Supergirl (English) Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley
Director: Craig Gillespie
Supergirl Movie Review Synopsis:
SUPERGIRL is the origin story of a superhero and her unlikely companion. Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) is hopping from planet to planet and is on a drinking spree as she tries to run away from her haunted past. Her cousin, Kal-El aka Superman (David Corenswet), regularly messages her, asking when she’ll return to Earth to live with him. During her 23rd birthday week, Kara stops at Planet Holzher. Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), a resident of the planet, is devastated after the Brigand leader, Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), murders her entire family. She seeks revenge and asks for help. In return, she is willing to part with a prized possession – a sword designed by her deceased father, Elias Knoll (Ferdinand Kingsley). A creature attempts to steal the sword from Ruthye, but Kara, who happens to be present there, retrieves it from the thief. Ruthye then begins to pursue Kara, hoping that she’ll help her avenge her family. Kara, however, is not interested. Meanwhile, Krem steals Kara’s ship after his own spaceship is destroyed by Ruthye’s family. Before escaping, Krem also shoots Kara’s only companion, her dog Krypto, with a poisonous dart. Kara learns that Krypto has only three days to live and that he can survive only if she gets the antidote from Krem. Hence, Kara decides to pursue Krem, with Ruthye joining her so that she can take revenge. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Supergirl Movie Story Review:
Ana Nogueira's story is decent and largely follows the origin-story template. Ana Nogueira's screenplay, however, is a mixed bag. While a few scenes work well and have a quirky touch, several others don’t deliver the desired high and give a been-there-done-that feeling. The dialogues are fine, though some of the one-liners are genuinely funny and one wishes there were more such moments.
Craig Gillespie's direction is decent. He keeps the runtime in check and makes a sincere attempt to infuse the film with emotional as well as entertaining moments. The film begins on an interesting note, and the manner in which Kara and Ruthye meet sets the mood well. Krypto becoming the catalyst for Kara to go after Krem is also handled nicely. The character of Lobo (Jason Momoa) is hilarious and brash, and he adds considerably to the film’s madness.
On the flipside, SUPERGIRL suffers from superhero fatigue, that is, there have been so many films in this genre over the years that, despite the best efforts, the goings-on seem cliched. The quirky side of the film doesn't come out properly and looks like a poor man's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Another plot point of women being imprisoned seems straight away lifted from MAD MAX. The villain is one-dimensional and doesn't induce fear, except in the entry scene.
Supergirl Movie Review Performances:
Milly Alcock rises above the minuses in the script and delivers a performance which is authentic, subtle and yet effective. Eve Ridley performs as expected and puts up a great act. Jason Momoa enhances the film with his menacing and badass act. David Corenswet is decent and doesn’t have much to do. Matthias Schoenaerts’s act suffers from poor characterization. David Krumholtz (Zor-El) and Emily Beecham (Alura In-Ze) do very well as Supergirl's parents. Clara Rosager (Blue Sklarian Raider), Thalissa Teixeira (Mareck) and Kadiff Kirwan (Bomar) lend able support.
Supergirl movie music and other technical aspects:
Claudia Sarne's music is entertaining. Rob Hardy's cinematography provides grandeur to the film. Michael Mooney and Anna B Sheppard's costumes are appropriate. Neil Lamont's production design is classy. The VFX is satisfactory while the action is family-friendly. Tatiana S Riegel and Fred Raskin's editing could have been more coherent.
Supergirl Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, SUPERGIRL rests on Milly Alcock’s sincere performance, a few quirky moments, and Jason Momoa’s entertaining act. However, the film is bogged down by a routine screenplay, superhero fatigue, a weak villain and a lack of truly memorable moments. At the box office, it will appeal mainly to DC fans, but its prospects are likely to be limited due to mixed word of mouth and the competition from other releases.