Episode 166 - Supergirl (2026) with Keith Lehtinen
Supergirl has arrived in the DCU, and Men of Steel is here to talk about it. Case, Jmike, and special guest Keith Lehtinen break down the new film, from Kara’s traumatic past on Argo to her bond with Krypto, her contrast with Superman, the use of Lobo, and whether this adaptation of Woman of Tomorrow sticks the landing. The episode also features cameo reactions from Alan Williams, Ben Haslar, Bret Eagleston, Jesse Fresco, Kris Ingersoll, Mitch Punpayuk, Nic Woolfe, Randy Allain, Logan Crowley, and Red from Overly Sarcastic Productions.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • iHeartRADIO • RSS
Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia
Men of Steel Full Episode
Originally aired: July 6, 2026
Edited by Sophia Ricciardi
Scored by Gen Moonen
Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com
Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4
PODCAST SHOWS:
▶ Men Of Steel - https://www.certainpov.com/men-of-steel
FOLLOW US:
▶ Twitter: @certainpovmedia @menofsteelpod
▶ Instagram: @certainpovmedia
⏱️ YouTube Chapters
00:00 Cold Open: The Middle
01:13 Welcome to Men of Steel
02:35 Spoiler Warning
03:10 Jmike Recaps Supergirl
05:20 Our History with Supergirl
06:05 Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as Source Material
09:21 Jmike’s Supergirl Background
11:02 Keith’s Supergirl Fandom
15:30 The Cast
17:08 Krem of the Yellow Hills
20:24 Argo City and Kara’s Parents
22:45 David Corenswet’s Superman
24:30 Jason Momoa as Lobo
26:45 Seth Rogen, Krypto, and the Supporting Cast
28:24 The Movie’s Visual Style
33:21 Argo City
37:47 Krypto and Kara’s Trauma
41:49 Kara’s Earth Culture and Music
45:16 The Middle Needle Drop
47:17 Action Scenes and the Sword
49:59 The Third Act
55:52 Lobo’s Role in the Story
59:01 Ruthye’s Perspective
59:46 The Kryptonite Sun
01:05:35 The Hostage Rescue
01:08:23 Kara’s Big Final Choice
01:11:48 The Final Scene with Superman
01:13:05 Krypto as Kara’s Last Connection to Argo
01:14:16 Final Lobo Thoughts
01:15:17 Listener Feedback Begins
01:16:11 Alan Williams on Supergirl
01:25:02 Ben Haslar on Supergirl
01:28:53 Bret Eagleston on Supergirl
01:29:46 Jesse Fresco on Supergirl
01:41:44 Kris Ingersoll on Supergirl
01:43:02 Mitch from Arizona on Supergirl
01:44:21 Nic Woolfe on Supergirl
01:55:20 Randy Allain on Supergirl
01:57:18 Logan Crowley on Supergirl
02:05:19 Red from Overly Sarcastic Productions on Supergirl
02:24:35 Back to the Main Conversation
02:25:15 Final Thoughts
02:26:10 Final Scores
02:27:05 Should You See Supergirl?
02:29:34 Keith’s Plugs
02:30:58 Jmike’s Plugs
02:31:16 Discord, Patreon, and Certain POV
02:34:43 Trade School, Side Quests, and The Word from Tomorrow
02:36:32 Closing
02:36:57 Credits
02:37:18 We Have Issues Promo
Transcription
00:01
Case
So I just want to say, hey, don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head you feel left out or look down on.
00:13
Keith
I liked it.
00:14
Case
Just try your best. Try everything you can. And don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away.
00:25
Keith
I. I liked it.
00:27
Case
I. I liked it, too, but I like, I.
00:29
Keith
It made me laugh, which is what it needed to do.
00:32
Case
I. I came out of it, like, being, like, man, I was really excited about that Jimmy World song being in there. Like, and then I saw the Internet and I was like, oh, never, like, never mind.
00:41
Keith
I'm wrong for that opinion.
01:13
Case
Hey, everyone, and welcome back to the Men of Steel podcast.
01:15
Case
I'm Case Aiken, and as always, I'm joined by my host, Jmike Folson.
01:19
Jmike
Oh, my gosh, Case, are we being relevant today? Are we going to do something?
01:22
Case
Oh, yeah. I know when it's supposed to come out. I. I know we are. We are honestly so bad at, like, we did not coordinate at all, like, when were going to do coverage of the topic today, which is in light of the recent release of the latest DCU movie in the super family, we are having a conversation about 2026's Supergirl. And to have that conversation, because he would have murdered me if we wasn't on this episode. We're joined by our friend Keith Lettinen.
01:54
Keith
Hi, everybody. I actually messaged Case. Hey, do you want to do a Supergirl episode? And he's like, I meant to ask you about. So, technically, I initiated this, but, yes, I would not have accepted anyone else being on this episode.
02:07
Case
Well, I think you probably would have accepted other people with you, but just not. But you had to be here was the key part of that one.
02:14
Keith
Yep, exactly.
02:15
Case
And you made that very clear when the movie was announced.
02:18
Keith
100%. Yeah. I was like. And I can show you guys, like, right here, my phone. That's been my background since the moment that poster came out, like, of Kara just leaning against the wall. I love it. And, yeah, we're going to talk about it. I'm the world's biggest Supergirl defender, so.
02:35
Case
For real. Yeah. So this is going to be a spoiler episode for anyone who's wondering. Spoiler. Spoiler, Spoilers. We're going to be talking about spoilers, so just. You've been warned. So if you're. If you're not into the spoiler conversation, go check out the movie. I think overall, we all enjoyed it at varying degrees of enjoyment. I was probably the most negative of the three of Us, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it. So, yeah, I'd say go check it out and then. And then come back and listen to this episode because I think we're about to have a really fun conversation.
03:07
Jmike
I can't believe you're going to be the most negative person Case. This is new.
03:10
Case
I know. Well, I mean, you're not as familiar with the. In other past scenarios where oftentimes I do come in fairly hot on a movie, but. But that's not this movie. This movie I thought was fine. I have some issues with it. I have some aesthetic issues with it, I have some structural issues with it, and we'll talk about all of those. But you know what we haven't done in a minute? Because we haven't really recorded much in a minute. And the first episode we recorded since we came back from our little hiatus was not really the episode to do a synopsis kind of thing. But what we haven't done is everyone's favorite podcast within a podcast where J. Mike describes the thing that we're actually trying to talk about. So, J. Mike, can you describe Supergirl 2026 in your own words?
03:56
Jmike
I was not prepared for this. Oh, gosh. Supergirl goes on her life changing hero journeys movie adventure. That's the fastest one I can give you. But in reality, she. She does. It's like a flashback movie of her, like, learning how to be a hero where you. She. You see her parents die. She gets. She learned. Tells her friend, her new friend, I forgot her name, even though she says like 8,000 times. And it got really annoying.
04:20
Case
Ruthye.
04:21
Jmike
Ruthye. It got really annoying the third time, but she tells Ruthye and shows Ruthye how to grow from, like, grief and to be a hero and to learn from it and move on from it. We also see Lobo for like five seconds, which was enough Lobo for this movie. And we learn about the. The world outside of Earth as a whole. You see all the aliens. It's really cool. It's a cool little movie. I had fun. I gushed about it while were there. I was like, oh, this is fun. I like this. I like that. Like, that Case is going to come in really hot in a couple minutes. Be prepared. But it's a fun movie. Go see it for yourself. All right.
05:00
Case
Yeah, that's. That is a quick synopsis of the movie.
05:05
Jmike
Yeah, I didn't get a chance to prepare that one. I was like, oh, no, yeah, it's a fun movie Case.
05:10
Keith
No, it's all good.
05:10
Jmike
Fun movie.
05:11
Case
We're Very rusty.
05:13
Jmike
I had a lot of fun with that one. I'm surprised that you have what. It seems to be some pushback on this one.
05:20
Case
Okay, so. So before we dig deep into the movie, let's talk about our thoughts on the character Supergirl, like, before went into this, because there's a lot of guys on the Internet who are being negative for the sake of being negative about this. This movie, and I think that is dumb and bothersome just in general, because, you know, sexism is a bad thing. But, you know, there's comparisons to the source material and there's comparisons to the character at large that can be made, and I think that both of those are going to be relevant things for us to discuss. So why don't we talk a little bit about our association with Supergirl and specifically the book Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow, which is the source material for this. This movie.
06:05
Case
Very, very heavily the source material for this movie in a way that, say, is different than something like, say, Civil War for Marvel, where it's the name and then, like, some vague similarities. Like, this is a. It's not one to one, but there's some pretty close similarities through it. So I have always liked Supergirl, but I grew up with the Matrix entity Supergirl as the like, because I grew up as a child of the 90s, and. And so that was like the Supergirl that I was introduced to first, or rather second, because I saw the Helen Slater movie when I was a very little kid. And so that. That was like my. My literal first introduction to the character. But then I was like, oh, but Supergirl's now a plasma thing that can shapeshift.
06:43
Case
And that was my introduction to comic Supergirl for a really long time, because I got into comics probably somewhere around 92, 93, but, you know, I was like 8. And then at that point, it was the plasma Matrix entity Supergirl, and she remained the Supergirl until about 2003. So that was a good formative period for me, dealing with a very different concept of the character. And then Kara Zorael came back, and I. I spoke about this a bit when I did the trade school Pil on Many Happy Returns, which is an interaction between sort of. It's a really long story. The final form of the Matrix entity Supergirl, after she had merged with the human, turned into angel, separated from the human, and then that human gained all of her powers, is that version. And then met the Silver Age Sakara Zor El.
07:34
Case
And so that was really my introduction to her in Comics outside of having picked up some random issues. Like I owned a copy of her death from Crisis on Infinite Earth. So I picked that up in a 50 cent bin in Bethan, Delaware and has. That's always been a treasured book of mine as a result. But I, I wasn't a huge fan when they brought her back in the Batman Superman World's Finest series. I, I thought that it was disrespectful to the Matrix entity Supergirl, the way they did it where they kind of just like forgot that she existed and just moved on.
08:05
Case
But I, but I warmed up to Kara Zor El being back and I have to admit that from a logic, like from a publisher standpoint, Kara Zorrel is the one that makes the most sense as Supergirl and she's really defined herself as a character. I really love the Melissa Benoist series. I, I think that's, I mean like there's an argument to be made that's kind of a distaff Superman more so than a distant character.
08:31
Keith
Right.
08:32
Case
But I, I still great series, really loved it. I have read the New 52 stuff. I've read the Rebirth stuff. Generally enjoy that the Rebirth stuff is obviously very influenced by the Melissa be or Benoist. I, I'm gonna screw that.
08:46
Keith
I say Benoist.
08:47
Case
Yeah, I'm not positive. I'm. She's great regardless and I, I like the character and so I was happy to see this movie coming out. I really do enjoy the Woman of Tomorrow series. It has been a minute since I read it, but fun book, beautiful book, gorgeous book. That is worth bringing up the art especially in contrast with this movie. I, I was excited that was the, the source material for this and so that's sort of like my experience with this property. I like, I said like the character, like the source material. J Mike, how about you?
09:21
Jmike
I see when I first come into contact with Supergirl, I think it was during the 90s and the my adventures or not my adventures Superman, but the Superman the Animated Series.
09:30
Case
And I asked Kara Inzi and then.
09:35
Jmike
Singer Justice League Unlimited and that run of TV shows and then occasionally seeing her in comics. But I, I, to me, Kara Zora was always Supergirl. It wasn't until I started podcasting with you that I Learned she had 50 other entities Case. And I was like, oh, this is new. I didn't know about the Matrix and her being a plasmoid entity and then becoming the angel of what? An angel, basically, at a certain point.
10:04
Case
Yeah. The Earthborn angel of hope. I forgot what specifically her. Her field was, because there were different. There were different earthborn angels of different things.
10:12
Jmike
These guys. Cocaine's a hell of a drug. But anyway, they were definitely on something when they were writing these comics. And then I didn't know. Well, I didn't know that she died in the Crime Infinite Crisis. I was like, okay, cool. But then, like, always saw her as car as well, forever. So that was always my Supergirl. So it's always been like, oh, this is in my head. She is my canon Supergirl. She always has been. And I think I've read a couple of her comics in the new 52 stuff just by skipping around. And we've talked about her numerous times on the show already. So Kara has always been mine. Never had any other one. She's my canonic Supergirl.
