Supergirl

Supergirl (Milly Alcock) tries to save her dog in Supergirl (Distributed by Warner Bros.)

The DC Universe reboot began in earnest last year with the release of Superman. It was a throwback attempting to change the former DCEU to the DCU and switch the tone of the studio to something closer to that of the more popular (if a little wobbly) MCU. It kind of worked. The movie was generally well-received and was a financial success. The follow-up, Supergirl, a spinoff about Superman’s cousin, is, in some ways, more interesting. It is a hero’s journey about a woman who just wants to be left alone to drink away her pain. Much different than the previous movie’s cookie-cutter super-heroism. Of course, she is drawn into a situation that forces her to accept her destiny.

It is a slightly more adult approach, dealt with in the same teenager-friendly way all of these big summer franchises are these days. The focus, as expected, is on warmed-over wisecracks and lots of chaotic action where you can’t really see what’s going on. What keeps it watchable throughout is a very likable lead performance from Milly Alcock. It made me want to see her in something much calmer, where she actually has a chance to craft a real character.

Supergirl (102 minutes, minus the end credits) is what it is. DC is trying to expand their universe carefully, with a protagonist different from Superman, while not straying too far from him. He appears quite a bit here, making for a safer transition. It also makes it feel like they are using this to setup next year’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. The best thing about it is it doesn’t get bogged down by a ton of characters. Supergirl’s arc is the centerpiece. It may be familiar and predictable, yet at least she is allowed to be the star of her own movie. If only it were a better one.

Kara Zor-El, known as Supergirl on Earth, has no interest in her cousin’s way of life. She would rather travel the galaxy with her dog, Krypto, and drown her grief in alcohol. When Krypto is fatally poisoned, Kara reluctantly teams up with a revenge-minded kid to find the antidote.

DC is still trying to establish its identity. Since it is now being shepherded by James Gunn, the architect of the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy series, that is the approximate tone it is searching for: serious themes handled lightly and cushioned with lots of humor and CGI action. In order for this style to work, the audience needs heroes they can connect with. Supergirl does have one.

Milly Alcock is very charming here, whether she is being self-destructive or taking charge. Though her story is nothing new (good person loses faith, detaches from world, then rediscovers their purpose via an unlikely source), Alcock sells it. She proves she can carry a summer blockbuster. If only the movie around her was good. Unfortunately, if (when?) it bombs, the blame will fall on her.

Director Craig Gillespie does okay with pacing, even if the structure is a bit off. That seems more like a problem with the screenplay, the feature debut of Ana Nogueira. She tried to streamline the plot, making it all circle back to Kara. However, none of the pieces apart from Kara generate any intrigue. The villain is a one-dimensional murderer. Kara’s sidekick, a young girl determined to kill the villain, is an annoying plot device. Superman shows up a few times with little to do, almost like he was thrown in out of fear that people wouldn’t come to see a female superhero.

The big hype during production was centered around Jason Momoa as morally bankrupt bounty hunter Lobo. It turns out to be a small role and not a particularly entertaining one at that. Momoa seems to be having a great time, but the character exists in a totally different movie (probably the Lobo spinoff they are hoping for). He adds nothing to the main story and isn’t fun to watch.

I suppose that is the problem here: despite Alcock’s best efforts, Supergirl isn’t fun to watch. It is fine at what it tries to do, I just wish it tried to do something else.

2½ out of 5

Cast:

Milly Alcock as Supergirl

Eve Ridley as Ruthye

Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem

David Corenswet as Superman

Jason Momoa as Lobo

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Written by Ana Nogueira