Supergirl takes the audience on a wild ride following Kara Zor-El’s interstellar journey around the galaxy. You caught a brief introduction of her in the 2025 film Superman starring David Corenswet. He also appears in this film, but in a role that’s almost a cameo. The James Gunn/ Peter Safran production, directed by Craig Gillespie, brings us a very different perspective on heroism with its lead character who is much more an anti-hero.
Milly Alcock creates an edgy, foul-mouthed Supergirl who has not really accepted her heroism or understood that it’s about selflessly helping others. The film opens with her travelling across the galaxy on a kind of interplanetary bar crawl to celebrate her 23rd birthday. A montage of scenes showing her waking up hungover and groggy goes on a bit too long. You’ll get the idea during the first scene. That said, these scenes set up the principal conflicts in the narrative.
Unlike her cousin Kal-El (Clark Kent/Superman) who was sent to Earth as a baby, she is sent via a similar survival pod to Earth as a pre-teen who has watched her mother die and everyone else on the last piece of the planet Krypton grow sicker and sicker. Her father Zor-El (David Krumholtz) forces her to leave and live her life as Kal-El does on Earth. She will, he says, use her powers for the greater good.
Even though Clark – using his day-job name in Metropolis – tries to contact her often, she usually hangs up or just doesn’t answer at all. She thinks he’s boring and annoying. She depends on her dog Krypto for emotional support, well aware he’s her only living reminder of her family and home.
She happens upon a young girl carrying a very large sword during one of her drunken reveries on an unidentified planet. The girl, Ruthye Marye Knoll, is the daughter of a famed sword maker who has been murdered by the villain of the film, Krem of the Yellow Hills. Eve Ridley brings strength and grit to her role, but her weakness is her naiveté. Krem, a truly nasty villain, is wonderfully portrayed by Matthias Schoenaerts. He looks like he’s enjoying his role of dastardly space pirate and human trafficker.
Kara and Ruthye are reluctant partners, but both want to hunt down Krem. Rythye wants to kill him, and Kara needs the antidote he’s carrying to save Krypto whom Krem has put in danger.
They will face one battle after another against alarmingly large and powerful machines and beings. The fight sequences are skillfully crafted and designed for maximum intensity.
During their journey they meet Lobo, an alien mercenary and bounty hunter, hilariously played by Jason Momoa. Since the tone of the film so far has been relentlessly dark, a little humor provides some welcome relief. Lobo isn’t exactly an ally; he’s more of a frenemy. His help isn’t always direct, but it’s effective.
You might wonder how Kara will find her necessary redemption. Just when it seems the most unlikely, circumstances evolve that make it possible. I’ve purposely left out most of the details of the plot because you’ll enjoy it most if you discover them yourself.
Supergirl is a perfect summer film – even with its bold edginess. How Kara transforms from her pure grunge existence into the hero she’s supposed to be will hold your attention and provide a nice thematic message of light triumphant over darkness. – JoAnne Hyde
GRADE: B+
