Alt-rock-altitude: ‘Supergirl’ soars superbly
By W. Derek Russell
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the punk-rock-hope delivered by last summer’s ’Superman,’ Milly Alcock’s ‘Supergirl’ has arrived to turn the DCU jukebox to a B-side; something a little grungier, a lot louder.
With her trench coat at her back and a hazy disposition to her front, Alcock’s Kara Zor-El isn’t feeling quite so super yet, and while she and her Kryptonian cousin Clark/Superman (David Corenswet) may have had similar destinations to Earth for survival, their trajectories were vastly different—which Alcock displays pitch-perfect, saddled as a cosmically-wayward wayfinder.
At her side, more often than not, is Eve Ridley’s Ruthye, a young girl whose revenge desire would rate a four on the Flying Grayson scale. Newcomer Ridley shines brightly among the gritty backdrops of alien worlds the duo navigate for very personal, yet overlapping reasons.
And as fate would have it, they cross paths with the immortal Lobo in a scene-slashing performance from recovering Aqua-holic Jason Momoa. Adding the brash and bodacious bounty hunter to his “fun” resume, Momoa is clearly having the time of his life here, whether the audience is or not. If the comic favorite character does return for future screentime, Lobo will definitely be to him what Beetlejuice was to Michael Keaton.
Ultimately, ‘Supergirl’ is as heart-driven as it is heartbreaking. It’s heroic and hilarious at times, however its weak attempt at villains and thinned-plot of its comic book counterpart are better left on the page. Those who enjoyed the film’s ‘Woman of Tomorrow’ source material may also enjoy a remix of the beloved tale, but diehards might find it hard to adapt to some of the swings Director Craig Gillespie’s film takes on comic writer Tom King’s original story. Time will tell where the film falls on the shoulders of the greater-emerging DC Universe, but it should be remembered for its sporadic tenderness in the face of the trauma bond underneath it all.
Those hoping for a boost of that much needed punk-rock-hope right now, however, need to adjust their cosmic sails for a different brand of truth and justice this go-around with the Maiden of Might. As she puts it, “[Superman] sees the good in everyone, and I see the truth.”
Still and yet, the elevated performances of Alcock and Ridley make this a worthy sophomore outing for the big screen side of the DCU—and if nothing else, excites this writer for what’s to come in next summer’s “Man of Tomorrow” with Alcock’s return.