Supergirl is clearly influenced by the work of James Gunn, who's a producer on the film. (He also directed last year's Superman). There are scenes very reminiscent of his Guardians of the Galaxy movies in the form of strange-looking aliens, otherworldly planets and a main character who constantly listens to music on headphones. There's even a cage of young women and girls who have been taken hostage for nefarious purposes, similar to the young children held captive in cages in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
The entire movie has more of a Star Wars feel than a Superman movie. Superman operates mostly on Earth, whereas Supergirl (a.k.a. Kara Zor-El) travels from planet to planet.
Kara could be unlikable – unlike her cousin Clark Kent (David Krumholtz), who sees the good in people and devotes his life to helping them, Supergirl enjoys drinking to excess and dancing to loud music. She purposely travels to a planet where she has no powers to enjoy drinking herself into a stupor.
However, as played by Milly Alcock, Kara Zor-El is extremely likable -- even lovable. Even at Supergirl’s worst, the audience can't help but root for her. Milly, whom you may know from the miniseries Sirens, in which she played a tightly wound young woman, or House of the Dragon, in which she played young Rhaenyra Targaryen, deftly portrays Supergirl's vulnerability, her strength and her love for her adorable dog Krypto, who can do no wrong, even when he’s waking her up from a night of heavy drinking by wagging his tail in her face. She's an outstanding, natural actress who's already played a wide diversity of characters before the age of 25.
When an orphaned girl turns up needing help, Supergirl mutters, “Not my circus, not my monkey,” and puts it out of her mind. However, there’s a shift when the girl is threatened -- Supergirl can’t stop herself from jumping in to help.
We also get to see Supergirl's backstory – where and how she was raised and how she wound up on Earth in her early teens, speaking not a word of English and meeting her friendly cousin for the first time. It's a huge culture shock for her and she winds up rebelling against the responsibility she's been given.
There are only two times in which Supergirl and Superman are actually together, and they're two of the best scenes in the film, which leads me to believe that a film teaming them up would be incredibly entertaining. Regrettably, there are no extras -- during or after the credits -- to give us an idea of what new adventures are waiting for Supergirl or Superman.
If you're a fan of James Gunn’s movies, superheroes, and/or Milly Alcock, you're sure to enjoy Supergirl. ~Alexandra Heilbron
4 out of 5 stars
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