10:47
Case
And had you ever checked out the Woman of Tomorrow miniseries?
10:50
Jmike
It was on my list. Like, I have it, like, set aside for things I'm going to read, but I have never gotten to it. Totally fair.
10:58
Case
Totally fair. All right, Keith, give it to me.
11:02
Keith
Okay, so if you haven't guessed, I love Supergirl for whatever reason, I cannot explain. My DC fandom has always revolved around the female heroes, specifically Barbara Gordon and Kara, or Supergirl in general, to be honest with you. Those seem to be the two that I really clicked with, like, immediately. My first memory of Supergirl is what I believe is a pretty common first memory, which is walking up to a comic book stand at my local grocery store, this tiny little grocery store that had, like, eight spots for comics, and immediately seeing that Peter David Gary Frank Book One cover.
11:48
Case
Oh, yeah, that's an iconic cover.
11:50
Keith
Yeah. And still is one of my favorite comic covers ever. Just her holding this skateboard with the flannel on and me just stopping dead. Because at the time, I was really into girls that wore flannel. Like, that's cool. What's that? And that's probably the first thing I remember Supergirl clicking with me. But, I mean, it's gone beyond there. You know, I. I love her in all the animated shows. I love the Melissa Benoist Supergirl show, too, which is very funny, because I wanted to hate it. I really badly want to hate it. And when. When they said Calista Flockhart's in it, I was like, oh, this is so. I had. I basically had every reason to hate that show, especially because I distinctly remember this is just a funny aside, when they cast Jimmy Olsen. I was like, no, this is bad.
12:40
Keith
And then I remember a lot of people being like, why? Because he's black? I'm like, no, because he's hot.
12:46
Case
Who is this Adonis?
12:48
Keith
He's just so hot. Like, Ian, Jimmy Olsen shouldn't be this hot. This isn't. Okay, like, so that was the thing. But Supergirl also gave me one of my other obsessions in DC Comics, which is Dreamer. The modern, like, Nianol is up there with those other two girls now. I absolutely adore her as a character. So I have a lot of attachment to Supergirl and the lore around Supergirl, and we've talked about this in the past, of course, on the show, so it's not much of a surprise to anybody. But, yeah, I was hyped for this movie because I was like, hey, it's Supergirl. And the best part was when the Superman movie came out, I wasn't spoiled. So when she came out, I literally got surprised and I just lost my mind. So, yeah, I've been basically riding a high for a year, basically.
13:42
Keith
So, yeah.
13:44
Case
I'm curious, when you say not spoiled, how not spoiled were you? Had you heard the casting part or just. Or had you not. No idea that she was going to be part of the dcu?
13:55
Keith
I can't remember if I had heard the casting beforehand. I remember liking the casting when I heard it, because I'm a House of. I'm a Game of Thrones fan, so I've seen House of the Dragon, so I'm not sure, but I was not. I did not know she was going to be in the movie is what I'll say. Definitely. At all. So excellent surprise.
14:14
Jmike
Yeah.
14:15
Case
Because I didn't know that she was going to be in the movie, but I knew the casting. So when she showed up, I was like, oh, okay, cool. It's Melly Alcock.
14:22
Keith
I probably knew then at that point as well.
14:24
Jmike
Yeah.
14:25
Case
But, yeah, you know, and she had a memorable closing scene of the Superman movie, which was fun. I. I think that it plays up the party girl side of her a bit, considering that then that becomes a through line for this whole movie.
14:38
Keith
Yeah, yeah.
14:40
Case
In a way that in Woman of Tomorrow, it's. It's more of like, this is a Rum Springer type event for her, as opposed to, like, modus operandi.
14:50
Keith
Yeah. In that brief clip in Superman, there's one shot where she's like. I think it's where she says, where's my dog? And you see, she does such a good job of like, oh, God, she's at rock bottom. Like, just the way she looks. I was like, I remember being like, oh my God, this next movie's gonna rule just from one. That one shot. So. Yeah. But yeah.
15:13
Case
Yeah. So let's dig into this movie. Where do we want to start? Because we don't have an agenda for this episode. We just want to like, talk because. And get our.
15:22
Jmike
Our thoughts.
15:23
Case
J. Mike, you just saw it, I believe, last night.
15:25
Jmike
Is it Monday night, Sunday night? Sunny night, Sunday night.
15:28
Case
Oh, okay.
15:30
Keith
Do you want to talk about the cast? Maybe run down the cast first? Sure. How you feel?
15:35
Case
So, okay. So Millie Akok.
15:38
Jmike
We.
15:38
Case
We'll start with. I thought she's great casting. Wonderful.
15:41
Alan
Yeah.
15:41
Case
Like, yeah, I. I think anyone who saw House of the Dragon was like, yeah, no, obviously she's going to be a great Supergirl.
15:46
Keith
I think she embodied the character really well, especially this version of this character. I believed everything she did. So.
15:54
Jmike
Yeah. Yeah.
15:56
Case
Then Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marie Noel, the true great girl in this whole story.
16:06
Keith
Yeah, we're gonna definitely talk about that later. Ruthye is. Was, I think 13 when this was recorded, when this was filmed, because she's 14 now and I hate children in films. And I thought she was great. So that tells you anything. I thought she did a wonderful job. So I like the seriousness of the character because I think there was a lot of goof. And having one person that's not in on the goof was a nice touch. So.
16:36
Case
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's a. It's a very one to one character for. From the comic. And I thought that, yeah, like, she did the. A great job with it all.
16:46
Jmike
She kept doing that whole My name is whatever from Princess Bride because my father prepared die. And I was like, all right, cool, we get the joke. You have to do it six, seven, eight, nine times in a row.
16:58
Keith
I. I liked like, okay, we're going.
17:01
Jmike
To do this again.
17:02
Keith
Awesome. Like the one time when Kara melted along with her, I was like, yes.
17:06
Jmike
Yeah.
17:08
Case
Then we have Matthias Schaartz. Is that how you say it?
17:12
Keith
I believe so.
17:12
Case
Who played Crim of the Yellow Hills? Okay, so this is one of the ones where it's like, I don't love him as a villain. I thought his performance was fine. Like, people were like, oh, he didn't do anything memorable. And I'm. I actually thought he had several, like, really good, like, character ticks to him. So I don't mean to say that the performance was bad. My, my concerns were how, like, elements of the character and we'll talk about it when we get into the structure of the movie because it particularly relates to the third act. But, you know, in terms of him being like, kind of just like all the sins of man combined into one terrible person, where he's like, gluttonous and it's like, is that pie?
17:53
Case
Or every time there's like milk or anything, he just like immediately starts slurping down, like, whatever food or beverages in front of him.
17:58
Jmike
He's the biggest baggage, baddest brigging around. So he's going to do whatever he wants to do at that point.
18:02
Keith
So I like the actor and I'll be honest with you, if there is a weakness to this movie, for me, it's probably criminal.
18:10
Nic
I don't.
18:11
Keith
He's more of a threat to society than Supergirl.
18:16
Case
Yes.
18:17
Keith
I think that's my issue with it. I didn't feel that Supergirl was at.
18:23
Nic
Risk,.
18:25
Keith
Probably because I know they're, you know, it's hard to think, oh, she's gonna die. Like, you know what I mean? He had big ronin Energy from Guardians 1 where I was like, well, they.
18:37
Jmike
Need a bad guy.
18:41
Keith
Yeah. But also like Ronan. But he wanted to play him wacky like Ronan via, I don't know, Heath Ledger's Joker.
18:54
Case
Right. And. And I would argue that the, I would argue that Ronan the Accuser is more effective, at least in that he.
19:02
Logan
Has.
19:04
Case
More ability to execute the problem. Like, he's a. He's a. Yeah. Like just a much scarier character to the protagonist. And, and again, we'll talk about this because again, like, I, I have third act issues and a lot of that comes down to, like, how all these factors sort of interplay with each other when we actually get to the, like the last world that they go to. But, but yeah, I, I was just disappointed with him in terms of, like, he was both too good and not good enough as a villain in certain ways. Like, he had a few areas where he was like too big of a villain. Like, he was super strong and able to like, throw tanks around and like, had this like, you know, sex slave cartel thing that he's running.
19:47
Case
But at the same time, and he's like, clever enough to like, come up with weapons to work on Supergirl.
19:53
Jmike
Yeah.
19:53
Case
But also, like, he cares about a sword that isn't like a special sword, it's just a well made sword that, you know, like. And, and yeah, there's just.
20:02
Jmike
Yeah.
20:03
Case
Crumbs a problem. We'll talk about it more.
20:05
Keith
Yeah.
20:06
Case
But I don't think it's the actor.
20:08
Keith
No, no. I think it was literally what he was given. And I think that happens sometimes with villains and superhero movies where they kind of don't get the focus they need to be a full character because we got to get these characters over, especially first movies.
20:24
Case
Yeah. So then we're okay. So I, like, I came out of the movie and I, I went home and my dad and I saw it because were out at the beach together this past weekend. And when the next morning, I'm like, telling my wife about it and I'm like, character. I really liked Zor El played by David Krumholtz. And I'm like, really? Like, this all. And she's like, you know, he's like, kind of problematic. And I was like, oh, no.
20:51
Keith
Yeah.
20:52
Case
Like, apparently very shitty to women. Leads, like, harassment campaigns against them. And it's like, fuck. Because actually, like, Gabriel Kumholz has always been like, a comedic actor who I've always enjoyed as, like, it's like, oh, fucking that guy.
21:04
Jmike
Yeah.
21:05
Keith
Unfortunate, but good God, he was great in this.
21:09
Case
Right, Right.
21:10
Keith
Like, he. I was actually going to bring that up if you didn't. Everything that happened in Argo was stunning.
21:17
Jmike
Yeah.
21:17
Keith
And done so well.
21:19
Case
I have one quibble that we will get back to, but I, I, but I thought that I, I thought that he was really good. I thought that Emily Beachum as Allura was also really good. She obviously has a lesser role because she's mostly dying for the majority that we see her on screen.
21:34
Keith
Right.
21:34
Case
But I, I thought that they both did a really good job and I liked a lot of Argo. Argo was really, like, a very strong part of the movie for me.
21:43
Keith
Yeah. And it's honestly, for those who haven't read the comic or haven't seen the movie yet, one of the things that sets this story apart, the thing that really sets this story apart, the one thing is the way they kind of retell her origin story to make it so much more tragic and to really separate her from Superman. And that is Argo, what happens on Argo. So it's a really important part to get right. So it's really good. They did.
22:12
Alan
Yeah.
22:12
Case
I want to spend more time talking about Argo City because I'm, I, I have a lot of thoughts about how they handled it in good ways and bad, but especially good ways. That surprised me because it was more retro than it was modern in certain ways, in ways that sort of were impressive to me. But we're talking about the actress right now. I thought they both did a great job. Like, yeah. Believable parents handled the circumstances really well. I thought that was all really good. David Coren Sweat coming back, man. Every scene he was in, he stole.
22:45
Keith
That's actually a conversation we had after the movie, me and Mando, where I was like, this movie really reinforced me that he is kind of the perfect Superman. Like. Like him bouncing off of Kara a couple times and his aw, shucks patience is just so perfect. Like, I love him.
23:03
Case
Yeah. Like, Showstopper scene. Like the. The scene where Kara actually lands on Earth and he's like, trying to talk to her.
23:09
Jmike
He's like, you have no idea what I'm saying, dude. What am I gonna do? Yeah.
23:17
Case
It's so fucking good.
23:19
Keith
I love the. My favorite line was the, you know, Kansas. Wait, why would you know Kansas? That was my favorite. Yeah, he's. He's. I mean, he's Superman. He's great.
23:29
Case
We know this already.
23:31
Jmike
We.
23:32
Case
We did a whole podcast about how great his movie was.
23:34
Jmike
Like.
23:34
Case
But what. What I will say is really shocking is how good he is in this one, especially as a comedic foil.
