Latest news with #DCCinematicUniverse
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Gunn and Zack Snyder Crash ‘Rick and Morty' on the Eve of ‘Superman'
The two most powerful figures in the DC Cinematic Universe just teamed up to take over an episode of Rick and Morty that was only marginally more watchable than Batman vs. Superman. In the modern superhero movie fandom, there is, perhaps, no more contentious and unending debate than the argument over whether Zack Snyder or James Gunn is the best moviemaker to helm Warner Bros.' multi-billion dollar entertainment franchise featuring Superman, Batman and the rest of the DC Comics characters. For the better part of a decade, superfans with Batarangs to grind have been warring in internet comment sections over their preferred administrator for Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent's big-screen escapades, ever since the 2017 Justice League film failed to meet fans' expectations amidst tragedy and controversy regarding Snyder's vision for the movie. As Gunn gears up to release the most anxiously awaited project of his career in Superman this Friday, Dan Harmon and the Rick and Morty creative team have taken it upon themselves to bring peace to the DCCU by surprising fans with cameos from both directors playing themselves in an indulgently meta episode that has us wondering if we'll ever get a far-superior Snydercut of 'Ricker than Fiction.' In 'Ricker Than Fiction,' Rick and Morty rage at the state of the fictional blockbuster film franchise Robo Trees in its advanced installments and break into the Warner Bros. studios to lambast Gunn, the director of the new film. Rick takes it upon himself to fix the next Robo Trees movie by using artificial intelligence, building a movie-generating robot that swallows up Gunn's script for the movie as well as Rick and Morty in The Last Action Hero fashion. While Rick and Morty try to find an ending for the movie that is thematically satisfying and will allow them to return to reality, Gunn, frustrated over the constant criticism from fans with unhealthy attachments to Hollywood action movies, vents to his friend Snyder about Rick's intrusion in the commissary of the Warner Bros. studios — but not before Snyder offers Gunn a 'word of advice' on his upcoming Superman movie, telling his fellow director, 'He's the Man of Steel, not the Man of Conversation.' As the latest Rick and Morty episode to feature a straight half-hour of meta-commentary about story structure and screenwriting, many meta-fatigued fans will invariably find 'Ricker Than Fiction' to be as grating as they found 'Full Meta Jackrick' back in Season Six. But, as Gunn pointed out tonight and will hopefully remember once the Superman tweets take over the internet on Friday, it's impossible to please all the fans all of the time. And, hey, at least no one had a baby with their sister this week. Get more Cracked directly to your inbox. Sign up for Cracked newsletters at Cracked News Letters Signup. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The highest paying actor in Superman was not David Corenswet
The new Superman film has earned $155million in the US and an additional $250 million globally since its debut. The film cost $225 million to produce and a further $125 million for global marketing. Writer-director James Gunn was the highest earner, reportedly paid $15 million, in addition to his salary as co-CEO of DC Studios. Nicholas Hoult, playing Lex Luthor, was the highest-paid cast member at $2million,while lead actors David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan each received $750,000. Critics have widely praised the film, with The Independent awarding it a four-star review, hailing it as a fresh start for the DC Cinematic Universe.
