This is a quick review of the newly released film Supergirl. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
Plot
Via Letterboxd: When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Review
I fully admit that I was among the minority and was not a fan of last year’s Superman. So, going into Supergirl, I was hoping that a smaller-scale adventure centered around a sarcastic “lovable jerk” Kara Zor-El (as the marketing promised she’d be) would give this new DC Universe a chance to find its footing with me. Unfortunately, while I do think it’s a slightly more grounded movie than Superman, it’s also one that simply oozes mediocrity from start to finish.
This is one of those movies that’s never offensively bad enough to make you angry, but it’s also never good enough to make you care. By the time the credits rolled, my overwhelming feeling wasn’t disappointment as much as indifference. Though to be fair, I’d be lying if I claimed to have been excited in the first place. It’s the kind of superhero movie that exists for two hours, entertains you in spurts, and then immediately begins evaporating from your memory. I honestly think even my “normie” friends, the ones who don’t spend every week watching new movie news like I do, will struggle to remember much about this one by the end of the year.
Milly Alcock is easily the movie’s greatest asset. She has charisma, vulnerability, and enough screen presence that you can absolutely see why Gunn cast her in the role. Even when the screenplay gives her very little to work with emotionally, she commits to Kara as someone who’s still trying to figure out where she belongs. She deserves a much stronger script because there are glimpses of a genuinely compelling Supergirl performance buried in here, the one the marketing promised. If the franchise continues, I have no doubts she’ll continue growing into the role.
The biggest problem is that almost everything surrounding her feels painfully generic. The supporting ensemble is populated by characters that barely leave an impression, and the villain may end up being one of the most forgettable comic book movie antagonists in the genre’s film history. Nobody has much personality beyond fulfilling whatever function the plot requires, and as a result there are very few meaningful relationships for Kara to bounce off of. The emotional beats that are supposed to land simply don’t because the film never gives these characters enough depth for us to become invested.
Even more frustrating is that the movie hints at ideas that could have elevated it beyond standard superhero fare. There are darker themes involving grief, exploitation, and even sex trafficking that briefly emerge throughout the story, and for a moment it feels like the film might actually have something interesting to say. Instead, those ideas are mostly brushed aside in favor of another routine comic book adventure. The result is that the emotional resolutions don’t feel earned because the movie never commits enough time to exploring the heavier material it introduces.
The action is another major disappointment. This is Supergirl. You have a Kryptonian who can fly across planets, punch through mountains, and unleash spectacular displays of power. Yet Craig Gillespie directs the majority of these sequences with surprisingly little energy or enthusiasm. Outside of a handful of larger set pieces that are admittedly entertaining, the action feels oddly weightless and stale. For a character capable of Dragon Ball Z level spectacle, the choreography and visual storytelling rarely inspire any excitement.
Speaking of Gillespie, this is probably the most disappointing aspect of the entire production. He’s directed far better films than this such as I, Tonya and Cruella, and here it feels like he’s trying to imitate James Gunn’s style rather than bringing his own voice to the material. The soundtrack needle drops in particular feel like a poor man’s version of what Gunn and even Gillespie in his own films have popularized over the last decade, but without the personality or confidence that makes those moments work. Instead of feeling organic, they often come across as a stylistic crutch. It’s unfortunate because Gillespie has previously demonstrated he can inject projects with genuine attitude and energy, but almost none of that comes through here.
I don’t think Supergirl is a complete disaster. I don’t even think it’s an awful movie. There are enough entertaining moments, Alcock gives the material everything she has, and every now and then the movie reminds you of the fun that a cosmic Supergirl adventure can offer. But those moments are simply too infrequent to overcome an aggressively generic screenplay, forgettable characters, uninspired action, and direction that lacks any real identity.
More than anything, Supergirl feels like a movie content with checking boxes instead of carving out its own personality. In an era where comic book movies desperately need to justify their existence beyond simply expanding a cinematic universe, that’s probably the biggest criticism I can make. Nothing about this film feels essential. It isn’t awful enough to become infamous, nor is it memorable enough to become beloved. It simply exists. It is the definition of a movie I have to give a C+ grade to.
“TL;DR”
Pros: Milly Alcock is shining as best as she can with the material given to her; Has its (rare) moments of fun and big action set pieces
Cons: The supporting ensemble is hampered by a very forgettable villain and just as forgettable side characters; The action is directed very stale and exudes no excitement even with the incredible powers our protagonist has; Very generic story that gives it no personality that will make it stand out compared to other superhero flicks; Hints at darker themes like sex trafficking and grief that are not given much time and thus the resolutions lack any real triumph; Director Craig Gillespie is putting on a poor man’s showing of what he pulled off with previous films of his by making this is a soundtrack-based film