23:39
Keith
Yeah. And for how little he appears. Like, three scenes.
23:45
Jmike
I mean, seeing three scenes, I want to say.
23:47
Case
Well, he has a bunch of, like, tries to call her scenes. We do see him a lot. I like it. This movie is a really small movie. Like, we're almost done with the cast right now. Like, aside from, like, yeah, the Brigands and. And stuff. Like, and the Bystanders. Like, because there's just. It's.
24:04
Jmike
It's a.
24:04
Case
It's a smaller, tighter movie in a lot of ways, especially compared to Superman. Like, corn Sweat is honestly, shockingly large in this movie for how little he's actually sharing scenes with her because of the amount of, like, calls that he makes her really good at reinforcing Just. Just how good of a Superman he is and how you can use Superman in different ways in movies to be, like, an effective character.
24:27
Keith
Yeah, we're going to talk quite a bit about that when we talk about the plot, I'm sure.
24:30
Case
So, yeah. Also, a character we're going to talk about when we talk about the plot is Jason Momoa as Lobo.
24:36
Keith
Yes.
24:37
Case
And from a casting standpoint. Holy. Like, I. I showed a picture of Lobo from the comics to my wife, and she was like, oh, that's Jason Momoa. And I was like, that's right. Like, this is correct. This is why we all were, like, confused when he was cast as Aquaman.
24:50
Keith
Yeah, Yeah. I don't like Lobo as a character, and I loved him as Lobo. Like, I just. Yeah, he waste. And I liked Aquaman. I did. But what a waste. He should have been Lobo from the beginning, right?
25:06
Case
Like, absolutely, like, perfect casting. And in terms of, like, what they had to do to make him look like Lobo, they painted him white and gave him.
25:13
Jmike
Yeah, basically it.
25:17
Case
Gave him a big old hook and a motorcycle.
25:20
Keith
Like I do. I mean, obviously it does in. Reports have come out that he was kind of inserted into this movie. And, yeah, it felt a tiny bit awkward once or twice, but I don't care. It just made it more fun.
25:36
Case
I think that he is excellent casting for the part. I think the part was. Yeah, inserted as a good word for it. Wasted would be another word I would have for it.
25:46
Logan
I.
25:47
Jmike
There.
25:48
Case
There is no point in the movie that he actively changes how the circumstances are moving forward. He adds a little bit of chaos to chaotic scenes, but all he does is sort of magnify the chaos. And there's nothing really that I. I felt like, required Lobo to be there or. Or made Lobo. Like, there's no scene where he made things better or worse, like, in. In meaningful ways for the characters. And so inserted, I think, is a. Is a good description for him. He's there and he's an unlikely ally. But again, when we get into the third act conversation, I have big thoughts.
26:20
Jmike
About how is he technically an ally? Because he's just kind of there sometimes.
26:26
Keith
He's. He's like a natural disaster.
26:28
Jmike
He's kind of, like, around when things happen. He's like, oh, this is my shot. I guess I should do something.
26:32
Nic
I think.
26:34
Keith
I think this was a pretty clear example of him being inserted as a backdoor pilot to do something else with the character.
26:40
Jmike
Right.
26:40
Keith
You know, so, I mean, you. Sometimes you do that, you know, I mean, so.
26:45
Case
But that's about it for all the major characters. I mean, we've got, like, the people who've, like, played her family. We've got the bystanders who have, like, their daughter that's abducted and they tried to, like, poison Kara. We've got some of the other raiders,.
26:57
Keith
But, like, you're missing one. A Lister.
26:59
Case
There is Seth Rogen as the alien.
27:03
Keith
And honestly, I didn't realize it was him at first.
27:06
Case
Really.
27:07
Keith
I didn't recognize the voice at first.
27:08
Jmike
I comes out of nowhere and you're like, wait, that sounds familiar. And it kind of like, it glosses over it. And then you're like, you come back later. Like, wait, is that Seth Rogen?
27:17
Keith
Because the dialogue was genuinely funny. I wasn't like, oh, Seth Rogen's here. I was like, ha, that's funny. And then, like, three lines in, I'm like, that Seth Rogen. That was just a really funny moment with him, and that's being the little alien. So.
27:31
Case
Yeah, yeah. That was a surprise for me. I did not see that coming. And he was fine. He was funny in the scene, and that was one of the more enjoyable scenes, I would say, in the movie. So I was having a good old time with him there.
27:46
Keith
And Krypto came back as well.
27:48
Case
Yeah, the Krypto's a CGI dog, so it's not even like, oh, dear,.
27:54
Keith
Krypto's the best boy.
27:57
Case
He's not even a very good dog.
28:01
Keith
I will say, as far as the characterization of Krypto, which is a funny thing to say. I have a brand new golden retriever puppy who's five months old. Me and Manda were dying at everything this dog did because we're like, yeah, that. That's our dog. Like, that's exactly what he does. So, yeah. Yeah, it was uncomfortably close.
28:23
Jmike
Yep. Yeah, that.
28:24
Case
That checks out for, like, a poorly behaved pup. Yeah. All right. So when I rip off the band aid on. On one of the problems I had with this movie, which is the aesthetics of this movie, so I felt that this movie ended up looking fairly brown and orange for the majority of it, in. In a way that was depressing to me only because this was an opportunity for a lot of locations and kind of looks to it, and it all felt very consistent. Like, it. The fact that they went from world to world, it didn't look like they went from world to world. And all. It all looked like it was kind of. Of a kind. And so that was kind of a bothersome detail, especially because, as I alluded to before, in Supergirl, the Woman of Tomorrow, the art is extremely lush.
29:09
Keith
Yeah, I think we. You threw a reference out before about true grit. I think it's because this is every Western story, like, old, except instead of an old version of John Wayne, it's Supergirl. You know, like, young girl needs help. You know, person, reluctant hero helps out. You know, like, it goes against the. The rustlers. You know, I mean, like, it literally felt like so many of those stories. And also beyond Westerns, like, things like, you know, like, the Last of Us and stuff like that, like, there's a pretty heavy trope there. I wouldn't have noticed the colorization bothering me if I didn't love the comic so much, because, like you said, the comic is so lush. Going along with this criticism, there's one thing I will throw in. Some of the action scenes were shot so darkly, you can't see what's happening.
30:03
Keith
And that's a common thing in American action is so you can't see that things aren't connecting. Right. Specifically, the fight in the bar was so dark, I couldn't see anything.
30:13
Jmike
So.
30:14
Case
Yeah, and that kind of just goes together with this movie. Like, I think some of it is like the, like, hiding some CGI by way of having a color graded all kind of the same. And especially to have it be kind of dark, I think that is an unfortunate problem that just especially American CGI heavy action movies have. And so this one just happens to have that same problem. And. But, like, yes, the comic. Also, Superman, like, Superman was a really bright and colorful movie with, like, a lot of different, like, kind of colorful locales. And this one, like, it first started bothering me when they made the point of the different suns, like, the different solar spectrums at each world, and I was like, oh, but we're not. But the actual environment doesn't feel that different.
31:01
Case
Like, I get it that a red sun wouldn't just make your sky just be, like, completely red, but it. It didn't feel like that were seeing dramatically different environments, despite the fact that they were supposed to be dramatically different worlds.
31:14
Jmike
Okay.
31:15
Keith
Yeah, I. I mean, I guess I could see that. And I mean, I hate to keep referring to the comic. The comic. There's more worlds. You know what I mean? There's more variety, and I think that maybe that helped it a lot. Condensing that story down to this movie, it definitely required some. Some cutting, and maybe one really vivid world would have been nice as kind of to break it up a bit. So.
31:39
Case
Yeah, or at least, like, have things like the. Like the space bus that they're on that Seth Rogen appears on. Like, you know, if it was, like, lit in a different way so that it just looked dramatically different from everything else, could. Could have sort offset that. And then, like, the last world that they go to which has the kryptonite sun, could. Could have, you know, maybe not like, when. When that sun sets, could have had other details that sort of indicated that there's still, like, a green hue to the sky or something, but it's, you know, or. I don't know, Like, I get that visually, you had to, like, indicate that the Kryptonite sun is no longer affecting her. But yeah, it, like I said, it just sort of ends up like very like yellow, brown, orange.
32:19
Keith
And to be fair, I'm colorblind. So like maybe that's why it didn't bother me.
32:24
Case
Like when it's like, oh, it's criminal. The yellow hills. All the fucking hills are yellow in this movie.
32:31
Keith
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think, yeah, I agree with the color grade. Oddly, it got worse as the movie went on because the first planet, like maybe because that first scene at the bar outside, you know, the guy trying to steal the sword was in darkness. It was way more vivid and nice looking. So.
32:48
Case
Yeah, and it's weird because that's the red sun world that they're on. Like that should have been the one that was like the most like muddy brown kind or muddy red colored. And then it's not for all the other places she goes, I will.
33:04
Keith
Say Argo was a different color grade.
33:06
Case
Yeah, that's true.
33:07
Jmike
Yeah.
33:08
Case
So yeah, although it did have like a consistent red color to it. But yeah, it, Argo had a visual style mostly because it had that sort of like neoclassical kind of design to it. Like with a lot of like marble.
33:20
Jmike
Yeah, yeah.
33:21
Keith
100.
33:21
Case
Why don't we talk about Argo for a minute?
33:24
Jmike
Beautiful world.
33:25
Case
Okay, so I, I, I really enjoyed, yes, the look of Argo City. I really enjoyed the panic that they had when like Krypton's exploding and they're like turning on the force field and you can see people getting cut off from entering the inside of the force field. I thought that was all very good. Like I, I thought that was all really cool details for the movie. I, I was surprised that they went with Supergirl was born later. Yeah, like, because the modern Supergirl, like the, from, from the era of the Jeff Loeb, like reintroduction of her in Superman, Batman, World's finest has been that she's the older cousin of Clark. But they went with the 60s version like where it's a pocket of air keeping the planet. Okay. And then there's kryptonite poisoning and she has to leave because there's kryptonite poisoning.
34:14
Case
And here's the only problem I have with it, which is they didn't spend enough time establishing the circumstances that Argo City was in following the destruction of Krypton. We don't see very much about like how they're maintaining their world and what resources they have because Unlike Krypton in the first place, blowing up, where no one believed them that it was going to be destroyed. And so Jor El made the rocket by himself. Zorrel theoretically could have made a, like more rockets or made or did the plan from the, from the Animated Series, like put them all in the Phantom Zone or done. Or at least saved his wife, you know, like at least or others. And I didn't get a good sense in this movie about what were the limitations? Living in the domed city of Argo.
35:10
Keith
Yeah, I could get that. I think my response to that would be what would that add to the story? You know what I mean? Like, I think we needed to set the, that the problem that Argo had the, you know, the stress point. And as much as I would love a six hour version, like, and I would, I'd watch the crap out of it, I think we needed to kind of check out of Argo especially because it was all, except for like very brief flashes. It was all one long flashback, you know, so maybe they didn't want to linger in it too long is what I'm thinking, or something like that. The comic, I will say, goes into excruciating detail to the point that I'm uncomfortable, like when I read it. Like, I get really depressed when I read that comic, that part.
36:03
Keith
So yeah, I, I, it didn't bother me, I guess maybe because we're both lore people, you know what I mean?
36:10
Alan
Yeah.
36:10
Case
Like, it just felt like a scene, like we could have gotten a line, like a line of dialogue being like we have just enough power to like send you to Earth or something like that would have sufficed. Where. Because it just felt so weird that Kara is then the only survivor of Argo City because like, when she leaves, like, not everyone's dead. Like, there's like almost a vibe that we're gonna like it's going to be revealed to be okay at the end or that there will be still more, like more survivors or at least Peter o' Toole will be left alive at the end. Like, that was just like a thing that stuck out at me.
36:43
Case
Again, the Argo City stuff I really liked in this movie, but it was just like a little piece where I'm like, oh, tell me a little bit more.
36:52
Jmike
There was also that line when her dad is talking to her about Clark getting sent to Earth to be like a conqueror, basically. And I was like, oh, so it was true.
37:06
Keith
Yeah, there was a bunch of people online talking about that like, oh, they're just trying to reconfirm it. I'm like, they said it like six times.
