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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
All 8 Superman Movies Ranked Worst to Best, Including James Gunn's Brilliant Latest
Here are all eight Superman movies ranked worst to best, including the brand-new James Gunn version starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. A couple caveats: We aren't incuding animated movies, or Justice League, for reasons we'll get into. And with that, here are all eight Superman movies ranked, in order from worst to best. Related Headlines 13 Shameless Comedies That Just Don't Care If You're Offended Fighting, Making Friends at Camp and Selling Cookies Are Subjects of NFMLA's Disabilities Program Old Superman: New Superman Too Woke Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Henry Cavill is a terrific Superman, but he was frankly underserved by the scripts for the films in which he played everyone's favorite Kryptonian. The worst by far was Batman v Superman, a loud, messy, overblown affair that saw him facing off with Ben Affleck's similarly underserved Batman — and they both had the movie stolen out from under them by Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. The nadir of Cavill's turn as Superman was Justice League, which featured several scenes in which his face is marred by by the digital removal of the mustache Cavill was sporting for the excellent Mission: Impossible — Fallout, which was shooting at the same time Justice League did reshoots. But we aren't including Justice League on this list because Superman is dead for much of the movie. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) No one is saying Superman IV is a good movie — it suffered from a slashed budget and a terrible new villain, Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), as well as a preachy plot about the evils of nuclear weapons. The special effects were bad at times. And the film's disappointing box office returns buried the Christopher Reeve-led version of the Superman franchise. But Superman IV has its charms. First of all, there's Reeve, by far the best actor to play Superman so far. And at least we got truncated appearances by the late, great Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. It's also weird and fun that Jon Cryer pops up as Lex's nephew, Lenny Luthor. And, in a roundabout way, this movie helped shoot Morgan Freeman to stardom. No, he's not in the movie. But Reeve agreed to make Superman IV in exchange for a green light for the gritty drama Street Smart, in which Morgan Freeman stole the show as a pimp who clashed with Reeve's character, a reporter. Superman Returns (2006) This attempt to reboot the Superman franchise suffered against two comparisons: First, as likable as Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth were as Superman and Lois, it's very hard to follow Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Second, the film came out a year after Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale very successfully rebooted Batman with Batman Begins, the start of their Dark Knight trilogy. Still, we like Superman Returns. Kevin Spacey was a good pick for Lex Luthor, and we love how this movie can be seen as a direct sequel to Superman II — with new leads, of course — that imagines Superman III and Superman IV never happened. Man of Steel (2013) Director Zack Snyder tried to make Man of Steel (which came out a year after the final film in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, and included Nolan as a producer) as epic as possible, and succeeded in many ways. Henry Cavill was exceptionally well cast as Superman, and Amy Adams was an excellent modern-day Lois Lane. The stacked supporting cast included Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Clark's adopted earth parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer as Jor-El and Lara Lor-van, the Kryptoanian biological parents of Superman (aka Kal-El). The dads got a lot more to do than the moms. The main weakness of the film was Snyder's insistence on making things too dark and gritty, culminating in the much-debated decision to have Superman kill Michael Shannon's General Zod. That still doesn't feel like a thing Superman would or should do. Superman III (1987) This is Superman at his silliest. He faces off with the forgettable industrialist Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), who employs the movie's real attraction, Gus Gorman, a desperate but brilliant computer programmer played by Richard Pryor. There's incredible time-capsule appeal in seeing the straitlaced Reeve share the screen with the unpredictable Pryor, one of the most influential comedians of all time. And it's also fun to see how a 1983 film portrayed Gus' computer genius. (His moneymaking scheme was