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I watched Superman again, and as much as I liked the movie, I can’t shake the feeling that James Gunn tried to do too much.

The plot isn’t strong enough, and the pacing is off. This movie lacks proper build-up.

Emotional scenes fall flat because they’re just thrown at you with no setup. And without build-up, there can be no payoff.

Take one of my favorite scenes, for example, Clark talking with his dad. That moment could have been powerful, but the Kents barely got any screen time. They appear at the start of the movie, then disappear until the end of Act 2. So why should I care?

The twist with Jor-El’s message didn’t work for me either, because the movie never showed us that Superman is who he is thanks to his human parents. Clark Kent’s background is completely ignored. In fact, Clark doesn’t even exist in this movie, it’s all Superman. And in a film stuffed with characters, Clark gets the least amount of screen time.

James Gunn clearly thinks introducing the DCU is more important than telling a standalone Superman story.

I couldn’t care less about the Boravia–Jarhampur conflict because this movie commits one of cinema’s greatest sins: telling instead of showing.

The film is weighed down by exposition, especially in the first hour.

Take the interview scene, for example. That’s where we learn Superman interfered in global politics by stopping the invasion of Jarhampur and threatening the Boravian president. This ends up being a major part of the plot, yet the movie never shows us what Superman did in Boravia.

Instead, everything is crammed into five minutes of exposition. Why?

I thought the Justice Gang was okay, but let’s be real, the only reasons they’re in this movie are:

1. Gunn wants to establish that the DCU is a shared world with other heroes.


2. Gunn loves throwing teams of D-list characters into his movies and could not resist doing it again.

The worst part for me was when Superman gets captured and poisoned with Kryptonite. The movie then shifts focus to the Justice Gang so they can get some spotlight in a Superman movie where they had no business being in the first place.

Mr. Terrific was great, Guy Gardner was fine, and Hawkgirl had her moment when she killed Netanyahu. But this was the wrong movie for them.

They got way too much screen time, time that should have gone to Clark and the Kents.


When the movie first came out, people said Superman was weak and lost too often. I defended him.
But after a second viewing, I can admit those complaints are not completely wrong.

The movie tells us Superman has been around for three years and is the most powerful being in the world. But if that’s true, the world is cooked. Who’s protecting Metropolis when Darkseid invades? The same guy who got beaten by Hammer of Boravia? Definitely not.

Lex Luthor countering Superman in a fight should not even be possible. Superman has superhuman speed. In the comics, he’s fast enough to race the Flash. But here, it feels like this Superman has not even unlocked his full speed, which makes no sense after three years.

Clearly, Gunn intentionally nerfed him. Otherwise, how would the Engineer have time to fill his body with nanites?

And don’t get me started on how easily Superman got captured. He sees Kryptonite and immediately collapses. His heat vision just stops working. A stronger Superman would have at least tried to break the glass with heat vision. This one didn’t even try. If Metamorpho hadn’t switched sides, he’d still be trapped.

Speaking of heat vision, I almost forgot he had it until the third act. He spends most of the movie just flying around and throwing punches instead of using his full power. No wonder a mindless clone pinned him down until Krypto bailed him out.

James Gunn needs to fix this and make Superman stronger. I want to see him unlock his full potential. Because right now, Omni-Man would rip him apart in seconds. It wouldn’t even be close.

At this point, Superman is my least favorite James Gunn project. All three Guardians of the Galaxy films, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker are better. Gunn is clearly at his best when working with D-list characters, which makes it surprising he insists on writing and directing a Superman sequel.

That said, I still like the movie. Gunn did capture Superman’s kindness, boy scout naivety, hope, and optimism.

But after my second viewing, I give it a decent 7/10.

Hmmmm

Hohenheim:
Not even close Man of Steel's main plot works against the narrative it throughout the movie it also ignored almost every main Superman character trait.

Man Of Steel had everything it needed to be great except a good Superman.

Zack Snyder misunderstood the character.

