Movie Review: ‘Supergirl’

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Review by Adam Courtliff

James Gunn’s new DC Universe hit the ground running with last year’s Superman, a pedal to the metal, rip-roaring fun time that left audiences salivating for more. With the second instalment, directed by Craig Gillespie, looking to build on that momentum, the DCU has turned to Supergirl. Regrettably though, it proves to be a stumble at the second hurdle, never quite reaching the heights required of a top-tier superhero film and falling short of expectations.

Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) in the midst of an identity crisis, exacerbated by the loss of everyone she has ever loved, as she drinks herself into oblivion on a red sun planet. Whilst there, she meets Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a young girl searching for a companion to help her exact revenge against the despicable Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), leader of the Brigands, a ruthless group of space pirates involved in human trafficking.

Initially reluctant to help or embrace her calling as Supergirl, Kara is forced into a change of heart after Krem shoots her dog Krypto with a poison dart, leaving the only antidote in his possession. With just three days before Krypto succumbs to the poison, Kara and Ruthye embark on a galaxy-spanning mission for vengeance, stopping at nothing in their pursuit of Krem as they search for the justice they both desperately crave.

Supergirl’s problems unfortunately start with Ana Nogueira’s script. The plot is fairly generic and formulaic throughout, with little sense of jeopardy ever built around its protagonists. Instead, it coasts along in second gear, going through the same tick-box exercises audiences have become accustomed to from superhero films over the last few years. From the moment the story is established, it’s easy to see exactly where it’s heading and who will be involved, and at no point does the script stray from that well-trodden path.

There are genuine attempts to create moments of emotion, which work in small doses but nowhere near as strongly as intended. Flashbacks to Kara’s past and the grief she continues to suffer following the loss of her family, coupled with her overwhelming sense of not belonging and desire to return home, are real and relatable. Had these elements been explored in greater depth, they could have been by far the strongest aspect of the Supergirl experience. Instead, they feel fleeting, underdeveloped and a little wasted.

This equally applies to Kara’s relationship with Krypto, who serves as a key plot point throughout the film. Yet their bond is rarely explored beyond a handful of flashbacks showing how they met and a few shared memories. More often than not, Krypto’s presence feels designed to draw a few “aww”s from the crowd because of how cute he is, rather than deepen our understanding of the connection they share. As a result, much of that relationship is left to the audience to infer rather than being meaningfully developed on screen.

It’s a huge shame because Milly Alcock is brilliant as both Kara and Supergirl. She proves herself to be a fantastic casting choice by James Gunn and someone with a very bright future within the DCU, delivering the raw emotion and grounded performance required for Kara’s more vulnerable side before radiating the confidence that comes with embracing her destiny as Supergirl. Without a doubt, she is the film’s standout, elevating the mediocre material she’s given at every opportunity, but the script ultimately does a disservice to just how good she really is.

Ruthye should also be an interesting and complex character, yet we’re never really given enough insight into her life for her to become much more than a vehicle for the film’s revenge plot. The friendship between Ruthye and Kara should feel far more meaningful than it does, but instead it comes across as convenient, with the pair bonding largely because they have both experienced loss. Once again, the issue doesn’t lie with the performance, with Eve Ridley doing some really strong work.

For any superhero film, the golden rule always seems to be that you’re only as good as your villain and again, that’s where Supergirl comes up short. While Krem can be commanding on occasion, he never quite strikes the level of fear you’d expect. At no point do you feel as though he’s unbeatable, nor are we given much insight into what makes him tick. So despite a relatively decent performance from Matthias Schoenaerts, who does what he can with the material he’s given, unlike Lex Luthor, who viewers will remember in an instant, Krem will ultimately go down as rather forgettable.

The same can be said for Lobo. Jason Momoa proves to be a strong casting choice and, in the brief, fleeting moments he gets on screen, is the imposing force you’d expect. However, there’s never really anything for his character to do that feels of any real consequence to the narrative. So much so that he begins to feel unnecessary, with the sense that if Lobo were removed from the story entirely, very little would change. The overall experience would be no better or worse for his omission.

While Supergirl may not technically be a James Gunn project, it definitely feels Gunnified when it comes to the soundtrack, which plays an integral part. Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Superman, there are a ton of needle drops which, while fun in places, grow tiresome through their sheer volume and aren’t helped by a rather lacklustre selection of songs. The final needle drop during the climax really takes the biscuit and is bound to make a fair few audience members groan at its egregious nature.

The exact same thing occurs with the humour, which once again comes across as a carbon copy of the sort of jokes Gunn has become renowned for. Except this time, they just don’t work. On more than a few occasions, there are noticeable pauses in the dialogue where the audience is clearly expected to laugh, only for the cinema to be met with deathly silence. In fact, the only audible laughs during my screening came from Seth Rogen’s extremely brief cameo, which at least delivered a few genuinely quippy one-liners.

While there are definitely elements of Supergirl’s visuals to enjoy, particularly the vibrant colours of its various planets, they prove to be another area where the film falls short, especially when it comes to the action sequences. From the poor lighting in multiple scenes that makes it difficult to tell what is actually going on, to the janky CGI and camera work that undermine any sense of immersion during the high-octane fight scenes, Supergirl feels like a significant step down from what the DCU delivered just last year and detracts from what should be some of the most enjoyable moments in the entire film.

So while there are certainly elements of Supergirl that audiences can lose themselves in and enjoy on the big screen, with Milly Alcock’s performance the undisputed standout, unfortunately it isn’t the slam dunk many were hoping it would be. Whether it’s the subpar visuals, the bland script, the dull characters or the uninspired humour, Supergirl delivers far more misses than hits, ultimately consigning it to the dreaded territory of being incredibly forgettable.