Supergirl Review: A Generic Hero’s Journey Across the Stars

The second film in James Gunn’s new DC Universe, Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El as she reluctantly teams up with an unlikely companion on an interstellar mission fueled by vengeance, justice, and personal loss. When a ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara embarks on a journey across the galaxy that forces her to confront grief, responsibility, and what kind of hero she truly wants to be.

The Good

The biggest strength of Supergirl is Milly Alcock. This movie asks a lot from her, and for the most part, she delivers. What I appreciated most is that she doesn’t simply play a female version of Superman. Kara feels distinctly different from Clark Kent in almost every way. She’s rougher around the edges, more reluctant to embrace heroism, and carries a level of emotional baggage that constantly influences her decisions.

Alcock does a solid job conveying all of that. She captures Kara’s vulnerability, her frustration, and her reluctance to fully embrace the responsibilities that come with her powers. More importantly, she creates a clear contrast between Kara and her cousin, which is exactly what this movie needed. The last thing audiences needed was another Superman clone wearing a different costume.

Jason Momoa also deserves some credit. I’ve been saying for years that Momoa should play Lobo, and seeing him finally step into the role felt like a natural fit. He has the attitude, the physical presence, and the charisma necessary to bring the character to life. While I have some issues with the execution of the character, Momoa himself fits the role extremely well. He understands the assignment and brings an entertaining energy whenever he appears on screen.

I also enjoyed the world-building. One of the film’s strongest assets is its ability to create a believable intergalactic setting. The various alien worlds feel distinct from one another, and the production design deserves a lot of praise. The practical effects, creature work, makeup, costumes, and set designs help create the feeling that we’re actually exploring different corners of the galaxy rather than simply visiting locations that happen to look like Earth with a different color filter. The film’s commitment to practical effects and immersive environments gives it a visual identity that helps separate it from many recent superhero movies.

The themes are also generally effective. At its core, Supergirl is a story about grief, revenge, justice, and healing. The relationship between Kara and Ruthye provides the emotional backbone of the movie, and many of the strongest moments come from watching these two characters process their pain in different ways. Those themes fit naturally within Kara’s story and help give the film a stronger emotional foundation than the average superhero adventure.

The Bad

My biggest problem with Supergirl is that it feels incredibly predictable. Almost every major story beat feels like it’s following a familiar superhero movie checklist. The movie rarely surprises you. Instead, it feels like it’s constantly checking off required genre boxes.

Hero introduction? Check. Villain reveal? Check. Power showcase? Check. Character growth moment? Check. Everything works, but very little feels fresh. The movie also suffers from being overly formulaic. There were multiple moments where I felt like I had already seen this exact film before, just with different characters. Rather than carving out its own unique identity, Supergirl often feels like it’s borrowing from superhero movies we’ve already watched countless times.

I also think Jason Momoa’s Lobo was somewhat restrained. Now don’t get me wrong. Momoa is good in the role. The problem is that I kept waiting for him to fully unleash the version of Lobo that comic fans know and love. This is a character known for being loud, outrageous, chaotic, and completely unfiltered. Yet throughout much of the movie, it felt like Momoa was holding back. The attitude is there. The swagger is there. But the character never fully reaches the level of insanity that makes Lobo so entertaining.

There’s also a major action sequence near the end that is hurt significantly by its music selection. Without spoiling anything, the song choice completely pulled me out of the moment. Instead of enhancing the action, it actively undermined it. What should have been an exciting and emotionally charged sequence became unintentionally distracting because the tone of the music felt completely disconnected from what was happening on screen.

The villain doesn’t help matters either. Krem is one of the most generic comic book villains I’ve seen in recent memory. He’s evil because the story needs someone to be evil. Beyond that, there’s very little depth, complexity, or personality to make him memorable. By the time the credits rolled, I wasn’t thinking about him at all.

Finally, while the themes themselves are strong, the execution sometimes feels repetitive and overly direct. Rather than allowing the audience to naturally absorb the lessons about grief, revenge, and healing, the movie occasionally feels like it’s stopping to explain its themes instead of letting them emerge organically through the story. The result is a handful of moments that feel more preachy than emotional.

The Verdict

Supergirl has all the pieces of a great superhero movie, but never finds a way to make them feel uniquely its own. There are pieces here that absolutely work. Milly Alcock delivers a strong lead performance. The intergalactic settings are visually engaging. Jason Momoa finally gets the opportunity to play Lobo. The themes surrounding grief and revenge fit the character well. The problem is that none of it feels particularly new.

In many ways, the film feels like what an AI might generate if you asked it to create a modern superhero movie. It has all the required ingredients, but very little personality that allows it to stand apart from the crowd. Ironically, for a character trying to establish her own identity apart from Superman, the movie struggles to establish its own identity apart from other superhero films.

It also doesn’t help that this is only the second major film in the new DC Universe. While I understand the desire to expand the universe quickly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Kara may have benefited from a larger introduction before headlining her own movie. Think of how Wonder Woman was introduced in Batman v Superman before receiving her solo film, or how Black Panther was introduced in Captain America: Civil War. That extra exposure helped audiences become invested before their standalone adventures.

Supergirl never quite gets that luxury. The result is a movie that’s perfectly watchable but rarely memorable. It’s entertaining enough for a matinee and will likely play well on streaming, but it doesn’t feel like essential big-screen viewing.