Craig Gillespie's interplanetary caped-crusader action saga 'Supergirl' struggles to take flight, delivering a lacklustre and messy attempt to revive Superman's cousin as a viable canonical hero. Despite Milly Alcock's sharp-edged performance, the end result is more tedious than entertaining.
Storyline and Plot Details
The slim storyline, largely based on the 2021 DC comic series 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow', follows Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) as she reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an interstellar journey of vengeance and justice. Kara is mostly inebriated and pissed off at the world while nursing her loss, often seen smashed while listening to music at different watering holes on planet Holzherr. Her powers get supercharged by the Sun, and Superman occasionally video calls her from Metropolis, supportive enough to lend her a suit. Her mission includes saving her beloved terrier Krypto, tangling with Delilah (Emily Piggford) and Elias Knoll's (Ferdinand Kingsley) orphaned teen daughter Ruthye (Eve Ridley) who seeks revenge, and overcoming a vicious supervillain named Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts). Jason Momoa plays a badass, immortal bounty hunter named Lobo, whose allegiance is mostly to himself.
Narrative and Editing Issues
There's not much of an origin story here, just recurring flashbacks referring to teenage Kara's parents (David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham) attempting to send their reluctant daughter to Earth. The film feels like it got chopped ruthlessly in the editing room, with a scrappy fragmented narrative that distracts more than attracts. This second outing from James Gunn's DC Studios has a punk vibe, but the action flies all over space, jumping and stuttering around when not moving at a blistering pace. Both Krem of the Yellow Hills and Lobo feel like they've jumped ship from 'Mad Max: Fury Road', but the 'Mad Max' grunge mixed with 'Guardians of the Galaxy' trappings feels out of place.
Script and Character Development
Ana Nogueira's script lacks imagination and is devoid of any distinguishing feature. The flashback sequences are the only ones that generate any emotion; the rest of the film merely stumbles along to completion. Corenswet's Clark Kent/Superman has very few scenes with Alcock's Kara Zor-El, so there's not much scope for leveraging Superman's popularity to boost Supergirl's. The aliens don't look personable either, with little to do other than being mechanical in the scheme of things. Schoenaerts' Krem, though physically daunting, doesn't come across as a well-written character. Lobo has even less to do, so Momoa's presence is largely wasted. Only Alcock is able to mark her entry into the superhero franchise with a spunky, edgy performance that will ensure continuity, provided DC, Universal, and Warner Brothers are willing to go in for a sequel.
Visuals, Score, and Action Choreography
The visuals have a grunge look. The tone is unsteady and the momentum stutters because of the disjointed narrative spiel. Claudia Sarne's score lends an electronic beat to the action, and the assorted music playlist does lend the film a youthful vibe. However, there's nothing special about the action choreography, with most fights looking uninspired and generic. The special effects work is also rather pedestrian.
Conclusion
This underwhelming science-fiction adventure fails to deliver thrills or excitement. Therefore, it's quite unlikely to rake in profits the way Gunn-Corenswet's 'Superman' did.