Henry Cavill said he preferred Joss Whedon's take on the character because it was more accurate to the comics.

phr0nesis:
I'm not praising Man of Steel's plot, but whatever its shortcomings, it was still better than this Superman. This is me shamefully admitting it

Both movies are mixed bags imo.

I think Superman is slightly better because at least the character is true to the comics.

I'm not a fan of dark, broody Superman.

Man Of Steel is a visual masterpiece and the action is much better.
Zod is a better villain than Lex Luthor.

Man Of Steel also didn't have multiple side characters taking up valuable screen time.

There are other areas where MOS is better than Superman.

But Superman's characterization in that movie is a massive deal breaker for me.

Henry Cavill Superman does not fill me with hope, joy and optimism.

DieRich5:
F4 is the last superhero movie of the year to know if all the superhero films 2025 is shit

I'm sorry but if you don't like Superman you're not gonna like F4.

Both movies have similar vibe and tone and both of them have the same problems.

F4 has a weak plot, the big bad is just there and the movie is way too short and the third act feels rushed.
Some characters are not properly developed and like Thunderbolts, the movie is lacking in action.
But it's not overstuffed and convoluted like Superman and the visuals and 60's aesthetics is pretty well done.

phr0nesis:
Finally

Tom Cruise dey craze

This movie had no business being in cinemas for over three months.

Oya nau

I'm gonna ignore this show for now and binge it in October

I just finished watching Ne Zha 2.

This movie is an absolute masterpiece.

The crowning jewel of Chinese animation and one of the best animated films of all time.

This is my personal favourite movie of the year so far.

Ne Zha 2 challenges the traditional idea of good and evil, rewriting the rules entirely. It argues that people should be judged by their choices and actions and not their outward appearance, it shows that even the "good" people can commit great evils, while the "bad" people can display genuine kindness and compassion.

Ne Zha 2 has a well written story packed with breathtaking visuals and dazzling action sequences which is perfectly balanced with moments of profound emotional depth.

The movie draws you in from the very beginning until the credits start rolling. It gave me everything I wanted and things I didn't know I needed in an animated film.

This movie surpassed my high expectations.

Ne Zha 2 is an easy 10/10

Alien Earth is the best new series right now.

Unfortunately there's only two episodes out.

If you enjoyed Alien Romulus- the 2024 movie, you're going to love Alien Earth.

I think Alien Earth is much better.

I rate it 8/10 so far

6 more episodes to go, let's see where this goes

tobore4u:
hope you are not into betting?


Incase if u are, desist from it coz there's nothing exciting about betting.

I'm not

LOL

Premier League is back and Superman is out on digital on Friday

This weekend is going to be SUPER

DeeScan:
Wrong , there's chiesa and now a wirtz .. for whatever reason slot still refuses to play him needs to be studied .. if this season goes to shambles like it's looking, let's start preparing for another coach..

I'm still not sold on arne slot yet ..

Chiesa will be sold eventually. I will be surprised if he's still here when the transfer window ends

Wirtz is a 10. That is how Slot intends to use him. He's not going to play as a winger or striker.

The only wingers we have are Salah and Gakpo

Salah will go to AFCON and if anything happens to Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha would be our only option.

Liverpool have a serious squad depth issue in attack.

Last season we had:

Salah
Jota
Nunez
Diaz
Gakpo

This season we only have

Salah
Ekitike
Gakpo

How do you play PL, FA Cup, UCL and Caraboa Cup with just three senior players in attack

Ekitike was subbed out today and replaced with a midfielder.

The only attacking options we had on the bench today was a 16 year old Rio Ngumoha and Chiesa who is on his way out.

The defense is even worse.

Only two defenders in VVD and Konate.
Quansah left and we didn't replace him. Gomez is always injured.

Our squad depth is a mess.

We need Isak, a winger to replace Diaz and a defender.

I don't know how profitable Premium VOD actually is.

But it must be mouthwatering if Hollywood studios are willing to drop their movies in there after barely two months in cinemas.


Movie breaks even or crash and burn, next thing na VOD

Baddestguyp:
Did you watch Ne Zha 1 in English dub?

Which would you recommend? Sub or Dub?

