***THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW.***
While heading to an early screening of SUPERGIRL there was muted excitement about it. Questions lingered like: What kind of movie is this? Can Milly Alcock step up and become a great Supergirl? Will Lobo have a big roll that continues forward? Who is the villain? What are the stakes? Does it connect with the larger DCU and Superman?
These questions were all answered.
In order to keep as much of the film a secret as possible, there will be a vagueness to these answers.
What kind of movie is this?
This film is a bit of a soft origin story for Supergirl and while it doesn't delve too far into origin story tropes, it does clue viewers in to Supergirl's past and how she came to Earth. However, the film itself falls flat overall because it really doesn't know what it is. Sometimes it feels like its part origin and sometimes it feels like it's trying to be a fun romp through space.
It also tries to tell a story about helping others and Supergirl's own character growth within the film but the motivations for this are quite a dud when it comes to the fact that Krypto is kneecapped for most of the film and is a big part of her motivation to grow and a person to help save her beloved dog.
Can Milly Alcock step up and become a great Supergirl?
While the movie is kind of a dud, Milly is fantastic as Supergirl and really owns the role. Everything that happens around her in this film is not the fault of her acting or performance and that blame needs to be put on the writer and director. Otherwise, she takes the role and runs with it and you will want to see what is next for her in the DCU.
Will Lobo have a big roll that continues forward?
Momoa was born to play Lobo. You can tell he is having a blast with it, however, his character is somewhat pointless and more of the calvary when needed in two moments of the movie. His involvement in the future of the DCU is unknown as there is no setup for what is coming next for him. Maybe we will see him again, but probably not as soon as fans might want since there is a lot of work needed to develop the character on the bog screen and as of right now he is more like fan service for the fans who have dreamed of seeing Lobo in live action.
Who is the villain?
Krem of the Yellow Hills. You might be thinking, who?! And yes he is pretty much a nobody and nothing more than a punching bag for our hero. Although his motivation needs to be called into question because he and his gang are going around to planets to kidnap girls, who are referred to as Brides, in order to keep his race of males going. We will not spend time talking about what that means as you can probably piece it together yourself and be disgusted about it on your own time.
What are the stakes?
The stakes are as simple as Supergirl meeting a girl who is out for revenge but with the added challenge of trying to help save Krypto. Along the way they meet Lobo who helps, but who is also nothing more than the calvary as said earlier. In the end, it's all about Supergirl maturing to become the hero she is destined to be.
Does it connect with the larger DCU and Superman?
In a way, yes. Mostly because some of the flashbacks include her meeting her cousin Superman for the first time and he is helping her adjust to her new life on Earth. Outside of that the inclusion of Lobo does mean he will most likely show up in a future DCU project but there wasn't much setup for next year's MAN OF TOMORROW Superman sequel and this was more of a standalone film.
Were there any credits scenes?
Not with the early press screener we were shown, but sometimes those are not shown in early screenings so you'll have to sit through the credits to see if they were added for the general release.
In the end, SUPERGIRL is a dud. It was not some game-changing film for the DCU and its future and it will not bring the excitement it needed to bring to the DCU. Which is unfortunate because while the movie will obviously get a tremendous amount of comparison to the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY franchise in many moments throughout the film, it really needed to be better than what the final outcome gives viewers.
A sequel for this will probably not happen, but you can bet Supergirl, Krypto, and Lobo will be seen again down the road in the DCU at some point.
Written and reviewed by Daniel Wolf, Founder and EIC
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