“Superman” Soars: Saving The Day, The Dog & Possibly DC, Too [Review]

This man, he’s super.

It’s been nearly five decades since Christopher Reeve made us believe a man could fly. After decades of wandering the cinematic wilderness – through awkward reboots, grimdark brooding, and the blank stare of Henry Cavill – Superman has finally found his way home. 

James Gunn’s 2025 reboot isn’t just a return to form. It’s the first Superman film in a long, long time that remembers what the character was always meant to be: a symbol of goodness, yes – but also, a man.

From the opening minutes, Gunn makes it clear we’re skipping the origin story.

No crumbling Krypton, no rocket baby in a field, and no time wasted. Superman, played with goofy charm and earnest conviction by David Corenswet, is already working at the Daily Planet, dating a whip-smart Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and battling Lex Luthor’s (a dead-eyed, chilling Nicholas Hoult) latest scheme to rot minds through the internet and fan the flames of global war. 

It’s a fresh approach that treats the audience with respect – we know who Superman is. What we want to know is who he is now.

And what Gunn gives us is something surprisingly tender: a Superman who isn’t defined by his godlike abilities, but by his humanity.

He’s not angsty or tortured, but neither is he bland. There’s a sweetness to this Clark Kent – a Kansas-raised guy who still believes in human decency, even when the world around him gets murky. 

Whether he’s debating foreign policy with Lois, saving a squirrel during a chaotic battle, rescuing a baby alien he just met, or crying over his emotionally-deficit robots, this Superman leads with empathy. He doesn’t posture, he cares.

That kind of storytelling feels slightly radical now, in a genre bloated with multiverse chaos and three-hour runtimes. Superman clocks in at just two hours, moves with grace, and still manages to pack in massive action sequences.

But make no mistake, Superman is still a superhero film: big, bright, and unabashedly fun.

There’s a flying superdog named Krypto who steals scenes with the sort of loyalty only badly trained dogs can muster. There are inventive fight sequences (Gunn knows how to make a punch feel punchy), crackling newsroom banter, and just the right amount of meta-nods to the absurdity of Clark Kent’s whole glasses-as-disguise situation.

It’s a film that likes its characters, and wants us to, too. The ‘Justice Gang’ is quickly introduced and easily likeable. Nathan Fillion is a brilliant Green Lantern, bringing his usual nonchalant energy that ironically adds to his character. Egi Gathegi is a terrific Mister Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho is initially conflicted, but learns soon enough whose side he should be on. 

It helps that Gunn’s made Guardians of the Galaxy before this because I could feel the same energy in Guardians being channeled here, but not in a way that feels forced or replicated. It just gives Superman (and DC) the breather and the edge it so desperately needed for it to come to life again.

This Superman isn’t just for the world, he belongs to it.

It’s interesting that the film doesn’t ignore Superman’s history as a refugee. In a world marked by global unrest and anti-immigration rhetoric, Gunn’s decision to center Superman’s alienness as a metaphor for immigration is emotionally resonant. 

Kal-El may be from Krypton, but everything good in him comes from Earth. We see that his tender-hearted nature was passed down from his adoptive father, not his biological one. He’s shaped by the people who raised him and the values they passed on.

And for all his powers, what makes him super is choosing to save lives not out of obligation, but love. That’s why when he risks everything to save his dog (who isn’t a very good dog most of the time) it doesn’t feel silly or sentimental – because Superman may have been born on Krypton, but he was raised in Kansas. 

And a dog, after all, is a man’s best friend.

Superman lands in Malaysian cinemas from 10 July 2025. See it in IMAX.

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