Superman (2025)

David Corenswet dons the blue tights and red undies in James Gunn's hard reboot of the franchise, and the first film in the newly christened DC Universe. A lot is riding on this film in order to fulfill expectations, and Gunn has the unenviable task of building a shared universe on the shoulders of this movie, but it manages to (mostly) succeed with flying colors. It's a bold and auspicious start as we're dropped into this fully developed world and asked to keep up. There's a lot going on and it feels like we're already three movies deep. We're introduced to the "Justice Gang" (Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific) as well as Lex Luthor (played by Greatest Actor of His Generation Nicholas Hoult). Krypto the dog also features heavily as an unexpected hiccup along the way.

Is it better than the first two Superman films from 1978 and 1980? Not in my opinion. But it easily stands alongside that version of the character, and it blows the brooding SnyderVerse out of the fucking water. Most importantly, it feels like a Superman movie again. This Superman resembles the golden age of comic books; he's full of hope and humanity, all about damage control and protecting creatures great and small. And John Williams's theme once again does the heavy lifting of bringing the beating heart and soul to this franchise.

So, does it do enough to wipe the bad blood left by the fallen DCEU? Only time will tell if audiences accept this new direction, but it's going to be an uphill battle as Marvel continues to dominate their own shared cinematic space.

4 punk rockers out of 5

Note: Next film in the new DCU is slated to be Supergirl, arriving in June 2026.

IDENTITY [2003]

Director James Mangold crafts Identity into a wild, twistin' & turnin' mystery/thriller that is more fun than it is intelligent.  

A dark and stormy night at a creepy old motel screams out Psycho but throw in an ensemble cast of characters who all share mysteries of their own and you have deliciously evil whodunnit on your hands.  It's not high art but it runs in, does it thing and leaves you without a bitter taste.  

3 washloads of death out of 5

Constantine (2005)

What it is vs. what it isn't? It isn't the comic onscreen. It has very little in common with the source material, and the blond Brit with the coat has become the dark-haired Keanu with the wrong coat. What they kept was the name and the cigarettes. Despite that, the film paints its own version of a world with confident strokes that feel believable even when things get mystical. It never strays into self-parody, and it never treats its subject matter as trite.
Ultimately, it's not the film I was expecting or hoping for, but it's one that justified its lack of faithfulness by being well-crafted. It deserved a sequel because the character had more to say.

3½ allegorical ant farms out of 5