I honestly don’t understand the negativity surrounding Supergirl, but since most of it comes from the same pockets of the internet screaming “woke” whenever a superhero film has a female lead, perhaps there isn’t much to understand.
That said, I’ve seen the Craig Gillespie-helmed follow-up to James Gunn’s Superman. Some of the criticism I’ve heard is valid – the film occasionally looks and feels like generic sci-fi and dips into the Guardians of the Galaxy pool a bit too often, even though Gunn didn’t direct this one – but Supergirl is a fun and surprisingly heartwarming adaptation of Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow miniseries. It’s a loose adaptation, and the comic remains the superior version of the story, but I thoroughly appreciated the ride this movie took me on.
Without getting into spoiler territory, Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) and the young Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) join forces to track down Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) because A) he killed Ruthye’s family and B) he poisoned Kara’s dog Krypto and only he has the antidote. Along the way, they meet The Main Man himself, the antihero Lobo (Jason Momoa), and our heroes bring the fight to Krem and his lackeys with eye lasers, a really cool sword, lots of explosives, and a few dozen yellow sun-powered punches.
Alcock brings a lot of humor, heart, and attitude to the hard-drinking and hard-hitting Kara/Supergirl, a character who proves you don’t have to be “nice” to be “good” – a common theme throughout the film. Similarly, Momoa’s Lobo is a certified “bastich,” to steal one of his favorite words, but even cigar-chomping bounty hunters have a code of honor. I hope we see lots more of both characters in future DC Studios films. They’re both having a blast here, and it comes through the screen.
I also must give a special shout out to the practical effects team on this film. The planets, space stations and ships of Supergirl are full of bizarre creatures, and many of them are brought to life via prosthetics and puppetry. Give me more gloppy, goofy rubber suits, Hollywood!
Supergirl doesn’t reach the highs of her cousin’s flick last summer, but there’s a lot to like during its 108-minute running time. Ignore the online discourse and enjoy.
Views: 0