Reviews are in for “Supergirl,” the second of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios films, and the verdict is mixed.
Filmmaker Craig Gillespie’s new take on the character paints Kara Zor-El, played by “House of the Dragon” alum Milly Alcock, as a brash and often inebriated 22-year-old. She reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
With 75 reviews counted, the film sits at just 61% (5.8/10) on Rotten Tomatoes and a woeful 49/100 on Metacritic. Pretty much everyone praises Alcock’s performance, but not much else about the movie.
Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“Alcock’s Supergirl has to grow into the hero she’s destined to become, and by the time the credits roll, it’s her performance – not the increasingly oversized spectacle surrounding it – that leaves the strongest impression.” – Zaki Hasan, San Francisco Chronicle
“What makes “Supergirl” stand out — and what might, unfortunately, alienate fans looking for more of the same — is its interest in staying small while asking some very big questions indeed.” – Kate Erbland, Indiewire
“Supergirl is not as assured as Superman, and it knows it too well. What it has instead is temperament; a roughness, a willingness to let its protagonist be wrong.” – Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
“This likeable but underwhelming sci-fi adventure only sporadically presents its protagonist in her best light. That said, Milly Alcock certainly has the chops and gravity for the role.” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“The mandate here appears to be to keep things as distinctly Gunn-esque as possible. In return, Superman’s moodier, more cynical relative has been robbed of the chance to speak with her own voice. It’s the superhero equivalent of a Vegas impersonator.” – Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent
“Alcock, with her smirk and her anguished eyes, is a very watchable lead, but this aggressively minor movie doesn’t know what to do with her or her character. And where’s the mystery in that?” – Allison Willmore, Vulture
“Kill Krem! Save the dog! Those are the motivations driving the entire not-even-interesting-enough-to-be-convoluted plot of “Supergirl.” Maybe that’s why the movie is full of action yet numbingly flat.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Despite being fairly light on its feet, Craig Gillespie’s bratty, high-flying space western is fatiguingly overfamiliar in a genre that can’t help but keep looking backward for inspiration as it clings to relevance.” – Rocco Thompson, Slant
“Like watching an endless orangey-grey rehash of scenes from Mad Max and Star Wars. Who is faster than a speeding bullet and can leap tall buildings in a single bound? Supergirl’s novel answer: who cares?” – Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph
“Supergirl” is slated to open to around $50 million at the domestic box-office this weekend.
