Film Review: ‘Supergirl’ Has a Very Different Tone Than Her Cousin (With Entertaining Yet Inconsistent Results)

Last year, I fell hard for James Gunn‘s take on Superman (that rave review is here). That film had a sense of hope that truly was not just needed, but essential to our current times. Supergirl is not Superman, and that’s okay. As the character says in the movie, her heroic cousin sees the good in everyone, while she sees the truth. That more complicated take on people, and the universe at large, is one of several ways in which this latest DC effort is not copying itself. At the same time, the occasionally even dour feel to the flick keeps things from ever being as satisfying. Is it an overall entertaining summer blockbuster? Sure. That being said, Superman may have set expectations a bit high.

Parts of Supergirl are very effective, while others are surprisingly weird. Unfortunately, there’s also an inconsistent nature to things that keep it from truly soaring. With lackluster action, disappointing supporting characters, and (at least for me) not enough Krypto, the film has a very “two steps forward, one step back” feel to it. Now, I would gladly watch more of Supergirl within the DC Universe and would enjoy another solo adventure. I just found this movie to be fine to good, as opposed to the greatness we saw last year.

Celebrating her 23rd birthday, Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) is on a bit of a galactic bender. Along with her dog Krypto, she’s hopping from space bar to space bar, not particular interested in returning to Earth, where her cousin Superman (David Corenswet) is eager to help her find her place. She’s a bit of a loner and has her dog, so what more does she need? At the same time, she can’t help but do the occasional good thing, so when young Ruthye (Eve Ridley) walks into one bar seeking the whereabouts of Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), the leader of the Brigands, as well as the man who murdered her family, she intervenes once fellow bar patrons try to rob her. Ruthye thinks she has a friend, though Kara isn’t interested, at least until Krem arrives with his fellow space pirates/sex traffickers and, showing his savagery, poisons Krypto before jetting off the planet. Informed that only an antidote that Krem carries on him can save her dog, Kara will stop at nothing to find on.

Now on her own quest, she’s joined by Ruthye, who is determined to have her pound of Krem’s flesh. With Krypto only having three days, Kara is determined to get the antidote. Now, Krem and his cohorts are no pushovers, and it doesn’t prove easy. As they both attempt to work through their issues and achieve their goals, Kara flashes back on her time with the dog, as well as her final days on Krypton, where her father Zor-El (David Krumholtz) ensured her survival, but also set her forth on her lonely path. Unlike her cousin, she knew her home world and loved it, grieving it deeply. However, between bonding with Ruthye, as well as encountering potential allies like Lobo (Jason Momoa), who also wants to find Krem, set her up to potentially be the protector Zor-El always hoped her to be.

Milly Alcock is easily the best part of the flick, putting forth a complex portrayal of someone who isn’t always nice, but is always kind. The hero’s journey for her feels earned and natural, which is rarely the cast with superhero fare. Alcock is funny, punk rock, and will continue to make the role her own in the years to come, I have no doubt. I’ll look forward to seeing her play Kara more, too. Unfortunately, she’s also the only real acting highlight. Jason Momoa is enjoying himself as Lobo, but the character is kind of a nothingburger here. Perhaps he’ll have more to do in the DC Universe going forward, but here he’s mostly an afterthought. Matthias Schoenaerts makes his villain suitably vile (he and his all male minions traffic child brides, after all), but it’s also a bland character given a one note performance. Eve Ridley is fine as the young vengeance seeker, but her involvement in the plot often feels like more of a distraction than anything else. Frankly, the second best performance is David Corenswet, who essentially is an extended cameo. In addition to David Krumholtz, the supporting cast includes Emily Beecham, Ferdinand Kingsley, Diarmaid Murtagh, and more.

Director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira certainly distinguish Supergirl from Gunn’s Superman flick. Visually, there’s a cross between Mad Max and Guardians of the Galaxy to the space settings, while the tone is certainly darker. It’s a journey towards the light, one that Gillespie and Nogueira most successfully navigate in the Krypton flashbacks. I’d obviously die for Krypto and making Kara go on an almost John Wick style quest to save him is effective, but the Brigands, apart from a distinctively vile look and feel, are bland. The action sequences are rote and not particularly well staged, either, and also rarely the focus, whether by design or necessity. So, we wind up with a plot that works best when focused on Kara and Krypto, but suffers when focused on Ruthye and her desire to avenge here family.

Supergirl is, at worst, just fine. It hints at some deeper elements and occasionally is fun, but there’s a dourness at times that just isn’t given enough dramatic heft. DC and Gunn have their Supergirl in Milly Alcock, that’s for sure, and that sets the character up for success. After a cute punk rock debut in Superman, this is a more uneven solo launch for her, but one that does promise better things to come.

SCORE: ★★★