It’s a super time to be a comic-book fan. DC and Marvel are both putting out films left and right, and there’s a fervor in the air that feels like that classic era from 2015-2019 again. However, the feeling of that era of film isn’t all sunshine and roses; if you’re not remembering what some of those early superhero films were like, Supergirl feels like that era in multiple ways. The film captures the “hot mess” attitude of Kara that we saw in Superman; however, it also takes her on a journey of discovery to find herself and her own tribe of sorts. This isn’t the same story as Superman with Clark Kent, but it feels similar in a lot of ways.
This time around, we’re sent into space on a hunt for a dastardly villain with Kara (played by Milly Alcock). The story opens with a family being slaughtered by the Brigands, led by Krem (played by Matthias Schoenaerts). Krem is after weapons and women because he’s the leader of what amounts to a group of intergalactic sex traffickers who are trying to reproduce their male-only society. He kills Ruthye’s (played by Eve Ridley) family, and she runs across Kara in search of revenge for her family. Kara only gets her motivation for finding Krem when he steals her ship and shoots Krypto with a poison-tipped dart that’ll kill him if she doesn’t find the antidote in three days.
So you’ve got the stakes, you’ve got the villain, and you’ve got the quest that Kara and Ruthye have to go on. So what went wrong with Supergirl then?
The Bad Of Supergirl
So, like I was saying above, Supergirl feels like an early-stage comic-book film. It’s a jumping point in the saga, not a main event. We learn about Kara, and the flashback sequences to her on Krypton are fantastic. They show off the decay and eventual reasoning for her to end up on Earth. But those scenes ring a bit hollow when it comes to her motivations for the entire story. It’s juggling a bunch of reasons why she’s such a “hot mess” at the beginning of the film and why she decides to drink her days away. Those motivations are sound but the motivations for the actual plot of the film feel less full.
A good movie needs a good score and the soundtrack here not only overpowers the score, but the soundtrack of licensed music they picked is, at best, fine, and at worst, awful. Can we get rid of the trend of having either slowed-down or fundamentally different covers of classic songs in comic-book movies? The score by Claudia Sarne is overshadowed completely by the licensed music.
For a hero as powerful and iconic as Supergirl, there needs to be a villain that matches that, and Krem does not. Besides the fact that he leads a group of space sex traffickers, there’s nothing else here from the script or character that make him imposing or memorable. Matthias Schoenaerts gives a fine performance with the material he’s given, but the performance is so greatly impacted by a script that doesn’t provide any real meat to work with.
Also, in the year 2026, how have we not figured out how to light scenes with green screens to make it look like the characters aren’t just standing in front of a flat background? There are scenes in the third act that stick out like sore thumbs. Some of the other CG scenes look good to great, but there are particular ones that are maddening to look at.
Realistically, the biggest problem with Supergirl is that it feels like every other movie, outside of one or two scenes. Everything is grey and drab and dimly lit. There’s nothing memorable to speak of, I won’t be talking with friends saying “hey, remember that cool setpiece from Supergirl?” because it’s not here.
The Good Of Supergirl
So, what is good about Supergirl then? Quite a bit. First off, Milly Alcock is great as Kara. Even with a subpar script, she shines through and you can see it especially in the flashback sequences in the film and the third act. The character is in good hands with her, she just needs some better material. Jason Momoa is also exquisite as Lobo. It really makes you think why he wasn’t just cast as this character in the first place instead of playing Aquaman. He’s right at home as the bounty hunter demigod.
Also, we get more of David Corenswet as Superman here. He’s not in the whole movie, but when he does show up, it just shows that he’s a perfect choice to play Superman. He embodies the character. Milly Alcock’s performance mirrors him and shows that she’s a great choice for Kara as well, but makes her different enough from her cousin.
While I think the action in Supergirl isn’t super memorable for the most part, there is one set piece on an intergalactic bus near the beginning of the film that shows off some awesome scenes of Kara using her powers. It has a bit of teleportation that makes for a funny action sequence.
Finally, Eve Ridley is a highlight as Ruthye. She’s the emotional heart of the film, and her journey is just as impactful as Kara’s.
Supergirl Is… Fine
Supergirl is fine. It does the job. It’s not something I’m going to be remembering with my friends down the line if we get a massive DC Studios expanded universe. There are some funny moments, a couple of nice action scenes, but it feels like this should have been more, especially with the character of Kara being so important. A more visionary director or a better script would have served this story much more than what we got.
Supergirl releases in theaters on June 26th, 2026.
For more Reviews, make sure to check back to That Hollywood Show.
Reviews