By Susan Granger
The era of DC Comics heroes dominating the box-office is officially over!
“Supergirl” is a colossal disappointment.
Briefly introduced in the epilogue of “Superman” (2025), Kal-El’s (David Corenswet) punky young cousin, Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), is also a survivor from the doomed planet Krypton.
But, unlike Clark Kent, Kara still remembers the language and culture of her home world since her parents (Emily Beecham and David Krumholtz) raised her on an outpost known as the floating city of Argo – until that too was destroyed – so young Kara was placed in a pod and shipped off to Earth with her beloved dog Krypto.
Still resentful about being transplanted, nomadic Kara celebrates her 23rd birthday by drinking far too much on a distant planet called Holzherr. Her solitary self-indulgence is interrupted when angry teenage Ruthye (Eve Ridley) announces that she’ll trade her father’s sword to whomever will help her kill Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), leader of the human-trafficking Brigands, who just slaughtered her entire family.
Disaffected Kara has little interest in joining this revenge quest until villainous Krem incapacitates Krypto with a particular poison for which only he has the antidote – that he carries in a little vial around his neck.
As the newest Caped Crusader, scrappy actress Milly Alcock (“House of the Dragon”), tossing her tousled blonde hair, does her best but everything seems to work against her. The chaotic, confused action scenes are photographed in a drab, murky brown haze – and the canine Krypto is obviously a CGI creation.
Based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” comic-book mini-series, this generic PG-13 spinoff about sex slavery was scripted by Anna Nogueria and directed by Craig Gillespie (“I, Tonya,” “Cruella”), who eventually dispatches help via a macho male motorcyclist a.k.a. cigar-chomping, intergalactic bounty-hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa).
FYI: Few movie-goers remember an earlier “Supergirl” (1984), directed by Jeannot Swarc, starring Helen Slater as Kara Zor-El with Brenda Vaccaro, Faye Dunaway & Peter O’Toole.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Supergirl” is a second-rate, flawed 4 – playing in theaters…thankfully, there’s no mid-or-post-credits scene to stick around for.
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Susan Granger
Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in Journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has appeared on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie critic for many years. Read all her reviews at susangranger.com.
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