The English dub is somehow.

It's better to watch it with subtitles.

I watched Ne Zha 1 yesterday and I was blown away.

This was my introduction to Chinese animation and I liked it a lot.

The animation is crisp and clean

The story is nice

And the action....


Incredibly well made.

I wanted to wait for A24 English version Ne Zha 2 to drop but I think I will go ahead and see the original Chinese version with subtitles.

Ne Zha 1 is an easy 8/10

kushercain:
Marvel get mind put F4 same release month with superman, if no be pure wickedness, trying to sabotage DC reboot and extreme cockyness too why would they try something like that. I laff fantastically. The fall off long gaan , we're still waiting to hear the splash

There's two good reasons why they released F4 two weeks after Superman.

1. Because they often release a movie in July and they don't want to go back on that tradition.

2. They seriously want to undercut Superman.

Think of it this way. Put yourself in Kevin Feige's shoes.
Your MCU is struggling and a new rival is about to release its first big movie.
What do you do?

Delay F4 or sacrifice it to put a dent on Superman?

There lies your answer.

James Gunn needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Kevin is not your friend, he's your rival.

They asked Gunn if he's worried about F4 releasing 2 weeks away and he said both movies can do well. As in "the sky is big enough for two birds to fly". That sort of nonsense wishful thinking.

I hope he's learned his lesson.

If they can replicate this spectacular 2025 run then I'm all for it.

Interesting concept

SOZINN:
How convenient of you to cherry-pick only the underperforming films as evidence of Kevin Feige's response to the MCU’s Endgame-era success. Alright, let’s go with your logic. Here's his actual response:

Spider-Man: No Way Home – $1.9 billion

Spider-Man: Far From Home – $1.1 billion

Deadpool & Wolverine – $1.3 billion
Meanwhile, Doctor Strange 2, Wakanda Forever, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 each landed between $845 million and $952 million.

So out of the 15 post-Endgame movies released so far.

Only 6 are hits.

MSGAMBLE9:
Even the so called "successful era" has it misses e.g. for every CA : The Winter Soldier there has always been Thor : The dark world ......

This niggah is talking down on Marvel golden era.

You have the audacity to compare it to post-Endgame era.

Not even the die hard MCU fans would do that.

Bro abeg no try this thing again o

MSGAMBLE9:
Let start here Atleast you said not all are shiit which is markedly different from Una battle cry here " Marvel has been shiit since Endgame"...

You listed 4 or 5 movies as flop ( according to your GF metric) but listed about 7 or 8 as Hits then turnaround and called majority flop 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

No one likes Thor 4 and Wakanda Forever which underperformed according to you yet they still make more money than your Fan-favorite disguised Justice League and The Batman 🤣🤣🤣🤣 🤣🤣🤣


Spiderman NWH is fan service, tell me where your fan servicing The Flash is 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


Coping Mechanism? .......Am still waiting for the $1B Una promised

Yes, I'm sure all is well with the MCU.

Maybe I'm just talking nonsense and made up bullish!t.

Disney CEO was probably talking out of his ass when he made this statement

MSGAMBLE9:
Some of you guys are quick to yarn dust as usual, is Deadpool 3, MoM, GotG Vol iii, Thor 4, Wakanda Forever and Spiderman FFH & NWH etc. that makes the bank not post Endgame? Even the so called "successful era" has it misses e.g. for every CA : The Winter Soldier there has always been Thor : The dark world ......Yes Marvel is having a difficult year but to call all post-Endgame flicks "Slobs" is simply Mouth-flapping and classic cherry-picking....


Wake me up when your Superman / Disguised Justice League movie hit $1B like y'all been chest-beating over the past months...

Of course, not all post-Endgame MCU movies are trash.
But the truth is, the majority of them are.

Let’s go through the full list of MCU films released after Endgame and break down which ones were average or just plain underperformed.

Spider-Man: Far From Home
A billion-dollar movie riding the momentum of Endgame. Plus, it’s Spider-Man—Marvel’s biggest and best-selling character. No surprise it was a hit.

