We were huge fans of the original 1984 Supergirl film, starring Helen Slater. We were super excited to see that Kara Zor-El was getting her own movie within the brand new DCU led by James Gunn. So much so that we saw it on opening night in theaters.
As always we balance our review by breaking it down into the categories of story, acting, and overall. So let’s jump on into it.
Story 6/10
The story takes place on Kara’s 21st birthday, years after she arrived on Earth from Argo, the last city of Krypton. Kara is suffering from a lot of angst and emotional baggage from watching her parents slowly die as a result of kryptonite poisoning, a fate befalling all who live in Argo, the last city of Krypton. Her parents, trying to protect them from their fate send her to be with her cousin on Earth.
Being nearly a full adult while handling the destruction of her people’s last city, and everything and everyone she has cared for, has placed quite a toll on Kara’s mentality. While Clark wants to try to help her through, and hopes guide her on Earth, it’s not been enough to help Kara through her pain.
At the same time as Kara is drinking her way through Red Sun planets while celebrating her birthday, a mercenary by the name of Krem kills all but one, Ruthye, from a family to claim their superior weapons to use against others. This forces Ruthye to seek vengeance, which places her right in Kara’s unwilling path.
Kara, dealing with a pain that has no target, and no resolution, at first rebuff’s helping Ruthye. However, at no fault of Ruthye, Kreme looking for a way to escape the planet, that by chance they are both on steal’s Kara’s ship, and when Krypto, the other last survivor from Argo, tries to stop him. He poisons Krypto leaving him weak and dying on a Red Sun planet.
Now Kara’s only hope to save him, is to hunt down Krem, and find the antidote where ever he is keeping it.
The story is not too deep, it leaves more room for the emotional angst and suffering that Kara has endured to be explored, as well as very well placed, but not too long, flashbacks into Kara’s past. There is a connection between Kara wanting to protect Ruthye from going too far down a road she can’t return from, while also partially jealousy that Ruthye has a target to aim at, for all her pain. This is something that Kara doesn’t have.
Additionally, the crippling of Krypto allows Krem to become the target for all of Kara’s rage.
This is not the most deepest of superhero origin stories, but this is a great job utilizing story from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, while also creating a self-contained story that does not require further exploration, and help set up who Supergirl is as a person in the world of the DCU.
Acting 9/10
Eve Ridley, who plays Ruthye is fine in her role. She’s supposed to be whiny, a little annoying, but a role you can understand from the pain that she suffers. That being said, she does end up becoming frustrating, since if she had just listened several times, the story could have been, potentially, concluded faster. But that’s what the character design is all about, so Ridley did an acceptable job in this role.
David Corenswet does a great job showcasing the sweet and simple aspects of the character of Superman’s Kansas raised life, while also utilizing every single second of his appearance in this film to re-solidify and re-showcase the hope that Superman embodies in the DCU.
Matthias Schoenaerts, who plays Krem, does an admiral job playing the dasterdly figure, but ultimately is just bland enough to allow us to focus more on Kara’s journey, as apposed to his villainous actions, and what ever might be their reasoning.
Jason Momoa recast from Aquaman to become Lobo is incredibly fun. He steals every scene he is in, and plays like it must be Momoa’s dream personified. The only thing I can say negatively about his representation, is that Momoa, being as old as he is, he is a little bit wider than I expected Lobo to be in the torso, whereas a Momoa in earlier years, probably would have done a much better job physically representing the character. But this is only a minor gripe as Jason Momoa kills it as Lobo.
Milly Alcock does a wonderful job playing the title role of Supergirl. She has the ability to convey her quiet rage and sorrow through the series. All accumulating with a wonderful scene in space where her frustrations grow and she screams to let out all of her rage in a place without sound. On top of that, watching her character indure and suffer as her parents died from kryptonite poisoning, just to see her fight through the exact same condition as she knows she will likely die, was a powerful moment for the character.
I also loved watching, the CGI over the top, fight scene in which she is fully able to use her powers to not only save the day, but also save the morality, and soul of Ruthye and preventing her from killing Krem.
Overall 7.5/10
This film is not going to be Citizen Kane, but it is wonderful and fun film that stands out in a sea of superhero films. It is not the traditional slop that we’re used to getting, and it’s definitely enjoyable enough to stand out on its own. But people need to realize what it is before going to the theater.
Conner’s Final Thoughts
If you love animals and really enjoy the character of Krypto, I will let you know. Right now SPOILER: The Dog Lives, but seeing an animal be placed in peril for the stake of story, can be a little bit much for some people. So before you head to the theaters to see this movie, please keep in mind that a dog is hurt, but does ultimately live.
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