends and they stepped in where he couldn’t. Even at Metro, he had Mr. Terrific’s help.

This is not a one-god-army kinda Superman. This is a I-could-try-to-do-it-all-or-I-can-ask-others-to-step-in-when-needed and isn’t that the crux of humanity right now? All of us may not be able to go where the problems are happening but we can help those who are there. We can also face the problems happening in our neighbourhood with people who can’t be close but can help in whatever way they can.

Because, sure, Superman could do it all himself. But that inevitably leads to a Superman who is stretched too thin and getting increasingly weary. But having people he knows he can rely on? Well isn’t that the best power anyone can have…

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one thing i absolutely adored about Superman (2025)?.. the fact that in-universe, superheroes have existed publicly for centuries. Superman is just another metahuman, and they're a very commonplace sort of thing - which the movie makes extremely clear. the civilians - or even animals!!! - aren't freaked by a kaiju downtown, Lois barely spares a glance to the interdimensional imp. superheroes get interviewed and sometimes operate via corporate sponsorships. seeing a superhero is like seeing animal control or a repairs company on your street - or maybe the fire department. Clark is automatically humanized, simply by being one of many

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Things I’m obsessed with after coming out of the Superman 2025 film:

- our introduction to this superman being him getting dragged across the tundra on his face by his dog

- green lantern’s use of the ‘big blue’ nickname

- Perry white and the daily planet core group not gaf about the mandatory evacuation and going over their newest story nonchalantly as people flee around them

- the rasp in David’s voice when he yelled the “People Were Going To DIE—“ line

- Lex Luther being pushed to TEARS at the end due to the intensity of his hatred for Superman

- the scene where Superman rising out of the dust and debris to make sure the lady got away okay (the visuals combined with the musical score gave me actual goosebumps)

- the clone reveal (I.e. the subtle nod to a Connor Kent storyline in the future hopefully and how this superman is going to deal with it)

- Lois’s apartment, just in general - also the fact that we got to see her apartment and not Clark’s

- just, everything time mr. Terrific was on screen to be honest but ESPECIALLY his ‘I’m goddamn Mr. Terrific” line

- the scene with the three kids holding up the flag, goosebumps again instantly

- the choice to make pa Kent and Clark’s relationship be the emotionally charged dynamic (we love to see male vulnerability not used as the butt of a joke)

- the score during the moment of eye contact between Lois and Metamorpho after they escape the pocket universe

- jimmy’s rizz factor being the technical reason they won the battle in the end

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seeing the online reactions to Superman (2025) has been, frankly, as much of a delight as the film itself. it's been days and i don't think i've seen a single hate comment without it being immediately followed up by a picture of a monkey typing

the only negative reviews this film has received thus far are all coming from a) zionists b) alpha male tech bros - which are quite literally the two main villains of the story, so the jokes write themselves at this point

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I know its probably not but the idea that superman 2025 and the batman take place in the same universe at similar times is so funny to me. All this weird shit is going on with aliens and pocket dimensions in metropolis and then like an hour away its serial killer twitch streamers and the saddest wettest emo boy

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be ready for superman art... the hold this movie has on me is insane

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“They’re making Superman woke by saying it’s an immigrant story”

Superman? You mean the ALIEN from a DIFFERENT PLANET who WAS NOT BORN IN AMERICA BUT GREW UP THERE??? The one created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who were both children of IMMIGRANTS???

Not only is Superman an immigrant BUT HES AN ILLEGAL ONE!! HE CRASH LANDED IN KANSAS WITH NO DOCUMENTATION!!

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i think that one of the best parts of superman (2025) was that i saw eve taking selfies everywhere and immediately thought “isn’t that a security risk? what if her phone gets hacked??” and WOUNDN’T YA KNOW IT…

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Something I really loved in the new Superman:

When that building is falling down over the bridge, Superman is saving one woman in a car. Usually in superhero movies or TV procedurals with emergency services, if it’s a woman in a car she also has a child or a crying baby to “raise the stakes” and make you care. But for this Superman, and in the context of this movie, it’s enough to just be a woman alone in a shitty car that won’t start right. She doesn’t need to be a mother for the stakes to be high enough that Superman uses his body to stop an entire skyscraper.

It was small, but it felt really powerful to me the moment I saw it.