Superman, Dracula make return to theaters

Published 6:00 am Thursday, July 24, 2025

“Superman” 

(Action/Science-Fiction: 2 hours, 09 minutes) 

Starring: David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan  

Director: James Gunn

Rated: PG-13 (Violence, action and language)

Movie review:

As a critic, reservations sometimes exist about those involved behind the scenes of movies. These doubts quickly disperse about 20 minutes into this more than two-hour screenplay. 

James Gunn does not waste time retelling the story of Superman growing up as Clark Kent in Smallville, Kansas. The director-writer jumps straight to a pivotal moment. “Superman” is the latest movie to try to capture this iconic superhero as an all-American manages to entertain with every scene.

David Corenswet plays the current Superman. He lacks the charisma of the first major Superman star Christopher Reeve (“Superman,” 1978) and he does not have the talented handsomeness of Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel,” 2013) who played Superman in movies up until now. However, Corenswet does have that midwestern, all-American appeal for which Superman is known. He is more engaging as Clark Kent, compared to his portrayal of Superman.

When Superman is first seen in this movie, audiences witness him in battle for the first time. He is severely hurt and in need of help. Enter Krypto, a superhero dog apparently from the same planet is Superman, Krypton. Superman is not well liked at this point because publicity is turning against him when he interferes in the war where one country is the aggressor over a much poorer nation. When Lois Lane (Brosnahan), Superman‘s love of interest, interviews him. The man of steel believes he is trying to save humanity. We see Superman as Clark Kent during the interview and he is conflicted, not understanding why people are angry with him.

This is where the movie’s best actor enters the picture, Nicholas Holt, who plays Lex Luthor. A tech billionaire and one of the richest men on the planet, Luthor hates humans and other meta humans with superpowers. Luthor uses The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) and the masked covered Ultraman, who is controlled by Luthor using drones. Luthor’s plan is to defeat Superman via convincing humanity the superhero is a threat. Simultaneously, Luthor has plans for obtaining something much more valuable.

Plenty is going on in this movie, including a kaiju, a giant monster that is reminiscent of something from “Lilo and Stitch.” The movie also has the beginning of what looks like the Justice League, but as now they are called the Justice Gang. It includes Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Hawk Girl (Isabela Merced). 

Fillion’s Green Lantern is over the top in many ways and Hawk Girl needs more time to spread her wings. However, Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific lives up to his name. He is one of the better characters in this movie. 

With an overload of things going on in this movie, like most superhero movies, the screenplay becomes bloated. Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” 2014) falls into the same trap as many other superhero movies. He creates a lengthy movie where scenes are added because they cool and sell toys, rather than inserting substantive character development.

Those detractions aside, Superman is entertaining enough that notions to check your phone become irrelevant. While not the typical gloom and doom of the other DC Universe movies, this Superman entertains with enough action and interesting characters that it is a nice diversion from summer’s heat.  

Grade: B- (He is super enough.)

 “Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story” 

(Horror: 1 hour, 29 minutes) 

Starring: Titus Welliver, Brady Hepner, Judah Mackey and Jocelin Donahue

Director: Natasha Kermani

Rated: R (Bloody violence and grisly images.)

Movie review:

“Abraham’s Boys” is a narrative based on the short story by Joe Hill in his 2005 compilation “20th Century Ghosts.” It is an engaging, good movie despite its lightweight appeal.

This is a sequel to Bram Stoker’s horror novel “Dracula” (1897). Set 18 years after Stoker’s famed work, it follows the story of Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, the famed vampire hunter. He is still tracking and killing vampires. Now living in Central Valley California in 1915, he believes vampires are returning to finish claiming his wife, Mina Van Helsing (Donahue), who is the mother of their two sons, Max (Hepner) and Rudy (Mackey). Abraham begins training his sons to help with the upcoming invasion of Dracula. Soon, Max and Rudy find out that their father’s work is more than they expected. They also find out Dr. Van Helsing is not the person they thought he was.

Director-writer Natasha Kermani crafts a nice script that expounds on Joe Hill’s short story. Julia Swain uses multiple camera angles of visuals close and far away, letting one see what the characters are envisioning as they look for upcoming dangers.

 “Abraham’s Boys” is not spooky, but it does make one think about what creates these characters’ paranoia. This is more of a psychological flick than a horror movie. It is only an hour and 29 minutes of runtime. The movie could use more time to develop its characters with about 15 more minutes of scenes, but it offers enough to get one’s attention.

However, it allows just enough of a mystery to solve that it becomes interesting and holds one’s attention. As the characters wait for the upcoming visit of Dracula, the movie buildings a good amount of anxiety. Too bad, it does not use that anxiety throughout the movie till its end.

Grade: B- (Vampire impressionable.)