Milly Alcock's Supergirl joins forces with Eve Ridley's Ruthye to take on an evil intergalactic human trafficker in a film that refreshingly avoids the typical convoluted DC backstory.
A fresh take on the superhero genre
The sexual politics of perceived female maturity has long been a sticking point in this superhero series. Why Kara Zor-El is called "Supergirl" while Kal-El is "Superman," despite a minimal age difference, remains unclear. Even Friedrich Nietzsche used the gender-neutral term "Übermensch." The film pre-emptively raises this issue in an early scene, but the dialogue breaks off without resolution—perhaps a copyright issue, as if the spirit of Shirley Conran might barge in with lawyers and unstuffed mushrooms.
After a brief walk-on in last year's muddled Superman reboot, Supergirl now gets her own film, with 26-year-old Australian actor Milly Alcock leading. Rising British talent Eve Ridley plays gutsy alien teen Ruthye Marye Knoll, who teams up with Supergirl to avenge her father's death at the hands of Krem of the Yellow Hills, an odious intergalactic human trafficker who kidnaps women for breeding stock. Matthias Schoenaerts plays Krem with watchable relish. Supergirl also pursues Krem because he has taken her adorable dog Krypto—though sadly, Krypto doesn't yet have his own cape.
Standout performances and cameos
Jason Momoa turns in a cheerfully cigar-smoking man-mountain performance as Lobo the bounty hunter, schooled by Ruthye in how to escape from prison—the film's one clear feminist moment. David Corenswet's Superman appears in caring big-brother mode. A flashback to Supergirl's Krypton childhood and arrival on Earth shows her sorrowing parents Alura In-Ze and Zor-El, played by Emily Beecham and David Krumholtz, as they decide to give their daughter a chance at survival. Krumholtz's performance is so engaging that a prequel spin-off showcasing his comedy chops would be welcome.
A clear story without the usual clutter
It's a relief to see a DC superhero film that tells a clear story, without getting bogged down in tangled subsidiary material and boring backstory—including the unbearably dull issue of superheroes' relationship with the media. Alcock's Supergirl is jolted out of her torpid ennui: she wakes up late and hungover, dishevelled, sporting big goofy sunglasses like Kurt Cobain. In aerobatics, she favors rising vertically up and down with one knee slightly bent, rather than the classic horizontal flight mode with one fist out—perhaps considered lame these days. Supergirl isn't required to model a figure-hugging costume for the male gaze.
Supergirl isn't a perfect movie, but there are moments when you'll believe this franchise can fly. The film is out on 25 June in Australia and the UK, and 26 June in the US.
