Supergirl, 2026 - ★★★½

Supergirl is fun and entertaining, and it really helps you understand the essence of who Kara is (much better than Clark in Superman, imo).

However, if this is the film released after James Gunn explicitly stated he would greenlight only strong scripts, then I worry about the future of this DC universe, because the film's biggest weakness is its story.

The script is not outright bad. I do enjoy the Krypton and Superman storylines, but much of the story progression feels either predictable or frustrating. Nearly half of the runtime comes across as pointless or underwhelming, driven by a plot filled with one convenient device after another.

Their storytelling skills are so lacking they couldn't come up with anything else to create stakes but to nerf the main characters. Once is fine, but doing this repeatedly feels like a cheap joke to annoy the audience. As a result, about 80% of the movie shows Kara at her worst—not just physically, but mentally and even in terms of her personality.

Ruthye, the catalyst of the story, didn’t receive any better treatment. She's a kid, sure, but she's a kid with a mission. The least the film could do is show her potential to grow into someone capable. Instead, she's reduced to a helpless child, becoming competent only when the plot demands it (which happens just once).

In Superman, we had one of the most memorable villains of all time: Lex Luthor. In Supergirl, however, we get someone who would barely pass as a villain's sidekick in other films. What a downgrade. Not only is the villain weaker, but Supergirl herself is also diminished to the point where she doesn't feel as heroic as Superman. It feels as though the filmmakers were afraid she might overshadow Superman if portrayed on equal footing, so they chose to weaken both her and the villain in this movie.

I could forgive a D-tier villain for the sake of simplicity, allowing more focus on the main characters. However, I cannot overlook plot-irrelevant characters like Lobo, who keeps stealing the spotlight throughout the story.

Lobo is the most entertaining character in this, but what purpose does he actually serve? He exists purely as fan service and as a plot device that UNDERMINE the main character's development. It feels like the filmmakers favor him over Supergirl and were eager to introduce him here because they doubt he could carry his own film. I found myself rolling my eyes every time he appeared and couldn't help but imagine how much stronger the film would be if he were removed, with that time instead spent developing the relationship dynamics and growth of our two main characters.

As a result, rather than focusing on the comradeship between two people—and how shared trauma strengthens their bond while allowing them to reflect on their own lives—the film repeatedly undermines both character growth and relationship development. Their progress is stalled until the very last moments, which feels like a poor and frustrating storytelling choice.

I'm still baffled as to why anyone would choose to introduce the universe's second hero this way, but it’s still a fun and occasionally moving story. I enjoyed the visuals and music in certain scenes, though overall they are not particularly memorable.

All in all, if you're curious about Supergirl, I would still recommend giving it a watch. I like the characterization of this version of Supergirl and am hopeful about how her portrayal will develop going forward. And of course, who wouldn't want to see more of Krypto, the rebelliously adorable dog?