Parents' Guide to Supergirl

Like many other DCU films, this is a fairly dark story about a reluctant superhero—one who's far more cynical than her cousin, Superman. Alcock is well cast as the hard-drinking but kindhearted Kara in Supergirl. And as Ruthye, Ridley's performance is reminiscent of Bella Ramsey's in Game of Thrones: confident, determined, and ready to fight for her honor and her people. Ruthye serves as a catalyst for Kara, who, as a fellow trauma survivor, finds kinship in the younger, naïve girl who believes that killing the chillingly evil Krem will somehow restore her sense of justice. In one revelatory scene, Kara explains that, despite being older, Clark is actually younger because he doesn't carry the same burden she does. It's a poignant conversation for one orphaned survivor to have with another.

The movie's biggest issue is that, while many superheroes have tragic backstories, Supergirl compounds its darkness with misogynistic villains who kidnap girls in order to force them into becoming brides. It's a bit jarring to have both running gags about peeing and themes of substance use disorder, sexual coercion, and family annihilation. Jason Momoa is initially fun to watch as interplanetary bounty hunter Lobo, but he remains underdeveloped as he mumbles quips while beating up Brigands. The movie's lighter moments—particularly those involving Krypto before he's poisoned and the silent wormhole bus driver Lloyd's tiny, bass-voiced sidekick Sooger (Maurice LaMarche)—provide much-needed comic relief. But even with those elements, Ana Nogueira's screenplay could have used a little more humor and a little less trauma.