37:13
Jmike
You never know if it's true or not. And I was like, oh, it is true. Oh, gotcha. Cool.
37:19
Keith
Yeah, no, I actually liked keeping that and that putting. Putting Zor else in a different light. You know what I mean? Like, I like that it's kind of like Clark's dad is obviously very misguided and Clark turned out to be Clark. And then like, Kara's dad is. Seems to be the one that it's actually, you know, the good guy and car turned out to be the one that's damaged like that. That flip is really kind of interesting to me. So. Yeah.
37:47
Case
Yeah, that I. I think is my only, like, real problem with the Argo City stuff, because I. I do really like the. The look of it. I thought it had a really cool design for it all. And, you know, what I really love was the way they used Argo City and the death of Allura to indicate how important Krypto was to Supergirl.
38:07
Keith
Definitely.
38:07
Jmike
Yeah.
38:08
Keith
Because you look at the. The scene from Superman with just the brief bit, and he's like, where's my dog? You know, and you're just like, oh, this is fun. It's her dog. Ha, ha. And then you realize, oh, God, when you watch this movie, you're like, that's all she has. Like, that's crazy. So, yeah, I think that was done really well too. Although the idea that there was a stray dog just wonder on Argo was a little funny to me. Like, you would think they'd have, like, that was the one, like, plot hole for Argo that bothered me. I was just like, this is a closed loop system. They're going to be aware of every single organism in this.
38:43
Jmike
He was in, like, the cryptum, I want to say, when they kind of panned out, you see, like, all the caskets everywhere. And I was like, oh, God. Yeah,.
38:56
Case
We know what Kirk has been living on.
38:59
Jmike
I got depressing. Really even more depressing.
39:02
Keith
That's why he has powers.
39:04
Jmike
But I will say, Case, I was kind of like, oh, they went with that storyline of her being younger than him. Because I was like, oh. It was like I was expecting her to be around already when I saw the ship leave. And I thought, like, Zor El was gonna go and get her, but I was like, oh, she's not even born. Well, poop.
39:24
Keith
It is kind of interesting because that means she never saw Krypton, Right. Which does give her an Interest, like, Argo was her world. You know what I mean? And I think that's kind of cool. But, yeah, I. Yeah, I liked basically everything about the Argo run. I think it was really interesting, visually interesting. And again, problematic aside, amazing Zor El performance.
39:49
Nic
Right.
39:49
Jmike
So.
39:50
Keith
Yeah.
39:52
Case
So mad about the situation.
39:54
Keith
Yeah, yeah. He's. He had the perfect amount of compassion and sadness and love and it's just.
40:03
Jmike
Yeah.
40:04
Case
And shockingly good use of the Kryptonian language.
40:06
Keith
Yeah, yeah. I actually saw a really great interview with Millie Alcock talking about it.
40:11
Case
Yeah, yeah. How she learned the language.
40:14
Keith
Yeah, yeah. Because she learned it, like, she had to learn High Valyrian for game from. Yeah. Game of Thrones. And just talking about, like, you know, learning, like, a song and stuff. I was like, that's really interesting. Like.
40:24
Case
Yeah, yeah, very effective. It's the kind of thing where there was no point where the subtitles were really necessary. Like, I got all the emotion from the acting, regardless.
40:35
Jmike
I wonder, is that going to carry on to, like, the other movies, too, where, like, has Clark learned more Kryptonic. Kryptonies, whatever. And they're gonna, like, have little side conversations where the only. Just the two of them are talking to each other. No one else can understand them. That'd be kind of cool.
40:55
Case
That would be kind of cool. It would make sense that he'd want to learn it. My dad asked me about that. It was like, doesn't Superman know Kryptonian? And I was like, well, it kind of depends on the version. And then the Superman movie that we got, like, the robots were the ones that did the translating for the scene. So, like, there's never a confirmation that he knew any Kryptonian.
41:13
Keith
Yeah, he would know probably that one recording.
41:17
Jmike
Right.
41:17
Keith
You know what I mean? You know, phrases like, you can ask for the bathroom. You know what I mean? Like, that kind of thing. So, yeah, a couple of words.
41:25
Jmike
A couple of phrases here or there. Just enough to be. Yeah.
41:28
Case
Not enough to put the whole.
41:29
Jmike
Yeah.
41:31
Case
Not enough to put the whole, like, phrasing together. Not. Not enough to talk to Supergirl when she lands.
41:36
Keith
Yeah. And then also Supergirl, you know, obviously, when she landed, was a while back, maybe he learned since.
41:44
Jmike
Right.
41:44
Keith
You know, so. Yeah.
41:45
Jmike
Maybe she's been teaching him.
41:49
Case
Yeah. Probably a certain amount because that would be how it would kind of go in the process of teaching her English. Let's talk about the pop culture references that Supergirl makes in this movie and is just generally into. I enjoyed when we show her kind of, like floating in space, like between her benders, she's like watching like old movies. Like, she's watching like a black and white movie. So like, I kind of enjoyed like this idea that she was like, sort of just absorbing Earth culture as much as she could.
42:21
Keith
They make a point that music is her escape.
42:24
Case
Yes.
42:25
Keith
Yeah. Which I thought was really smart. It's, you know, it's a. I'm just going to preface this. I know James Gunn did not direct this movie, but because that's like the whole thing online. But it's a very James Gunn thing to do.
42:37
Case
Yes.
42:38
Keith
You know, like, to find a good reason to use music, it's literally an escape in all three Guardians movies. Like, so I think that was really well done. And yeah, we might talk about the music separately, but yeah. Yeah, her absorbing like that. I like that there weren't in your face references. Like there were in Guardians. Like, you know, she wasn't just like. But what about Joan Jett?
43:02
Jmike
Right?
43:02
Keith
I mean, like, well, so I. I liked that.
43:04
Jmike
So.
43:05
Case
So that's kind of the thing. Nando V movies brought this up before the movie came out. And it. It stuck with me where it's like. It is interesting that she's into old music, you know, like. So like one of the details I like is that she has an ipod specifically as her like, device for listening to music. But that made me think that, like, she should have like wired earbuds as opposed to the over the ear ones that she's wearing. Just because, like, that would be the thing that you would associate more with like apple ones. And like the over the year ones look like the ones that Star Lord wears.
43:39
Keith
I. In my head, imagine she has an ipod specifically because.
43:46
Jmike
Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.
43:48
Case
Yeah. But then it should be the music that Clark likes. And so like, well, she probably just.
43:52
Keith
Immediately raised like, nope, park, your music's lame.
43:58
Case
I mean, that's. That's an option. But then like, yeah, but then the music that she should be absorbing, like, a lot of it would have been like, logically, things that were like, recent ish. In. In our timeline, like, they're. They're a little vague about like when she landed versus, like when this movie is happening. If this is. If this movie is taking place a year after Superman, which is hard to really say, then Superman's only been active for four years.
44:25
Keith
I mean, there's some. There was some pretty modern stuff on there. Like Wet Leg was played. It depends if we're talking about, like, what we heard coming out of her headphones versus what we just heard. But Wet Leg was on there. What was other Halsey. Like, a recent Halsey song? There were a couple recent things. So I think it was just kind of like a mix. You know what I mean? Which. I mean, that's what my playlists look like. You know what I mean?
44:47
Case
Yeah, I mean, that's fair. Like, it's not like the end of the world. Like, you know, I was surprised that we didn't get a Blondie track in the movie, considering that Blondie is the T shirt she wears throughout the entire movie. And it's all the trailer stuff.
45:01
Keith
Yeah, yeah, that was. That was a discourse online.
45:06
Case
I assumed that was going to be like, the. The. Like the track for the closing credits, but they. It didn't. So it was just a surprise.
45:15
Keith
Yeah.
45:16
Case
Meanwhile. So there's one needle drop that apparently everyone on the Internet hates. But I loved. I did, too, in this movie, which is that there's a cover of the Middle by Jimmy World that I sat up and I was like, fuck, yeah. Because I am a giant Jimmy World fan. And I was like, I hadn't heard this cover before and I'm enjoying it.
45:34
Keith
Yeah. I really liked it. I had a stupid argument with this idiot online where he's just like, why don't they just use the Jimmy World version? I'm like, when's the last time you listened to that song? I'm like, imagine that over. That scene with the really quick driving beat and the happy poppy sound as she's beating the crap out of dudes would make no sense whatsoever. I liked it. I thought it was the right balance of genuinely a really cool emotional moment, but also a little bit funny. I like that. So, yeah, no problems there.
46:11
Case
Yeah. Meanwhile, there was one track. It wasn't a track. A character sang it. That just pissed me off. Which is in the bar scene where someone just, like, sings the Girl From Ipanema.
46:20
Keith
I was gonna say that's the only musical moment I did not like,.
46:24
Case
Like, put it in a alien language at least. Like, don't have him just sing English. Like an English song in an alien bar.
46:32
Keith
But it's so big that they even know it across the galaxy Case of.
46:37
Case
All the songs that was just that one drove me insane.
46:44
Jmike
Or something like that.
46:45
Case
Well, again, just have it be in a fucking alien language.
46:48
Ben
Like, do.
46:48
Case
Do anything to make it just like. It was the cantina bar scene from Star Wars. Like, have a cantina band.
46:54
Jmike
Yeah.
46:54
Keith
On the subject of music, that is the only moment in music that bothered me. It has. The resident music podcaster. I will say I thought it was really well done. I personally loved hearing Silver Lining by Rylo Kiley. I love Rylo Kylie, and I think that's an excellent band to match the mood of this movie. So that was the. Probably the highlight for me as far as music goes. But.
47:16
Jmike
Yeah, yeah.
47:17
Case
But, yeah, I think that, like, there's a lot, like, there's. There's a lot of, like, things going on in the movie that. That I enjoyed. Like, the. The fight scenes, you know, we noted her fairly dark, but I thought it was, like, good action scenes and, like, the, like, especially the early ones where she's on a red sun world were, like, good stakes to, like, have them be effective against her. One thing I was thinking about, because this would have, you know, helped explain, like, why. Why it mattered, is it would have been cool if that sword could hurt her even under a yellow sun.
47:46
Keith
Yeah, that could be stakes that would be added. You know what I mean? Like, and, you know, we could couch it behind, like, it's magic.
47:54
Jmike
You know what I mean?
47:54
Keith
That's always. That's always very.
47:56
Case
The metal is magic or. Or the metal is infused with red sun energy because it's from a friend or. Or something. Or it's just that sharp.
48:04
Keith
Yeah, exactly. I think that would actually been a cool idea. I. I think more lore around the sword in general would have made more sense. Like, why this sword? And then it's like, two thirds of the way through, it's just like, oh, the sword doesn't really matter as much anymore. That was kind of dropped. You know, the sword was kind of, like, weak, I'll give you that.
48:24
Case
Yeah. Like, it made the whole reason for them. The fact that the sword was kind of weak made the reason for Crim to come in the first place feel like, well, why did he come to this world? And. And all that? And that, like, because he's not just passing through, he's actually coming for a thing like, you know, which is a deviation from the comic in that regard. Why is here for this thing if, like, he has space weapons?
48:48
Keith
Well, and we did kind of, like, get the idea that, like, he has a. Like, I was under the impression that they got the stuff out of the supply closet or whatever where all the swords were. This is her father's sword. Like, I think this is the one he personally carried and that. Because they did say they had, like, a whole, like, you know, storage. So I think they took everything except this sword as the impression. I Got, but they didn't explicitly say that, so. And I think that would have been great. Is like, this is the last thing of my father's. You know what I mean? That would add interest thing to it. I will say her father. By the way, we didn't mention him in casting, but it's Ferdinand Kingsley, which has been Kingsley's son.
49:29
Jmike
Oh, wow.
49:29
Case
Oh, dope.
49:30
Keith
And he's did so good. If you watch the Sandman, the Netflix adaptation, he played Hob Gadling. So just so good. But yeah, we didn't mention him during casting because it was kind of a small part.
49:44
Jmike
Yeah. How long is he? And he's like in there for like maybe seven minutes. If that.
49:49
Case
Yeah, if that. Yeah.
