Supergirl Finally Steps Out of Superman’s Shadow
After making a huge impact with Superman last year, James Gunn returns with another important chapter in the new DC Universe through Supergirl. This time the spotlight belongs entirely to Kara Zor El, one of the most powerful and emotionally complex Kryptonians in DC Comics. The biggest question surrounding the film has been whether it can finally establish Supergirl as a hero beyond simply being Superman’s cousin.
The answer is mostly yes.
Supergirl successfully gives Kara her own emotional journey while adapting Tom King’s acclaimed graphic novel Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow. Although the movie delivers strong performances, emotional moments, and exciting action, it does not completely capture the visual beauty and emotional depth that made the original comic so memorable.
A Story Driven by Revenge and Healing
The film follows Kara Zor El as she celebrates her twenty third birthday on a planet with a red sun where she temporarily loses her Kryptonian abilities. During her journey she meets Ruthye, a young girl searching for the ruthless bounty hunter Krem of the Yellow Hills.
Ruthye wants revenge after Krem destroys her family, and Kara reluctantly joins her dangerous mission across the galaxy.
While the plot appears to be a straightforward revenge story on the surface, it is actually much deeper. Ruthye seeks justice, but Kara is searching for something even more important. She is trying to rediscover her purpose after losing everything she ever loved.
This emotional balance becomes the strongest part of the movie.
Kara Finally Gets Her Own Identity
One of the biggest strengths of Supergirl is that it finally allows Kara to become her own character instead of existing only in Superman’s shadow.
For decades audiences have viewed Supergirl simply as another Kryptonian with powers similar to Superman. This movie changes that perspective by exploring the trauma Kara experienced during Krypton’s destruction and the slow death of Argo City.
Unlike Superman, Kara actually remembers Krypton.
She remembers her parents.
She remembers her home.
She remembers watching her world disappear.
These memories shape every decision she makes throughout the film and help explain why she struggles to fully embrace her new life on Earth.
The movie handles this emotional conflict surprisingly well.
Changes From The Comic
Fans of Tom King’s graphic novel will immediately notice several changes.
Lobo plays a much larger role in the film than expected, while the ending has also been significantly changed. Fortunately the new ending works within the larger plans of the new DC Universe and feels appropriate for the movie.
However, the film reduces the scale of suffering experienced by many innocent worlds.
The comic contains several heartbreaking moments that demonstrate the devastation caused by Krem. One particularly emotional sequence shows Supergirl helping survivors bury hundreds of victims while a grieving father prepares a grave for his own daughter.
Scenes like these gave the graphic novel incredible emotional weight.
The movie hints at these tragedies but never fully reaches the same emotional intensity.
Milly Alcock Delivers An Outstanding Performance
Milly Alcock proves she was the perfect choice to play Kara Zor El.
She perfectly captures Kara’s confidence, anger, sadness, and compassion throughout the film. Whether she is warning enemies before a fight or finally wearing the Supergirl costume with pride, every major moment feels earned.
Fans who admired her work in House of the Dragon will once again appreciate her powerful screen presence.
The only disappointment is that the script does not always give her enough opportunities to fully explore Kara’s emotional complexity.
More scenes showing how vulnerable Kryptonians become under a red sun would have added even greater tension to the story.
Ruthye Is The Emotional Heart Of The Movie
Eve Ridley delivers an impressive performance as Ruthye.
She convincingly portrays a frightened young girl whose desire for revenge slowly transforms into maturity through Kara’s guidance.
Her chemistry with Milly Alcock carries much of the film, making their friendship believable from beginning to end.
Even during action scenes, Ruthye never feels like a helpless side character. Instead she grows alongside Supergirl and becomes an essential part of the story.
Krem Becomes A Worthy Opponent
Matthias Schoenaerts presents Krem as a physically intimidating villain capable of challenging Supergirl.
Making Krem stronger than his comic counterpart helps create more exciting action scenes and believable confrontations.
Still, longtime comic readers may miss one important aspect of his original character.
Comic Krem often relied on intelligence, deception, and clever tricks rather than brute force alone. Including more of those qualities could have made him an even more memorable villain.
Lobo Needed More Madness
Jason Momoa makes an entertaining appearance as Lobo.
His performance is enjoyable and charismatic, but comic fans may feel that this version lacks some of the wild unpredictability that defines the character.
The movie reminds audiences that Lobo once wiped out his entire planet, yet his personality never fully reflects that terrifying history.
There is enough here to create excitement for future appearances, but there is still room for the character to become even crazier.
Superman Makes Every Minute Count
David Corenswet appears only briefly as Superman, but every scene has meaning.
Rather than stealing attention from Kara, his role supports her personal journey while reminding audiences that Superman genuinely cares about his cousin.
His limited screen time strengthens the emotional story instead of distracting from it.
Beautiful Action But Familiar Visual Style
The action sequences remain one of the movie’s strongest features.
Watching Kara struggle under the effects of poison and a red sun before finally unleashing her full Kryptonian strength creates several exciting moments.
Once her true power returns, audiences finally witness the overwhelming force that makes Kryptonians legendary throughout the DC Universe.
Unfortunately the movie’s overall visual style feels surprisingly familiar.
Instead of developing a completely unique cosmic identity, many planets, ships, prisons, and space environments resemble locations from the Guardians of the Galaxy films.
For a graphic novel celebrated for its breathtaking artwork and colorful alien worlds, this becomes one of the movie’s biggest missed opportunities.
The film is visually attractive, but it rarely feels distinctive.
Strong Emotion Despite A Slow Beginning
Director Craig Gillespie deserves credit for maintaining the emotional core of the story.
The relationship between Kara and Ruthye grows naturally, while Kara’s gradual acceptance of her identity provides satisfying character development.
The emotional impact of Krypton’s destruction and Argo City’s tragic fate remains one of the movie’s greatest achievements.
The biggest issue is pacing.
The first hour feels noticeably slower than the rest of the film despite the overall runtime being only one hour and forty eight minutes.
Once the story reaches its second half, however, the momentum improves considerably and the action rarely slows down.
Final Verdict
Supergirl succeeds in giving Kara Zor El the spotlight she has deserved for years.
Milly Alcock delivers an excellent performance, the emotional storytelling works well, and the revenge driven narrative remains engaging throughout.
At the same time, fans of the original graphic novel may leave the theater wishing the movie had embraced more of its emotional depth, artistic beauty, and unique visual identity.
This is not a perfect adaptation, but it is still an enjoyable superhero adventure that never becomes boring.
Even without matching the greatness of its source material, Supergirl successfully establishes Kara as one of the most promising heroes in James Gunn’s new DC Universe.
Rating: 8 out of 10