‘Supergirl’ review: A solid follow-up to ‘Superman’ that could really use more Lobo

Supergirl It is the second full movie of James Gunn Studios in DC He is switching gears from last year Superman To focus on his younger cousin Kara. Millie Alcock replaces the Kryptonian. Up until now, Supergirl has mostly existed on the small screen, thanks CW series.

This iteration of Supergirl exists in the same stylistic space as Guardians of the Galaxy. Kara, like Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), lives in an analog world where her surroundings are gritty, lively, and tactile — a stark contrast to the colorful world of Metropolis, where Clark Kent resides.

Kara and Star-Lord feel cut from the same cloth, from the way they dress and their preference for vintage headphones to their sarcastic interactions with others. They both also display rough, self-deprecating exteriors shaped by various traumas.

As seen in the Guardians trilogy, Star-Lord creates a family that exists, giving his life meaning and purpose. On Supergirl, the only family Kara has — aside from her “nerdy” older cousin (her words, not mine) — is her loyal dog, Krypto. It doesn’t take long before his life is in danger, sending her on an intergalactic mission to save him.

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Alcock stars alongside Eve Ridley, who plays young Ruthie, a girl who recruits Kara on a dangerous mission of revenge. Jason Momoa He’s an absolute blast as the famous immortal bounty hunter Lobo, while Matthias Schoenaerts plays the evil Krem of the Yellow Hills. (Spoiler: He doesn’t have a mustache.) If you’re familiar with the comic book Supergirl: Woman of TomorrowThese names should ring a bell. If not, don’t worry: the film strays from the source material enough to make it an enjoyable ride regardless.

David Corenswet pops up here and there, connecting Craig Gillespie’s film with Superman, but it’s mostly about Millie Alcock. And her dog, Krypto, is the key to the entire plot.

When I wrote about Superman last year, I revisited the idea of ​​it Kindness was the new punk rock. It was a refreshing theme that continued throughout the film. Supergirl doesn’t go there.

Instead, the lesson here is simply to be good in a world that can often be unfair, cruel, and unkind.

Through her journey with Ruthie, whose sole mission is to kill Karim, we witness stunning flashbacks to her life on Krypton. Unlike Kal-El, who was shipped off the planet as a child, Kara enjoyed childhood there. As the planet begins to collapse, the film explores the traumatic aftermath of watching her family slowly die as she is sent away to a new planet, never to see her home or her loved ones again.

This is where Krypto comes in. This little ball of brave and loyal energy was a highlight of Superman. In Supergirl, his backstory is revealed, making his role in Kara’s life even more important. She found him on Krypton, making him her physical link to home. He is also her closest loved one and most trusted friend, making the dog the embodiment of the house itself.

With three days to save his life, Kara travels to a variety of planets – by ship, on a heavy space bus, and through other means – to track down Karim. Along the way, she forms a relationship with Ruthie, fights alongside the wise Lobo and rescues a boatload of young girls from Cream after learning that his crew is kidnapping them as brides to spread their all-male species.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because a similar story was explored in Mad Max: Fury Road. In fact, almost everything about Creem’s crew screamed Mad Max at me. I didn’t mind the homage, but the way this particular plot point was handled seemed a little unoriginal.

Performance-wise, Alcock is fantastic as Kara. She deftly balances the weight of her character’s tragic backstory with a steady stream of witty quips and displays of transcendent bravery. The film begins with Kara on a bending machine, drifting aimlessly through space without any sense of purpose. Eventually, she finds a friend in Ruthie (played with emotional tenacity) and the confidence needed to fight crime alongside her older cousin.

It’s safe to say that most reviews of Supergirl you’ll read will rave about Jason Momoa’s role as Lobo. My only issue with his performance is that there just wasn’t enough of it. Every time he walked out of the frame, I wanted the camera to follow me. We hope they do Lobo independent film It is happening.

Schoenaerts’s take on Karim is an extreme exercise in villainy. I’m sure some will complain about the way the bad guy is portrayed. I didn’t mind it, really. After all, this is a sci-fi comic book movie. However, just like the Mad Max details I mentioned above, his performance kept reminding me of Christopher Plummer’s role as General Chang in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – except much more brutal and without the Shakespeare quotes.

I suppose my point is that Supergirl feels like a collection of ideas inspired by other things, repackaged into something new here. Combined with Gunn’s signature move of making every bombastic fight sequence fueled by some form of pop music, I found myself checking it out more than once.

Maybe it’s because Craig Gillespie has never directed a film of this caliber before. This may be due to random distortion of the text. For all its fun visuals and deeper emotional plot points, Supergirl ultimately felt like a walking movie without fully and honestly living in the hero’s shoes.

This doesn’t mean it’s not good. The movie absolutely is. But he’s not on the same level as Superman, and that’s okay. Supergirl has the pacing, emotional stakes, action sequences, and needle drops that will keep audiences entertained.

Just don’t expect the end credits scene – James Gunn doesn’t like those.