Super disappointing is more like it. There was so much potential here but besides a strong performance by Milly Alcock as Supergirl, the rest of the film falls flat.
Joining MS. Alcock is Eve Ridley as "Ruthie", an orphan who's desire for revenge against Krem (played by Mathias Schoenaerts) for killing her family, drives the plot. That, along Supergirl's mission to save her dog, "Krypto", played by CGI, after he is poisoned, also by Krem. Which is a shame because Krypto is the best thing about the film but he is sidelined, dying for most of it. (By the way, this is not a spoiler as both things occur very early in the film).
Krem is the leader of a band of brigands who are kidnapping young girls as "brides" to rape them and bear their children. Sex trafficking is a terrible plot point for a film like this and sets a awful tone. Watching families killed on screen also doesn't endear one to the story. Neither is watching Supergirl drunk for at least the first third of the film. A film like this, certainly as an origin story (told in flashbacks), should be lighter and more fun in tone, especially for younger kids who may see Supergirl as a role model.
The chemistry between Supergirl and Ruthie is odd and yet somewhat endearing as Ruthie helps Supergirl try to be a better person. The film also co-stars Jason Momoa as Lobo, another character from the DC universe, who is basically "Deadpool" with a nastier attitude. Mr. Momoa sems to be enjoying himself in the part and Lobo does brings some humor to the story, even as he's killing people. David Corenswet also has a cameo as Superman but even his scenes fall flat as he does nothing "super" in them.
The action sequences are cookie cutter and actually bland. The film lacks a certain intensity and we can only hope DC Films can pull it together for its Superman sequel which will most likely feature Supergirl as well. Sorry DC, Marvel continues to put out better quality "Superhero" movies and I look forward to the next installment of Spider-Man.
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