Tom's Guide
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
‘Superman' is rated 93% by viewers, but did we see the same movie? Here are my 5 major issues with the Man of Steel's subpar return
As a general rule of thumb, I try to watch new movies unaware of the critical reception or early fan response. As a critic myself, I want to judge the flick without any preconceptions. But in the case of 'Superman,' that was pretty much an impossible task. Even though I booked tickets for opening night, I had already seen fawning praise from comic book fans, knew its online viewers' scores were close to perfect, and had heard glowing things from my colleagues who caught an early preview screening. But after seeing the James Gunn DC franchise starter for myself, I'm left wondering: Did we see the same movie? Is 'Superman' a Snyderverse-scale disaster? Most certainly not. But a new era for DC on the big screen? Not in my book. I'd go as far as to say the Man of Steel's much hyped return is about the same quality as the majority of recent Marvel efforts like "Captain America: Brave New World." In a word: Mediocre. Now, clearly, this is something of a hot take. The movie holds an impressive 93% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes, and my aforementioned colleagues were less than impressed by my reaction. However, before you write your anger-fueled comments telling me I should be banned from ever writing about movies again, allow me to explain my five major issues with 'Superman.' (And then feel free to tell me all the reasons I'm wrong down below in the comments section.) For me, the biggest sin in the majority of recent comic book movies is how often they're overstuffed with additional superpowered characters, and 'Superman' leans into this annoying trend hard. I had hoped, as the foundation for the new DC Cinematic Universe, that the focus would be squarely on fleshing out Superman (David Corenswet) himself and key characters Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and villain Lex Luthor (Nicolas Hoult). But nope, the blockbuster is distractingly crammed with unnecessary extras. Alongside getting acquainted with the new Clark Kent, we also meet new heroes in the form of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Then there's Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and the rest of the Daily Planet editorial staff, and a bunch of peripheral villains. Then, if that wasn't enough, we also get teasing cameos like Supergirl (Milly Alcock). It's character overload, and it means that in Superman's own movie, a startling majority of the time, he feels like a background extra as we're introduced to yet another new face who presumably will have a spinoff movie in the future. Speaking of Superman feeling like an extra, it's probably not a good thing that the one action scene I've seen people talking about most doesn't even involve him. Instead, it's the mid-movie sequence that sees Mr Terrific defeat a squad of goons to the jaunty tune '5 Years Time' by Noah and The Whale. And I'm not surprised as it's the film's best moment. Gunn flexes his filmmaking muscles, deploying neat camera tricks and creatively playing with the soundtrack. I came away from it thinking maybe Mr. Terrific should have been the star. I've also seen a lot of love for Green Lantern's arrival in Jarhanpur, where he uses oversized green middle fingers sprouting from the ground to flip over armored tanks without even a glance. It's the type of pure comic book heroism that Superman himself never manages to display. In 'Superman,' the headline hero doesn't even appear to be the Man of Steel. 'Superman' begins with a cute title card that explains, '3 hours ago Superman lost his first battle ever,' but frankly, based on what we see in the rest of the movie, I find that hard to believe. This incarnation of Superman doesn't seem capable of punching his way out of a wet paper bag. Look, cards on the table, I've never been much of a Superman fan. His Boy Scout attitude doesn't warm my cold heart, and the fact that he's blessed with seemingly every power under the sun makes him sort of bland. So, I'm totally on board for a Superman who isn't presented as completely overpowered in all situations, but Gunn completely oversteers. Throughout the movie, the only time we really see Superman go to town on a group of bad guys is when he faces off against a flying horde of generic robot goons. Otherwise, he gets his butt kicked by basically everything, or has to call in some assistance from the Justice Gang (or his best pooch pal). And this could be okay if this were an origin story, about a Superman still grappling with his powers, but he's supposed to be years into the role, and according to the introductory cards, had previously never lost a fight. We even see the Justice Gang tackle a multiversal jellyfish while Clark natters away with Lois about how "punk rock" he is, proving that even in-universe, other heroes don't feel the need to call on Superman. Probably cause they knew he'd just get his clock cleaned by the oversized sea monster. Another increasingly common sin in modern blockbusters is the inclusion of something 'cute,' usually a small animal or creature of some sort. Think of Dolores in the recent 'Jurassic World Rebirth.' I guess every movie studio now wants its franchise to have a Baby Yoda moment. In 'Superman', this comes in the form of Krypto, and yes, the official Krypto plush is now available for just $22 (or why not pick up a Krypto Funko Pop! for just $15). Merchandising, baby! Putting to one side that Krypto's inclusion feels like a cynical ploy to sell soft toys to kids (and big kids), he boils down to the movie's 'get out of jail free' card. Superman is about to be defeated? Have