There are hundreds of men (and a whole faux news channel) who took issue with the new Supergirl film. Directed by Craig Gillespie from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira, the film marks the second chapter in James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe. It also brings Supergirl back to the big screen for the first time since the 1984 film starring Helen Slater and Faye Dunaway.

There have been 12 live-action movies featuring Superman.

The film places Milly Alcock in the title role as a Kara Zor-El who is deeply, unapologetically, flawed. Unlike her big blue Boy Scout of a cousin, Kara isn’t an eternal optimist. Yes, they’ve both endured the destruction of Krypton, the loss of their families, and the extinction of their people. The difference is that Clark never truly knew the world he lost.

Kara did.

She remembers the piece of Krypton that survived, Argo City. She remembers her parents, her friends, and the life that was stolen from her. Clark was raised on a Kansas farm by two loving parents who are still there whenever he needs them. Kara has no such safety net. The only tangible connection she has left to home is her dog, Krypto.

So how does she cope with that kind of pain? Like many lost young adults, she reaches for a bottle.

Because at this point in her life, Kara Zor-El isn’t the confident superhero audiences expect. She’s grieving. Angry. Directionless. Broken.

It’s a journey that feels remarkably human, and one that many viewers—regardless of gender—will recognize in some form. That’s what makes Supergirl such a compelling story and a worthy follow-up to last year’s Superman, which remains the strongest film the franchise has produced since Superman II.

Inspired by Tom King’s acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic series, the film follows Kara as she embarks on an interstellar journey alongside the young Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is determined to avenge the murder of her family at the hands of the ruthless warlord Krem. What begins as a straightforward revenge quest gradually becomes something far more profound, forcing Kara to confront her own grief, question her moral compass, and ultimately discover what it truly means to carry the crest—and the legacy—of the House of El.

The critics calling the franchise woke (I assume) have never picked up a comic book. The supers have always stood for truth, justice, and diversity. Since their inception. Alcock stating that Kara “doesn’t live inside the binary” only adds a deeper level of that diversity to the character.Same-sex sexual behavior has been scientifically observed in over 1,500 species across the animal kingdom. Hatred of those behaviors only exists in one.

Personally, I loved the film. I’m glad she wasn’t just a carbon copy of her cousin. She has her own journey and Alcock did an incredible job. I can’t wait for Man of Tomorrow. 

There will be more film reviews soon so…

Stay tuned!