Supergirl is a mixed bag. While Jason Momoa’s Lobo and Milly Alcock shine, some adaptation choices and a bland villain keep it from greatness.
As a longtime fan of Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book storyline, saying I was excited for this cinematic adaptation is a massive understatement. I wanted to love this movie. When it was announced for the big screen, I was thrilled, and the trailers did a magnificent job of hyping up my expectations. It gave me Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, which is one of my favorite Marvel films. Superman was easily one of my favorite films of last year so I was completely all-in on the future of the DCU.
I was hoping for an emotional space epic, but unfortunately, Supergirl ended up being more of a mixed bag than anything else. That isn’t to say it’s a bad movie, it just could have been so much better.
My primary issues lie in the comic adaptation choices and the handling of the villains. One of the single best, most iconic moments from the comic book was entirely removed from the film. The dinosaur encounter adds some very high stakes to a certain pivotal moment and removing that just made the third act feel less exciting.
I know that in the comics, Krem is not all that exciting. I admit that he is a bland villain, but the film offered a chance to fix that. In an effort to bring more to him, DC decided to make him and his band of space pirates sex traffickers. Like.. what?
As a mom and just a human being, this made several sequences incredibly uncomfortable to sit through. They are taking young girls away to be their brides so they can breed. This adds a dark layer that ultimately makes viewers hate them, sure, but they aren’t all that formidable and don’t bring much to the table other than being terrible.
I hate to say this but the emotional stakes didn’t land where they should have when it comes to Krypto. Seeing him be poisoned didn’t hit nearly as hard as I thought it would, which was a major surprise given how devastating it is on the page.
That said, perhaps it is because I have seen that scene happen over and over with the marketing of Supergirl. Even though comic readers would have known it was coming, if it was saved as a shocking reveal, it might have hit harder. Krypto still remains adorable, though.
The only time I found myself emotional to the point of tears was during a flashback sequence between Kara and her parents – a moment that likely resonated deeply with me simply because I am a mother of two daughters. Anything that includes a parent/child relationship will always hit me right in the gut. I love the Krypton scenes and honestly would have appreciated more of them. It lets us get to know Kara’s background and why she went down a very different path than Clark did.
To no one’s surprise, Jason Momoa proved that he was quite literally born to play Lobo. He is easily one of the best parts of the film. Momoa is having the time of his life playing a character that he has always wanted to play. While he doesn’t have a lot of screen time, his dynamic with Kara is fun and he is great in the action sequences. I want a Lobo solo film immediately, please.
I was also very excited for the return of David Corenswet’s Superman. He had way more time on screen than I expected, but I am not complaining. The dynamic between David Corenswet’s Clark and Milly Alcock’s Kara is the highlight of Supergirl. Whenever they are on screen together, I could not help but smile.
Now that they both have their solo introductory movies out of the way, I am looking forward to what the DCU is willing to give us.
Eve Ridley’s performance as Ruthye is going to be divisive, I think. She gave me exactly what I wanted, but I can see why some viewers might not like the disconnect between her and Kara. In my opinion, the film correctly understands that Kara is serving as Ruthye’s moral compass.
They weren’t written to be instant best friends, and that friction and gradual understanding comes across brilliantly on screen. Kara can be cold. She is messy. She has a lot going on, and so it makes sense that she doesn’t embrace Ruthye from the moment they meet.
I can’t talk about Supergirl without talking about Kara herself, Milly Alcock. She truly captures the hardened, weary, yet fundamentally noble essence of Kara from the comic book storyline. She is incredible, and honestly deserved a better script as her feature debut. She nails the fight choreography and the emotional beats.
Milly Alcock proves she can carry a massive franchise, and I look forward to seeing where she takes the character next. I hope that she is not judged by the perfectly fine movie that she is, because she is a shining star.
While the colors are muted, especially compared to the comic book, the visual effects are great. I didn’t spot any CGI mishaps and was genuinely entertained by a lot of the fight sequences (the bar scene in particular). The final confrontation feels extremely rushed, unfortunately, and like the team just ran out of time and had to wrap things up as quickly as possible. But hey, at least it has a great needle drop.
Supergirl is mixed bag. The pacing drags at times, and there are a handful of specific plot points that really didn’t work for me – which I can’t fully dissect here without stepping into major spoiler territory. I have yet to come to terms with a decision made at the end. I get WHY it was done, but something about it just doesn’t feel right, and seems to defeat the purpose of much of the movie.
That said, the film the action is exciting and the acting across the board is fantastic. This cast does what it can to elevate a dull script and a poor adaptation of a great comic. It may not be the flawless masterpiece Supergirl fans were praying for, but it leaves me excited enough for the future.
Rating: 3 out of 5
About Supergirl
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Supergirl comes to theaters on June 26th.