Krypto swoop in at the last second and save him from harm. This cheap trick is used twice, with both major villains defeated not by Superman's own guile or superior strength but because his unruly hound is on hand to save the day. Plus, as a CGI construct, Krypto regularly crosses over the uncanny valley and looks completely fake. I'm not a comic book reader, and the few issues I've cracked open in my life have all been on the Marvel side of the fence, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that Lex Luthor was DC's answer of Marvel's Doctor Doom — an ultra-intelligent foe, always one step ahead of the game, and capable of intimidating even the most powerful heroes. I guess not, as the Lex Luthor we get in 'Superman' is anything but threatening. He's a whiny tech-bro billionaire who is so insecure he literally calls in a troop of monkeys to post mean tweets about Superman — no, seriously, that's an actual plot point in this movie. Oh, and he also locks his ex-girlfriend in a pocket dimension prison like a pouty teenager. Even in the grand finale, when he should be at his most intimidating, Luthor is reduced to comic relief as he's thrown about his flying headquarters by Krypto. If he's to be the anchor villain of the new DC universe, then he's going to need a major character intervention to seem a worthy threat for a fully-stocked Justice League. Or maybe he'll just write some mean comments on their Facebook profiles from his prison cell, and that'll be his grand plan. Ironically, Hoult's version of the character has an awful lot in common with Jesse Eisenberg's infamous one from Snyder's maligned 'Batman vs. Superman.' Granted, there's no grating personality tics here, but both come across more like a sulky manchild than a calculating supervillain. I guess all it really took to get DC fans on board with an ultra whiny version of the character was a shaved head from the very start. OK, so I've written a lot of negative things about 'Superman' above, but there's some positives. David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult are all well-suited to their roles. And while I don't love Lex's characterization, I see that as a writing issue rather than a failure of Hoult himself. Give this trio better material, and I'm convinced they'll soar to new heights. Plus, the movie's emotional arc, which sees Superman struggle with his true reason for being sent to Earth, is remarkably well-handled. It all culminates in an ending that feels emotionally earned, and had me briefly considering forgiving all the movie's other sins. Not to mention, "Superman" might be the first tentpole blockbuster in history to feature a scene where a journalist uploads a story to their publication's CMS (content management system), which had me hollering in my cinema seat. And if nothing else, unlike some of the efforts in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, 'Superman' is a coherent movie. Sure, I believe it to be flawed, but I chose the word mediocre carefully here. It's not a total trainwreck, or even unwatchable, it's just not the breath of fresh air for the genre that I'd hoped or expected, considering the overwhelming positive viewer reception. Oh, and Milly Alcock's cameo, while probably unneeded, does have me intrigued to see more of the character when she headlines her own movie next year. So I'm going to stay optimistic that perhaps the upcoming Supergirl solo outing will be the movie that gets me fully invested in this new DC world.
Scotsman
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
What is the best Superman Film? Here are all 11 Superman films ranked best to worst according to Rotten Tomatoes - including the 2025 reboot
3 . Superman (2025) James Gunn's reboot of the Superman franchaise is the first in a new series of films set to create a 'DC Cinematic Universe' to rival that created by Marvel. It seems to have done the job, with an impressive fresh rating of 83 per cent - with the reviews still coming in. It sees David Corenswet take over the cape for the first time and decides against an origin story, instead dropping in on Superman after he's already established on Earth and trying to stop wars - much to the suspicion of the general public and social media. Lex Luthor is back and seems unwilling to stop at anything to kill his enemy - even the end of the world. Notable for a crowd-pleasing appearance for Krypto the Superdog. | Contributed
Man of Many
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
The Cinematic Seven: Superman, The Naked Gun, and Spinal Tap All Turn It Up To 11
From an upbeat incarnation of the archetypal superhero and the unexpected return of the world's funniest rock 'n' band to Liam Neeson's deadpan comedy chops and a horror maestro's new take on the western, here's what you should check out at your local multiplex over the next few months. We're back with the third instalment of The Cinematic Seven, our quarterly wrap-up in which we sidestep the ever-increasing glut of fee-hungry streaming services by encouraging you to forgo movie night on the couch and opt for an old-fashioned cinema experience instead. This time around, we have the hard launch of James Gunn's DC Cinematic Universe with Superman, which promises a Man of Steel who's far removed from the dour Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill version. We're also looking forward to the Australian premiere of Tim Robinson's Friendship, a must-see comedy for fans of his Netflix series I Think You Should Leave ('You sure about that?'). We're similarly excited for Ari Aster's new western, Eddington (for those unfamiliar, he's the very talented chap behind Hereditary and Midsommar), as well as an unexpected but very welcome encore for the world's least self-aware rock band in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. As always, this is a streaming-free zone. Get your arse to the movies. 