49:51
Keith
I thought, honestly, when I saw him, I was like, is that the guy? Dude looks like Ben Kingsley. And I was like, oh, wait, yeah,.
49:59
Logan
Yeah.
49:59
Case
Like, if the sword had been or if they had established all the weapons he had made were like more potent than the average weapon, then that could have helped sort some of the problems I have with the third act, which we might as well start talking about because I, I think that most of the movie leading up to the third act is working fine. Like I, I, the general stakes of them on the hunt for cram with a ticking clock for Krypto is all working okay. It's a little weird how much like how tight a timeline that is with space travel.
50:32
Jmike
Yeah.
50:34
Case
And you know, in the comic it's a fake out anyway, but like in this it's not. And so it's like. Okay, well, a ticking clock is a good thing from a storytelling perspective. Like I, I, I get that it's a literal ticking clock in this movie, but, you know, that's all fine. We have some good action scenes in there when like the fight with the pirates in space with like the teleportation stuff. Like, all that was all really cool. I thought that scene looked really good. I loved the whole like, can you get us closer to that yellow sun? As she's like trying to put the spacesuit on. Like fun details there.
51:08
Jmike
It is kind of interesting that like so it's to me, throughout this entire movie, she's kind of like on half tank with her solar energy because she's like almost always depleted and she always gets like a yellow sun just in time. So that was a fun like, thing I kept seeing like, because like Clark, he's usually out, like he can be out of like solar energy. Like he can be away from a Yellow son for a while and he'll be okay. But she's like almost always on E in this movie. Like, she's like getting her butt kicked around and stuff and she's like, oh, wait, a yellow sun. I can. I can recuperate and then she'll come back. But I was like, she's like, always on E in this movie.
51:48
Case
Yeah. That gets into the. The old conversation of our Kryptonians. Photosynthetic or photovoltaic? Do they just respond to having superpowers or, like, does the yellow sun just give them their full power suite or do they have to charge up?
52:02
Keith
Right, yeah. She needs that fucking laser thing from Superman where they focus it to charge it back up and heal him. That's what she needs. Yeah. I will say we're talking a bit about the action scenes and I did mention I didn't like the bar scenes. Action. Because it was very dark. But once they got outside, it was really cool. Like when Lobo joined the fight and they're just wrecking people. I thought that was a lot of fun. And I will say the thing I'm very surprised about is in the story, when they're on that planet and the two people that tried to poison her and Solar out, Bomar and his wife, I can't remember her name. I'm surprised. And I had a legit, like, oh, my God.
52:45
Keith
When they both died and so did their daughter, I expected her to be able to save the daughter or something like that.
52:51
Nic
Right.
52:51
Keith
But I was like, that's really grim. And that's like a low key moment that really sets the. Sets the tone for why this is different than say, the Superman movie. And that was like, yeah, I think that was a really key moment for me. So. Yeah.
53:05
Case
Yeah. And I like the stakes of like, oh, they're amassing like sex slaves. Like, like this human trafficking thing is a really interesting element that is like a believable thing that these like, brigands would do. Side note, obviously not a, a game breaker for the, for this movie, but like the fact that they're like, do you know about the brigands? Like, and everyone's just like, oh, yeah, we know the brigands. Like, like, it's the most generic word for bad guys that you could have. And everyone's like, yeah, no, we know the brigands. It, you know, it would be one thing if it was like the, you know, crim of the yellow hills. Like, is. It is like a very specific thing, but, like, it's just the brigands. It's like, do you know. Do you know about the pirates? Yeah, we know the pirate.
53:46
Alan
Like.
53:49
Jmike
Yeah.
53:49
Keith
And I mean, also, I mean, are we talking universal translators? And maybe it's a specific word, you know, like, who knows? But no, I get what you're saying.
53:58
Case
Well, it's just. It's a weird detail.
54:00
Jmike
It's like she. She does ask people, like, oh, you know, the common tongue. So, like. Okay, I guess. I guess, you know, brigands means like things. But it is kind of weird that everyone's like, oh, yeah, we know. I'm. Wink, wink.
54:13
Keith
No, I get that.
54:14
Jmike
Wink, wink. Yeah, we know what they're. Briggins. Yeah, we know what you're talking about.
54:18
Case
Yeah, that was just like a weird detail there. But I. I like the idea that this is like a thing that she. I probably would have enjoyed her being a little more horrified about it or something. Like, having a little bit of a bigger reaction. But, like, it's. It's a big stake. And at the end of the movie, it's like, oh, we have to stop the girls from being, like, taken or killed.
54:36
Keith
Yeah. I will say just Usain, be more horrified. A moment I have to mention, and I think this is something that we're seeing more of in movies right now, and I think we're still on the side of it being awesome, which is her flying up into space and screaming in silence was great.
54:57
Case
Yes. That was a cool scene.
54:59
Keith
Yeah. Obviously with the Star wars sequel series, they're like, oh, we can do silent things in space and people love it. And we're seeing more of that. Right. I think we're still on the good side of, like, this isn't overdone yet. And I think hers version was amazing. Like, just so good because that was also the most emotion we've seen or actually the most emotion we see the entire movie from her. So. Yeah, I really liked that.
55:25
Case
Yeah. All right, let's talk third act. Okay. Because these. These are. These are my quibbles. And like I said, I still thought this movie was like, I. I would say C. C plus is my rating on this one if we're going on the. On a letter grade scale. But like I said, like a 6.5 out of 10. If we're doing five stars, it would be a. It falls to a three for me. So, like that. Oh, my God, an average score.
55:52
Keith
Don't worry, I'll bonus on this score.
55:54
Case
Yeah. So we'll start with Momoa. Like, I didn't think he contributed a lot to the story, either positively or negatively. In terms of, like, their impact. And I think that one of the. The easiest things that they could have done was had the bounty that. That Lobo is going after be a thing that puts him at odds with Supergirl as opposed to. As unlikely allies with Supergirl, where it's like, oh, I'm after the Lieutenant, like, the. The Mohawk redhead guy, as opposed to Creme. If he was after Creme and, like, needed to capture Creme and didn't give a. About the cure, like, that would have been like, a scenario where Lobos, like, oh, Lobos almost captured him. Well, if Lobo catches him, then Krypto's dead. Like, could have been a more effective use of Lobo in that sense.
56:39
Case
Like I said, perfect casting for Lobo. And he's, you know, do it. Like, they have funny scenes with him, but, like, he's not really, like, modifying the stakes.
56:48
Jmike
I mean, they. Yeah, they do a good job of, like, introducing the character. They give him a little background, like, oh, yeah, don't. Don't. Don't mess with him. Don't talk to him. That's Lobo. Blah, blah. He's an immortal. Blah, blah, blah. And then, like you said, that's kind of it. Like, he's just around. Even when, like, he somehow gets captured, they don't release. Like, yeah, somehow he somehow got captured because the last time we saw him, he was kicking ass and taking names. And then you see him again, he's in a cage, like, half passed out. You're like, how did you get here, dude? It just happened, I guess. Or he just wanted to be captured. Who knows? But he's just around, like, just like that. He's just chilling most of the movie.
57:29
Keith
I think the most important role Lobo plays in the story is through the lens of Ruthye, not through Supergirl with them being in jail next to each other. You know, I think there was an opportunity that was missed that would have been very easily resolved, showing, basically that Lobo could be what she becomes if she does seek vengeance. You know what I mean? Like, I think that's a very easy fix right there, and that gives him a purpose for being there. And it also tells us, you know, how crazy Lobo is. You know what I mean? Like, I think that would have been a very simple fix to, like, have that. And, you know, I like that he had that. He liked Ruthye. I thought that was fun. You know what I mean? Like, that he was just like.
58:15
Keith
Like, he likes her spunk, you know what I mean? And, like, in the fact that it's not very Lobo, like, but I did like that in the end, he's just like, yeah, I'm gonna fuck shit up with you before I leave. Like, you know, like, the whole scene with the grenades or he's like, ha, blowing everything up. I thought was like, okay, I kind of love that. But I did like that he liked Ruthye. I thought that was an interesting. Like, the most interesting thing about that portrayal of the character was that he had that moment. And, yeah, it could have been just that little bit more, like, where he might. Like, he says, like, girl wants her vengeance, she should be able to get it. If he was a little more active with that, where he tells her to get it.
58:53
Keith
You know what I mean? Like, he's the. He's the devil on the other shoulder.
58:57
Case
Right.
58:57
Keith
I think that would have been a really easy fix. So. But yeah.
59:01
Case
Yeah. I also think if this movie had been told more from Ruthye's perspective would have been helpful. Like, we could have gotten the. The stuff with Supergirl partying as, like, a flashback. Like, where it's like, why are you here? Well, and then, like, cut to, like, all of that or something like that.
59:15
Jmike
Yeah.
59:15
Keith
And. Well, and I'll be frank, that's one of the criticisms I've seen is too much of this movie's from Ruthye's perspective. So some people disagree with you.
59:23
Case
Yeah, that's entirely fair. But, you know, just it would have allowed for, like, okay, this is how she's seeing Supergirl, as opposed to necessarily the totality of Supergirl. You know, just some thoughts there.
59:35
Keith
It's like, I remember, I think we had a conversation once about a Superman story told entirely from Jimmy Olsen's point of view.
59:41
Case
Yeah, yeah, like, yeah, that's.
59:43
Keith
That would be kind of similar to that. Yeah, I could see that.
59:46
Case
But, yeah, like I said, I feel like they could have just made Lobo a little bit more impactful, and that could have been good. Especially because if Lobo is at odds with Supergirl in Act 3, then that gives a little bit more for the stakes of it, which is. Okay, so the fucking Kryptonite son does fucking nothing in this movie. Like, it just, like, incapacitates her for a little bit. So Ruthye walks off, and she doesn't even, like, struggle through the Kryptonite to get to Ruthye or anything like.
01:00:12
Jmike
Like that.
01:00:12
Case
It's just like, the sun comes up and she's fine. It's just a pause button on Supergirl. And then from that point on, there's no credible threat until they're like, oh, we have darts of Kryptonite. Which are just why.
01:00:30
Keith
Yeah, I mean, it's like, you could say that. You could say about a lot of Superman stories as well. What does that person have? Kryptonite. There's a sign in one of the.
01:00:40
Jmike
Newer episodes of My Adventures to Superman where, like, one of the girls says, you know, like, oh, we have Kryptonite. It's literally everywhere on the street now. All the robots have them. And so, like, yeah, I was like. Because it's only like two Kryptonians, quote unquote, that we know of in that universe right now. So, like, how the hell does he know that Kryptonite affects Supergirl? Like, that? He's never come across it before at all. And he like, oh, McGuffin clicked. And I was like, are you serious?
01:01:11
Case
And we don't establish her having a reputation like that because, like, that's the thing. Like, like, again, not to be like, push up my glasses and say, but in the comics. But in the comics, Supergirl's an established character. Like, this is a movie taking place relatively early in her career and still relatively early in Superman's career. And we don't know how big of a career he's had. Like, he could have been out in space doing a lot of shit. And, like, they could have just said, like, anything about that. Well, to indicate, like, so they give.
01:01:41
Jmike
You the impression that, like, she's been heroing around Metropolis and stuff for a little bit and she's been helping him do stuff. So, like. Because they. He mentions it early on and he mentions it at the end, like, oh, you know, like. Like, I could have used your help with some stuff here. No, I could use your help with this bad guy. She's like, oh, my bad. You know? So I'm guessing she had been heroing around for a little bit because she does have the costume, too. So.
01:02:02
Case
Sure.
01:02:03
Keith
On Earth, I will say this, and this supports your argument Case. Ruthye didn't know who she was, and when she found out she was from Krypton, she's like, oh, that place blew up. So that implies they don't know Kryptonians are alive. So she doesn't have a reputation. So, yeah, it's weird that he would have Kryptonite. I'm not going to defend that decision.
01:02:26
Jmike
And he has a lot of it, too.
01:02:27
Case
It's barely an impediment.
01:02:28
Keith
He's got a lot of it, too.
01:02:29
Jmike
He's got Like, a gauntlet full of the darts and things. And I was like, how the hell that he'd get all that done that quickly?
