Supergirl Review

“You know, we haven't been formally introduced. Hi. I'm the bitch whose dog you shot.” – Kara Zor-El

This is the second film in James Gunn’s relaunch of the DC movie universe, and I have to admit, I didn’t expect it to be as polarising as it has turned out to be. I thought Supergirl was an odd choice for the second film along, after a spectacularly strong start with Superman last year, but that introducing Supergirl at the end of the film was an ingenious taster for what was to come next.

Sadly, a lot of people have a different opinion and that’s okay. We’re never going to all like the same thing and that’s fair enough. It’s what makes for healthy debate. As long as you know what you’re talking about. A lot of the online critics (and I’m one of those, I know) are just making noise about this film, not having read the source material and with scant knowledge of the characters involved. But then, there’s always a degree of hostility concerning DC films, as so-called “fans” try and perpetuate the myth of a rivalry between DC fans and the Marvel fans. (“You can’t be a fan of both companies” I’m told. Oh, no? Watch me!) Okay, that’s my rant over – moving right along.

As ever, I’ll put my cards on the table and admit that I’ve never been what you’d call a Supergirl fan. Up until a few weeks ago, I had never picked up and read a Supergirl comic book. What I knew of her, I had picked up from reading titles where she showed up alongside characters that I was actually reading. Usually Superman. I was under the impression that she was basically a female version of her more famous cousin. Meek civilian identity and all. Then there was Supergirl, the 1984 film. Much as I liked Helen Slater in the title role, I physically cringed every time a hopelessly out of their depth Peter Cook or Brenda Vaccaro were on screen. The more recent TV series with Melissa Benoist lasted longer that I thought it should, being padded out with an abundance of virtue signalling among the supporting characters. So…yeah. This is where I’m coming from with my feeling that she was an odd choice for the second film in a huge budget tentpole series.

But that glimpse last year was enough to show audiences that THIS Supergirl wasn’t the all smiling, overly naïve, sweet natured, wholesome do-gooder we’ve previously seen. This one was a brusque, rude, attitudinal, kind of selfish early twenties but still adolescent, swearing, hard partying girl. The antithesis of her kind, thoughtful responsible and heroic older cousin.

A few months ago, in a comic book store, I bought Supergirl – Woman of Tomorrow, which collected the eight-issue miniseries that form the basis of the film and loved what I was reading. This wasn’t in any way the Supergirl character I read back in the sixties. This was mostly a moody grunge/emo kid involved in a classic Western story. Basically, Woman of Tomorrow is a retelling of True Grit, out in space. Ruthye is an alien girl whose father was killed in an act of cowardly betrayal by Krem of the Yellow Hills. She embarks on a quest to find a bounty hunter who’ll avenge her loss, and comes across Supergirl, drunk in a bar on a planet with a red sun where she has no powers (so that’s where she goes to get drunk on her birthday) and spends some time trying to convince the surly, off-duty superheroine to help her. In every way, this is True Grit, with Supergirl in the Rooster Cogburn role.

This basis would make for a very different take on the previously bland character. And believe me it does. Actress Milly Alcock nails this version of Kara/Supergirl with unwavering accuracy, as does Eve Ridley as Ruthye, the young alien girl wanting vengeance for her loss. Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts is everything you could ask in a cowardly, repugnant foe. And then there’s Jason Momoa in the role of Lobo.

In one of many differences between the source material and the film, Lobo makes his live action motion picture debut. He’s a long standing morally ambiguous character in the DC universe. A hard drinking, cigar chewing, chain wielding, mercenary bounty hunter and biker. And Jason Momoa plays him to absolute perfection. I’ve long said that when I saw Star Wars for the first time back in 1977, the film REALLY came to life when Han Solo arrives on screen. I’m saying the same here with Lobo – despite this being an inclusion by the film makers. Frustratingly, some of the online critics I’ve seen have no idea who Lobo is.

So long story short, Ruthye tries to recruit Supergirl to go after Krem. Cornered, Krem shoots Krypto with a poison dart in order to escape. Supergirl has three days to get the antidote which Krem keeps in a pendant around his neck and the chase in on. The pursuit will take them to several planets, some with red suns meaning no powers, some with yellow, so full powers – and one with a green sun which for Supergirl means death by radiation poisoning. (And to those other critics – this too is in the original story, try doing some research.)

As in the book, Krem joins The Brigands, a pirate-like gang of outlaws who plunder remote communities, but in the film they’re more like a biker gang, which dilutes the True Grit element, mixing it with a shot of turbo charged Furiosa type action.

As well as a fast paced episodic to a degree action adventure, this is very much a hero’s journey for Kara who starts off as a rough diamond with no direction, still bitter over the loss of her previous life and in no way sharing her more compassionate cousin’s moral compass. Superman will, as we saw, jump into harm’s way to save a squirrel. Kara however will kill. By the end of the film, her personality has altered.

All in all, a satisfying film with a few appearances from Superman (David Corunswet) that I gather leads us directly into next summer’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow, where we’ll see Supergirl alongside her cousin.

Oh – one last thing – there’s no sting during the end credits. Nothing, nada, zilch, zippo.

Rob Rating = 8