‘Supergirl’ review: Intense, overpowered, fun, and a major upgrade on ‘Superman’

There are a few movies that get scrutinised much more than others. The latest DC outing, Supergirl, is one of those movies. The leeway a normal superhero flick meant for a large section of audiences that we, as critics, extend to anything that comes out of the Big Mouse Corporation is somehow absent. The reasons are many, some temperamental, some political, some biased, some even sexist. But rarely are any of them about film.

A good PG-rated comic-book movie needs to tick a few boxes:

• Does it improve on or do an impressive take on the lore?
• Does it add to the titular character?
• Does it expand the universe with sheer storytelling?
• Does it make teenagers happy while watching it?
• Do you come out of it feeling like you read a comic book, but in full Dolby Atmos?

If the movie does at least four of these, it is already at par. Milly Alcock’s Supergirl does this and beyond.

Supergirl, the movie, is all about heart. It stays true to the character in the comics. It stays true to the spirit of the panels, and it stays true to the new direction of DC. Some may like the new vector plotted by James Gunn, some—like me—will take their time to warm up to it. But that is barely an excuse to grill a movie. I went to pull this one apart, but what I got was some good ol’ popcorn-munchin’ time!

In fact, Supergirl is so well put together that I would dare say it is much better than its DCU predecessor, the David Corenswet-starrer Superman. It is better directed, better coordinated, with better cinematography, with better set locations, better action sequences, and, to be very honest, more raw than Superman ever was.

Alcock’s Kara Zor-El is the cousin of Kal-El, Superman. But she is not really restrained by a certain Texan, moral, nice-boy, boy-scout moral code. This difference in temperament gives the director and the storyrunners the opportunity to explore that character more—better depth, more layers, and elevated character development.

In fact, Milly Alcock, the actor, shines brightly throughout the movie as she delivers a stand-up performance. The way she deals with grief, wrestles with revenge, and takes on the mantle of one of the most controversial mainline DC superheroes is brilliant to watch on the big screen.

It also, very barely, proves that you don’t have to cast a supermodel for the part in 2026, and ape the dorky-but-take-off-the-glasses-and-you-get-epicness vibe of Superman to make the only other Kryptonian shine. In some versions of the comic, Kara Zor-El is so wild and overpowered that Wonder-Woman takes her to Themyscira to train her emotions and keep her powers in check.

Some might say Supergirl is messy. But that is her core trait!

Kara is a girl who grew up as a Kryptonian and then lost her family. She is not naive; she doesn’t have to be nice. But she is kind. She is every person who has to deal with major shocks in their lives. She, along with Eve Ridley’s Ruthye, searches for Krem of the Yellow Hills, leader of the Brigands, a group of space pirates. One wants to save her dog, Krypto. The other is out for revenge. It is through these two girls, who process loss and grief differently, that Ana Nogueira scripts her stellar story, giving life to the characters immortalised by creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Matthias Schoenaerts plays the excellently menacing Krem. The 15 minutes of Superman are not forced. In fact, Corenswet is much better put together in this, and actually likeable. The only other character they had to treat well was Planet Czarina’s bane, Lobo, immortalised in TV history with the voice of Brad Garrett. And boy, do they nail it!

Jason Momoa has so much unhinged fun as the “Main Man” that it felt like he was waiting his entire acting career to play this role. Lobo does not intrude into the plot. He exists to further the action, not the story—and that is the most Lobo thing ever.

Rob Hardy’s cinematography skills elevate the stellar direction of Craig Gillespie, who already impressed us with Cruella back in 2021. And, to my surprise, I got a cleanly edited Warner Bros. film. I was beginning to think that they began using inhuman AI bots to edit their movies, and I am glad the suits upstairs had almost no say in it. Or maybe they did, in the music department.

In fact, the overall score and music were the most underwhelming parts of the movie. It felt like a downgrade from the teasers that featured ‘Call Me’ by Blondie. We needed that level of energy to match the pace and the action.

Now, to answer the question: Should you watch this movie? The answer is yes, in theatres. Preferably in IMAX, PXL, or similar large-format 3D screens. Go with friends, with kids, with your partner, with your parents… this one is for all. (And, for the love of casual cinema, please do not go expecting a Christopher Nolan flick, sigh!) Supergirl is a coming-of-age tale set with intense, grief-based pieces. This film is the right mix of intense and fun, as comic-book adaptations should be. And it stands on its own.

Milly Alcock’s Supergirl gets her due—unlike the unlucky but amazing Sasha Calle—and is a worthy successor to Melissa Benoist of CW-fame and the beloved Helen Slater. And the future of DC is better with surround audio.

Film: Supergirl

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Momoa, David Corenswet

Rating: 4 out of 5 | ★★★★☆