Supergirl

Written by Anthony “Ant” Johnson

Have you ever heard of “comic vomit”? It’s a phrase I coined many years ago once the endless assembly line of superhero films kicked off. Superheroes that have played a supporting role to saving the earth since inception are thrust into the lead role. It is a reach for many reasons, but I’d say the number one issue is that unless you’re a true comic book aficionado, it can be a struggle recognizing their value. One could also ponder why some of these superheroes aren’t as well-known as Batman or Superman. Is it possible that some of these heroes weren’t that interesting even on the page whose illustrations and captions gave them life? Don’t get me wrong, some of these films have been fantastic — however, many have been forgettable. Supergirl is an involuntary member of the latter.

This is where the issues begin with the film. Supergirl is also a member of PG-13 films that can’t find their identity. In an attempt to appeal to adults and youth, you ultimately appeal to no one. There’s very serious adult subject matter in this film that requires us to go to a very dark place, yet the audience is also tasked with going along with silly jokes and cheesy one-liners from Lobo, portrayed by Jason Momoa. Speaking of portrayals, I found Molly Alcock miscast as Supergirl. There’s a statuesque appearance I expect from anyone whose name starts with “Super” (real name Kara Zor-El) that I just didn’t get from Molly’s performance.

There were a couple of laugh-out-loud moments and a few entertaining action and fight scenes, but they came few and far between. Much of the film is average at best, and the rest delivers a heavy dose of heartburn as I tried to digest a CGI Krypto dog for the entire film alongside poor special makeup and creature effects. A little CGI goes a long way and it should have been limited to things a real dog can’t do. The Movie Brutha is not picking on Supergirl — other recent films that portray animals using CGI didn’t fare any better (Disclosure Day).

 My Verdict: The word on the street is third time’s a charm, so maybe the next Supergirl will get it right. I can see it now — Supergirl is in rehab and exposes patients being mistreated, the villain using recovering addicts for illegal drug testing to create a super fiend to carry out its bidding. What do you think? In the meantime, I’m puking out Supergirl with the rest of the comic vomit with a 5/10. That is my honest recommendation. I stand by it.

Ant’s Score: 5/10