elegant and memorable enough to have received an homage in 1999's Office Space.) We also like the goofy but fun splitting of Superman into good and evil personas. The film loses points for the absence of Gene Hackman and the sidelining of Margot Kidder, who was upset at producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind for the decision to replace Superman director Richard Donner on Superman II with Richard Lester. We prefer Superman movies where Lois is front and center. Superman II (1980) Plot-wise, this is the most compelling of all Superman movies, because it goes to the central question of whether he wants to be human, or an alien superhero trying to save us from ourselves. It's the most romantic superhero movie ever made. Realizing that he can't be Superman and married to Lois, Clark Kent gives up his super powers. But he's forced to don the cape once again when three villains cast out from Krypton early in the original Superman movie suddenly come to Earth: General Zod, perfectly played by Terence Stamp; his similarly icy second-in-command, Ursa (Sarah Douglas); and the mute and mighty Non (Jack O'Halloran). Superman II is thrilling, but tragic. And, if you were a kid when it came out, it was genuinely scary: What could be worse than a world without Superman? Superman (1978) This is the film that created the modern superhero movie — a stunning, charming, goodhearted epic that takes it sweet time living up to its tagline, "You'll believe a man can fly." It's slow by modern standards, but who cares? We love inhabiting the world it creates, one that combines solid 1970s moviemaking with a Metropolis out of the 1940s and a version of Kansas that feels like something in a Terrence Malick film. The film rockets from a dying utopia, imbued with grandeur by Marlon Brando as Jor-El, and takes us to an optimistic version of America distinct from the grit and pessimism of other '70s films. Anchoring it all is Christpher Reeve as a Superman who exudes decency — as well as plenty of dry wit. The movie centers around Lois Lane — the skeptical audience surrogate — falling in love with him. And Superman falling in love with her. Add in Gene Hackman, as a conniving Lex Luthor who is as ruthless as Superman is sincere, and you have a classic — the best Superman movie so far. We love Richard Donner's controlled, assured direction, and the fact that the film enlisted Godfather writer Mario Puzo to tell a very different kind of family story. The new Superman movie, coming July 11 from James Gunn, incorporates John Williams' stirring, triumphant score, and we hope it can also capture the heart of the 1978 Superman, our favorite Superman movie by far. Superman (2025) That's right — we've loved Superman movies for almost as long as we've been alive, and consider James Gunn's latest version to be the best of all. This movie is a flat-out stunner. And yes, it should be noted that it had a big advantage over all the other Superman movies on this list: It gets to borrow and build on everything they did right, and learn from their mistakes. The way the film expands on John Williams' soaring 1978 Superman score is a good encapsulation on how it expands on 87 years of Superman lore — it takes the central themes, finds new ways to play them, and makes everything feel fresh and vital. Gunn stands on the shoulders of giants and does them proud. The new Superman has jokes, thrills, and soul, and Gunn finally cracks the problem of all Superman movies: How do you make a man with incredible powers relatable? Gunn does it by making him a stranger in a strange land — ours — who tries to keep up even as he falters, again and again. The chemistry between David Corenswet's striving Superman and Rachel Brosnahan 's punk-rock Lois Lane feels as real as we've seen between any screen couple in years. And a speech at the end about why we should treat all human beings as human beings brought a tear to this cynical writer's eye. Superman has epic moments, but also a light touch, and Gunn fills the screen with delights. He seems to have found maybe the most perfect use of CGI we've seen in a movie: Rather than using it to badly recreate elements of real-life, as so many CGI-driven movies do, he uses it to create visions we would never otherwise see, particularly in a standout "pocket universe" sequence. There are some stunning parallels with the world today — some of which Gunn couldn't possibly have planned on during production — but people who think it's some kind of woke jeremiad are out of their minds. Superman is a movie for anybody with a heart. Liked This List of All 8 Superman Movies Ranked From Worst to Best? You might also like our list of Every Indiana Jones Movie Ranked from Worst to Best, or this list of Rad '80s Movies Only Cool Kids Remember. Main image: David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in Superman. Warner Bros. Related Headlines 13 Shameless Comedies That Just Don't Care If You're Offended Fighting, Making Friends at Camp and Selling Cookies Are Subjects of NFMLA's Disabilities Program Old Superman: New Superman Too Woke Solve the daily Crossword