01:02:37
Case
Yeah. It's not like they were expecting her on. On the red sun world, like. Like that. Like, they didn't know that she was gonna be there. And it's only three days later, and he's just, like, all of a sudden got Kryptonite darts.
01:02:50
Keith
Yeah. Now, there was kind of an implication when she arrived on the Green sun world that. That he specifically chose that because of her at that point.
01:02:59
Jmike
But how did he know?
01:03:00
Keith
So maybe he got. Maybe he got the Kryptonite after. That might be a question. You know what I mean? Like, that could be there's some wiggle room there. I guess my problem with his plan is the fact that he knows there's two sons and he's no. Half the day. She's not going to be incapacitated. It doesn't seem to really be bothered by that.
01:03:20
Case
Well, if he knew, like, and that's the other. You know, like, if he knew that was a thing. Because, like, I don't. I. I didn't take it as being, like, I. As being the. Like, that's where they're holed up because of it. I thought that's where they're, like, base of operations was. But. Yeah, but again, and this is stuff that could have been resolved with dialogue. Like, like, oh, we came here because of the kryptonite sun. There happens to be a lot of Kryptonite on this world. Or. Or something.
01:03:48
Jmike
Could.
01:03:48
Case
It could have been that. But, like, the. The kryptonite sun doesn't do anything. And it doesn't really, like, aside from. It's like a pause on Supergirl being able to function. So, like, there's that and then. And. And then he just has these darts and they show it, like, go into her bloodstream and it's like, okay, we're now loading you up with Kryptonite. And then she's able to pull him out and she's fine, but she powers.
01:04:08
Jmike
Through it because she gets more solar or yellow sun radiation.
01:04:11
Keith
Yeah, that's how it works. I'm not defending this.
01:04:19
Jmike
Well.
01:04:19
Case
And this just gets back to, like, Creme is, like, kind of like, too good at his job for, like, the character that we're sort of setting him up as. Like, it, like. And again, if these were the weapons that. That Ruthye's dad had made and they were just effective against her, like, that could have been a way an Interesting element of. Of the story. Or if, honestly, I would have believed that they were like a kryptonite laser more than a kryptonite dart.
01:04:43
Jmike
Purple ray.
01:04:45
Case
Yes, yes, a purple.
01:04:47
Keith
Right.
01:04:47
Case
But, like, if it was like, oh, we have solar batteries that have absorbed the green solar energy and, like, we're able to use this as a laser. Or that would have been more shooter by accident.
01:04:56
Jmike
Like, they're just shooting her with the cannons. They have, like. Like you said solar radiation. And, like, they see that the green stuff actually hurts her more. Like. Yeah, yeah, keep doing that. Do that again.
01:05:06
Keith
Do that again. I think they did the dart because it's just a return to his. His form, you know? Like, that's how he got. He hurt Krypto. You know what I mean? Like, it's also a dart. I think that's just, like, aesthetic. He uses darts. Kryptonite dart. You know what I mean? Like, so I didn't think they thought any deeper than that, to be honest.
01:05:27
Case
Right, well. And that's sort of my problem with this third act.
01:05:30
Jmike
Yeah.
01:05:31
Keith
Again, I'm not defending,.
01:05:34
Logan
Like.
01:05:35
Case
And the third act, I actually felt didn't have enough chaos of, like, trying to prevent, like, the death of Ruthye or of the girls that were hostages.
01:05:42
Jmike
Yes.
01:05:43
Case
Like, there's some of that.
01:05:44
Jmike
So that was my biggest gripe with this part, was, like, the ships exploding. Everyone's like. Like, they crack. The ship crashes into the side of the mountain. And I was like, how are these girls still alive? Because it actually shows, like, the outside of the ship exploding and crumpling up. And I was like, oh, they forgot about the girls. And they're like, wait.
01:06:04
Keith
I thought they forgot.
01:06:05
Jmike
They were like, wait, the girls? And I was like, there's no way they're still alive. And she flies in and, like, they're still inside the cage. And I was like, movie magic. Yeah,.
01:06:17
Keith
It was very. Like, this is kind of like, not an equivalent idea, but this is. What popped into my head was it was a home alone moment where they counted all the kids, like, wait, where the fuck's Kevin? And she's like, gotcha. Just runs back in and gets Kevin. And I was like. I was like, okay, I'm glad they remembered at least, like, because then we'd have debates forever about fucking Supergirl, letting people die and that, you know, the Snyderverse was robbed. God, I just felt the arguments forming as I was watching that. I'm like, oh, thank God.
01:06:57
Jmike
It was just so weird, though, because you saw, like, they actively crashed that ship into the side of the mountain and it just starts exploding. There's fireballs and things happening everywhere and it crashes. It hits the ground. All the guys come flying out with the ships and everything. And like, Ruthy's like, oh, wait, the girls. Ruthye's like, there's no way. I actively.
01:07:19
Keith
In my head, I kind of wanted. I kind of wanted Lobo to save the women.
01:07:23
Jmike
That would have been great.
01:07:24
Keith
And kind of be smarmy about it. I was like, that's what I was really hoping. He's like, nah, I got you girls. Don't worry. Like, that'd be funny. But yeah, no, I totally. I totally get it. The third act is a bit weak. There is definitely some plot holes there. There's definitely some stuff that I'm like, it wouldn't have been hard to fix. You know what I mean? That's the key. But I enjoyed it for the most part and we also got the drop of the middle, so I forgive it by a lot.
01:07:53
Case
Right.
01:07:55
Keith
So, yeah, overall, I mean, I thought it was. It was good. It is also really well paced movie. We talked about it before. It's not long. It's not overly long, which I really like.
01:08:07
Case
So, no, it's definitely a sprint. Like by. By the time that we got to the end, I was like, oh, we're.
01:08:13
Jmike
We're.
01:08:13
Case
We're pretty far along. And part of that is surprised because it is more worlds in the comic and so like, the fact that they streamline it a lot is fine. Like, I. Oh.
01:08:23
Jmike
But yeah, I will say I was surprised they let Kara kill what's his face. I was like, oh, okay. They're gonna let her get her piece in and like take him out so Ruth, he doesn't have to. And I was like, gotcha. I was not expecting that.
01:08:42
Keith
I loved it. But part of it is because it reminded me of a moment from the Expanse, which is one of my favorite series ever, where the character of Amos, like, there's a character that's about to kill somebody, is like shaking. Amos is like, you're not that guy. And he takes the gun from. He goes, I'm that guy kills himself. And I was kind of like, I like that because this is another argument I had online because. Because that's what I do. And basically they were talking about this. This is dumb. Why would Supergirl do this? You know? And I'm like, because she's. She sees herself as damaged already. Like, that's the key. She thinks she's saving Ruthye from damage. But she thinks I'm already damaged. How much worse can I get? You know what I mean?
01:09:27
Jmike
I didn't have. I didn't have a. I didn't have a problem with it. I was just surprised they were letting it happen in the movie.
01:09:33
Keith
True that. That too.
01:09:34
Jmike
Yeah.
01:09:35
Keith
Which goes back to what Case said about what if Crim was Lobos target. That's an easy out at the end is they give him to Lobo, he's like, no. And they drag him off. You know what I mean?
01:09:48
Jmike
Like, I guess Lobos is chilling on the hill, like, watching all this stuff happen.
01:09:52
Keith
Yeah. So. But also, would that be a cop out? You know what I mean? Like, yeah, to the. To the vengeance stories. Like, we'll just give him to Lobo. We'll let him die off screen. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. It's debatable either way.
01:10:05
Jmike
Or you could hat Lobo, like, do the finishing blow. It just come out of, like, come up. The hook just comes out of nowhere.
01:10:13
Keith
And they could add a comedy, James Gunn comedy bit where he's like, oh, I tried to try to just, you know, put him down non lethal. Now I'm gonna get less bounty or whatever, you know what I mean?
01:10:23
Case
Like, yeah, or it could have been like, hey, Lobo was the bounty dead or alive? Like, hell yeah, or, yeah, frick yeah. Or you fragging know it. And it's like, good, have fun and like, toss. Toss them that way. Could have been an interesting way of doing it because obviously we're not going to do the way the comic ends at where, like there's like hundreds of years or something like, pass and like, Ruthye's so old and they like, expose him from the Phantom Zone.
01:10:53
Logan
Yeah.
01:10:56
Keith
I can get the controversy behind it. There are people, you know, one way or the other. I liked it personally, probably because specifically were doing angle of sex trafficking. So I'm like, no, he needs to be put down.
01:11:11
Jmike
Right.
01:11:11
Case
Yeah. Like, I didn't mind it that much, especially because it's Supergirl and not Superman. And like, this Supergirl is, like I said, not a distaff counterpart of Superman in. In the same sense. Like, it's not just Superman, but with boobs. Like, we. We have a different character who is, you know, like we said, very much coming from a damaged situation. So it didn't bug me as much, but it did surprise me. And like, it. It was strange that after has hopeful after the squirrel saving scene in Superman where they're gonna really hard pivot that way.
01:11:48
Keith
Yeah. And I think. And this is a really great time for me to bring up what one thing I made sure I wanted to talk about. My favorite scene from this movie is the last scene, which is her coming to Earth and seeing Kal El again and her tentatively reaching out, you know what I mean? Like, because we talked about how great David Cordsweb is and how great he was in this movie.
01:12:13
Case
Oh, no, he's getting into chocolate. He's getting into chocolate.
01:12:16
Jmike
Yeah. I.
01:12:17
Keith
He's infinitely patient with her, you know what I mean? And that's one thing I love, is he's just waiting. He's just waiting and waiting. So, to me, the best payoff in this movie is the moment she does reach back. And I've just loved that. And then the idea of. We know that she's going to be a big player in this movie universe going forward. We've been told this already. She's going to be a major part of it.
01:12:43
Jmike
It.
01:12:44
Keith
So setting this up and set her up not to just be, oh, golly g cousin, I'm gonna be just like you. But now we have her coming from a really interesting space. She did kill a guy, and now she's trying to better. You know what I mean? Like, that is so interesting to me. And that last scene really set that up nicely.
01:13:05
Case
So one of the reasons why she's as lethal as she is at the end of the movie is because of her relationship with Krypto. And we hinted at this before. I really like the fact that they established Krypto. Like, that she found Krypto in the funeral for her mom.
01:13:24
Keith
Yeah, definitely.
01:13:26
Case
I think that's a really cool way of connecting the characters and connecting those traumas. Like, the. The loss of Krypto is like, Krypto is literally the last thing she has of her mother in that sense.
01:13:38
Keith
And of Argo.
01:13:39
Case
Yes. Yeah, broader. But, like, specifically her mom.
01:13:42
Jmike
Like.
01:13:43
Keith
Yeah, no, definitely.
01:13:43
Jmike
Yeah.
01:13:44
Keith
And just like that journey to Earth from Argo is just her and that dog in a bubble. You know what I mean? Like, thinking about that, like, that's she knows she's leaving behind everybody she's ever known because she's only known Argo and she knows they're going to be dying and she's in this bubble being shot across the universe, holding on to a dog, and that's all she has left. Like, that's devastating. Like, yeah, I really like that.
01:14:16
Case
Yeah. But I mean, that kind of wraps up the big things I wanted to talk about with this movie. Like. Like, I'm looking through my notes that I made after I saw it, and,.
01:14:27
Jmike
You know, I. I will say that I was having a hard time reacting to Lobo because, like, I. My. My brain sees like, Jason Momoa. But it also. Here is. While he's talking, it, here's Brad Garrett as, like, my Lobo from when I was a kid. And I kept expecting him to go, keep going, the main man's here. You know, it was like, he's not doing the thing.
01:14:52
Keith
He did all the Lobo things. I will say the one thing. But Bastich coming out of his mouth didn't quite feel right. There was something off there.
01:15:01
Case
It was awkward when he said it.
01:15:02
Alan
Yeah.
01:15:03
Keith
I was kind of like, yeah, that he has to say it. You know what I mean? But, like, it's very clear he wants to say bastard.
01:15:10
Case
You know what I mean?
01:15:11
Keith
Like, and he's just like, okay, bastard. It's like, yeah. But other than that, he was great. Yeah.
