- 6/11/2025
I had a quick look at MsMojo comparing 2025 YTD to 2024 YTD trying to find clues. One interesting note is that you had more views from 'Browse features but a big drop in views from 'suggested videos' and search. Shorts Feed also dropped but not as much. I noticed that you had a few high-performing videos about Jojo Siwa during the same period last year. Could be that this content tapped into a cultural moment that drove a lot more recommendation than usual. I'm not sure but feels like it's worth looking into the content published the same time last year versus this year.
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Hey buddy, eyes up here.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're ranking movies where Superman plays a major role,
00:10from most to least super.
00:12We're excluding straight-to-video releases and the first two film serials.
00:17You wait right there. Don't be afraid. Wait.
00:22Superman.
00:24Over 45 years later, Richard Donner's Superman remains the gold standard.
00:28You okay?
00:31Uh-huh.
00:32Not only did the effects make audiences believe a man could fly,
00:35but the casting still makes us believe these iconic characters are real.
00:39Christopher Reeve is Superman, Margot Kidder is Lois Lane,
00:43and Gene Hackman is Lex Luthor, despite refusing to shave his head.
00:47Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its kicks?
00:50By planning the death of innocent people?
00:52No. By causing the death of innocent people.
00:55The film certainly isn't without corny moments,
00:57not to mention lapses in logic, like reversing time by spinning the Earth backward.
01:02Yet this was arguably the first superhero movie to take its subject seriously,
01:07as Clark Kent grapples with being an outsider on a foreign planet,
01:10sacrificing his personal happiness for the sake of humanity,
01:13and not being able to save everyone even with all his powers.
01:17I could embrace you in my arms.
01:27My son.
01:29Superman 2.
01:30Although roughly 75% was already in the can,
01:34Richard Donner was infamously kicked off Superman 2,
01:36with Richard Lester reshooting much of the footage.
01:39Well, it just seems kind of strange to me that every time Superman's around,
01:43you disappear.
01:45Superman? You mean he was here?
01:47Mm-hmm.
01:48Golly.
01:49Despite the chaotic production,
01:50the theatrical version and the Richard Donner cut released in 2006,
01:54both have their merits.
01:56Superman! What?
01:56Who is this, Superman?
01:59You'll find out, General.
02:01And when you do...
02:02Come to me, Superman.
02:04If you dare,
02:06I defy you.
02:08Come!
02:08Come and kneel before Zod!
02:11Whichever you prefer,
02:12this sequel continues to flesh out Superman as a character,
02:15presenting the moral quandary of giving up his powers and responsibilities in the name of love.
02:20For the first time in my life,
02:23everything's clear.
02:25Of course, this occurs just as Superman faces his greatest physical challenge yet in General Zod,
02:31played by the great Terrence Stamp.
02:33Like its predecessor,
02:34the ending is another cop-out,
02:36this time sealing the deal with a memory-wiping kiss.
02:39It still would have been a better note to go out on than what followed.
02:43Thank you!
02:48Zack Snyder's Justice League.
02:50Whereas both versions of Superman 2 are worth examining,
02:53this is one director's cut that completely eclipses what theater-goers got.
02:58I have a second chance, Lowell.
03:03I am not gonna waste it.
03:05Following a years-long fan campaign,
03:07Zack Snyder delivered a Herculean epic for those who never lost faith.
03:11Above all else,
03:13Snyder made a film for his daughter Autumn,
03:15whose tragic death initially pulled him away from the project.
03:17In addition to capturing the gravitas missing from the theatrical cut,
03:32Snyder restores essential character development for Cyborg,
03:36Steppenwolf,
03:36and, yes,
03:37Superman.
03:38The black suit not only symbolizes Superman's resurrection,
03:41but the revitalization of an artist at last bringing their vision to fruition.
03:46It sadly couldn't revive the DCEU,
03:49instead marking the beginning of the end.
03:51What a triumphant note for Snyder to go out on, though.
03:54Man of Steel
04:03Polarizing upon release,
04:05Man of Steel set a tone for the divisive DCEU.
