Supergirl
★★★
Thus far, the DC Universe (rebooted by co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran) has been off to a great start and justifiably so. Both series Creature Commandos and Peacemaker as well as last year’s iconic Superman were met with critical and commercial success, with the highly anticipated Lanterns and Clayface on their way later this year. In the middle of it all is a movie that is quite a bump in the road.
Supergirl is not only the second film in the DCU, but also the second live-action DC film to prominently feature the character (third if you count The Flash in 2023). It is directed by Craig Gillespie (best known for I, Tonya and Cruella), written by Ana Nogueira in her first feature-length writing credit, and produced by Gunn and Safran. It reprises Milly Alcock as the titular superhero, who had a short appearance in Superman, and co-stars newcomer Eve Ridley, Jason Momoa, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and David Corenswet briefly returning as Superman.
Kara Zor-El AKA Supergirl is spending her birthday week alone with her dog Krypto, hopping from bar to bar on planet to planet while coping with the loss of Krypton. While drunkenly celebrating, she meets Ruthye Marye Knoll (Ridley) who is seeking revenge against Krem of the Yellow Hills (Schoenaerts) for murdering her entire family. When Krypto is eventually poisoned by Krem, Supergirl joins forces with Ruthye to obtain the antidote and deal with the villain. Also in the fray is Lobo (Momoa), a renegade antihero who has beef with Krem’s army.
The film’s story is heavily inspired by Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, one of the few comic books I’ve read but highly recommend nevertheless. For lack of a more professional word, that comic is awesome. It’s a True Grit-like tale with vivid illustrations and a well-balanced tone that ends with a unique approach to coping with suffering and the toll of revenge. While it's good that it isn’t a 1:1 adaptation of Woman of Tomorrow, the film’s story is a mixed bag that makes some strange changes from the source material. Especially with the ending, there’s a more superfluous approach to the theme of revenge. The subject is talked about so much throughout the second act that when the climax and that chance arrive, the emotional impact is lessened.
Visually, the movie looks alright but it worsens over time. There are very strong colors in the beginning that start to dull over the course of the journey. It looks the dullest and most poorly CG’d during the final battle. There really isn’t much else to note about the style, either; Gillespie unfortunately is not a director with a strong visual style (the only outlier being I, Tonya). It is commendable that the style doesn’t just copy James Gunn’s; it is proof that the DCU will utilize different filmmakers telling stories with their own flair. Even though the score is disjointed partly due to the changes in composers, the needle drops (both diegetic and non-diegetic) are alright; there is a solid contrast between the pop punk of Superman and the brasher rock of Supergirl.
But this isn’t to say the film is entirely without merit; it just works in parts rather than as a whole. One scene where Supergirl talks about the fall of Krypton to Ruthye (and the subsequent flashbacks to it) is a great insight into Supergirl’s inner conflict with grief and her struggle to cope with it. Supergirl’s character arc overall is the most interesting and how she is simultaneously strong but flawed factors into how likable she is. Ruthye’s arc on the other hand is good in theory and it ends predictably but satisfyingly. Again without spoiling much, the comic ends with more uniqueness and nuance. In terms of acting, Alcock is Supergirl. She perfectly embodies both the jaded cynicism and imperfect good of the character. She also shares decent chemistry with Ridley, who for a teenage actress does alright as Ruthye. Momoa is clearly having a great time as Lobo and it shows in his performance despite limited scenes. Even Corenswet’s Superman is fun to see again.
In conclusion, Supergirl is a mostly underwhelming but partly enjoyable follow-up. It is punk rock in its own way even if it is blander to what came before. And in spite of what some will say, this bump in the road won’t derail the entire DCU and hopefully won't be a sign of things to come.
