logo
Who needs kryptonite when the reviews are this bad? Woke Superman reboot is savaged in brutal early review as hard-to-please critics brand new movie a 'convoluted mess'

Who needs kryptonite when the reviews are this bad? Woke Superman reboot is savaged in brutal early review as hard-to-please critics brand new movie a 'convoluted mess'

Daily Mail​08-07-2025
Usually it's just kryptonite that brings Superman out in a rash, but early reviews of the latest instalment in the long-running film franchise suggest our lycra-clad hero has significantly more to worry about than green crystals.
The new film, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as the fictional superhero, with Rachel Brosnahan as precocious reporter Lois Lane, will go on general release from July 11.
But while it marks a new chapter in a franchise that began with the iconic Christopher Reeve in Richard Donner's well received 1978 classic Superman: The Movie, a faction of early reviews suggest some critics are already longing for it to end.
MORE TO FOLLOW
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

In Pictures: Tens of thousands of fans gather in US for Comic-Con 2025
In Pictures: Tens of thousands of fans gather in US for Comic-Con 2025

BreakingNews.ie

time20 minutes ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

In Pictures: Tens of thousands of fans gather in US for Comic-Con 2025

Tens of thousands of fans are attending Comic-Con 2025 in the US for a four-day pop culture spectacle packed with celebrities and interactive attractions. Andrew Ghannadian, dressed in his own costume as Eight-ball, walks through the crowd at Comic Con 2025 (Chris Pizzello/AP/PA) Ivan Martinez (left) dressed as Nightwing and Jade Stone, dressed as Poison Ivy Jedi pose for a photo (Chris Pizzello/AP/PA) Diana, Kal Smith, and Melissa Ann during preview night for Comic-Con International (Andrew Park/AP) Comic-Con International, held annually at the San Diego Convention Centre, brings together fans who celebrate their favourite comic books, movies, television and video games. Advertisement A person dressed as Wolverine from X-Men poses for a photograph (Andrew Park/Invision/AP/PA) Jeffrey Divincent, Andrew Mckinney, David Florez and Ethan Mcarthur dressed as the Shy Guys from Super Mario Bros (Andrew Park/Invision/AP/PA) Comic-Con volunteer Chris Perry, dressed as Superman, waves to a young attendee (Chris Pizzello/AP/PA) This year's convention, which runs until Sunday and is expected to draw 135,000 attendees, will feature updates on the new Predator movie and Alien series, as well a special appearance by George Lucas. Robert Bowman, Andy Lepe and Kyle Luna dressed as the Ghostbusters (Andrew Park/Invision/AP/PA) Bugs Mitchell dressed as the Joker from Batman (Andrew Park/Invision/AP/PA) A cosplayer wears her mask backwards as she waits in line with other attendees before Comic-Con International preview night (Chris Pizzello/AP/PA) Chris Lane (left) and his wife Shannon wearing costumes inspired by the Apple TV+ series Murderbot (Chris Pizzello/AP/PA)

'Nolan may be the only person who could do this': How The Odyssey is already gunning to be 2026's biggest film
'Nolan may be the only person who could do this': How The Odyssey is already gunning to be 2026's biggest film

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

'Nolan may be the only person who could do this': How The Odyssey is already gunning to be 2026's biggest film

