Supergirl Mini Review

The second film from James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios, following last year’s Superman, Supergirl maintains Gunn’s “punk rock” approach to the Superman family of characters despite not being directed by Gunn himself. I, Tonya and Cruella director Craig Gillespie takes the reins this time, maintaining his streak of crafting fun, female-centered films featuring title characters with attitude.

But unlike the fashion-forward Cruella, Supergirl goes out of its way to deglamorize Kara Zor-El, depicting her early on as living in squalor with her faithful mutt Krypto as the two tour the galaxy aboard her spaceship. Kara drinks heavily, shares her cereal and spoon with her dog, and urinates with the bathroom door open while company is present — all in service of showing how depressed and lost she is after witnessing her parents and Kryptonian community succumb to Kryptonite radiation.

She finds a kindred spirit in Ruthye, an honor-bound young orphan determined to avenge her family after they’re murdered by the sadistic Krem of the Yellow Hills and his gang of dangerous space pirates, aptly known as the Brigands. Initially hesitant to help Ruthye in her quest for revenge, Kara is forced to join the hunt for Krem to gain the antidote to a poison he used on Krypto.

Along for the ride is Lobo, the foul-mouthed, bounty-hunting space biker played by Jason Momoa in a role he was born to play. Milly Alcock is thankfully strong as this edgier Kara, and Eve Ridley plays well opposite her as the noble Ruthye, who has a cunning streak of her own.

The spacefaring adventure is reminiscent of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, although the planets visited here feel less populated and less expansive. But when those alien worlds are in peril, you can be sure Supergirl delivers on the action, tearing through enemies like she’s playing a video game on god mode — when she’s not hampered by the film’s various methods of dampening her superpowers, that is.

Written by Ana Nogueira, the film is based on the acclaimed, galaxy-spanning epic graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King and beautifully illustrated by Bilquis Evely. Although it can’t match the scope of the book, it holds its own as a fun, rough-edged cosmic adventure with superb action and a strong emotional core, exploring themes of grief, vengeance and innocence in keeping with the spirit of the source material.

Rating: 3.5/5

FULL PODCAST REVIEW COMING TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026.