01:15:17
Case
So here, I think, is a good time for us to drop in some people's thoughts, because, like, the Superman movie, I put out a call online for people to send in audio submissions for their thoughts on the movie. And so without further ado, here are some of our listeners feedback about Supergirl. Hey, everyone. This is Case in the Future here to welcome all of the people who submitted feedback on the new Supergirl movie. I wanted to give each person an introduction, since when we did this for Superman, I realized that some people, you know, didn't actually say who they were. This time I wanted to make sure that we gave the proper flowers to everyone who contributed. So first up, we have Alan Williams.
01:15:57
Case
He's from the Watch this Space podcast I was on recently to talk about the Truman show, although I don't think the episode has dropped yet as of the time of this recording going out. We'll see. Podcast time is weird, but here's Alan's thoughts on Supergirl.
01:16:11
Alan
Hi, this is Alan Williams from the Legion of Substitute Podcasters and Watch this Space with some thoughts on the new Supergirl movie. To start off, you're going to hear the word solid a lot from me about this film. I'd give it an 8 out of 10. And it expands the new DCU off Earth. It gives some good character development for Supergirl, but it still has some pacing issues that might have been fixed if they'd have moved some of the story elements around. Not necessarily deleted anything, you know, cut anything, but maybe put them in a different spot. Now, something I noticed is that this movie is very Much the opposite of Gun's Superman film. See, unlike Clark, Kara. Yes, I say Kara, not Kara, has a childhood on Krypton.
01:17:02
Alan
They're at least on a part of Krypton, and Zor El sends her to Earth to save her. Where Superman is about Clark discovering and accepting an unpleasant truth that Jor El and Lara basically just sent him to Earth to conquer it. Supergirl is about Kira starting to embrace Zor El and Allura's basic messages of just be good and you carry us in your heart. Where Clark has to reject the destiny that Jor El and Lara planned for Kal El, Kara finally begins to accept Earth as a new home and accept why her parents let her go. I think the idea is that she feels abandoned and Clark felt embraced. I think Millie Alcock has a strong performance as Supergirl.
01:17:56
Alan
And although I thought the character of Ruthye was kind of flat, Eve Ridley's acting was promising enough that I want to see more of what of her and I want to see what she's like in some other roles. Jason Momoa as Lobo was a chef's kiss. I mean, just excellent. Seth Rogen's turn as the bus driver was classic. And. And between his performance and Corn Sweat's appropriately goofy man of Steel, it created scenes that helped keep the film from getting too dark, from becoming so serious that you can't. That you end up squirming trying to watch it. Overall, I didn't think anybody's performance stood out like a sore thumb. Again, solid, not necessarily Oscar material, obviously, but good for this kind of a film. Not every film has to be perfect after all. Now, I have seen comparisons between Supergirl and True Grit.
01:18:52
Alan
Now, I've never seen either version of True Grit. I've read up on them, I know the plots of them. And I do see similarities between both versions of True Grit and Supergirl. And it kind of addresses one of the complaints I've seen is that there seems to be a lack of chemistry or empathy between the Maid of Might and, well, everyone else in the film. See the film. It doesn't wrap up Kara's character growth in a tiny little package that takes under two hours. No, this mirrors real life. Life doesn't work that way when you're starting to emotionally open up, especially when you've been carrying a lot of grief around for a long time. And what we're seeing in this film is Supergirl starting to move, trying to work through some of the grief and anger that she's never let go of.
01:19:46
Alan
And it shouldn't end with her all happy and. And excited about life on Earth. And that's something that I appreciate. It's something that. That they've even addressed sometimes in the comics, depending on which version of Supergirl you're reading, that there is a certain amount of resentment, there's a certain amount of isolation. There's a. She has this feeling of being isolated because she. She knows what it's like to be Kryptonian. Clark doesn't. As a matter of fact, he's Clark, not Kal El, really, especially in the most recent stuff. It also makes sense to me that Kara's first concern is Krypto over anyone else. And that's for two reasons. Number one, in story, it makes sense because Krypto is her last connection to Krypton. She doesn't meet Clark until she reaches Earth. And again, he's Clark. He's not Kal El, at least not to her.
01:20:49
Alan
And he really identifies as Taran, rather Kryptonian. It reminded me of the end of man of steel number six way back in 1987, where John Byrne wrote something to the effect of. And I'm paraphrasing here, I may be from Krypton, but Earth makes me human. Second reason why it makes sense to me, Their first concern is Krypto. Kind of goes back to the. The story of John Wick. I mean, it all kicks off because his dog was killed. Why does it. Why does it kick off because his dog was killed? Because his dog represented a connection to dealing with his grief. So, yeah, that's very similar reasons. And that's why I don't have a big issue with them saying, oh, yeah, it's because of. It's really because of trying to save Krypto and not really much of anything else.
01:21:39
Alan
But by the end, I think that we do see that Supergirl has developed at least enough empathy that she doesn't want Ruthye to go down this path of being haunted by, you know, killing the bad guy in revenge. And again, as far as the bad guy goes, now, I've. I've seen some things about that, too, online. Like I said, I've never read the comic. Okay, for those. Because I've never read it. I don't know anything in particular about dronbaxton. Sorry. But it's a good. I think he's a good villain. I have seen enough YouTube videos that I know what Baxter is like in the comic. I think this works better in many respects.
01:22:31
Alan
And while I may be a Legion fan, I don't mind the fact that they don't actually mention that it's a more drew globe, because I think that's actually something in the comics that probably would have made me cringe had I actually read the comic. Solid visual effects. I was never pulled out of the film by something truly hokey. That's not gonna. I'm not gonna say that they are the most impressive stellar effects ever, but they do work. The visuals work for this film. My only complaint about visuals has to do with costuming, and this is just one that I've had for a very long time, and that's that when you give Supergirl a red skirt instead of a blue one, the amount of red overpowers the blue. Unlike, you know, where Superman, it balances out because he's got.
01:23:20
Alan
Because he may have red trunks, but he's got. He's got blue leggings. When you take out the leggings, then Supergirl doesn't really. That red skirt just doesn't work as well as her original Silver Age appearances when they gave her a blue skirt. And that's just my personal opinion. And that's nothing majorly important. And on a final note, now, I have heard some complaints about the needle drop in the fight scene at the end where they use that cover of the middle. Now, I like the song. I think the song's perfect, especially lyrics, Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. But I do wish they'd gone with the Jimmy Eat World version because the Jimmy Eat World version is up tempo and I think that it would have imparted some additional energy to the whole fight sequence.
01:24:14
Alan
Instead, it feels, not like it drags it down, but it just makes everything feel a little bit too surreal for my personal taste. I mean, while the movie does go back and forth on point of view between Ruthye and Supergirl, generally speaking. And I know the. The book was actually told through narration by Ruthye. I really feel like the fact that they did balance it, Kara and Ruthye having the different points of view and switching between them, that the up tempo version of the middle would have worked better. So there you have it. There are my thoughts on the film. Final, final thought is go see it. It's worth it. Thanks.
01:25:02
Case
Next up from the Reels of Justice podcast, we've got Ben Haslar.
01:25:06
Ben
Hi, Case. Ben Haslar here again. Reels of Justice. We put movies on trial, all that in your Superman 2025 tribute. I think I was one of maybe two voices who expressed how they did not care all that much for that Film and I expanded on those ideas on our show on Reels of Justice, if anyone would like to check that episode out. I would love to again be the voice of dissent here, but it seems that the general feeling is more mixed with Supergirl, which I tend to agree with. Not terrible maybe, but also not impressive. What does work is Millie Alcock. She's absolutely delivers on what the film wants of her. The script wants her to be a mess, who through the workings of the story, becomes a hero finding her place, and she does that.
01:25:47
Ben
I wish that script was also a Supergirl movie, which it's not. I swear. I went into it not wanting to dislike it. I love space cowboy or girl adventures. I'm also not a DC guy, so I'm a little less informed about what all these characters should be. A well crafted film could make me think, okay, this is what I want of those characters. The way Guardians of the Galaxy, another comic book movie hardly anyone knew about the comic books going into was able to do. No such luck. The plot is just too convenient all around. It meanders about and then people just find things or get captured at the most convenient moments. I often found myself questioning what all the characters know and don't know about each other, as none of that seemed consistent throughout.
01:26:32
Ben
I suspect a lot happened in editing, like some of the justice gang. I'm not sure who Lobo is or why anyone thought he was necessary, other than I guess some of the writers thought he was cool and that they connect the dots better later. But cut the dude out and you wouldn't know he was here. Still no real answers as to why Jor El and Lara wanted their son to start a harem in this universe. The Krypton sequence might be one of the better parts of the movie though, but it doesn't really mesh or feel cohesive with the first film. This really does seem like they're just making stuff up as they go and aren't playing the long game.
01:27:06
Ben
And the more the films that they make, the more evident that this will become that the DCU is a house of cards that is about to fall in on itself. Oh, and that green yellow sun thing, oh my gosh, how obvious was that? I was not paying close enough attention, maybe. Or did they say in passing how the green sun was chosen to protect them from Kryptonians? A supposedly dead race now, but this planet makes them invincible half the time. Like, this is the last place you'd want to camp out. And as Kara was curled up in that cave beneath the Green sun. There was no doubt in my mind that she'd survive it and the yellow sun would come out and make her invincible again. So she has no obstacles in that last battle. And surprise, that's exactly what happened.
01:27:48
Ben
There are all kinds of little things that just bug me throughout, like the fact that, let's face it, the villain's pretty boring. He's modeled after Fury Road. He's shooting people with poison arrows and keeps the antidote around his neck to serve as an all too easy MacGuffin to make people mad at him and have this extra reason to come right for him and kill him to save their friends. This is the kind of villain that wouldn't bother to have antidote like that, nor would they keep it around their neck. A Supergirl film could be great. I think the recent CW show could be used as a model for that. Fury Road in space could similarly be great. But putting the two together, it did not make Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. In this Case, Wonder Woman's third act was kind of a mess.
01:28:30
Ben
The Marvels didn't really hit. I think women really deserve some. Some great representation on screen again. The Supergirl series, I think, does that very well. And I wanted this film to do it well too, but it just didn't happen on this one. I feel for the people who bought this limited popcorn bucket. I think it'll be holding cat food or something in the pantry more than anything else.
01:28:53
Case
And we are following that one up with Brett Eagleston from the let's Rewatch podcast and technically my Boss at certain POVs, Supergirl.
01:29:02
Bret
I wanted more plot, less fighting, more. Character development, less nihilism. I wanted Kara to care a little. More about the mass kidnapping, non consensual brick and sex slave Lady Cage thing. Somebody really set our touchstones. Or John Wick meets Fury Road in space. But if Supergirl has her power, she. Wins every fight right away. So we need to take away her powers at the start of every scene in a new and creative way and then restore her powers at the end of every scene in a new and creative way. Because every scene in this movie is a fight scene. Because that's what superheroes do, is fight. People at every opportunity all the time. We found this script in the back rooms. It's like describing a superhero movie to someone who's never seen one and then asking them to make one.
01:29:37
Bret
That said, I really like this movie. I like Kara and I, against my better judgment, I want more Lobo.
01:29:42
Case
All right, next up we have author Jesse Fresco coming in with takes on Supergirl.
01:29:46
Nic
Hey, everyone. Jesse Fresco chiming in once again to discuss my thoughts on the new Supergirl. I saw the reviews, I saw the box office, and I decided to lower my expectations. I'm figuring, you know what? I'm just going to go into this with low expectations. Just, just try to enjoy it, try to have fun. And overall, I think that the movie is fine. I, I think I'm gonna have more negatives and positives on this one, which really sucks because I, I, I, I want to be somebody that champions this from the hills. Like, yes, if everyone's wrong, it's just incels being dicks. But no, it, there are significant problems in this movie. So let's go through the good stuff first. Millie Alcock as Supergirl is a good choice. Probably not my first choice. I honestly would have brought back Sasha Calle from the Flash.
