“Supergirl,” the latest entry into the DC Studios slate of films at Warner Bros., is more than a serviceable piece of cinematic entertainment.
With Milly Alcock (“House of the Dragon”) taking on the “S” symbol of the House of El, it proves to be an action-packed banger on its surface.
But it goes deeper into the Krypton and Superman mythology to present a complicated character in Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Alcock).
In “Superman” last year, director-writer James Gunn affirmed that Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman (David Corenswet) was indeed a scarlet-and-blue boy scout. The character isn’t terribly complicated, which through the years has been both appealing and a detriment.
Kara, isn’t quite a girl scout or Brownie. In fact, she’s brooding, dark and, to a certain degree, lost. Unlike her older cousin, she had an anchor to her Kryptonian culture. She grew up with her parents Zor-El (David Krumholtz) and Alura (Emily Beecham) and lived in Argo City, a metropolitan area her father managed to save for years before it became evident it was doomed due to Kryptonite radiation.
Her father sends an almost adult Kara along with her dog Krypto to Earth to be with her cousin, who’s only known life in Kansas and Metropolis.
It’s difficult for her to adjust to having powers and expectations. In fact, she chooses to spend much of her time on planets where she can just be “normal” experiencing life, getting drunk and sleeping in.
Of course, that doesn’t last for her when she’s drawn into the life of Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a young woman looking to avenge her family’s death at the hands of a group of misogynistic renegades who take what they want, including young women to serve as “brides” to further keep their dreams of a male-only race going.
How is she drawn in? The leader of that group, Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), looking to steal Kara’s ship after his is destroyed, shoots Krypto, the only thing in her life that has been consistent since the destruction of her home. She has three days to track down Krem, get the antidote and save her best friend. Because of her situation, her goals are aligned with Ruthye she reluctantly agrees to help her.
Along the way, she is forced to confront the demons that still haunt her and why she’s so unwilling to embrace what her cousin wants and expects of her.
In that regard, we’re given a character with more nuance that is reminiscent of the first portrayals of Superman by Henry Cavill in director Zack Snyder’s version of that character.
Alcock proves to be compelling in developing the character that is longing for what she once had, but also yearning to fit in somewhere. She imbues Kara with strength, but also a sense of vulnerability that grows more obvious throughout the film. She’s the standout.
That emotional, sometimes heavy performance anchors the film. There is some fun to be had, however, as Lobo (Jason Momoa), an intergalactic bounty hunter and comic book favorite shows up as an unlikely ally. He brings bombastic energy to the proceedings, not that the film really needs that, but it certainly isn’t unwelcome as it lightens the film’s tone when he’s on screen.
Craig Gillespie (“Dumb Money,” “Cruella”) directs from a script from Ana Nogueira and shows a keen sense of what makes the character click – the feelings of loneliness and isolation – and plays to those strengths, using that to help Kara evolve.
However, the script and its surprise ending do not shy away from the aftereffects of Kara’s journey. Together, Gillespie and Nogueira craft an entertaining, yet introspective superhero film. “Supergirl” gives Gunn’s version of the DC Universe its second consecutive big screen hit.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
Review
Movie: “Supergirl”
Cast: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, David Corenswet, Eve Ridley
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action, language, and smoking.
Grade: B
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Milly Alcock delivers nuanced turn in ‘Supergirl’ | Review
Reporting by George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