Black Widow
This movie flopped so badly, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney. Yes, it came out in 2021 (a COVID year), but it’s still a flop, forgettable and below average.

Shang-Chi
Good movie, sure. Still a flop.

Eternals
The first MCU movie to go rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only did it flop, it damaged the franchise. You’ll never see the Eternals again, not even as a cameo.

Spider-Man: No Way Home
Massive fan service with all three Spider-Men. Obviously, it was a hit.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Released in 2022, this was the first time the MCU had back-to-back hits since Endgame.

Thor: Love and Thunder
Made money, but no one likes it. It underperformed, and Taika Waititi has been in director jail ever since.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Not as good as the first. Slightly underperformed but still a win overall.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
One of the worst comic book movies of all time. The damage this film did to the MCU will take years to fix.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn doesn’t miss. Solid movie.

The Marvels
The biggest box office bomb in MCU history. Cost over $220M and didn’t even make that back. A complete disaster.

Deadpool & Wolverine
Another multiverse cash grab built to pander to X-Men fans. Full of cameos and fan service—because that’s apparently the only way the MCU can make money now. No wonder they’re rushing to bring back Robert Downey Jr. for the next Avengers.

Captain America: Brave New World
Nothing to write home about. No redeeming qualities.

Thunderbolts
Not bad, not good. Just there. Another big flop.


Now let’s talk about the Disney+ shows:

WandaVision – Decent.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Mid.

Loki – Decent.

Hawkeye – Mid.

Moon Knight – Mid.

Ms. Marvel – Mid.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – Disgusting.

Secret Invasion – Makes She-Hulk look like prestige TV.

Echo – Did anyone even watch this?




You can defend the disastrous post-Endgame run all you want, but let’s not pretend Phase 1–3 was ever this messy.

Between 2008 and 2019, Marvel released 23 movies. Only two were genuinely bad: Thor: The Dark World and Captain Marvel.

Now compare that to the post-Endgame era.
Be serious.

oyaskii:
That period after "Endgame" (2019), when Kevin Fiege was greenliting every slop that came through his doors, did irreparable damage to the MCU, i mean filth like "She Hulk", "Secret Wars" and Antman: Qantumlovmbiaxx and The Marvels were their response to as a follow up to a hugely successive period, so people just got tired of shît, so it's no surprises that the wave for their slops, dwindles after opening weekend.

The next Avengers movie is the utmost litmus test for this franchise, even that is on shaking legs, i mean they got so spooked that they had to cast a beloved hero in the successful period, as a villain, just to got some sort of fan service going... doesn't bode well at all.

If Fantastic Four fails, that's a wrap on every superhero movie that is not a guaranteed box office draw.

In fact, I believe that is where we are right now.
The only movies Marvel has in active development are Spiderman and Avengers.

Kevin Feige will never make a movie about B-list characters ever again.

Samistry2:
You dey fall for them dark and serious bait?

Given how No Way Home ended, I think a darker serious tone is the only direction to go.

I don't understand how Peter loses his aunt and best friends, ends up completely alone, and then suddenly goes back to being funny and acting like a typical teenager.

I think we will get a Spiderman that is more mature like Tobey Maguire.

Brand new day.

Brand new suit.

A much darker and serious film...(my answered prayers).

Yeah I'm excited.

This is the only Marvel movie I'm looking forward to next year, yes I know there's an Avengers movie coming but nothing about that excites me as much this.

August is looking good

All the critics that were raving about this movie deserve to be flogged.
It took me two days to finish 28 years later.

The only part of the movie that makes sense is when the kid and his dad went to the mainland.
After that the plot got nonsensical, everything about the movie just dey vex me.

A 12 year old who can barely kill zombies took his sick mother to a zombie infested land to find a doctor. At the end the journey turned out to be a complete waste of time.

In addition to the weak plot, this movie is also boring.

When the credits rolled I was asking myself, "is that it? What is the point of this movie?"

28 years later is a 2/10

Please avoid it.

This is a big surprise

I have never seen a comedy get so much positive buzz since Game Night 2018