More heart than heroics

Troy Ribeiro

Somewhere between a revenge western, a space odyssey and a coming-of-age fable, Supergirl attempts to give Superman’s celebrated cousin an identity distinct from inherited mythology. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the film follows Kara Zor-El as she reluctantly joins a young girl, Ruthye, on an intergalactic pursuit of the pirate Krem, a man responsible for unimaginable loss.

What gives the film its best shape is its refusal to treat heroism as a clean, shining inheritance. Instead, it leans into grief, displacement and the awkward business of becoming oneself in the shadow of a larger legend. The bond between Kara and Ruthye offers the story its emotional spine, and when the film slows down enough to let that relationship breathe, it hints at something richer than the usual comic-book machinery. The trouble is that the screenplay keeps reaching for more worlds, more creatures, more skirmishes, as though scale alone might substitute for depth. The result is lively, but uneven, with feeling often arriving just after the scene that needed it most.

Actors’ performance

Milly Alcock gives Kara a pleasingly unruly edge, balancing sarcasm, hurt and impatience without sanding down the character into generic nobility. She makes the heroine feel young, defensive and still in the process of becoming. Eve Ridley is equally effective as Ruthye, bringing conviction and plainspoken force to a role that could have been reduced to a plot device. Matthias Schoenaerts lends Krem a cold, threatening presence, though the script does not give him enough texture to rise above function. Jason Momoa, as Lobo, arrives like a gust of bad manners and comic swagger, and the film perks up whenever he is allowed to loiter in frame.

Music 

The visual design presents a galaxy filled with strange worlds, eccentric outlaws and weathered spacecraft. While the scale is impressive, much of the imagery feels functional rather than memorable. The action scenes are competently staged, though few leave a lasting impression. Claudia Sarne’s electronic score sustains the film’s pace effectively, lending urgency to sequences that occasionally threaten to drift.

FPJ verdict

Overall, the film may not soar consistently, but it glides just high enough to suggest better adventures ahead.

Title: Supergirl

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet and Jason Momoa

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: HH