In the age of streaming, almost every big-budget theatrical release from a major studio feels like it has the weight of the world on its shoulders. Supergirl shouldn’t feel that way, but it does feel weighed down by its own internal issues so much that it feels like a stumble on the road to potential greatness for producer James Gunn’s DC Comics adaptations. It’s enjoyable enough, especially in its first half, but I would say the culprit for the movie’s missing oomph is director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Cruella), who has sadly turned into a very workmanlike director over the past several years. The word “workmanlike” is not always used as an insult in film criticism, but in this case, I’m using it at least near insult territory.
Supergirl steadily loses its personality as it goes on. The Gunn-inspired quirky/dark humor and pathos of its first half gives way to what is often a very somber film. There’s obviously nothing wrong with giving any comic book character more pathos; my nerdy self is the last person to make that argument. But Supergirl so blatantly forgets to be fun that, like Gillespie’s direction, it loses all flavor. Milly Alcock is wonderful in the title role, but she and the general structure of the script by Ana Nogueira are fully carrying this movie throughout. There are no truly inspired action sequences, no jokes that you’ll be able to remember after the film ends, and certainly nothing approaching the stunningly grounded feeling of Superman and Lois Lane’s heated argument in last year’s Superman.
That’s not to say there’s nothing at all to like about the film outside of its star. Although its pacing and tonal balance suffer for it, I like that the film explores Kara Zor-El’s (Supergirl’s Kryptonian name) forced exit from her family unit for her own safety and how that has impacted her. Having actually grown up on Krypton, the trauma of losing her planet and her parents has turned her into a hard-drinking, all-too-introverted mess. Her cousin Kal-El (a.k.a. Superman; David Corenswet) never lived on Krypton, and therefore doesn’t carry that weight around with him. I like the distinction the film draws between the two characters, and how it explains why Kara doesn’t take on the same responsibilities as her cousin from the jump. She has been invited to make a permanent home in Metropolis, but chooses to live off-Earth. When Kara meets Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a young girl from another alien race struggling after the death of her family, she reluctantly agrees to find the people responsible for their murder, but only after they endanger her superdog, Krypto.
A main villain and an antihero round out the cast. Matthias Schoenaerts is completely unrecognizable as Krem, who sets the record for most face piercings on any character in movie history. Krem is a child trafficker, openly calling his victims child brides to serve his all-male alien race. Jason Momoa finds himself in a new DC universe as Lobo, a motorcycle-driving mercenary and bounty hunter from the planet Czarnia, whose population was almost completely wiped out by his hand. Outside of a few decent jokes from Lobo, my brief descriptions of these characters are really as much depth as they get in the film. Even with such potentially colorful antagonists, Supergirl seems to not want to give itself too much personality.
Another thing Supergirl doesn’t want to do is make the audience feel like Kara is invincible. It’s a noble goal, but it simply takes her out of the game too many times. Thus, part of the film’s lack of personality is that we don’t get to see Supergirl kick butt that often. I think the film’s heart is in the right place, but I just wish it would have allowed itself to let loose. It would still certainly have had pacing issues, but a better balance of fun and pathos would have really helped the film stand out amid a crowded summer. Sadly, Supergirl only flies high in fits and starts. | George Napper
