DUBAI: James Gunn’s “Superman” (2025) introduced audiences to a hopeful, emotionally grounded Man of Steel while sprinkling in just enough humor and spectacle to keep things fresh — the perfect start to the newly rebooted DC Universe.
“Supergirl,” directed by Craig Gillespie and out this weekend in cinemas, attempts to build on that momentum but ultimately feels like a less-assured follow-up — visually energetic, occasionally compelling, but never quite able to match its predecessor’s emotional or narrative heft.
There are unmistakable traces of Gunn’s influence throughout. The film borrows liberally from the colorful, offbeat visual language that defined his “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, embracing quirky alien worlds, neon-soaked action sequences and a cosmic road-trip sensibility. Yet, where Gunn’s films found heart beneath all the eccentricity, “Supergirl” more often than not mistakes busyness for depth.
The galaxy it constructs is crowded with colorful and vivid ideas and locations, but few receive enough attention to feel lived in. The world-building is expansive, yet oddly shallow, leaving characters rushing from one set piece to another without allowing audiences time to invest in the universe around them.
