James Gunn crafted a soft reboot of the DC Comics universe last summer with his pulpy Superman picture which featured a brief cameo from the Man of Steel’s chaotic cousin. Now, under the direction of Craig Gillespie, she is taking centre stage. Action adventure Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) as she drifts from one planet to the next, drinking heavily at dive bars and sleeping in what is essentially an intergalactic campervan. One evening she is approached by young orphan Ruthye (Eve Ridley) who asks for her help to take revenge on space pirate Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) after he and his gang brutally kill her family. Kara is initially hesitant to get involved but when her spaceship is hijacked and her beloved dog Krypto is attacked, she has her own score to settle.
In contrast to Gunn’s colour-popping aesthetic that reflected Clark Kent’s optimistic outlook, Gillespie’s narrative is shot with the impression of a sweaty, hangover haze. Its dark, greasy sheen works well for Kara’s story but just like our jaded, anti-hero protagonist, the sloppy script from Ana Nogueira is a hot mess. Our characters unite against the villain in standard CGI slop sequences but their motivations are also muddied. Each pursue their own personal vendettas so the storytelling sideline choice to have Krem sex-trafficking girls to fuel his male-only species feels like an unnecessarily offensive detail – especially in a 12A rated comic book adaptation that presents as a tale of solidarity and sisterhood.
Best known for her role in fantasy TV series House of the Dragon, this is the first leading turn for Alcock on the big screen. She possesses a compelling, laidback charisma and captures the essence of the reluctant superhero really well. It’s a shame she is mostly supported by weak archetypes. Jason Momoa plays Lobo, a cigar-smoking mercenary that appears to have ridden in from the background of a Mad Max film, and the often brilliant acting ability of Matthias Schoenaerts is hidden away behind Krem’s mask of make-up and facial piercings. British teen breakthrough Eve Ridley is also let down by the writing, reduced to a victim lacking in the agency to fight back.
It’s mildly entertaining thanks to a fun and interesting central performance from Milly Alcock, but Craig Gillespie’s faux-feminist take on Supergirl falls short on style and leaves a lot to be desired in its dodgy plotting and flimsy characterisation. If producer James Gunn is steadying the cinematic ship of DC Comics, this instalment needs a life raft.
Cinema Perspective 