There is a long history mixing the western and sci-fi genres, to the point that the “space western” has become a film category of its own. The vast uncivilized reaches of space can be a perfect stand in for the old and lawless American west. “Supergirl” is set in this final frontier, its title character drawing parallels with the gunslinging heroes of those films. Like them, she’s a drifter who has made her way to the lawless fringes of civilization. Stumbling into any saloon she can find, analogous to the heroes of “Shane” or “True Grit,” Supergirl ends up as the unlikely defender of a child who faces off against a group of bandits. Comic readers will also recognize the plot, which is largely adapted from Tom King’s “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.”
Craig Gillespie, who has one of the most eclectic careers in all of Hollywood, steps into the director’s chair. Ana Nogueira, who has been tapped to work on a number of other upcoming DC Universe projects, including Wonder Woman and Teen Titans, penned the screenplay. However, the guiding hand behind the tone of the film is clear. That is of course producer of the film, and overseer and co-czar (along with Peter Safran) of the DCU, James Gunn. The film’s jokes, alien creatures, needle drops, and overall style, feel perfectly in line with his “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy. The exception being the bright color pallet that populated those movies and his “Superman” film. Instead a sepia tone style reminiscent of the old west takes its place. Supergirl even wears a dusty trenchcoat, rather than her colorful suit, for much of the runtime.
Does ‘Supergirl’ Work?
Overall the film is fun to watch and delivers on all of the action sequences and fun moments you’d expect from a big budget superhero film, but ultimately falls a bit flat. That isn’t to say that the negative attention it has been getting online for months is merited. The movie is a perfectly pleasing popcorn action flick. But that’s all it is; a good way to enjoy yourself for a few hours. It hints at important things, including trauma and human trafficking, but the film rarely gives the more important moments a chance to breathe. Other than a few well done flashback sequences, there are hardly any instances where charters aren’t fighting, quipping, or both.
Kara, AKA Supergirl, herself goes on a journey, needing to find where she truly belongs. Yet the path there, involving her stopping the girl she is protecting, Ruythye, from “ending up like her,” is sadly a bit lacking. That’s even more true for Ruythye, especially when comparing her to Mattie Ross, her inspiration from “True Grit.” Likewise, the villain is unmemorable, and the film repeatedly has to de-power Kara in order for him to pose any kind of threat. That isn’t to say the acting isn’t superb, Milly Alcock is phenomenal. Meanwhile Jason Momoa, veteran of the last iteration of DC films, finally gets the role he was born to play. He is a blast as the cigar chomping, space motorcycle riding, badass Lobo.
A Disappointment at the Box Office
Ultimately the film deserves much better than it got. Its box office take is already one of the worst ever for a superhero film. Reportedly earning just $37 million at the domestic box office in its first weekend, “Supergirl” suffered a worse opening than even “Morbius.” This might be another way the film mirrors the westerns of the mid 20th century. After that genre dominated for decades it slowly faded into the dust. The formerly reliable stories of rugged cowboys becoming less and less of a draw as the years went on.
Perhaps this will have legs at the box office and recover a bit from its abysmal opening. I could also see it doing very well on streaming. However, it just wasn’t quite good enough to overcome the monumental hurdles of superhero fatigue and internet toxicity.
Derick’s Rating: 6/10
