Supergirl (Movie Review)

Not to be upstaged by the Man of Steel himself, the Girl of Steel flies into action in her own dedicated movie, the second overall film of the Gods and Monsters phase in the James Gunn-led DC Universe. And while we've gotten quite a few iterations of the character over the years, in movies like The Flash and shows like Supergirl and Smallville, this one marks her first standalone movie since the ill-fated 1984 Helen Slater film of the same name. So does this one manage to soar where that one stumbled, or does it mark a costly misstep for the DCU?

The film opens with Kara, aka. Supergirl, in the midst of her week-long 23rd birthday celebration, just as she'd hinted at during her Superman cameo. We are soon introduced to the villain, Krem, a fine specimen from a clan of so-called Brigands with an affinity for young girls. Do with that information what you will. Kara is soon swept up in a race-against-time mission to save Krypto when the superdog gets shot by one of Krem's poisonous darts. And she is joined by a young girl with a thirst for vengeance. Oh, yeah, and they run into Lobo at some point, too.

From the moment she'd made her debut in last year's Superman, something about this particular iteration of Supergirl rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps it was her carefree, party girl disposition. Something about the writing for the character seemed, for lack of a better word, forced, like they really wanted to communicate how different from prior iterations this one was. But it just ended up making her come across as insufferable, which was a shame because I really love the actress, Milly Alcock, especially after her star-making turn as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon. 

So the decision to have the very next movie in the newly minted DCU center upon her was certainly an interesting one. I say all that to establish the fact that I had minimal hype heading into Supergirl. The trailers certainly didn't do much to move the needle either, from their generic, cookie-cutter space adventure look, by way of Guardians of the Galaxy, to the questionable song choices. But I knew I still had to give the movie a fair shot. After all, there've been many movies in the past that I had little hope for that ended up blowing me away. Sadly, this one won't be joining their ranks.

Right out of the gate, I could tell I was in for a rough two hours. The visual of Krypto taking a piss on a news clipping of Superman was a strong statement of intent. And it doesn't take long into the movie for the plot holes and various contrivances to rear their heads. A part of me is still unclear what Krem's ultimate goal was. The film tells us it is the propagation of his all-male clan, but yet he still seems to treat his "brides" like disposable objects. The same thing goes for Lobo, who seemed to be just there for a bounty, but perhaps not? The film doesn't seem to be able to make up its mind.

And it is such details that makes me wish that someone had given the script a few more passes during the writing stage. Or at least gotten more competent writers to help bring it closer to the finish line. Because there are certain elements that could have made for a compelling enough narrative. The stuff on Krypton was nice to see, as well as other bits of Kara's backstory doled out through flashbacks. But the film seems content with being a jumbled-up mess of ideas that never fully congeal into something worthwhile. 

At least there's the action, right? Well, it pains me to report that even that is muddled and hard to follow, owing to the one-two punch of choppy editing and too many closeups. The cinematography definitely left a lot to be desired but the film's technical shortcomings extend well beyond just that. Even the sound mixing felt off, with important dialogue often clashing with background music, resulting in an experience I can only describe as headache-inducing. The songs themselves range from borderline jarring to terribly on the nose, right down to the cover version of Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" that plays during the climax.

I realize that this review has turned out quite negative. I suppose this is merely a reflection of my experience with the movie. But as I always try to do in all my reviews, I'll keep things balanced by also highlighting what I liked about the film. In terms of positives, the Supergirl suit did look good on Milly Alcock, and it was a joy to see her don it for the climactic battle. It was also nice seeing David Corenswet as Superman once again; his scenes were certainly a highlight, as they slowed things down to let the movie breathe. But those moments were few and far between, and not enough to save what is essentially a poorly made film.

Supergirl might not be the worst comic book movie ever released, but it damn well puts in a valiant effort for that dishonor. It is rare for a film to fail on so many fronts, but this one somehow manages to do just that. It tries so hard to be a female-centric superhero film for millennials and Gen Z, from its quirky humor to its song choices, that it forgets what makes these superhero movies worth watching in the first place: their heart, soul, and overall sense of awe and wonder. And while a few missteps should be expected with any franchise or cinematic universe, I worry to think what one this early might mean for the DCU going forward.