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
90s movie icon Rachael Leigh Cook goes public with new boyfriend – and he's a very familiar face
RACHAEL Leigh Cook, who starred in hit 90s romcom She's All That, has debuted a brand new blossoming romance. Stepping out with action movie hunk, Brandon Routh, the two stars enjoyed a date night on Friday in Los Angeles. Advertisement 5 The two lovebirds looked smitten on their recent date night outing Credit: BackGrid 5 They were seen holding hands and looked all loved up Credit: BackGrid Rachael, who is now 45, shot to fame as Laney Boggs in She's All That. She is also famous for starring in The Baby-Sitters Club and Josie and the Pussycats. Meanwhile, Brandon, who is also 45, shot to fame when he portrayed the iconic superhero Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns. Brandon also starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow. Advertisement Read More about Celeb Romance The two stars enjoyed a low-key outing together in LA as they headed to a weekend movie screening on Friday night. Rachael and Brandon were seen holding hands as they stopped by the crowded venue. SMITTEN DISPLAY At one point in the evening, Brandon's arm was seen affectionately around Rachael as they walked around in public, Love was clearly in the air as the couple shared sweet smiles and cozy moments on their outing. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Another adorable moment saw Rachael sweetly rest her hand on Brandon's back. The actress was previously married Daniel Gillies, whom she wed in 2004, but their romance was not to last. Superman, Official trailer 'We got engaged after dating for maybe five months and we got married a couple of months after that,' she told People Magazine in a previous interview. They then separated in June 2019 and their divorce was finalized in 2021. Advertisement A year later, in October 2022, Rachael opened up about her split from Daniel. 'HAPPILY DIVORCED' She gushed that she was "happily divorced" at the time. Rachael also said of her ex, "We still share Halloween. We go out walking around together and my kids like my boyfriend [Kevin Mann] a lot and we're slowly just navigating what that looks like and it's tough. "It's tough and it's certainly relatable to so many families out there,' she told Us Weekly at the time. Advertisement She added, "So I hope that this is a nice touchpoint for kids who have a new step-sibling. Maybe take a little bit of a cue from that." Rachael and her ex-husband Daniel share two children from their marriage. They are parents to a daughter named Charlotte, born in 2013, and a son named Theodore, born in 2015. Rachael had been in a relationship with Kevin before she got with Brandon. Advertisement She and Kevin went Instagram official in 2021. But according to several reports, the relationship ended "a few years later". 5 Rachael Leigh Cook starred in She's All That in 1999 Credit: Alamy 5 She starred alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. in the hit flick Credit: Alamy Advertisement 5 Brandon starred as Superman in the hit Superman Returns flick Credit: Handout
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
90s movie icon Rachael Leigh Cook goes public with new boyfriend – and he's a very familiar face
They looked smitten on their recent outing together HE'S ALL THAT 90s movie icon Rachael Leigh Cook goes public with new boyfriend – and he's a very familiar face Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RACHAEL Leigh Cook, who starred in hit 90s romcom She's All That, has debuted a brand new blossoming romance. Stepping out with action movie hunk, Brandon Routh, the two stars enjoyed a date night on Friday in Los Angeles. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 The two lovebirds looked smitten on their recent date night outing Credit: BackGrid 5 They were seen holding hands and looked all loved up Credit: BackGrid Rachael, who is now 45, shot to fame as Laney Boggs in She's All That. She is also famous for starring in The Baby-Sitters Club and Josie and the Pussycats. Meanwhile, Brandon, who is also 45, shot to fame when he portrayed the iconic superhero Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns. Brandon also starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow. The two stars enjoyed a low-key outing together in LA as they headed to a weekend movie screening on Friday night. Rachael and Brandon were seen holding hands