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey has taken the unusual step of selling some tickets a year early. Is it a way forward for beleaguered studios – or just a stunt? Marketing campaigns for summer blockbusters have traditionally kicked in around six months before release. But one film not playing by these rules is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, his much-discussed take on Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o and many more. Earlier this month, more than a year in advance of its 17 July general release date, a teaser trailer started showing in cinemas. And then on 17 July itself, in an unprecedented move, tickets went on sale for opening weekend screenings in Imax 70mm – Nolan's preferred format for all his films. Less than a day after those tickets were made available, most of them were sold out, and scalpers were reselling them for upwards of $200 (£148). It's a testament to Nolan's remarkable pulling power that he, along with Imax and Universal Pictures, has been able to get audiences flocking to buy tickets for a film this far in advance, when it hasn't even finished shooting yet. And specifically, he's got fans excited about seeing it in 70mm – a traditional large-scale film stock known for providing a matchless visual experience, which was developed in the 1950s and has been making a comeback in recent years thanks to filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler. Earlier this year, Coogler urged people to see his hit vampire thriller Sinners in this same film gauge – but without the dramatically-timed ticket release to boot. Indeed, entertainment journalist Tatyana Arrington thinks that the success of Imax screenings of Sinners may have played into the thinking behind The Odyssey's unique sales strategy. "I feel like there was such a charge for [Imax screenings of Sinners] that Hollywood couldn't help but see the success of that," she tells the BBC. "And with [The Odyssey] being a film that everybody's looking forward to, [the team behind it must have thought] 'how can we maximize on that even further?'" This latest strategy slots into Nolan's ongoing mission to encourage audiences into cinemas by making films into a real event. And The Odyssey has a winning combination – of huge star power and a universally recognised story – that motivates people to make that happen. As Arrington says: "The kids like Zendaya. The older generation likes Matt Damon. This person likes Lupita. There's something for everybody. A lot of people are into Greek mythology." It comes at a time when theatrical revenues have been on the slide; last year's US and Canada box office total was 23% down from 2019. The pandemic and the Hollywood strikes have played their part in that, but there is also the rise of the streaming platforms, and the fact that many films are now made available to stream mere weeks after opening in cinemas. "Studios need to consider creative marketing solutions to hype up film releases because they are competing against not only other media content and formats but changing consumers with shortened attention spans," Sanjay Singh, founder of film studio Nukhu, tells the BBC. It's about the best way to get distracted audiences to, as Singh puts it, "take action and engage". The issues with the strategy But could any other films replicate such a long-tail release strategy or is Nolan, and the excitement around his films, an anomaly? "I feel like Nolan may be the only person who could get this sort of one-year-in-advance ticket sellout type of deal," Nolan fan and Chicago-based moviegoer Jack Cunningham tells the BBC. "I just don't see that happening with any other film-makers." There's also an issue of Nolan and other film-makers championing the high-quality viewing experience in Imax 70mm, when accessibility to that format is still so limited; there are currently only 16 cinemas across the US that have the required equipment. Indeed, certain markets don't even have access to a cinema to see a film whether it's in Imax 70mm or not. That was highlighted earlier this year when audiences in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Sinners was set, didn't have an opportunity to see the film in their own town, until a viral call led to a special screening with Coogler in attendance. Additionally, ticket prices for Imax and Imax 70mm screenings are significantly higher, which can make the emphasis on them for creating buzz feel exclusionary – and that's before taking into account, in this case, ticket reselling by scalpers at exorbitant prices. According to Singh, that's one of the key issues with this type of ticket rollout right now, should it be used going forward. "If Imax doesn't use this data to expand [its network of screens], by selling tickets this far in advance, there's the potential for a reseller market to be created, which could cause early release ticket prices to skyrocket," he says. More like this:• The Fantastic Four is 'pleasant enough'• The K-pop film that swept the world• Why original kids' films are flopping Even some Nolan fans are not convinced by this buzz-making sales move. Cunningham has been happy to travel three hours to Indianapolis (the nearest Imax theatre to him) in the past to see three of the director's previous movies – Tenet, Interstellar and Oppenheimer – in 70mm. But he wasn't interested in picking up Odyssey tickets now, calling it a "marketing stunt". "The general premise of having to think about where I'm going to be in a whole calendar year to buy tickets to a film is just kind of ridiculous," he says. And while The Odyssey ticket rollout has become a success, Arrington says that it's unlikely that it's a sign of what's to come for the Hollywood blockbuster. "I don't think it's going to happen for every movie," she says, "because every movie is just simply not good." Additional reporting by Candice Frederick. -- For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Denise Richards' estranged husband Aaron Phypers reveals her alleged affair with 'marine lover' and their insane home life
Denise Richards' estranged husband Aaron Phypers reveals her alleged affair with 'marine lover' and their insane home life

