Supergirl Movie Review (2026)
A superhero adventure about Supergirl helping a young alien hunt down the man responsible for her family’s murder, Supergirl is a perfectly enjoyable watch, offering creative science-fiction ideas and some exciting action, even if its cookie-cutter story and thin character development keep it from becoming something memorable.
When the Superman movie started being discussed in 2025, I was incredibly unsure about it. The trailer felt odd to me, and I couldn’t get a grasp on what it was. I was a little hesitant, but I went in with no expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised. I did not expect it to be as good as it was, but it was a solid movie with a story to tell. I really enjoyed it. And the small introduction to Supergirl was fine, it just didn’t offer much. But knowing what I knew about that movie, I figured this one might be the same.
Supergirl is about Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl, who, along with her cousin Kal-El (also known as Clark Kent/Superman), is one of two remaining Kryptonians to survive the destruction of their planet. While Kal-El came to Earth as a baby, was raised in a family, and has a home on the planet, Kara was a teenager when she arrived, having had an entire life on Krypton. She has no home and regularly planet-hops with her dog, Krypto. While celebrating her birthday in a bar one day, she encounters Ruthye Marye Knoll, a 13-year-old alien who is hunting for Krem of the Yellow Hills to get revenge for murdering her family. When Krem arrives and poisons Krypto, Kara joins the hunt for Krem to find the antidote.
To be clear, I was able to avoid spoilers for this movie before watching it, although I heard rumblings that some people disliked it. I feel like it is better than people say, but it’s not a movie I’ll remember much about two weeks from now.
Unlike Superman, Supergirl feels like your standard superhero film. Your hero is wallowing in their own situation, someone needs help, there are a few side characters, complications are thrown in along the way, the climax is pretty good, and the day is saved. The end. But a few things about this one stand out.
First, I really enjoyed the creativity and imagination that went into the alien lifeform designs. While most are humanoid (with a head, two arms, two legs, etc.), a few look different, and the design of all of them is interesting. There was one guy in particular that fascinated me so much that I heard myself say, “Whoa” out loud (By accident! Sorry fellow audience members!).
Second, while the action sequences are a little hit-or-miss for me (some feel uncoordinated and oddly choreographed, while others are on point), the climactic sequence, scored with a version of “The Middle,” is amazing. I enjoyed everything about it, slow-motion and all, and it was by far my favorite part of the movie.
Third, I could not get past the fact that Jason Momoa’s character Lobo looked like a fifth Kiss band member who is also a vampire. After looking it up, his costume and makeup design are the same as in the comics, but it did not translate well from page to screen. I’m also not entirely sure of the point of his character in this film.
Fourth, you never develop an emotional connection to any of the characters. Despite some sad backstories, Supergirl’s being the one you’re waiting to learn about, it feels so emotionally distant and underdeveloped that you never truly care about anyone. Except Krypto. You care about Krypto.
Fifth, it’s always fascinating to me that, with all of the planets in the “Super-people” universe, aliens will speak English with an American, Russian, or British accent, depending on which planet they’re from. A few new languages are introduced, but this kind of thing strikes me as funny every time.
Supergirl isn’t a bad movie, it’s just nothing special. But I’ve seen way worse, and I’m sure you have too. If you’ve wondered about Kara, her backstory, and how it delivered her into the woman she is now, this will give you some answers. I also chuckled a few times. But Supergirl isn’t much more than another generic comic book film, so if that’s not your thing, take a pass. If you enjoy the DC universe, there are enough pieces of the film to keep you interested for the two hours, just don’t expect it to be more than it is.
Runtime: 110 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, but only if you’re into superhero films
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Available: Currently in theaters
