Supergirl has come under some intense criticism in its opening weekend, and while mixed reviews aren’t anything new, some reviews of Supergirl seem to be going out of their way to be immensely critical. Supergirl currently holds a rotten rating of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, but as fans head into theaters to check out the film, the audience score is telling a different story, and revealing quite the divide between critics and the crowds showing up to the theater.
Supergirl’s critic rating is currently 57% from 249 reviews, but as of today, the film already has a much healthier 75% audience score with over 1000 ratings and a bevy of 4 and 5-star ratings as well. Many of these reviews highlight Milly Alcock’s performance as Supergirl, unexpected depth, fun action sequences, and welcome insight into Kara’s backstory and how she contrasts with Superman.
While there is a general feeling that the film isn’t as strong as Superman was last year, much of the ratings are clearly positive about Supergirl’s big screen adventure, and even the lower ratings highlight some of those aforementioned positive elements. That’s a stark contrast to the critics’ reviews, which mostly save their rare compliments for Alcock’s performance and then apply critiques to almost everything else. It’s an interesting divide between critics and audiences that seems to be popping up more and more over the last few years, and if this is any indication, that isn’t changing anytime soon.
What Many Supergirl Critics Are Missing (And What They Are 100% Right About)
There are several critiques that seem to be the most popular regarding Supergirl reviews, including uninspiring action sequences, a bad script, a disappointing villain in Krem, and the film not being as good as Superman. These things are inherently subjective, but I couldn’t disagree more with most of them. That said, there is one that is 100% on the money, and that’s the comparison to Superman.
Superman was a stellar start to the big screen side of the DCU, and though it had its own elements that divided people online, it was mostly well-received and looked upon as a great way to introduce a host of key characters and concepts to the world while still building up its lead character. While Superman may be a better movie, it doesn’t mean Supergirl deserves the wave of criticism and backlash it has received thus far.
One of the key things that hasn’t been mentioned much in the critical discourse so far is how well the film establishes who Kara is and her approach to not just being a superhero, but her ability to relate to other people and find a way to sift through all the trauma just to be a good person. The through line of the entire movie stems from Alura’s hopeful exchange with her daughter, and it’s an incredibly relatable message.
Alura tells Kara she wishes for her daughter to be good, and to achieve that, one does not have to necessarily be nice, but just good. As a parent just trying his best to set his children on a solid path, this rings incredibly authentic. While I would love for my children to be the kindest souls in existence, that’s not the only lesson I want to impart. I just want them to be good people with hearts for others, and while that will be inherently messy thanks to the unexpected realities of life, it’s okay as long as they find their way through without losing the core of who they are, and that’s a message that I believe Supergirl truly conveys.
Now, that message might not resonate for you, and that’s fine, but it’s also not something to be completely ignored or thrown to the side.
Supergirl is in theaters now.
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