KUOW73%
Can 'Supergirl' keep DC's new cinematic momentum going? 63%
By Dyer Oxley0%
6/25/2026, 5:33:36 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 33 faulty reasoning types, including Ambiguity (Equivocation), Negativity Bias, and Halo Effect, with Hasty Generalization as the most egregious example at 26.8% saturation with 226 hits. Analysis detected 1,849 faulty-reasoning hits from 842 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 58.1% and a BS Rank of 63% (8,121 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 62.90% of the article peer group.
"Supergirl" lands in theaters with a road-tripping space adventure that will have comic book fans applauding, but won't likely win over movie-going audiences at large.
Is "Supergirl" a good movie?
Yes.
It's a fun odd-couple adventure across the stars with superhero flare.
But is this movie *super*?
Not so much.
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And a *super* movie is what DC Studios needs as it attempts to establish a new cinematic era for its comic book universe.
It's investing a lot in this effort, including bringing over James Gunn from Marvel Studios where he impressed with his "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy.
DC got a strong start with last year's "Superman" which included plenty for hardcore comic book fans, enough to appeal to wider audiences, and some teasing of what is to come.
In this follow-up movie, "Supergirl" will certainly entertain comic fans who are already on board, but it won't likely achieve the same mass appeal as "Superman."
Fans will rave about the appearance of Lobo, a character that comic readers already know, but will likely chide how underutilized he is in this movie.
Milly Alcock soars as Supergirl / Kara, and pairs well with Eve Ridley (Ruthye), but they face a rather generic bad guy who could be copy/pasted into any villain role.
The movie is based on the graphic novel "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow."
The film takes the basic premise of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, amid a drunken bar crawl on a planet with a red sun (Kryptonians are basically humans under a red sun, whereas yellow suns like ours give them super powers).
Having lost her family, and a home planet, she's dealing with some trauma.
Kara meets the young Ruthye who is on a mission to track down the space pirate who murdered her family.
She's got trauma of her own.
They're mismatched partners, but that just makes for good buddy comedy.
Beyond that, the film takes things in a different direction from the book (hello Lobo!).
What "Supergirl" does well is provide an origin story for Kara, which helps with the world building for DC's cinematic universe.
It pieces together how she went from living with her family in a Kryptonian community, to being sent to Earth to meet the only other survivor from her home planet, Superman, aka Kal-El, aka Clark Kent.
Along the way, she picks up a space pup, Krypto, who should serve to make great movie merch.
It also helps remind audiences that this stretch of DC movies are not the PG-level family fun that some expect from comic book films — people die, space pirates act like actual pirates, and Supergirl is often hungover.
Don't bring your kids to this movie unless you want to explain what child brides are.
What "Supergirl" doesn't do is pay off in the end.
It's a fun adventure.
It has great casting.
Like "Superman," it offers an updated version of its title character that is relatable and not comic book cheesy.
But it's obvious Kara is supposed to evolve over the span of two hours, yet this movie doesn't connect any dots to explain that.
Audiences might be left with as many questions as they had going in.
It also doesn't tease much.
"Superman" gave audiences a surprise with the entrance of Supergirl, as well as some other DC characters.
But don't expect any surprises or end credit scenes here.
"Supergirl" also reignites anxieties that were first sparked during DC's last batch of superhero movies, when the films had great casting, yet actors were not supported by decent filmmaking.
A great example is Jason Momoa's time as Aquaman under the Zach Snyder run of DC movies.
Momoa was a gift from the universe for that role, however, he was the only good aspect of those poorly made movies.
In "Supergirl," Momoa returns as the DC good/bad space biker Lobo, where he fits strikingly well yet again.
Alcock as Supergirl / Kara is also an amazing casting choice and shines in the role.
Alcock makes this movie charming.
Without her, it would fall flat.
But everything underneath this great casting is mediocre — a so-so story, a generic villain, a space adventure that Gunn himself has now made standard in cinema.
It's a good chapter for a superhero universe, but it isn't a movie that will have audiences telling their friends they *just gotta see it*.
If DC Studios aims to truly bring its stories to the big screen, in a manner that rises above the bar that Marvel has set, it will have to invest in stories, characters, and effects that soar beyond generic.
"Supergirl"
3/5 stars
Screen or stream?
Stream.
If you're a comic book fan, certainly go to the movie theater for this fun adventure.
But in general, there is nothing here that you need a big screen for.
Rated PG-13: The usual comic book fighting, some swearing, and also murder and drunken fun.
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