04:09Looking back over a decade later,
04:11the film's strengths are also its weaknesses.
04:13You just have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to beat Clark,
04:16because whoever that man is,
04:19good character or bad,
04:20he's...
04:21he's going to change the world.
04:25While a darker, more grounded take on Superman is refreshing,
04:28much of the optimism and hope associated with the character is sacrificed.
04:32Get inside.
04:34It's not safe.
04:36The film contains possibly the most mind-blowing action sequences in Superman's filmography,
04:41taking advantage of modern technology and the titular character's phenomenal powers.
04:45It's friggin' awesome.
04:47Until you consider the countless civilian lives endangered and trillions in damage caused.
05:01We wouldn't mind so much if Superman ever reflected on his reckless actions,
05:06but even after breaking his nemesis' neck, he quickly brushes it off.
05:11The results are more concerned with looking cool than understanding who Superman is.
05:15You can save her, girl.
05:21You can save all of them.
05:29Superman Returns
05:31This long-delayed sequel sets itself in the same continuity as the Christopher Reeve movies,
05:36ignoring everything after Superman 2.
05:38Is everyone alright?
05:39The admiration for those first two films is on full display,
05:44and a handful of action sequences stand out.
05:47To get to these highlights, though, we need to sit through numerous needlessly drawn-out moments.
05:51I read the article, Lois.
05:53Yeah, so did a lot of people.
05:54Tomorrow night, they're giving me the Pulitzer.
05:55Why did you write it?
05:58How could you leave us like that?
06:00We could forgive the slower pacing if we were more invested in the characters,
06:05but despite the best efforts of Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth,
06:08both look like they're cosplaying as Superman and Lois Lane.
06:11The only actor who hits their mark is Kevin Spacey,
06:15who is equally funny and menacing as Lex Luthor.
06:18But you know, maybe you're right.
06:19You know, maybe it is a little...
06:22cold.
06:22It's a...
06:23What's the word I'm searching for?
06:25It's a little...
06:27alien.
06:28That said, his presence also brings an uncomfortable factor now.
06:32Did we mention Bryan Singer directed this, too?
06:34He wrote that the world doesn't need a savior.
06:39But every day, I hear people crying for one.
06:42Superman and the Mole Men
06:43Predating Richard Donner's film by almost three decades,
06:47this feature saw George Reeves don the cape for the first time.
06:50What do you want?
06:56Don't be afraid.
06:58At only 58 minutes,
06:59it was essentially a proof of concept for the subsequent TV series,
07:02later being re-edited into a two-parter.
07:05While Reeves naturally charms as Superman,
07:08there surprisingly isn't much of him here.
07:10More focus is given to the titular Mole Men,
07:13who are apparently so frightening they give people heart attacks.
07:16Of course, they look more like munchkins wearing footie pajamas and bald caps.
07:21The true villains are the ignorant townsfolk,
07:23who don't take kindly to Mole or Superman.
07:26You're gonna step aside or we have to make trouble.
07:28Put some leg in him, Luke.
07:30Mr. Benson tried that once already.
07:32It didn't work.
07:33Although a product of its time,
07:35there is a campy B-movie appeal for those in the right frame of mind.
07:39It's almost as if they were saying,
07:41you live your lives,
07:44and we'll live ours.
07:45Batman vs. Superman, Dawn of Justice.
07:48We're not gonna act like Batman vs. Superman isn't without good elements,
07:52namely Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne.
07:53That son of a bitch brought the war to us two years ago.
07:59Jesus, Alfred, count the dead.
08:02Thousands of people.
08:04What's next?
08:06Millions.
08:07Even with the director's cut fixing some issues, though,
08:10let's be honest,
08:11this bleak, convoluted crossover gets more wrong than right,
08:15especially concerning Superman.
08:17We want to see these heroes clash because of their differing ideologies.
08:20Having Superman be gloomier than Batman misses the point.
08:27She was my world.
08:30And you took her from me.