Disclosure Day (Movie Review)

The King of the Summer Blockbuster returns to familiar territory with Disclosure Day. I am, of course, referring to Steven Spielberg and his latest science fiction epic, a film that once again explores our continued fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Except his latest film is based around the conceit that all those UFO sightings and alien abductions are real. But does that angle allow the movie to rise to the genre-defining heights of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, or is it merely a fresh coat of paint on a stale set of ideas?

The movie throws us right into the thick of it, as we are introduced to Daniel Kilmer (Josh O'Connor), a cybersecurity expert on the run after stealing confidential information from a shady organization tasked with keeping the world in the dark. This is a world basically on the brink of World War 3, with widespread panic and unrest as tensions rise between the superpowers. Meanwhile, a news reporter named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) starts to develop actual superpowers, as a clip of her speaking a strange alien language quickly goes viral. She soon becomes a target as well, and the two fugitives find themselves on a collision course that could end up unraveling one of humanity's worst-kept secrets.

As versatile as Steven Spielberg has proven to be over the years, there's an undeniable joy I experience at the very prospect of a new science fiction movie by him. And that was certainly how I'd felt heading into Disclosure Day, one of my most eagerly-anticipated movies of the year. From the very first trailer, it was clear that his latest flick was going to be a sci-fi film for the ages. And now that I've seen the movie, I am pleased to report that it delivered on the promises of that trailer, even though subsequent trailers had revealed a little more than I felt was necessary.

In any case, I won't be getting into any major spoilers in this review. After all, the movie thrives on the gradual unraveling of its central mystery. As the title suggests, the film grapples with the potential ramifications of full disclosure. In other words, how would people and the world at large receive the news that we are not alone in the universe? And it is that moral quandary that its cast of characters must weigh as they navigate a revelation that would surely challenge established beliefs.

Speaking of characters, Emily Blunt shines as Margaret, with a performance that gives the movie much of its emotional core. Colin Firth also proved to be an adequate foil for both her and Josh O'Connor as the villainous figure trying to stop them. He was almost unrecognizable, putting away his usual British charm and instead channeling the kind of cold determination we only ever get to see in the best villains. They might not win any Oscars for their roles, but the overall ensemble still deserves its flowers.

One aspect of the movie that I feel should absolutely get some Oscar love is the excellent cinematography. There were some breathtaking tracking and wide-angle shots employed throughout the movie, especially one from the action scene featured prominently in the trailers. A lot of that was enhanced by another great John Williams score, his thirtieth overall collaboration with Spielberg, apparently. His music is the through-line that helps give these Spielberg movies their heart and soul, and the same is true in this one, a fact that becomes evident during its emotional third act.

I wish I could say the same thing about the creature effects in the movie, but alas, this is where I think it falls short of its full potential. The visual effects used on the CG animals and extraterrestrials were pretty hit or miss, and I was often surprised by how unfinished and unconvincing some of it looked. I guess that is what happens when everything else is operating at such a high level visually; anything less than stellar tends to stick out like a sore thumb.

The same thing can be said about all the plot contrivances stretching the credibility of the story. The film employs a heavy dose of what I like to call movie logic, things and sequences that only ever make sense in a movie. I understand some of that stuff is essential to keep a movie simple or easy to follow. But a film still runs the risk of feeling inexplicably dumb if it relies on that too heavily. Thankfully, this one never crosses that threshold. None of it ever threatened to completely take me out of the movie or ruin what is essentially another win by one of the greatest directors of all time.

Disclosure Day is a heartfelt examination of what it means to be human in a world on the brink of destruction. It is also a spectacular rollercoaster ride of a movie with a mystery that would have you on the edge of your seat. At the very least, it will make you a believer. The film can be heavy-handed and overly sentimental, for sure, but it still captures the very essence of the summer blockbuster the way that only a director like Steven Spielberg can. And while it never quite rises to the level of an E.T. or Jurassic Park, it soars high enough to earn its spot in his ever-expanding filmography.