Supergirl Review: More So-So Than Super

With no emotionally powerful moment or even a standout epic sequence, everything about Supergirl feels strictly functional, observes Mayur Sanap.

A Different Kind of A Hero

The most refreshing aspect of last year’s Superman was how David Corenswet’s dimple-cheeked superhero felt like an everyday guy.

Ever since James Gunn (the man behind Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy) stepped in to lead DC, the franchise has taken on a lighter, more playful tone. That change was already starting to show in The Suicide Squad.

Gunn stripped away the larger-than-life demigod image and gave us a version of the comic book hero that felt more human, and, well, relatable.

For a long time, superhero films have leaned on the same idea. It’s a near-godlike protector, a noble saviour who always steps up whenever the world is in some kind of danger.

Supergirl, which is the latest addition to the rebooted DC Universe, works within this similar superhero template. But again, it turns the formula on its head.

In the film’s early moment, Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El, who goes by the moniker ‘Supergirl’, is half-drunk, and looking for the next drink rather than the next mission. When she is confronted with someone who needs help, her immediate response is rather blunt: ‘Not my monkeys, not my circus.’

It’s the kind of reaction you would expect from a bystander, not a superhero. But that’s what makes this version of Kara intriguing. She is impulsive, messy, and weary of responsibilities. And even though she is Superman’s cousin, Kara is not him, and she is definitely not Clark Kent.

Earlier, her brief cameo in Superman hinted that she is perpetually drunk and loves her super-powered dog, Krypto. This standalone film takes a much closer look at both sides of her personality.

Supergirl: The Plot

As a fellow Kryptonian, Kara (Alcock) has same superpowers as her cousin Superman, and she hops from one planet to another with her doggie friend.

During her detour to a distant planet, she is pulled into Ruthye’s journey (Eve Ridley), a young girl out for revenge against Krem (an almost unrecognisable Matthias Schoenaerts) for what he did to her family. Kara tries to stay out of it at first, but is quickly pulled into action. Things take an ugly turn, when Krypto gets hurt, giving Kara a reason to go after Krem.

There begins a mix of cosmic space adventure and revenge story, as Kara and Ruthye end up forming an unlikely team.

Characters and World-Building

If Hindi cinema has taught us anything it’s that characters who drink this much are usually carrying some emotional baggage. Kara is no exception.

Director Craig Gillespie presents Kara as a deeply troubled individual who, at times, recalls Florence Pugh’s Yelena from Thunderbolts. Kara, too, carries the same grief and trauma after something precious is taken from her.

When her home planet Krypton is destroyed, she is sent to Earth, much like her cousin Kal-El/Superman. But we never really get a sense of how she adjusted to this new environment, if she adopted a secret identity like Kal-El, or how she felt about his sense of purpose. Even their relationship feels mostly formal rather than lived-in, which makes their dynamic feel unconvincing overall.

Despite being a standalone story focused entirely on her, the drama mostly stays on the surface, as it doesn’t really dig deep enough into her backstory to really make us feel for her.

That’s a bit surprising, especially considering Gillespie’s earlier work, where he brought refreshingly fierce women with Emma Stone’s mercurial Cruella and Margot Robbie’s eccentric I, Tonya.

At times, this film feels like it is customised to Gunn’s style of filmmaking to suit the superhero template. His trademark flourishes are noticeable from the punchy soundtrack choices or intergalactic space adventure, and the way the film packs the screen with eccentric space weirdo characters (an Oscar nomination for makeup incoming).

Jason Momoa appears as Lobo, a bounty hunter who starts off as an antagonist before revealing a different side. Free from his Aquaman duties, Momoa gets a few scene-stealing moments that really bring out the character’s quirks. His initial appearance even recalls Chris Hemsworth warlord in Furiosa, but Momoa brings a charm that is unmistakably his own.

It’s a pity, though, that he is given scenes that don’t fully tap into his character’s potential, leaving him rather underused.

Milly Alcock’s Performance

House Of The Dragon breakout Milly Alcock (who looks like a cross between Sydney Sweeney and Chloe Grace Moretz from certain angles) brings sincerity to the role, but her Kara never quite becomes the engaging character one might expect in an origin story like this. In fact, David Corenswet’s brief Superman cameo ends up feeling more exciting to watch than her. And sadly, Krypto is also sidelined, missing out on the usual aww moments.

Eve Ridley is given a role that largely boils down to a teenager doing teenage things in a superhero flick, which, feels like the recycled version of such a character.

Matthias Schoenaerts’ villain functions adequately within the story, with his striking makeup. But his actions lean more toward micro-aggressions that end up becoming more exhausting than threatening.

Action and Spectacle

Still, there are a few simple pleasures here. That moment where the heroine fully embraces her powers and punches holes through the sky is thrilling.

An underdeveloped subplot involving a group of captive women is also introduced but never meaningfully explored. Still, the film gets to deliver a #GirlPower message, which seems to serve the purpose of this track.

But the final face-off between Krem and Kara feels rather unexciting, which plays out like an excuse for more CGI-heavy visual noise. This entire third act is such a lousy green screen work that frankly feels embarrassing for a studio-backed superhero film.

With no emotionally powerful moment or even a standout epic sequence, everything about Supergirl feels strictly functional.

In the end, what remains is curiosity about what comes next, but even that feels muted. With no real hook or meaningful setup for the future, there is little here that expands this new universe at the moment. Take it as a relief, I guess.