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Denise Richards' estranged husband Aaron Phypers reveals her alleged affair with 'marine lover' and their insane home life

Denise Richards has allegedly had a months-long fling with a former Special Forces soldier, who showered her with X-rated photos and videos - including a graphic clip that shows him naked and pleasuring himself. The actress's outraged estranged husband Aaron Phypers claimed he caught wind of his her alleged affair in April, and said she had promised to break it off but he catch her lying about another hook-up with 'lover Rudy Reyes' that took place at Hilton Garden Inn, Burbank, California, the following month. Phypers said his discovery of the 'tryst' then led to an explosive showdown over the July 4 holiday weekend, during which she 'smashed up' his phone, but she hit back at him with allegations of being the victim of domestic abuse. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Evidence? Phypers claims he discovered 107 raunchy texts between Richards and her 'Special Forces' lover on her phone in April Phypers filed for divorce the following Monday and was hit with an avalanche of abuse allegations from Richards in court papers, including that he'd given her a black eye. Phypers said: 'I'm broken-hearted and f***ing tired. Really, she's f***ed me up. 'We've been together nine years and for her to do that and to lie to me consistently - I'm totally tired and drained.' He said his relationship with Richards had been deteriorating for some time before their split, and worsened at the start of the year partly due to what he said was her insatiable appetite for prescription pills and tequila. Regarding the topic of pills, Phypers said of Richards: 'She's got a real problem. She mixes it too with booze and she stays up all night. 'She's there on her computer and taking stuff, then she hides the bottles. It's gotten out of hand, and I'm really concerned. 'She buys them in bottles of 500 pills. I don't know where she gets them from, but she always has them. 'I don't know what the market rate for those are but it's $10, $20, $30, $50 each pill. You do the math - a lot of money is going out the window for that.' Sordid location: Phypers shared what he said was a text conversation that revealed details of the multiple sordid hotel hook-ups his wife and her lover enjoyed Despite the alleged drugs and boozing, Phypers said the marriage muddled along until he claimed to have discovered 107 raunchy texts between Richards and Reyes on her phone, along with details of the multiple sordid hotel hook-ups they enjoyed. He said the discovery made clear to him that Richards was allegedly having an affair, which led him to file for divorce. The proceedings and tension between the couple were widely reported thereafter. He said: 'I just had this feeling that something was off because her behavior had changed - she was being kind of cool to me. 'I opened her phone - we both know each other's passwords - so I opened it up and then I went to her deleted texts and there were 107 of them between her and this guy. 'I went through them and it just broke my heart.' Of her alleged lover, Phypers added: 'As for him, he's really is a w**ker.' Richards met Reyes during her stint on Fox reality show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. Reyes, a former Recon Marine, appeared as one of the show's presenters and 'directing staff' instructors. A review of what Phypers claims was their text messages revealed multiple discussions about setting up hotel sex sessions as well as scores of raunchy photos shared between each other. Along with graphic naked photos and videos of Richards' alleged soldier lover, there were also X-rated photos of the actress, including one of her exposing her breast. When he first discovered the fling, his wife apologized profusely and promised to break it off, according to Phypers. She also offered to let him look at her phone whenever he wants to 'rebuild trust' but, he said, she soon returned to making plans to meet up with her lover. Phypers said: 'When I first found out, it really stung but she offered to rebuild trust by letting me see her phone. 'Well, it turns out she's got another number, too, which I just found out about. 'It kills me. She's been setting up times to meet him out of town while creating fights with me.' The couple's showdown came after he said he discovered that the affair was still going on and he took photos of the raunchy conversations -at which point, Richards snatched his phone. Phypers said he later discovered the device 'smashed to powder' in the garbage can. He said: 'I run up to her and I go, "What the f***k did you do this for?" And she goes, "I did not do anything to your phone." Just denied it. 'And then I'm like, so it was Casper the Ghost? And she still denied it, so I ran out. I was in disbelief, and I took off. 'I just feel like I've been taken for a fool. It's been a nightmare. Just a huge nightmare.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store