I took my granddaughter into Supergirl hoping for some fun, colourful superhero escapism, the kind of light-hearted spectacle the genre used to deliver before it got weighed down by woke lectures. What I got instead was a bloated, preachy, and often incoherent mess that feels less like a movie and more like a corporate diversity checklist with occasional CGI fights. If you're looking for a good time at the cinema, save your money. If you have a granddaughter who loves dogs, just take her to watch Krypto clips on YouTube instead; the super-dog was easily the highlight of the entire two-plus hours.
The film follows the expected origin beats: a powerful Kryptonian woman arrives on Earth, grapples with her powers, battles a villain, and learns to embrace her destiny. But where older superhero films let the story and character development lead, Supergirl constantly pauses for sermons. Every other scene feels engineered to tick boxes: heavy-handed messaging about gender, identity, systemic issues, and the evils of… well, whatever the writers decided was problematic that week. The dialogue is clunky, the supporting cast feels like walking talking points rather than people, and the plot meanders whenever it needs to squeeze in another "empowering" moment that lands with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
The action sequences are decent on a technical level: big budgets buy good CGI, but they lack heart or stakes because the characters are so thinly drawn. Supergirl herself comes across less as a compelling hero and more as a mouthpiece for the film's agenda. The villains are cartoonish, the humour is forced and dated, and the whole thing collapses under the weight of its own self-importance. This isn't a movie that trusts the audience to enjoy a simple story about a powerful woman fighting evil. It insists on reminding you, repeatedly, that she's a powerful woman fighting evil and the patriarchy/sexism/toxicity/etc.
The one bright spot, literally the only part my granddaughter genuinely loved, was Krypto, the super-dog. He's adorable, chaotic, loyal, and provides the few genuine laughs in the film. His antics steal every scene he's in, and for long stretches I found myself wishing the movie was just about a super-powered dog saving the day with his human sidekick. No lectures, no messaging, just fun. A Krypto spin-off would have been infinitely more watchable and rewatchable. Instead, he's reduced to a side character in a film that seems embarrassed by straightforward heroism and fun.
Supergirl is the latest casualty in Hollywood's ongoing war on entertainment. Critics who praised it as "bold" or "necessary" are part of the problem; they've lowered the bar so far that competence and enjoyment are now secondary to ideological alignment. This is why audiences are staying home. When every blockbuster feels like mandatory re-education, people vote with their wallets.
Verdict: Skip it. Rent a classic Superman film, or better yet, find something wholesome with dogs. Krypto deserved better and so do we.