Plot: What’s it about?
Perhaps it was when I rediscovered my comic book collection from my teenage years or maybe it was when I was perusing my Blu-ray/4K collection of movies, but all of the sudden it hit me – there are a LOT of superhero movies. I’m talking…a lot. That’s not unexpected since superhero films have been around for decades and given the genre (and money-making potential) there will be more. Then again how many horror films are out there, comedies, dramas, and so forth? I’ve always been a fan of Marvel superheroes and we’ve got over 30 films and nearly a dozen TV series dedicated to them. DC heroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) have generally paled in comparison to the mighty MCU. So, with last year’s Superman’s success, we now have his cousin – Supergirl. I know nothing of her other than the film from the 1980’s and this a distant cry from that. So I went into this blind, just like director Craig Gillespie who refused to read any of the comics that inspired the film he was set to direct. That might have been his first mistake.
Milly Alcock plays Kara Zor-El and as any fan of Superman knows, she also hails from Krypton. As she awakens from yet another hangover, she continues to ignore the please from her cousin, Clark (David Corenswet) to come to Earth. Her attitude is put to the test when she teams up with a young lass by the name of Rutheye (Eve Ridley) to defeat a common enemy – Krum (Matthias Schoenaerts). He killed Rutheye’s family and shot Kara’s dog, the adorable Krypto, with a poison dart. Along their way they encounter a bounty hunter, Lobo (Jason Momoa) who helps them in their quest. If you’re expecting a clean cut, All-American fighting for “truth, justice and the American way” look elsewhere. Supergirl is a hard partier and a tough talker and she also has the powers of her cousin. If this is your cup of tea (or bottle of beer), enjoy.
Supergirl likely didn’t play out the way Warner wanted it to. It grossed $125 million worldwide on a budget of nearly $200. I can imagine the bean counters at WB were none too pleased with this. By comparison, the MCU continues to rake in the dollars. It’s hard to say what worked and what didn’t with this one. I, for one, enjoyed Alcock’s performance and having no real knowledge of the character, found parts hilarious. And I will say that the casting for Jason Momoa as Lobo is perhaps one of the most spot-on choices that I’ve seen. He was born to play this part. The major downfall of the film was that it didn’t take place on Earth which is what made James Gunn’s Superman so fun. Likely we’ll never see another installment and love it or loathe it, this one wasn’t as bad as I’d heard.
Video: How’s it look?
Warner’s 4K presentation of Supergirl is an impressive showcase for the film’s colorful, expansive visual design. Presented in Dolby Vision, this is a substantial upgrade in both clarity and dynamic range over standard high-definition presentation. Cinematographer Rob Hardy’s images have a polished but tactile quality, with fine detail remaining remarkably well defined throughout the film. Facial textures, hair, costumes, production design and the numerous alien environments all benefit from the additional resolution, while the image maintains a natural cinematic appearance rather than looking excessively sharpened or processed. In short, it looks flat out amazing, though not nearly as colorful as it could have considering it’s comic book origins.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Supergirl delivers a powerful Dolby Atmos soundtrack that makes excellent use of the home-theater environment, giving the film an expansive and highly energetic soundstage. The mix keeps dialogue clean and firmly anchored to the front channels, while Claudia Sarne’s score fills the room and helps establish a much larger sense of scale. The surround and height channels are particularly effective during the film’s action sequences, with flying sequences, spacecraft, explosions, weapons fire and environmental effects moving naturally around and above the listener rather than simply remaining concentrated at the front stage. Like the video presentation – this rocks.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The Making of Supergirl – Consider Supergirl a “Hero’s Journey” for Milly Alcock. She transformed throughout the process of leading her first feature film. We watch as a fly-on-the-wall during key moments of production.
- Flying Off the Page – Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King with art by Bilquis Evely, was the jumping off point for DC to adapt Supergirl into a film. We follow the comic authors, screenwriter Ana Nogueira, and filmmakers, as they make the leap from page to screen.
- Space is a Bad Neighborhood, Babe – Explore with Production Designer Neil Lamont, as he takes us through the many worlds that Kara Zor-El steps into on her journey to hunt down Krem of the Yellow Hills.
- A Practical Legacy – There are so many aliens and unique looks in this film that are literally out of this world! Legacy Effects and Peter Swords King explain the creative process behind this diverse group of creatures.
- Showdown at Evely Square – Production spent a month filming this action set-piece. From stunt training, to crashing tanks, to classic superhero flying moments, this breaks down the making of an incredible action scene.
- The DC Dream: Lobo – Jason Momoa has been outspoken over wanting to play Lobo for years, and now his time has come. Go behind the scenes as he transforms into this iconic and chaotic character.
- Mixtape for a Hero – What does Supergirl, as a character, sound like? Director Craig Gillespie and Composer Claudia Sarne answer this question as they discuss the score for the film.
- You Are Here: A Supergirl Map of the Galaxy – If you want to know more about all the planets visited in the film, check out this piece, narrated by Ruthye herself, actress Eve Ridley, to learn some more details, and enjoy the alien aesthetic of the film up close!
- Girl’s Best Friend – Krypto is Kara’s badly-behaved BFF and last connection to her home world of Krypton. We delve into their relationship and what makes it so special.
- Krypto Saves the Day: Coastal Catastrophe – An animated short that tells the story of a fun day at the beach which goes sideways when some sneaky foes get between Krypto and his hot dog.
- Deleted Scenes
The Bottom Line
Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl isn’t akin to James Gunn’s Superman aside from their origins. They’re two different films, though oddly aimed at the same audience. It was a box office bomb, but perhaps it’ll find a wider audience. Warner’s disc delivers the goods on a technical level with reference-quality A/V specs and a decent assortment of supplements.