1. Superman While I probably suffer from superhero movie fatigue more than most—the new Fantastic Four flick is absent from this list for that very reason—James Gunn's take on the OG has piqued my interest. The Guardians of the Galaxy director has repeatedly demonstrated a deft ability to combine engaging action with sharp humour and poignant character arcs, and the trailers for this effort suggest he's created a Superman in possession of a warmth and humility sorely missed from the DCEU incarnation. With David Corenswet pulling on the iconic blue tights, he has a lightness of touch and a cheery humour that recalls versions of Superman from before he started trying to out-angst his Gotham-based, pointy-eared ally. Plus, this time they're even bringing his adorable dog Krypto from the comic page to the big screen. While the cast looks overcrowded, and I'm not sure Lex Luthor is as threatening as he should be, at least this Superman appears to understand his purpose is to actually, y'know, save people. In cinemas: 10 July 2025 2. Friendship The three seasons of Netflix's I Think You Should Leave are a spectacular showcase for comedian Tim Robinson's unique brand of off-putting, utterly hilarious, and highly meme-able humour. Now, Friendship pairs his singular talent with Paul Rudd and writer/director Andrew DeYoung and by all accounts, it's one of the funniest comedies of the year. The film's trailers suggest it's something like The Cable Guy (a highly underrated Jim Carrey vehicle) projected through a …You Should Leave lens. According to the synopsis, 'Suburban dad Craig (Robinson) falls hard for his charismatic new neighbour, but his attempts to make an adult male friend soon threaten to ruin both of their lives.' While certain elements appearing in the trailer look like they could come straight from the forthcoming season of Robinson's cult Netflix series, others hint at something darker, and I could not be more on board. In cinemas: 17 July 2025 3. Weapons For those who loved 2022's Barbarian—I know there are a lot of you out there—this one deserves to be on your radar. While that was a flick I could take or leave, it did have some inspired moments, so I'm curious to see what writer/director Zach Cregger has up his sleeve now. Bizarrely, Cregger first made his name as part of the unhinged but undeniably funny sketch comedy outfit, The Whitest Kids U'Know, and he seems determined to bring a similarly off-the-wall energy to his horror movies. While the trailers for Weapons have, as all good trailers should, focused on vibes rather than plot, which makes it hard to say exactly what's going on, there's something genuinely unnerving about dozens of small children running out of their houses in the dead of night and disappearing forever. With Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and Alden Ehrenreich leading the cast, there are plenty of reasons to check this one out. Plus, Cregger's off to helm the Resident Evil reboot after this, so it seems the film studio has plenty of faith in his horror chops. In cinemas: 7 August 2025 4. Eddington Writer/director Ari Aster's Hereditary and Midsommar were so good that I'll probably check out every film he makes for the next 20 years. With Eddington, he's trying his hand at a contemporary western with dark comedy elements, and the cast alone makes it essential viewing. We're talking Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler coming together to tell a Covid-era tale in which a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbours are pitted against one another in Eddington, New Mexico. To be honest, I don't want to know much more, and neither should you, as I'm willing to bet this will be one of those in-cinema experiences where the less you know going in, the more you enjoy it. In cinemas: 21 August 2025 5. The Naked Gun I have to confess that I never much cared for Leslie Nielsen's The Naked Gun films while I was growing up. Maybe I'd find more to enjoy about them if I revisited them all these years later, but as it stands, they never made me laugh. I do, however, have fond memories of the hearty chuckles delivered by Liam Neeson's brief appearance in Ricky Gervais' Life's Too Short series. For that reason, and my suspicion that his appearance there was a large part of the reason he landed this job, I'm curious to see how this turns out. The film appears to follow in the footsteps of its forebears by placing Neeson's Frank Drebin Jr. (yeah, he's playing Nielsen's son) in increasingly ridiculous situations that he never fails to take entirely seriously, alongside a similarly po-faced Pamela Anderson. Here's hoping it's all enough to give Neeson's career a shot in the arm after years of straight-to-streaming, sub-Taken action flicks. In cinemas: 21 August 2025 6. One Battle After Another I think Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most overrated actors working today. I said it. But if Paul Thomas Anderson thinks he's a good fit for his latest film, well, I'm not about to argue with the bloke who made Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, and Licorice Pizza. Plus, this looks like the kind of role old Leo should be taking on, as he seems far better suited to this kind of dressing-gown-clad loser than the Oscar-eyeing exercises in gravitas he's so fond of. According to the synopsis, this film is about a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to rescue one of their own's daughter from an enemy who's resurfaced after 16 years. However it plays out, Benicio Del Toro will be the main reason I'm watching. In cinemas: 25 September 2025
