I went to see the new Superman movie today and was rather stunned to be told it was a 3D performance and handed some 3D specs. I was like, hang on, I didn't even realise 3D movies in 2025 were still a thing?!
Apparently, they are, and it was a very happy mistake as director James Gunn's new spin on the screen classic turns out to be absolutely huge fun in 3D. There's even a hilarious bit when a baddie's tooth flies at you!
Gunn himself has declared this is a great way to watch the movie, saying: "Just saw the final version of Superman in 3D and oh wow... just incredible to see. If you have a taste for 3D, this is a great way to see the film."
The 3D really flies when, erm, David Corenswet's Superman flies, and obviously being Superman, he does a lot of that. The best 3D scene of the entire movie is a fight scene between Superman and Kaiju, a giant monster who's hellbent on destroying Metropolis. It feels completely immersive, and I can't remember ever enjoying a fight scene in a movie theater more.
The 3D also works especially well whenever Superman visits his frosty Fortress of Solitude, giving the makers lots of chances to have flakes of snow flying out of the screen at you. There are a lot of fight scenes in Superman, which might have dragged in the 2D version, but the one at the Fortress of Solitude is also memorable as Lex Luthor's baddies fight for evidence to destroy our hero's reputation
The 3D does get a little weird when the camera takes you on a tour of Luthor's bald head, and it can feel rather redundant in quieter scenes. However, this is an action movie, and therefore, plenty of chances for the 3D to shine, especially in Luthor’s fiery pocket dimension, where he keeps his enemies prisoner.
I have to agree with our Superman review that there are too many plots going on at once. While Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor are both great, we don’t need all the extra characters, including the Justice Gang (Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern/Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi's Mr. Terrific). It just means there's so much going on that all the extra characters fail to make much of an impact, except Superman’s dog Krypto, who is great fun.
But all in all, this is the most joy I’ve had with a superhero movie for ages, and I certainly am a new convert for watching movies in 3D, even if the frames of my 3D specs did fall out at one point!
Superman is in movie theaters now. For more fun, play our Superman quiz.
