Reader’s discretion advised…spoilers ahead!
By: Maria Cieslarczyk
Soar your way into victory by watching the film that unprofessional critics rated as one of the worst superhero movies ever…and see for yourself why it’s not as bad as everyone on the internet made it seem.
Supergirl (2026) was one of my anticipated movies of the summer, as a big fan of James Gunn’s DCU (…also from the biased fact that Gunn, one of my favorite filmmakers, had attended the same college as me, Saint Louis University).
The latest movie version of the infamous superhero from the beloved comics follows our heroine, Kara Zor-El, as she joins forces with an unlikely companion to save her best friend (her white fluffy dog, Krypto) by hunting down the evil alien who poisoned him in the first place. Set on different planets across the galaxy, Kara teams up with Ruthye, a young girl from the planet Holzherr, whose family was murdered by a ruthless bandit group called the Brigands. Rutheye recruits Kara’s help by promising a special sword forged by her brilliant scientist father as a reward. Kara initially denies her request for revenge, wanting to stay out of the trouble. But when Krypto gets shot with a poisonous dart and is given only three days to live, Kara soon has no choice but to travel alongside Rutheye to find the antidote, which is on the Brigands’ leader, Krem.
It is a quirky story of justice and vengeance, and I actually loved watching it. The film simply did not deserve the criticism it endured at the hands of angry men who kept finding something to nitpick. Maybe they just didn’t get it.
First, it was the appearance of Supergirl herself. Although the beautiful and talented actress Millie Alcock (who I am personally a huge fan of from the House of the Dragon universe) resembles the comic-book version of Kara Zor-El and does a phenomenal job portraying the passionate 23-year-old. Supergirl is a strong female lead, with the film showing her quick wit, quirky sense of humor, and brilliant fighting skills. Her superpowers are revealed as she fights bad guys across the galaxy to save her furry companion.
I guess people wanted the plot to be stronger, but in my opinion, how much stronger could it get? A headstrong young woman with her own set of troubles decides to party it up to celebrate her birthday, but is thrust into a dangerous mission to save her one true friend. What’s so bad about that storyline?
I think that sometimes critics (*cough* some men *cough*) find a story with a strong female lead “boring” if there’s not a male love interest. This story was action-packed enough that it didn’t even need one. Its focus is on Supergirl herself; her traumas of her parents’ deaths and being forced to leave her home planet; and how she grows from the beginning of the film to the end of the film, not needing to be drunk to drown her sorrows but finding a healthy way to cope with all of her complex emotions instead.
There are invigorating themes of coming-of-age, revenge, healing, found family, and how trauma can shape a person. Throughout the film, Kara encourages young Rutheye not to kill Krem to avenge her family because then she’d be stuck being a killer forever. However, I find it satisfying at the end of the film when Kara kills Krem herself, ridding the galaxy of an evil villain who had murdered dozens of innocent people and who was also kidnapping young women. Krem was just classic bad news, and Kara is a badass!
Furthermore, this movie is perfect for dog lovers! Krypto is a naughty dog, flying into all sorts of mischief, but at the end of the day, his loyalty and companionship is what makes Kara love him the most. Krypto is there for her in her ups and downs, very much like how my dog Tucker is there for me during the good times and bad. Watching the film was refreshing because how often do we see the trope of “woman’s best friend” in big movies such as this?
Finally, Supergirl has a great soundtrack – I have “The Middle” and “Girl From Ipanema” on repeat. Its songs are on a spectrum of calming, to upbeat and funky, to absolutely empowering. I love how the different songs are scattered throughout the movie strategically, to make the audience better feel the high stakes of a particular sequence.
I won’t say the movie is perfect though. Sure, there are some moments where the film slows down, particularly in the flashback sequences of Kara’s younger life and what led her to escape her mother planet and go to Earth to meet her cousin, who we know as Clark aka Superman.
However, the film mostly keeps its even pace as we continue to planet-hop and chase down the evil aliens who carry the poison’s antidote with them. It’s a fun blockbuster movie to watch with family and friends, or even solo like I did, in the comfort of my pajamas with a charcuterie board at my fingertips, and my own dog, Tucker, curled by my side.
Don’t believe the negative reviews circulating on social media. Instead, give the film a try yourself and see what you think. Sometimes, it’s better to listen to our own hearts than follow in the footsteps of others…as the film also depicts.
Supergirl is now available to stream on HBOMax.
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