Superman was hailed as the movie that put DC back on the map, and the expectation was that Supergirl would capitalise on DC Studios' newfound momentum with a cosmic adventure serving as the DCU's answer to Guardians of the Galaxy. Instead, it's worse than The Marvels (by some margin) and as bad a DC movie as Suicide Squad, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, or Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The DCEU is back, bastiches! Well, hopefully not.
Directed by Craig Gillespie from a script by Ana Nogueira, Supergirl is a very loose adaptation of the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic book that strips away its meaning, emotional impact, and breathtaking visuals. What's left is a by-the-numbers story that jumps around without ever really having much to say about anyone or anything. Even Kara's journey from a red sun-seeking drunk to a superhero never feels earned, with her instead going from being stuck on a planet with a green sun, seemingly dying, to suddenly showing up suited and booted, and ready for a fight. But, hey, at least it's not as jarring as the shift from Ruthye Marye Knoll watching her family being killed to standing over their graves, one of many examples of this movie never letting a moment breathe or register with the audience.
The comic was a powerful story of friendship, revenge, and doing what's right. Nogueira's version is simplified so much that it's plain dumb, and it's reminiscent of movies like Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web in that respect. Supergirl never gives you a reason to care, and it's hard to say who it's aimed at. This Kara isn't an inspirational figure for the most part, and the swearing and violence don't exactly make this a film many parents will want to take their young daughter to. It's a grim tale, which, when all is said and done, didn't really need to be told. It adds little to the DCU, and as a solo outing for the Maid of Might, it never offers a compelling enough reason to justify why it even exists.
Supergirl's saving grace is Milly Alcock. Despite not having the strongest material to work with, the House of the Dragon alum is superb as the Woman of Tomorrow, effortlessly encapsulating Kara's messiness, trauma, and sheer ferocity. Frustratingly, she doesn't become "Supergirl" until the very end of the movie, an old superhero trope that rears its ugly head here due to the lack of complexity in the script. Still, James Gunn has long had an eye for casting, and Alcock is as well-suited to playing this character as David Corenswet is to being Superman. Hopefully, Man of Tomorrow gives the actress more to sink her teeth into.
Eve Ridley is fine as Ruthye. She lacks the acting experience to make the revenge-fuelled young woman truly feel wise beyond her years, but is convincing enough as someone the audience can fully believe is on a mission to kill the man who murdered her family. The less said about Matthias Schoenaerts's Krem of the Yellow Hills, the better. A one-note performance for a one-dimensional villain, he brings no pathos or energy to the role, and is as generic a bad guy as they come. Presumably, when it came to casting the role, "European accent," "would be a good fit for an Underworld movie," and "cheap" were DC Studios' only requirements. Jason Momoa is, well, Jason Momoa dressed as Lobo, and while his cameo is fun, this isn't a character anywhere near ready for his own spin-off. Honestly, it's all a bit lame, and unless you really, really like every other Momoa performance, Lobo probably won't be for you. On the plus side, David Corenswet is on top form as Superman.
Visually, Supergirl is an absolute bore. Washed out, drab, and lacking any of the dazzling visuals seen in the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic books—or Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, for that matter—nothing here will stick with you for very long. Cinematographer Rob Hardy provides the odd moment of excitement, with some great shots of Kara taking flight that are objectively better than much of what we saw in Superman. And, terrible song choice aside, the final battle is pretty thrilling at points.
Beyond that, Gillespie's direction is largely uninspired, with action scenes lacking in variety and originality. The editing is also extremely choppy, as if a relentless series of camera cuts was somehow meant to make what we're seeing on screen look anything other than sleep-inducing. It's hard to believe that the filmmaker behind Fright Night, I, Tonya, and Cruella is responsible for Supergirl. However, it's less a result of his inability to helm a big-budget project than his simply not being a good fit for the genre. Nogueira's script doesn't offer Gillespie many opportunities to take these characters to particularly exciting places, and the movie largely feels like it was butchered in the editing room. Similar to Captain America: Brave New World, it seems like scenes are missing or abruptly shortened just to hit a specific runtime. The movie's best scenes, flashing back to Kara's time in Argo City and her first meeting with Superman, are truncated, clumsily inserted into the narrative, and far too short. The few bright spots aside, Supergirl ultimately lacks style and substance, and beyond Alcock, it's not remotely memorable.
Claudia Sarne's score doesn't register. While the soundtrack offers plenty of opportunities for needle-drops, not a single song is good, and we can only assume the effort that went into choosing them boiled down to a near-60-year-old man asking his wife what young women like listening to and running with it. As a result, Supergirl is decidedly uncool.
Bad writing, gratuitous cameos, and uninspired visuals take us back to the bad old days of the DCEU in Supergirl, a showcase for the super-talented Milly Alcock, but Kryptonite to anyone who likes good superhero movies. ⭐⭐.5