It is no secret that Supergirl, the latest DC Universe movie, is largely based on the 2021 Woman of Tomorrow comic book miniseries. The movie almost even used that title. However, the film drastically improves upon the shortcomings of its source material, crafting a better paced and more engaging story.
The movie opens with Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) celebrating her 23rd birthday on a backwater world with a red sun. It is here that Kara prevents Ruthye (Eve Ridley) from being robbed as she seeks a champion to avenge her family. While reluctant to get involved any further, Kara relents after the killer steals her spaceship and poisons her dog, Krypto. This sets up a shared quest as the two young women seek closure regarding their losses together, with Kara coming to embrace her heroic destiny as Supergirl.
If this basic plot sounds familiar, there’s good reason for that. Writer Tom King originally wanted to recreate True Grit in space, with Lobo as Rooster Cogburn and Supergirl in a support role. Thankfully, this idea was rejected by DC Comics editors Brittany Holzherr and Jamie Rich. The idea was then reworked with Kara Zor-El in the lead role after King consulted with Supergirl writer Steve Orlando. It was Orlando who reportedly explained to King that Kara’s character is nowhere as idealistic as her cousin, Superman. This explains why the screenplay for the DCU adaptation by Ana Nogueira improves on every one of King’s mistakes.
How DCU Supergirl improves on Woman of Tomorrow comics
The biggest issue with the Woman of Tomorrow comics that the DCU Supergirl movie improves upon is pacing. Despite the plot being driven by Krypto’s being poisoned, there is no sense of urgency in the comics. Indeed, Kara and Ruthye spend several months wandering deep space seeking the bandit responsible. By contrast, the movie establishes a firm three day time limit for Kara to save her beloved dog. This relates to another area the film improves on the comics — the raising of stakes.
The movie sees Ruthye trying to avenge her entire family, whereas the comic had her only losing her father. Beyond giving her nothing to lose, it also removes the oddity of Ruthye being the only person who seems to care about her father’s death. Ruthye’s mother responds to the announcement that her youngest child and only daughter wishes to undertake a blood oath of revenge in much the same manner as an Earth mother might react to a teenager asking to go to a friend’s house.
The best improvement Supergirl makes to its source material, though, is allowing Kara Zor-El a voice in her own story. A frequent complaint about Tom King’s writing (particularly in regards to women) is that other characters tell us about the protagonist rather than letting the hero speak for themselves. This is best exemplified when Kara discusses the slow death of Argo City, her father’s failure to save their people, and his desperation to save her so it wasn’t all for nothing. This is the movie’s most emotional scene and Milly Alcock’s performance here showcases why she was cast as Kara.
How DCU Supergirl improves on original Lobo idea
The movie also improves on King’s original concept by including Lobo in a supporting role. Jason Momoa has been a popular fan-cast for the Main Man for years, and he perfectly portrays the alien bounty hunter. However, the movie gives Lobo more than a quick cameo hunting a member of the same bandit band. He also serves as an obstacle to Supergirl’s efforts to protect Ruthye’s innocence. His code of honor from the comics is far closer to Ruthye’s and there’s an interesting subplot involving her efforts to secure his help in addition to Kara’s.
These changes would be enough to make the DCU Supergirl movie worth watching. However, there’s more to it than an amazing script. Director Craig Gillespie also organized a top-notch creative team. The fight choreography is fantastic, with only a few moments where the strings of the visual FX are visible. The designers did a fantastic job emulating Bilquis Evely‘s alien creatures and worlds in live action. Despite James Gunn producing, I think the aesthetics are closer to Star Wars than Guardians of the Galaxy. Overall, Supergirl is a good movie and a worthy entry in the DCU canon.
Grade: 8/10
