3.5 out of 5 stars (above average)
Much like its titular character, Supergirl stumbles a bit out of the gate, but slowly reveals itself to be better than I initially expected. It’s a scaled-down, darker superhero movie that commits to a serious tone and purposefully makes its lead flawed and frustrating, but also one of the most human-feeling cape-wearers I’ve seen onscreen. Add Milly Alcock (House of The Dragon) nailing that lead role, some good action, and unabashed confidence in being comic-booky, and Supergirl is a bumpy yet solid flight of fantasy that hit me harder than expected.
Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) is partying off-planet with her dog Krypto to celebrate her 23rd birthday, numbing herself with booze and dodging calls from her cousin Clark/Superman (David Corenswet). When a young girl named Ruthye (Eve Ridley) arrives seeking assistance on a revenge quest against space pirate and human trafficker Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) for murdering her parents, Kara ignores her…. Until Krem crashes the party and poisons Krypto with a 3-day death serum before jetting off. Fueled by anger but not wanting Ruthye to go down a dark path, Kara joins her on a quest across the universe to get the antidote from Krem and grow up along the way.
I didn’t expect Supergirl to hit me how it did. Milly Alcock’s Kara is heavily flawed and initially unlikable, but Alcock makes her feel grounded and believable from beginning to end. Young Ridley is also good at conveying Ruthye’s driving anger and I like where the story leaves both characters. I wish more time was spent developing Kara and Ruthye’s relationship, but the actresses sold me on their bond anyway. It’s also refreshing to get a villain who’s evil because he’s evil. There are a few too many pop songs played at times, but they’re toe-tappers nonetheless. It played to me more as a dramatic sci-fi adventure with fun action than a superhero movie, but there’s plenty of spectacle if you just want some cool butt-kickery.
However, Supergirl resonated with me for its emotional honesty about the pain of loss and presenting its cape-wearer in a disarmingly human way. Most modern superhero movies either don’t give their leads flaws to overcome, or if they do, they’re resolved halfway through. This one keeps its heroine’s flaws central to the story and shows personal growth doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible if you work at it. Like Kara herself, the movie’s far from perfect, but it stands out from the crowded cape genre for those who want a different flavor of superhero story. Supergirl is dark, small-scale, and emotion-driven with a strong lead performance from Milly Alcock, fun action, and a refreshingly mature approach to its story. See it if you like sci-fi.
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Strong Violence, Action, Language, and Smoking