I caught Supergirl on opening day in IMAX here in Malaysia and went in pretty excited. After enjoying Superman last year and hearing good things about Milly Alcock, I thought DC might have another solid entry on its hands.
Instead, I walked out feeling… fine.
Not disappointed. Not impressed either.
Just fine.
And that’s probably the biggest issue with Supergirl. It’s not a bad movie, but it never really becomes a great one.
Plot
Set in James Gunn’s growing DC Universe, Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El on a much darker journey compared to her cousin Superman.
Kara remembers Krypton’s destruction. She carries that trauma with her. When she meets Ruthye, a young girl whose entire family was killed were Krem of the Yellow Hills, she ends up joining her on a revenge mission across space.
With Krypto poisoned by Krem, they travel from planet to planet in what is basically a space road trip mixed with grief, revenge and self-discovery and race against time to save Krypto.
That’s the core of it. A superhero story, but also a very emotional journey on paper.
What I Liked
Milly Alcock is the best part of this movie.
She really works as Kara.
Whether she’s depressed, angry, drunk or just trying to hold herself together, Alcock makes it feel real. This isn’t Superman with a different face. She actually feels like someone who has been through something heavy and never really recovered from it.
It’s also nice that the film isn’t afraid to show that side of Supergirl. The messy, broken parts. Things you usually don’t see in more “clean” superhero stories.
The Krypton flashbacks are also some of the better parts of the movie. They help explain why Kara is the way she is without overdoing it.
Last year, I said Superman felt like a stranger on Earth trying to understand people.
Kara feels like the opposite.
She understands pain and loss way too well, but struggles with everything else.
Superman’s appearance also works. It’s short, but it helps the world feel connected. The scenes between him and Kara were honestly some of the more grounded and nice moments in the film.
And yeah, Krypto is still the best (bad) dog in the DC Universe.
What I Didn’t Like
The pacing is the first big issue.
The movie moves too fast. Kara and Ruthye are supposed to carry the emotional weight of the story, but their relationship never really gets time to grow properly. Before one moment lands, the movie is already moving to the next scene.
It feels like a lot of their development happens off-screen.
The movie also keeps using power-limiting situations to create tension. It works a few times, but after a while it starts feeling repetitive.
I also think Craig Gillespie and Ana Nogueira had the right idea with this version, but it doesn’t always land. It feels like they’re trying to capture something similar to Superman, but Supergirl is a very different character.
Superman is about hope. Kara here feels more like she’s dealing with survival and grief. Those two tones don’t always sit comfortably together in this film.
Visually, I also expected more.
Watching it in IMAX, I thought it would feel bigger. But a lot of it looks surprisingly flat for a story set across alien planets.
Some of the action scenes are also too close-up. Especially fights involving Kara and Lobo. You don’t really get a clear sense of what’s happening most of the time.
There is one standout action scene though. One moment where everything clicks and you really feel how powerful these characters are supposed to be. But it’s rare.
The music didn’t really stick either. It feels like they were trying to capture the same vibe as Superman, but it doesn’t land in the same way.
Then there’s the story changes.
I haven’t read Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, so I won’t act like I know the comic inside out. But from what I’ve seen fans say, a lot of the smaller but important moments from Kara are missing.
The kind of moments that show her kindness and empathy.
If that’s true, it makes sense why the movie feels a bit hollow at times.
Even the ending feels different from what people expected, and it takes away some of the emotional impact.
Lobo
Jason Momoa is clearly having fun as Lobo.
You can tell.
The problem is the character doesn’t really feel essential to the story. It often feels like he’s there more for future setup than for this film.
At times it just felt like Jason Momoa playing Aquaman playing Lobo, just in a different role. With sort of same dry humour, but with much more harsher language.
Not bad. Just not very memorable.
What Early Critics Are Saying
Early reviews are mixed.
Most people seem to agree on one thing though. Milly Alcock is great, but the movie around her doesn’t always match that level.
One Forbes review said, “Milly Alcock is exceptional in a movie that’s otherwise disappointing. A movie that gets in its own way more times than I could count.”
That pretty much sums up how a lot of people feel.
Rating
6/10
Supergirl isn’t bad.
There are parts of it that work. Milly Alcock is great. Some emotional moments land. The DC Universe still feels like it’s building something interesting.
But the rushed pacing, uneven story and missing emotional beats stop it from becoming something special.
Last year, I walked out of Superman feeling hopeful.
This year, I walked out of Supergirl feeling okay.
And maybe that says everything.
Is IMAX worth it? Not really. A normal cinema is fine. You’re not missing much by skipping the premium format.
Supergirl flies.
But she doesn’t really take off.
