Cinemacaw: Taking flight through film.

DC’s latest is perhaps more satisfactory than super.

When Kara Zor-El’s dog Krypto is harmed by the murderer of Ruthye’s family, the two team up to try and take down the man responsible. In doing so they meet a series of strange characters, travel to weird worlds and uncover a worrying trafficking ring that they aim to tear apart.

Supergirl isn’t a bad film. But they are called superheroes not satisfactory heroes. And unfortunately, I felt this film was just that: satisfactory.

In Superman (2025) every character felt real enough to be their own main character in their own little way. Many of the characters, who had albeit small roles, felt fully realised. Nathan Fillion was nothing short of hilarious as Green Lantern and the always excellent Skyler Gisondo stole every scene he was in; and these are characters who are low down the billing! In Supergirl, apart from the truly excellent Milly Alcock and David Corenswet’s occasional cameos, I felt that every character was just a bit flat. Alcock as our eponymous protagonist was wonderful: she was charming when she needed to be, strong when necessary, quiet and complex too. David Corenswet’s appearances as Superman also were excellent, but he as a character is so charming and joyful, I couldn’t help but feel I’d prefer to be watching another Superman movie instead.  Where Superman (2025) made even supporting players feel fully realised, Supergirl rarely gives anyone beyond Alcock enough depth to leave an impression.

As for our bad-guys… When I’m watching movies, I don’t need endless backstories for villains. I don’t need agonisingly long flashbacks to evoke sympathy. I don’t need to know what sort of mild slight led them down the path to evil. In fact, in some cases, knowing can absolutely undermine the characterisation, motivations and entire movies entirely. (Of course Cruella wants to skin puppies! CGI dalmatians hounded her mum off a cliff!) But what I do need for a villain, is an actual character, an actual villain. Krem of the Yellow Hills works less as a villain and more as a plot device. Why does he do what he does? We don’t know. Where is he from? That’s uncertain too. Why does he randomly shoot a dog? Well as far as I can tell, to generate some sort of plot action. But the real problem with all this is that because Krem fails to escape mere plot device in person form, there is absolutely no jeopardy. Krem will evade our heroes in the first act, will capture them but of course not actually kill them in the second, all so he can be overcome in the third act. It makes the film formulaic and predictable, and it means I am unfortunately watching with disinterest. I watched Jurassic Park again recently, and I was overcome with how everyone in modern films feel so safe. I must have seen Jurassic Park upwards of 10 times but every time those kids are being attacked in that Jeep I think they’re going to die. Every time I think there is no way out. And every time my heart is beating and I’m holding my breath. Now I know it is unfair to compare any film to the masterpiece that is Jurassic Park, but I would like a little jeopardy from my movie going experience which unfortunately was missing here.

Additionally, there has been a lot of talk about the needle drops in this film. Understandably. Music is used in producer James Gunn’s signature fashion. Anachronistic music blasts out over action sequences cut together with so many moving arc shots the audience could be forgiven for not having a clue what is going on. But whereas in Gunn’s Marvel efforts (notably Guardians of the Galaxy) the music is situated within the plot with the “awesome mix tape vol 1” being responsible for the excellent soundtrack, in Supergirl it felt more like an imitation.

With that all being said, the movie is fine. It’s a bit by-the-numbers but perhaps that is due to the 15 years of superhero movie fatigue I’ve been suffering. I’m a bit past characters standing on the edges of battlefields making quips to themselves but I’m sure someone loves it!

Supergirl isn’t a bad film. It’s competently made, led by an excellent Milly Alcock, but it never finds the sense of excitement, danger or even joy that should make a cosmic adventure soar.

Subjective – 2

Objective – 3

Tesni Jones – 05/07/26

Image (c) https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Supergirl.jpg