Supergirl review: A messier hero, a better movie
‘Supergirl’ is not the ideal hero, but she connects with audiences by feeling more human than her Earth‑raised cousin.
Woman-powered superhero movies are few and far between. In fact, you can count all the ones from Marvel and DC on two hands. In most cases, they’re introduced in a men-centric forum — usually a team-up — before they branch out to tell their own story. Unlike their male counterparts, studios feel audiences need to get to know the on-screen characters before they can lead their own movie. But several of these pictures have been setup to fail, letting too much time pass or diverting too far from viewers’ expectations. This time it feels like DC got it right. Supergirl exceeds its predecessor in more ways than one.
Kara (Milly Alcock) is the daughter of Zor-El (David Krumholtz), brother of Jor-El and, therefore, the cousin of Superman (David Corenswet). Only she was raised amongst the surviving Kryptonians, leading her to mourn their loss each day. She is currently spending her birthday drowning her sorrows in off-world booze. More specifically, on a red sun planet that dampens her powers. When 13-year-old Ruthye (Eve Ridley) walks into the bar asking someone to help her hunt Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), the Brigand that slaughtered her family, Kara turns her back alongside everyone else. But when she’s unwillingly pulled into the fight, she proves to be a reliable ally and unbeatable under a yellow sun.
Kara’s brief introduction in Superman’s mid-credits scene did not do her character justice. The awkward kid sister-big brother exchange doesn’t even scratch the complex surface of their relationship. We’ve seen Clark Kent’s origin story unfold a dozen times on screen, but this movie shares another of Krypton’s tragedies. Kara is a refugee. Unlike her cousin, she grew up on their home planet — or at least a piece of it — and she longs to go back to a world that no longer exists. On Earth, she’s surrounded by strangers — including the cousin she never knew — and she struggles to allow another home into her heart.
This film and Supergirl herself have way more personality than Superman. Kara is flawed and in pain. Her character is more interesting because she’s more human than the extraterrestrial raised on our planet. When the story begins, audiences find her on an intergalactic pub crawl, creating a hangover montage you’d expect to see in an Aquaman movie. Even though she has the same powers as Superman, she doesn’t seem as unbreakable. She spends much of the picture being vulnerable, physically and emotionally. This is the quality that makes Marvel’s heroes so appealing.
Kara is grappling with adulthood, clinging to her lingering, confused, rebellious teen energy. She always appears disheveled, like she just rolled out of bed. Her cozy trench coat flows behind her when she flies, serving as an anti-establishment stand-in for the traditional red cape. Even though convention dictates she must eventually don the suit, she only does so when she’s ready. But she’s equally ruthless with or without it.
The narrative seamlessly integrates a lot of lore not typically seen in the franchise. Where Superman’s films tend to focus on kryptonite and his life on Earth, this movie also shows the effects of various coloured suns as well as the fate of Krypton after baby Kal-El was jettisoned. Krypto, the super dog, also gets a bit more screen time. Kara latches onto their friendship with an iron grip, determined not to lose her only remaining connection to home. However, his absence forces her to confront reality and realize she’s not living the life her parents hoped for her. Ruthye is Kara’s redemption, though for a tagalong she’s no slouch in a fight either.
Lobo is an unexpected but welcome addition who steals the scene the moment he steamrolls into view. The alien biker adds a layer of darkly funny sarcasm reminiscent of Beetlejuice. It’s a role Jason Momoa wholeheartedly embraces. It’s unusual (though becoming more commonplace) to cast an actor to play different characters in the same universe, even if it was rebooted. But the motorcycle-riding, cigar-smoking, self-centered bounty hunter is a surprisingly better fit for the actor.
Consequently, Momoa is the perfect choice to play opposite Alcock as Kara adopted all of Earth’s sarcasm when she learned English. She’s sassy yet thoughtful, powerful yet vulnerable. Supergirl’s heroism doesn’t cancel out her anger. Instead, her rage fuels her battles, which leaves few survivors.
However, many of the fights are blurred in the background or shrouded in smoke. It’s difficult to tell if that was always the intention or if the decision was born out of some necessity. Nonetheless, Alcock holds her own in the close-ups.
This movie also remedies one of the biggest disappointments in its predecessor: it has a great soundtrack. Where James Gunn’s Superman was shockingly devoid of music, this film embraces sound. The songs drive action sequences and occasionally add a little irony depending on the choice. From punk to pop rock, the soundtrack is there to liven things up.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley and Matthias Schoenaerts
