Dude bro internet trolls are undefeated… in a back-ass way. They are always — ALWAYS — always wrong. Earlier this summer, they came after Kara Zor-El, cousin to Kal-El, aka Superman. They called the Supergirl (2026) star character insufferable and ugly and complained about her earrings. You know, internet tough guy stuff. After finally watching, it’s clear Kara will have the last word. Because Supergirl is a fun, action-heavy sci-fi fantasy flick that helps set the tone for DC’s new cinematic universe. And actress Milly Alcock has a bright future ahead of her, as Supergirl or any other role she chooses.
Alcock is a believable, rowdy, self-loathing tough gal. She’s struggled after losing Krypton and watching the survivors of Argo City slowly die around her. Kara is a mess. Which is a normal reaction to being one of the last two of your kind. Her chosen form of rebellion is to escape the invigorating power of the yellow sun – and the responsibilities that come with it – to drink away her blues in the less-impactful power of a red sun.
The film smartly uses different solar systems to change Supergirl’s strength. When near a yellow sun, she has the same powers as Superman. Near a red sun, she is more human-like, though still tough as nails. She can get drunk, bleed from her nose, and get her ears pierced (take that, dude bros!). Under a green sun, she loses her powers and slowly starts to die.
I always hated when Superman’s stories relied heavily on kryptonite or other power-blocking measures to make him weak. His stories are at their best when he’s at full strength, and his opponents outsmart him or outpower him, forcing Superman to be the cunning one. Here, the solar changes aren’t a shortcut; they’re used to reveal character. They’re tied directly to the way she sees herself.
At its core, the story is about who you choose to be after losing everyone, because you’re an extension of those people you’ve lost. You’re carrying their memory forward. Kara’s mother passed on that message, saying Kara didn’t need to be nice, but she had to be good. Which is why Supergirl beat the crap out of dozens of man-creeps who abduct young girls to sustain their males-only society. It feels good to see her punching and tossing and kicking and slamming these internet trolls — I mean, movie bad guys!
The fight scenes reminded me of Wonder Woman (2017), with effects-heavy moments that sometimes feel more like superhero marketing shots than physical combat. In a film like Guardians of the Galaxy, when you see a punch land, you see a punch land. In Supergirl, it’s a little out of focus and constantly switching angles as bodies fly off screen.
The film is full of action and violence, sometimes too much violence. There’s one moment when a family is killed despite having no impact on the story. Then Lobo rides in, and you think the foul-mouthed, drunk, womanizing anti-hero would push the film out of PG-13 range. Instead, he’s kind of cartoonish, more like Betelgeuse than the comic book Lobo. At least he looks real, whereas Kara’s dog Krypto is unmistakably computer-produced.
Overall, Supergirl feels like a DC Comics/Star Wars crossover. Your eyes dart around the screen to take in the various species at cantinas, on buses, and in street fights. It feels like the DC Universe is embracing the technology, aliens, and cosmic events that open up an infinite number of paths its stories can take. One thing is clear: Supergirl will be front and center of whatever James Gunn is cooking. If you missed Supergirl in theaters, grab some tequila, pour a few shots, and enjoy a solid cinematic right hook to the dude bros who fear girls with power.
Rating: PG-13 (8+)
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Momoa, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham
Run time: 1h 48m
Post-credits scenes: Nope.
Sequel? Nothing announced yet. Kara is already confirmed to return in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, though.
If you liked Supergirl, check out these films:
- Superman (2025) (8+)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) (8+)
- Wonder Woman (2017) (8+)
- Captain Marvel (2019) (8+)
- Birds of Prey (2020) (10+)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) (8+)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) (8+)
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