REEL | Milly Alcock Rescues A 'Supergirl' and Her Dog

"Your life is revenge."

DC Studios / Troll Court Entertainment

Supergirl, DC's lively, female-focused spin-off of last summer's triumphant Superman film reboot from James Gunn (a producer here) and journeyman director Craig Gillespie, stars Milly Alcock as the superhero's Kryptonian cousin in a Guardians of the Galaxy-style intergalactic big-screen adaptation of the acclaimed Woman of Tomorrow comic book run written by former CIA officer turned graphic novelist Tom King and illustrated by Brazillian artist by Bilquis Evely.

We meet the self-destructive Kara Zor-El in a dark place as a young woman still grappling with the intense trauma of surviving the destruction of her home planet. For fun, she travels to distant galaxies to visit planets without yellow suns and low-life aliens so she can forget her troubles by becoming intoxicated without her powers. When a villainous space pirate named Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) poisons her beloved dog Krypto (first seen in Superman), she sets off on a redemptive quest to avenge another victim (Eve Ridley as Ruthye) and save her beloved but horribly behaved pet dog.

Alcock's sardonic performance as a reluctant hero with a traumatic past is heightened through flashbacks with David Krumholtz as Kara's dead father, while former Aquaman star Jason Momoa as the interstellar mercenary Lobo adds some colour to the punk rock storyline. Written by actress turned screenwriter Ana Nogueira, there's a mishmash of Gunn's trademark cinematic flavours, including several needle drops and a general misfit tone.

Supergirl is a grim superhero rescue mission with plenty of emotion, but its meandering riff on the True Grit storyline with shades of Mad Max: Fury Road feels wildly adult for an offshoot of the refreshingly hopeful Superman. It's a complete 180° turn from the optimistic tone previously established in the DCU on Earth.


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