Supergirl Movie Review
There’s a visual flair to this film and a grungy aesthetic that tries to convince you it’s a compelling, fresh take on the genre; but the plot and some of the side characters keep Supergirl grounded.
Kara Zor-El, or Supergirl (Milly Alcock) as she’s otherwise known, is drinking her birthday week away with her dog Krypto when Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) wanders into the bar, giant sword in hand, looking for someone to help her take revenge against Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) who has killed her family. But it’s not until Krem steals her ship and poisons her dog that Supergirl seeks to track him down for the antidote. Their paths cross with Lobo (Jason Momoa), who is also seeking a bounty in Krem’s crew.
The first thing to say about Supergirl is that the titular character herself is great. Sure, there’s some cringy little punk rock elements thrown in that never feel real, and Alcock’s drunken stupor never rings true. But she’s funny, strong and when allowed to unleash her full super powers, brutally, fist-pumpingly awesome.
The problem with this film is that it seems allergic to actually letting Supergirl, Supergirl.
We’re strapped with a bland, Mad Max rip off villain in Krem. He hulks around, with a huge semblance of strength that could presumably be used in a fight with Supergirl - only to instead constantly shoot her and her dog with a range of poisons, Kryptonite tipped darts, and more. Instead of seeing him actually go toe to toe with our hero, he favours incapacitating her. What’s ironic is that when he is allowed to be brutal (as he is with not one but two sets of defenceless families that he straight up murders in a heartbeat), he actually feels a little scary. It’s a brief redemption, but it’s there.
Unfortunately, there is no redemption for Ruthye. One of the most annoying characters put to screen, the purpose of this role seems to be only to (a) constantly get in the way of the hero trying to save her dog and (b) present some holier than thou counterpoint to Supergirl’s baser violent instincts. Every second of screentime is a chore.
And don’t even get us started on Momoa’s Lobo, who has no purpose in this movie whatsoever.
The whole thing is not aided by dialogue that stings the ears, or a plot that is so threadbare you feel Krypto might use it as a blanket. Despite all the visual flair, and a strong lead, the film ultimately firmly goes against the assertion from DC Studios head James Gunn that they will only put quality scripts into production. On this occasion, the proof is on the big screen; Supergirl done dirty by a poor side character and villain combo, and an unbearable plot with similarly tough to stomach dialogue.
