Same story, different hero. That’s probably the best way to describe Supergirl, and in no way does that mean this is a bad movie.
Supergirl feels like the kind of movie you’ve watched before. It has elements from different space opera franchises and elements from some superhero movies. Now, telling you which superhero films would be redundant, you just have to go watch it yourself. And I think this is one of those movies that everyone should see for themselves to draw their own conclusion.
There were many parts of this film that really worked for me, especially when it comes to themes. The most broken people can still be the hero when it matters most. The best people are sometimes a little rough around the edges. Those are the parts that resonated with me, but the rest just felt like they were rehashing old superhero tropes. I know everyone was expecting a full Woman of Tomorrow adaptation, but it’s not one. It was inspired by the story.
Like I said, same story, different hero. This movie has the same basic premise as Superman from last year. I get it, they needed to establish that even though Kara and Clark are different people, they still have the same purpose. The problem is that halfway through, the story falls a little flat.
Now, one of the best parts of this movie is the characters. Milly Alcock is phenomenal as Kara Zor-El, or rather Supergirl. She portrays the character as a badass, but she easily switches to show the character’s more vulnerable and heroic side. She is honestly the best part of the movie, no wonder it was named after her. I can’t wait to see more of her in the future of the DCU.
Jason Momoa was born to play Lobo, and it honestly looked like he was having a lot of fun. Yes, he is the breakout star, but I wish the character wasn’t held back by the film’s PG-13 rating. Eve Ridley is amazing as Ruthye Marye Knoll and, once again, David Corenswet is a delight as Superman. Malakeith, I mean Yondu, I mean Krem, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, is a forgettable villain, although the actor did give it his best.
The film isn’t as colourful as Superman, but I get that this is a darker story and that Supergirl’s suit was supposed to provide the colour. The sets look cool, but once again the CGI was a mess at times. It’s not bad, but it can pull you away from experiencing the film properly. I do have to say, Lobo’s design and bike are awesome.
I know James Gunn didn’t direct or write this film, but no one can tell me he didn’t have a say in picking the music. I really loved some of the song choices, and I really feel like they fit Kara’s personality. In a lot of cases, the music can make or break a film, and in this case it earned the film an extra half star from me.
Supergirl is a pretty mid film, but it’s still a good watch on the big screen. This was definitely made for DC fans or people who just like superheroes. I enjoyed it for the most part, and I do recommend it. It might not blow you out of the water, but it’s still entertaining and for that reason I can comfortably give it 3 out of 4 stars.