08:32This cinematic universe introduces the death of Superman arc way too early,
08:37removing any dread that he won't come back.
08:39Lois is again reduced to a damsel who repeatedly gets herself into stupid situations.
08:43Oh, and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor?
08:47Even this movie's most outspoken apologists know this was a misfire that sadly could have worked
08:52if Eisenberg channeled Mark Zuckerberg.
08:54A real-life Lex.
08:56Hello? Break the bad news.
08:59Justice League.
09:00At first, some were lenient toward Justice League,
09:03feeling the film wasn't as bad as it could have been given the disastrous production.
09:07What was it like?
09:10Coming back?
09:11Itchy.
09:16The longer we let the movie sit, though,
09:19the clearer it became just how messy this bomb was,
09:22especially compared to the Superior Snyder cut.
09:24Joss Whedon might have directed the first two Avengers movies,
09:27but he was the wrong choice to fill Snyder's shoes.
09:30Allegations of his toxic on-set behavior aside,
09:33Whedon's quippy dialogue and light-hearted approach
09:35don't mesh with the darker tone Snyder established.
09:37Well, I knew you didn't bring me back because you liked me.
09:41I don't.
09:42Not.
09:43The outcome is a Frankenstein's monster of a movie,
09:46comprised of pieces that don't go together with several critical aspects left on the cutting room floor.
09:51Superman may suffer the most,
09:53his presence here being defined by Mustache Gate.
09:56Does your thing really stand for hope?
09:58Yes, it does.
09:58Superman 3.
10:00The shark jumping point for Christopher Reeve's tenure,
10:03this third installment is torn between being a Superman movie
10:06and a slapstick comedy starring Richard Pryor,
10:08who unfortunately brings none of his comedic genius.
10:12Hey, here's that compound you ordered.
10:15Can't imagine what you want with it,
10:17but you got it.
10:18What the hell am I afraid for? I'm from Earth.
10:27Pryor's Gus Gorman overshadows Superman,
10:29who does have an interesting subplot concerning his dark side.
10:32You always wanted to fly, Kent.
10:35Now's your chance.
10:36Even that's mainly played for laughs, however.
10:39It's Spider-Man 3 before Spider-Man 3,
10:41although with slightly less dancing.
10:44As for other key characters,
10:45Ma Kent is unceremoniously killed off-screen,
10:48Lois is lazily sent to Bermuda,
10:50and Lex Luthor is replaced with this bland substitute,
10:53who, to his credit, gets the only funny line.
10:56I asked you to kill Superman,
10:58and you're telling me you couldn't even do that one simple thing.
11:03As Little Ricky says,
11:04Superman was in a slump,
11:06but could the next film turn things around?
11:08Can you survive skiing off a skyscraper?
11:10You can do it, Superman!
11:12Before we continue,
11:14be sure to subscribe to our channel
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11:28Superman 4 The Quest for Peace
11:31With costs significantly reduced,
11:34Superman 4 possesses the worst effects in this quadrilogy.
11:37While the budget accounts for the cheap production values,
11:45that doesn't excuse baffling story choices like
11:48Clark revealing his secret identity to Lois, again,
11:51only to erase her memory, again.
11:53Superman ridding the world of nuclear weapons with little political pushback,
11:57the destruction of those weapons creating a fully-grown,
12:00fully-dressed nuclear man,
12:01who randomly becomes obsessed with Clark's new love interest,
12:04who can breathe in space,
12:05and the presence of John Cryer as Lenny Luther.
12:09This is my nephew, Lenny.
12:11He worships me.
12:12The dude of steel.
12:14Boy, are you gonna get it!
12:16Superman himself is reduced to a blank slate
12:19who can do whatever the screenwriters make up.
12:27Reeve tries,
12:28but he's lost in what would unfortunately be a final curtain
12:31with no drama,
12:33laughs,
12:33or purpose to exist.
12:41What's your Superman rank?
12:43And where did you think James Gunn's film will place?
12:45Let us know in the comments.
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