as they stopped by the crowded venue. SMITTEN DISPLAY At one point in the evening, Brandon's arm was seen affectionately around Rachael as they walked around in public, Love was clearly in the air as the couple shared sweet smiles and cozy moments on their outing. Another adorable moment saw Rachael sweetly rest her hand on Brandon's back. The actress was previously married Daniel Gillies, whom she wed in 2004, but their romance was not to last. Superman, Official trailer 'We got engaged after dating for maybe five months and we got married a couple of months after that,' she told People Magazine in a previous interview. They then separated in June 2019 and their divorce was finalized in 2021. A year later, in October 2022, Rachael opened up about her split from Daniel. 'HAPPILY DIVORCED' She gushed that she was "happily divorced" at the time. Rachael also said of her ex, "We still share Halloween. We go out walking around together and my kids like my boyfriend [Kevin Mann] a lot and we're slowly just navigating what that looks like and it's tough. "It's tough and it's certainly relatable to so many families out there,' she told Us Weekly at the time. She added, "So I hope that this is a nice touchpoint for kids who have a new step-sibling. Maybe take a little bit of a cue from that." Rachael and her ex-husband Daniel share two children from their marriage. They are parents to a daughter named Charlotte, born in 2013, and a son named Theodore, born in 2015. Rachael had been in a relationship with Kevin before she got with Brandon. She and Kevin went Instagram official in 2021. But according to several reports, the relationship ended "a few years later". 5 Rachael Leigh Cook starred in She's All That in 1999 Credit: Alamy 5 She starred alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. in the hit flick Credit: Alamy
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
90s movie icon Rachael Leigh Cook goes public with new boyfriend – and he's a very familiar face
RACHAEL Leigh Cook, who starred in hit 90s romcom She's All That, has debuted a brand new blossoming romance. Stepping out with action movie hunk, Brandon Routh, the two stars enjoyed a date night on Friday in Los Angeles. 5 5 Rachael, who is now 45, shot to fame as Laney Boggs in She's All That. She is also famous for starring in The Baby-Sitters Club and Josie and the Pussycats. Meanwhile, Brandon, who is also 45, shot to fame when he portrayed the iconic superhero Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns. Brandon also starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow. The two stars enjoyed a low-key outing together in LA as they headed to a weekend movie screening on Friday night. Rachael and Brandon were seen holding hands as they stopped by the crowded venue. SMITTEN DISPLAY At one point in the evening, Brandon's arm was seen affectionately around Rachael as they walked around in public, Love was clearly in the air as the couple shared sweet smiles and cozy moments on their outing. Another adorable moment saw Rachael sweetly rest her hand on Brandon's back. The actress was previously married Daniel Gillies, whom she wed in 2004, but their romance was not to last. 'We got engaged after dating for maybe five months and we got married a couple of months after that,' she told People Magazine in a previous interview. They then separated in June 2019 and their divorce was finalized in 2021. A year later, in October 2022, Rachael opened up about her split from Daniel. 'HAPPILY DIVORCED' She gushed that she was "happily divorced" at the time. Rachael also said of her ex, "We still share Halloween. We go out walking around together and my kids like my boyfriend [Kevin Mann] a lot and we're slowly just navigating what that looks like and it's tough. "It's tough and it's certainly relatable to so many families out there,' she told Us Weekly at the time. She added, "So I hope that this is a nice touchpoint for kids who have a new step-sibling. Maybe take a little bit of a cue from that." Rachael and her ex-husband Daniel share two children from their marriage. They are parents to a daughter named Charlotte, born in 2013, and a son named Theodore, born in 2015. Rachael had been in a relationship with Kevin before she got with Brandon. She and Kevin went Instagram official in 2021. But according to several reports, the relationship ended "a few years later". 5 5 5
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
She's All That icon Rachael Leigh Cook debuts shock new romance with 2000s action hunk
