When it was announced that Supergirl would be the follow-up to last year’s Superman, I feared that the DC Universe might be repeating too much, too soon. Then again, Kara Zor-El is a different kind of hero than Clark Kent, as Milly Alcock’s hungover cameo in the previous film established. With Supergirl primarily being set several planets away from Earth, this spinoff could also offer a broader scale than its predecessor. There were just enough new ingredients here to produce something different. Supergirl isn’t just a retread of Superman, but much like the titular character, Craig Gillespie’s film feels lost, never quite soaring as it should.
Alcock undoubtedly does the heavy-lifting as Kara, who celebrates her birthday by boozing across the galaxy. Of course, that seems to be another day at the office for this 23-year-old. While Kara has a good heart, she isn’t always the best role model. In an era where so many female leads have their imperfections sucked out along with any complexities, it’s refreshing to see a heroine who’s an unapologetic hot mess. The early scenes set us up for a lighthearted romp as Kara wakes up beside a cuddly Krypto. Supergirl quickly shifts gears, though, in a story that deals with extinction, murder, and the trafficking of young girls.
Sure, Superman also went to some heavy places. It only makes sense that Supergirl would, too, especially since its source material, Woman of Tomorrow, gets pretty gritty. Unlike her cousin’s film, though, there’s little joy or color to be found in Supergirl. The film is tonally and visually bleak, often playing like a grungier Guardians of the Galaxy. While Gillespie has made some good-looking movies like Cruella, the planets here are all dingy, barren, and lacking any genuine creativity. In a way, this reflects Kara’s emotional state as she struggles to figure out where she belongs in this universe. Despite Alcock’s charismatic performance, though, Kara’s arc is missing any direction.
The supporting cast doesn’t add much either. Eve Ridley is a talented up-and-comer with a bright future, but she feels like an accessory as Ruthye, a young girl seeking revenge. Kara tries to show Ruthye that revenge won’t bring her fulfillment, although that message gets muddled in the end. Did this team learn nothing from Man of Steal? Ruthye and Kara are both pursuing Matthias Schoenaerts as probably the most forgettable supervillain since Thor: The Dark World. Where Schoenaerts’ character is underdeveloped, Jason Momoa is severely underutilized as bounty hunter Lobo, who’s always been a favorite of mine. Clearly, this should’ve been a buddy comedy about Kara and Lobo taking on a group of Mad Max rejects between benders.
Even the action comes off as misguided. To give you an idea, there’s a scene where a bar of alien goons point lasers at Kara, which is a great setup for a fight. Yet, most of it takes place off-screen, with the focus inexplicably being on Ruthye cowering in the corner. The comedy similarly provides setups without payoffs. At one point, Ruthye asks Kara why she’s Supergirl and not Superwoman. There’s room for a quip, but the conversation ultimately goes nowhere. Occasionally, we see glimpses of a better movie, such as flashbacks to the final days of Kara’s home planet, which eerily mirror real-world issues like global warming and COVID. There are elements of Supergirl I’d like to see in future DC projects, namely Alcock’s Kara and Momoa’s Lobo. As far as standalone movies go, though, all I can say is that it’s better than the 1984 version of Supergirl, which isn’t much.