Supergirl: Milly Alcock shines in this undercooked adaptation

Although many critics argue that Supergirl – the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the 2025 success Superman – has failed to meet expectations, and despite the ‘review-bombing’ on Rotten Tomatoes following the film’s release, this movie is still something to look out for.

Considering that this film takes inspiration from Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book, one could naturally be wary of how this story would be adapted for the big screen. However, Supergirl, despite being undercooked in certain places, certainly has moments which shine.

Milly Alcock’s portrayal of Kara Zor-El perfectly balances the character’s rash, grief-stricken personality with her comic-book persona

Milly Alcock’s portrayal of Kara Zor-El perfectly balances the character’s rash, grief-stricken personality with her comic-book persona. Given that the film’s marketing focused heavily on differentiating Kara from Clark Kent, positioning her on the opposite end of the spectrum to Superman, there were initial worries about the adaptation of the character. But Alcock’s portrayal seems so natural that she brings life to whatever scene that she’s in.

Image: Courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures

The inclusion of Jason Momoa as Lobo is confounding, as his character does little for the story, and the plot would have remained the same without him. His inclusion in the film’s final act weakens Kara’s story and her resilience against the film’s main villains. In a broader context though, this does show audiences that characters in this universe can flit in and out of the story without playing a major role.

Ruthye (Eve Ridley) … has wonderful chemistry with Alcock’s character, even if the lack of further development of their relationship undermines this dynamic

Eve Ridley’s Ruthye is a largely underused character in this film, her arc was quite disappointing. The movie takes inspiration from the Woman of Tomorrow comic, where most of the story centres around Ruthye’s (and obviously, Kara’s) point of view. It is as much Ruthye’s story as it is Kara’s. In this film, however, Ruthye felt largely underdeveloped. Despite this, she has wonderful chemistry with Alcock’s character, even if the lack of further development of their relationship undermines this dynamic.

Image: Parisa Taghizadeh / Courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures

In terms of the plot, the film runs like a very quick comic book, leaving us with little to dwell upon. With a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes, the film struggles to ensure audiences get enough of Kara while balancing the adaptation of Woman of Tomorrow. The changes to Kara’s origins are rather confusing and undercut both the emotional turmoil her character faces and the tension with her cousin, Clark.

Krem, the movie’s main villain, is a one-and-done character from the comics. The Woman of Tomorrow story centres mostly on Kara and Ruthye grappling with their own struggles: the story extends far beyond the villain. In this adaptation though, Krem is a significant antagonist and undermines Kara and Ruthye’s relationship, leading to a disappointing conclusion.

For an adaptation of a colourful and immersive comic such as Woman of Tomorrow, the dull, dusty colour palettes in this movie are a disappointment

Supergirl’s needle drops are fun, until the final battle scene. Here, the emotional effect the scene was building towards is stripped away, a clear moment where the film should have prioritised a score over a soundtrack. The fight and flight scenes in this movie feel much cleaner and better choreographed than in Superman, but they still suffer from the same issues of awkward editing and cuts. For an adaptation of a colourful and immersive comic such as Woman of Tomorrow, the dull, dusty colour palettes in this movie are a disappointment.

Image: Courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures

All of the scenes seem to blend into one another, except for a few on a planet featured in the last act. While Superman delivered on a colourful, albeit slightly washed-out, colour palette, this movie unsatisfactorily delivers on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Despite the changes made from the comic, Supergirl is still a fun ride of a comic book adaptation. Certainly, it’s a loose adaptation, which makes sense given the constraining runtime, and ultimately the film falls short in its attempt to adapt the core message of the source material. Despite all of this, it will be exciting to see what DC Studios do with Kara’s character in their upcoming film Man of Tomorrow, as, after all, Milly Alcock is wonderful in this role.

★★★ ½