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Light spoilers follow for Supergirl.
Supergirl marks the eponymous character’s return to the limelight after 42 years. Okay, the DC superhero has starred and/or appeared in numerous TV shows and small-screen movies in the decades since; however, her only previous big-screen outing came in the form of the much-maligned 1984 Supergirl film featuring Helen Slater, so another cinematic adventure is long overdue.
Unfortunately, as incredibly excited as I’ve been for the second DC Universe (DCU) flick’s arrival, it gives me no satisfaction to say that Kara Zor-El’s latest silver-screen project is DC Studios’ first misfire. It’s not terrible by any means, but I left my screening with a tangible pang of what could have been if the movie had actually done right by its source material.
Kara, Krypto, Krypton, and Krem
Following her scene-stealing cameo in 2025’s David Corenswet-led Superman movie, Supergirl reunites us with Kara (Milly Alcock) and her superpowered pup Krypto as they embark on an interstellar bar crawl to celebrate Kara’s 23rd birthday, which Kara simultaneously uses to try and forget the destruction of her and Supes’ home world Krypton by getting blackout drunk.
However, it isn’t long before last orders are called. Indeed, when the sadistic Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) and his criminal gang — aka The Brigands — murder the family of a young woman named Ruthye (Eve Ridley) on her home planet, the latter tracks down Kara to help Ruthye get her revenge.
Supergirl doesn’t soar to the heady heights that its main character can reach with ease
Initially reluctant to help, Kara changes her mind when Krem not only steals her spaceship, but also critically injures Krypto with a poisoned dart. With only 72 hours to find Krem and retrieve the antidote that’ll save her dog’s life, Kara and Ruthye set off on a character-defining journey that’s as much a sci-fi adventure and space western as it is a superhero movie.
Tonally, Supergirl takes as much inspiration from genre films like True Grit, Mad Max, and Guardians of the Galaxy as it does from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, aka the 2021 graphic novel that this movie is based on.
The occasionally egregious editing of some set-pieces doesn’t do justice to Supergirl’s fight choreography
Those comparisons aren’t a negative but, while Supergirl‘s grimy, washed-out aesthetic might seem like a good fit for its modern pulp plot, I yearned for the vibrant, eye-popping color palette and visual flair of its comic-book inspiration, which last year’s Superman film had in spades.
On the action front, Supergirl expands on the set-pieces spread across Woman of Tomorrow‘s pages, while adding a couple of new ones to the mix.
And, honestly, I had no problem with the inclusion of these new sequences, nor the creative liberties taken with pre-existing ones. The Woman of Tomorrow comic book is a slow-burning, pensive read that’s lightly seasoned with thrilling, high-stakes action, so I fully understand why its film adaptation dials up the spectacle.
That said, the occasionally egregious editing of some set-pieces doesn’t do justice to Supergirl‘s fight choreography.
Spoilers notwithstanding, at the start of the film’s climactic battle, I counted at least 20 quick-fire cuts across what must have been a 40-second period. That’s far, far too many and, while it isn’t the only example I could give where jump-cuts make it difficult to follow the action, I wouldn’t be shocked if, once Supergirl has fully launched worldwide by June 26, fans have plenty of negative things to say about this specific sequence.
Woman of Tomorrow, problems for today
That’s far from my only issue with Supergirl — and a lot of my grievances stem from the crucial fact that it dismisses aspects of what makes Woman of Tomorrow such a great read.
When its second trailer arrived in April, I expressed concern that Supergirl wouldn’t be the comic book movie adaptation I was hoping for. Two months later, Supergirl‘s final trailer did little to assuage those fears. Nevertheless, I clung to the hope that my worries would be unfounded once I saw the full film.
Supergirl reinterprets its source material for the worse
Color me disappointed, then, that the DCU Chapter One flick reinterprets its source material for the worse.
For starters — and this might sound baffling to some — Supergirl tells its story from Kara’s perspective. I know, how blasphemous of it to focus on its titular protagonist.
But hear me out. One of the comic book’s biggest strengths is that Ruthye is our point-of-view character, so we witness Kara’s heroic actions through the eyes of her young ally. To re-use True Grit to illustrate my point: in the 2010 western, we see events through teenager Mattie’s eyes, not her world-weary and flawed albeit honorable chaperone Rooster Cogburn. To me, there’s no reason why Supergirl couldn’t have done likewise, especially when there’s already a precedent for it in Woman of Tomorrow.
Supergirl similarly squanders another of its best elements by regularly neglecting Kara and Ruthye’s complex dynamic
Supergirl similarly squanders another of its best elements by regularly neglecting Kara and Ruthye’s complex dynamic.
Again, I appreciate that this is a movie about the eponymous Kryptonian, but the original Woman of Tomorrow story works so well because it’s a two-hander. Apart from giving Ridley’s Ruthye a belated chance to shine as the film’s third act begins, Supergirl relegates her to the sidelines; and, in what I consider to be a huge misstep, doesn’t examine the full extent of the complicated yet sincere relationship that exists between her and Kara in Tom King and Bilquis Eveley’s comic-book series.
Considering that Supergirl clocks in at a breezy one hour and 48 minutes, there’s really no excuse why this team-up wasn’t explored more acutely. To me, a few more scenes based around more intimate character moments from Woman of Tomorrow would have gone a long way to fixing this without impacting the film’s flow.
To give credit where it’s due, Supergirl is at times as emotionally engaging, if not more so, than its literary influence — and that’s mainly down to Alcock’s poignantly potent performance.
Last September, in comments that could have been viewed as being exceedingly biased, DC Studios co-chief James Gunn said Alcock’s take on Kara was “absolutely stunning” — and he’s absolutely right.
Alcock captures the morally complex, sassy, and traumatized metahuman with the right amount of poise, petulance, and emotional precision
Whether it’s her juggling of Kara’s conflicting emotions in the present, or scenes depicting Kara’s tragic backstory that act as well-placed storytelling touchstones peppered throughout, Alcock captures the morally complex, sassy, and traumatized metahuman with the right amount of poise, petulance, and emotional precision. Suffice it to say, I can’t wait to see how her fellow superpowered beings deal with her punk rock attitude in 2027 Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
As for the film’s supporting cast, Jason Momoa is arguably the standout as the immortal, interstellar mercenary Lobo.
Ridley does well with the screen time she’s afforded, while Corenswet repays Alcock for her cameo in last year’s DCU big-screen curtain-raiser with a couple of memorable appearances of his own. However, it’s Momoa — a self-confessed Lobo superfan — who shines brightest in a role that’s an integral part of Supergirl‘s story, and which allows him to play to his obvious acting strengths.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of Krem. Schoenaerts is fine as the movie’s central antagonist, but I’m simply not a fan of the changes — physical or otherwise — made to turn him into a disappointing, one-note villain. A bit more substance and — you know, giving us the Krem portrayed in Woman of Tomorrow — would have gone a long way to keeping me onside.
My verdict
Watch On
Taken at face value, Supergirl is a pretty good film. Its heartfelt story, good-to-great cast performances, occasionally funny moments, applause-worthy practical effects, and tentpole action sequences will appeal to anyone who simply wants to be entertained by a traditional superhero flick.
However, those hoping for a more accurate adaptation of its literary works, and/or looking for a different kind of comic book movie, will likely deem it a somewhat underwhelming watch — especially if their expectations were sky-high like mine. I really wanted to like this film more than I did; but, ultimately, it doesn’t soar to the heady heights that its main character can reach with ease.
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