We all know that Superman is a big and powerful Boy Scout, but what about his Kryptonian cousin? Does she have the same ideals in mind that motivate her to become the hero that our planet deserves? Well, Craig Gillespie’s film, written by Ana Noguera and based on the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic series, attempts to show her very different journey there. I was definitely taken aback when Milly Alcock’s Supergirl makes an appearance at the end of James Gunn’s Superman, because she doesn’t exactly seem cut from the same cloth that the wholesome Kal-El comes from, but I was definitely intrigued by the differences she showed from her cousin. The film is a solid attempt to do something very different from what we normally expect from a Superman or Supergirl movie, and while this is refreshing, the filmmakers involved in this adaptation of the source material obviously do not share James Gunn’s level of adoration as a director.
Mily Alcock reprises her role as Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, the other survivor of the planet of Krypton, who eventually finds her way to our planet. However, given all she has experienced on her journey there, she is very restless and would rather escape the ghosts of her past. She and her dog, Krypto, would rather traverse across the universe to party in any red-sun planets where she can get inebriated and enjoy the buzz that numbs the pain of all she has experienced in her young life. While visiting a red-sunned planet for more partying during her birthday, Kara encounters a young child named Ruthye, who has just witnessed the death of her parents at the hands of a Krem of the Yellow Hills (Mathias Shoenaerts), leader of a gang of female traffickers known as The Brigands, who shoots her dog with a poison that requires an antidote that he carries on his person. Kara, very reluctantly, allows Ruthye to join her on her journey to obtain the cure to save Krypto, but she must find the hero within herself to do the right thing.
I have to say I very much appreciated the story’s premise and enjoyed this refreshing take on Supergirl. I do have some issues with the backstory, as I feel that there is a missing piece of the puzzle. Maybe a sequel will show us that. Maybe it won’t, but I feel that some of her motivations are bewildering, considering that we, the audience, are only given a taste of Kara’s backstory. That said, we do get some semblance of a reason why Kara is who she is and how she is so different from her more wholesome cousin, Kal-El.
We also get some sense of why she is intent on stopping Ruthye’s desire for revenge, but again, we never actually see everything Kara has experienced that would explain why she feels the way she does. Aside from the screenplay, I was rather disappointed with Supergirl‘s visual presentation. The cinematography is often too dark to appreciate the action. The editing in the action sequences often makes what is happening too undecipherable, and the CGI often looks cheap.
I was so compelled by Kara Zor-El’s story that I was frustrated by the filmmakers’ lack of care in presenting something visually rich yet lacking in character development. There is still much to enjoy and appreciate, though. Milly Alcock performs exceptionally, as does Matthias Shoenaerts, who portrays a formidable villain in Krem. Eve Ridley, who plays Ruthie, is also a great addition to the movie. I also had a blast watching Jason Momoa portray Lobo, a space bounty hunter, who has an agenda of his own, but just happens to cross paths with Kara and Ruthye during this journey.
So, Supergirl is definitely not as good as James Gunn’s Superman, but it does deliver some entertainment and has its own spirit. I am still confused as to why this movie just doesn’t look as good as Gunn’s Superman, since I would have hoped they had a similar budget. Also, I sincerely wish they would fill in some of the gaps in Kara Zor-El’s backstory. I can only honestly recommend it as a movie you should wait to stream at home. Perhaps, it will look better that way.