Rachael Leigh Cook has officially debuted her new budding romance with a 2000s action hunk as the pair were seen enjoying a date night in LA on Friday. The 45-year-old She's All That star was seen sweetly holding hands with fellow actor Brandon Routh, who leapt to fame after portraying the iconic Man of Steel in the 2006 film Superman Returns. The two stars enjoyed the low-key outing together as they stopped by a crowded movie theater to catch a screening. Rachael and Brandon, also 45, flashed cheerful smiles during their nighttime excursion, and at one point the beauty was seen sweetly resting her hand on his back. The actress — whose divorce from Daniel Gillies was finalized in 2021 — was effortlessly chic in a pair of light-blue denim jeans and a black cropped blazer. She slipped into a pair of closed-toe white pumps and carried a small gold handbag. Her brunette locks were parted in the middle, and fell down naturally to brush the tips of her shoulders. Brandon kept it stylish casual in a black button-up, as well as a pair of black jeans and comfy sneakers. While it is not known when the couple first sparked up a romance, in February they were pictured stopping by the restaurant HomeGrown in Des Moines, Iowa. The eatery shared a snap of the two actors on its Instagram page as they posed with a couple of staff members. The caption read: 'It's a bird… it's a plane… it's Brandon Routh! Superman and Des Moines' own Brandon Routh stopped by Crescent to fuel up before fighting for truth and justice… with kindness, of course. 'Also visiting us today, the one and only Rachael Leigh Cook. From Hollywood to Hallmark, She's All That in our book, and what a treat it was to welcome her to DSM today.' Rachael is known for her role in the 1999 rom-com She's All That, which also starred Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard and the late Paul Walker. She also took on a leading role in the 2001 cult classic Josie And The Pussycats, as well as Netflix's Love, Guaranteed (2020) and He's All That (2021). The actress was previously married to Daniel Gillies from 2004 until their separation in 2019. Two years later, their divorce was finalized. Since then, they have continued to co-parent their children Charlotte, 11, and Theodore, 10. Following the split, Rachael revealed that she is still 'totally open' to marrying again in the future. During a 2022 interview with People, she explained, 'I am the most incorrigible full-tilt romantic you have ever met in your whole life, to the point that it's probably unreasonable. So yeah, totally open to that happening again.' However, Rachael added that she 'will be slightly more cautious in making that decision because I have kids involved and such in my life now. But I wouldn't say no.' As to whether she wants to expand her family in the future, the actress admittedshe isn't certain. 'I gotta watch out for my own spontaneous side, and I gotta make that decision with eyes wide open,' she said Rachael continued, 'And my boyfriend has to realize how totally insane kids can be, I think, in person a little bit more before we can think about making that step.' Brandon was previously married to the actress Courtney Ford, but she filed for divorce in January after 17 years of marriage. The Dexter star cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the separation and requested for joint legal and physical custody of their son Leo, 12. At the time, the former couple shared a statement about the split, saying: 'To everyone who has loved and supported us, we have some personal news to share. 'After 21 years together, and 17 years of marriage, we have decided to begin a new journey, and enter this next chapter of life as friends and co-parents.' The pair added, 'We are now and forever rooting for each other as we move through this wild adventure called life. Our son is, and will always be, our highest priority, and we appreciate your understanding as we navigate this transition.' Brandon is not only known for portraying an iconic superhero, but he has also appeared on the big screen in movies such as Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010). On television, he's known for roles in shows including Arrow, Chuck, The Rookie, The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow. Rachael and Brandon are also no strangers to appearing in movies for the Hallmark Channel. At the time, the former couple shared a statement about the split, saying, 'To everyone who has loved and supported us, we have some personal news to share' The actor has played leading characters in movies such as The Nine Lives Of Christmas, as well as The Nine Kittens Of Christmas. Rachael has also starred in Hallmark television movies including Summer Love, Autumn In The Vineyard, Frozen Love and Rescuing Christmas. The pair are expected to attend Christmas Con later this year in New Jersey, which will take place from December 12-14. Rachael and Brandon were initially slated to attend the event last year, but both dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