01:30:31
Nic
I would have given her another chance. But overall, I think she's, Millie Alcock is a good choice. She looks the part. She's a fine actress. People are online saying that she's ugly. Like, what the hell are you talking about? She's adorable. Yeah, she's a very attractive young woman, so she fits the role quite well. Other good things I, you know, it's nice to see Krypto back, even though the dog's only in about maybe 10 minutes of screen time, which is kind of terrible. I think that the idea of adapting the Woman of Tomorrow comic by Tom King is a good choice. It's a good starting point. You know, that comic is essentially just red Sonja if she was in space. And that's a good place to start. It's one of the best runs of Supergirl.
01:31:17
Nic
It's an excellent story, and I think for me, that's where all the really good positives stop. I think overall, I think the movie is just fine. It's passable. But compared to the 2025 Superman, this is a sophomore slump. This is a downgrade. Let's, let's jump into some big negatives right now. Oh, my God. This is one of the ugliest looking movies I've seen in a long time. Everything is brown. What? Woman of Tomorrow is one of those beautiful comics I've seen in the last 10 years. Why did they reduce it to mud and gravel? It's so hideous looking. It's so hideous. It makes me want to reopen Film Rescue to chuck this into the bin to see if we can maybe pull something out of this. Yeah, it's really gross looking. I don't like the look. And there's lens layers everywhere. Oh, J.J. abrams.
01:32:07
Nic
Oh, you have cursed this industry. I swear. Other negatives. While it is based upon the storyline of the Woman of Tomorrow comics, it is not adapting. It really. This is not an adaptation of that story because ultimately is very different. The theme of that comic is that ultimately revenge will not give you the things you want. It will not give you the. It will. Seeking revenge like that will not give you satisfaction. And themes of the end of the movie, they get very muddled and yet spoilers for the end of the movie. The main villain, Creme Supergirl in the comic just throws him into the Phantom Zone and he comes out like 150 some odd years later. And then he's a different man, he's rehabilitated. And then she just kicks him in the head and walks away. Or.
01:32:56
Nic
No, that's the other thing is I just never found any interest in the side character. Ruthye. Yeah, the Eve Ridley as Ruthye, not a great actress. That's a big problem. So I didn't find her very particularly interesting. Much more interesting in the comics. In the comic, Krem is sent to the Phantom Zone and then comes back out to change man and Ruthie kicks him and walks away. In the movie, Ruthye does not take the revenge, walks away and then Supergirl just stabs him. So she's. It's okay for her to kill this person, but not for anybody else. Honestly, as I was watching it felt like this is chaff from the Snyderverse. This feels a lot like a Snyder movie because just the way it looks, the way it feels, it definitely feels odd. Yeah. I wish I could offer more positive.
01:33:43
Nic
Oh, Jason Momoa's Lobo is fun, but he's in maybe five minutes of screen time and ultimately if you cut him out of the movie, nothing really changes in the movie. I think he's just there because they needed to set him up for a future film. That's fine. But if that's the Case, why not make him more integral to the story? It's a revenge story. He's going, he's going after a bounty. The bounty is associated with the people that they are going after. Why don't they just team up? Like with the Superman movie that came out last year where you have Mr. Terrific and the justice Gang teaming up with Superman a lot. Why not have Lobo more integral to the movie? It's kind of ugly film wise. It's kind of. Of boring because it's very standard.
01:34:35
Nic
This is a very, this is very much rises to the level of mediocrity way to shoot for the middle guys. And Craig Gillespie is not a bad director. He's a very competent filmmaker. This guy made on I Tanya. It's a great movie. And even the 2011 Fright Night movie which he made was not bad. I actually quite like it over the original Fright Night. This is not an untalented filmmaker, but it does feel a lot of times like director for hire. Just come in, sit in the chair, say action. This isn't, this isn't a James Gunn movie. But God damn if it doesn't feel like Teemu James Gunn movie. It feels like a side story from Guardians of the Galaxy at times. And it's. That's a big problem. It has no real identity of its own.
01:35:21
Nic
It doesn't feel like it has anything new to offer. It doesn't feel like it actually was even made with the best of intentions. They made the 2025 Superman movie not just to launch a universe because James Gunn actually found something he wanted to say with Superman. This feels like it exists because we need to get Supergirl into the next Superman movie and we need to have her prequel, backstory, etc. Explained beforehand so we can get to that. It feels like it is a latched on tumor to the next Superman movie.
01:36:00
Nic
I know that sounds disparaging, but it really does feel like honestly, I would put money on the table and say if you actually cut out all the flashback scenes of Kara arriving on Earth and leaving the remnants of the the shielded city from Krypton, if you had her all that stuff excise from this Supergirl movie and shove it over to the prologue of the next Superman, it would probably fit just fine. Even having not seen that movie yet, I have a feeling if you just did that in a fan edit, it'll probably still work and you can ignore this entire movie. The other big sin of this movie is the score is lame as fuck. Oh my God. Supergirl herself has no theme song. Unlike the Superman movie, where the score really pops a lot of the time.
01:36:45
Nic
And going back, I rewatched it recently. Man, that score is good. It's so good. It resonates John Williams, but it's. It feels fresh. This Supergirl movie. Apparently they went through multiple composers. Originally Ramin Djawadi, who I most know from Pacific Rim. He jumped in at the beginning and he stepped away. And then Tom Holkenberg, which is Hulkenborg. However, you Say his name. You know, Junkie xl. The guy who apparently previously worked on DC stuff was Snyder with Batman v Superman and Justice League. He was then brought in and then he stepped away and then this other woman, Claudia Same, who has done a lot of TV work, was brought in to pick up the pieces. And it is the blandest score. I would never purchase this soundtrack ever. The choices of the needle drop songs, some are okay and some are aggressively annoying.
01:37:40
Nic
Like I said, this is not a James Gunn movie, but damn, it really wishes it was. There are points where it feels like, oh, aren't we clever? Aren't we cute? But there are points where I just felt annoyed by it. It feels like all the needle drop moments are in the movie specifically to cover up the fact that the actual score is not good. That's what it feels like as you're watching it. And even in retrospect, you're like, damn. A lot of those soundtrack moments, they don't really stand out because a lot of the fight scenes are not particularly well choreographed. They don't, they don't look that great. And then there's the one big needle drop moment that everybody has been online in the climax. Yes, it is as bad as you think it is. It is awful.
01:38:21
Nic
I generally like that song by Jimmy Eats World, but damn, that cover is bad. That is a terrible cover. They could have chosen anything else and they went with that. Just. It's a bad decision all the way around, man. I was, I was kind of looking forward to this and I, I. Like I said, I wish I could be the person that champions this from the Hills and says, yes, it's, it's actually, you know, you're all wrong. It's actually quite good. It's just incels being dicks and it's all just online fervor. No, no. This is a movie with significant problems. It's. It. I know multiple people that cosplay as Supergirl and they went to see it in theaters and even they agree. Yeah, it's. This movie is not great. It's a real shame. I hope that man of Tomorrow does better.
01:39:03
Nic
This is not going to impact that film's box office. I mean, the things that have been popular recently are smaller budgeted films like Backrooms and Obsession. They did really well recently because they're not known properties. I mean, backrooms is. But it's an online thing. They did extremely well. I think maybe the superhero craze is finally coming to an end. I think it's. Everyone says, oh, but doomsday is coming out. You know, with Avengers, Doomsday, everyone's gonna get crazy about that. But it's coming out the same day as Dune Part 3. I think that's gonna probably take the box office. I think people are finally realizing that the superhero stuff is fading away. Comic book movies, they're always going to be around, but I think that this is the, this was the tipping point where everyone's realizing maybe everyone has grown out of it.
01:39:57
Nic
I do think that the DCU will continue. I think that these movies will be fine. Will I be clamoring for them after this? Probably not. I've also kind of moved on. Honestly. The thing I'm just, entertainment wise, looking forward to later this year, the new Street Fighter. Of all the things I'm looking forward to, the new Street Fighter movie, the. That's, that's where I'm at. I think that this Supergirl movie just feels like it's, it's a little too late. If this had come out maybe five years ago, I would have been more excited about it. But now, I mean, I think the other issue is that superheroes, they also reflect current day political situations and superheroes themselves are meant to be inherently good and that good will always triumph over evil.
01:40:43
Nic
And the current political stratosphere we're dealing with good is getting the shit kicked out of it. So movies like this that are meant to be an escape make you feel good at the end when they come out like this and they're just mediocre, it really puts a damper on anybody wanting to continue to pursue these types of films. Like I said, this is not the worst thing ever. It's not a terrible movie. Would I watch it again? Maybe I put it on the background if I'm doing other stuff at home. But I don't think I'd ever pay to watch this in a theater anymore. I mean, part of me wants to say, yeah, I pay your money to go see it. But I'm just, there are other better movies in theaters right now and I would recommend those over this.
01:41:28
Nic
It's like when you're dead. It's like when your parents say to you, son, I'm not mad at you, I'm just disappointed. It's that I'm not mad at you, I'm just disappointed. Yeah, that's my general thoughts. I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.
01:41:44
Case
And then we have Kris Ingersoll, host of The Batman by the Numbers and Media lit podcast okay, Supergirl 2026.
01:41:53
Kris
I had a blast in the cinema. I really liked this movie. There's plenty to nitpick and I've heard some great takes pulling apart the storytelling. And critiquing it thoughtfully. And I understand where they're coming from. But for me, this story worked and I had an excellent time watching Kara go on her adventure. Millie Alcock is Supergirl. She wore that s unlike anybody has before, and I cannot wait to get more of it. This film was full of originality and creativity, despite aping James Gunn more than I wish they had. I've never seen a Kryptonian in space for that alone. This was a ton of fun. I've also never seen a live action Argo City that was rich and beautiful and added so much to the lore that James Gunn began to build in Superman.
01:42:42
Kris
Don't even get me started on themes of grief and depression and what it looks like to sit in that pain explored under a green sun. Sure, folks have had their nitpicks, but for me, Supergirl 2026 is a success and I can't wait to get more of this character.
01:43:02
Case
All right, next up, we have a real treat. We've got Mitch Punpayuk, former host and master of all things from the Geek Elite Media Podcast Network, which is sadly defunct but still a friend of the show. Let's hear what he has to say. Hey all, this is Mitch from Arizona, and I just want to say I liked Supergirl.
01:43:21
Mitch
Let me start off with saying that I haven't read the Woman of Tomorrow, so I didn't have that going in. As a big fan of origin stories, this one was a good one. Wrapping her story around grief and PTSD was the best way to show that. Kara is different from Clark, and I was here for it. But once I actually saw the movie,. I liked that it was more than just that. Why is this getting so much hate? Same reason every comic book, superhero, movie or series focusing on a female protagonist is. It's as simple as that. Are there flaws in the movie? Absolutely. Like most blockbusters, giant set pieces beat out story and character development when it comes to what hits the cutting room floor. Simplistic villains that pose no real threat.
01:43:59
Mitch
And are dumb to boot, and silly contrivances to make Kara weak become repetitive. But all that being said, the acting was great, the mixture of effects and CG was nice, and it was good to see Jason Momoa finally get to. Play the character he's always wanted to and is so well suited for. So I say please bring on more of the gun Saffron dcu.
01:44:21
Case
All right, next up we've got Nic Woolfe, great friend of the podcast and the network, so check out his thoughts.
01:44:28
Nic
Hello. Hello, this is Nick Wolfe and I'm here to talk about Supergirl 2026. I've been very excited to see this movie. I got a brand new Superman shirt with the updated crest from the 2025 Superman movie from last year. And I've got apparently never worn Superman socks back from when man of Steel came out. They're still in good condition. But I was all set to see this movie. I was very excited. And now having seen it, I will say that this movie is, you know, pretty good. But comparing it, I know it's gauche to like, compare movies at some times because it seems like it's something like, oh, I couldn't have been like this movie. But when you take into account Superman 2025 and other movies that I'm going to be talking about later on as I'm getting out my thoughts.
01:45:24
Nic
Superman 2025 was a breath of fresh air when it came to superhero movies, whereas Supergirl, and I mean this in the best way possible, feels like stuff we've seen before. Millie Alcock. I like Millie Alcock. Like, she's good in the movie. She's good as what they're going for with Supergirl. I actually read Woman of Tomorrow after I saw the movie. I got it done in about two hours or so. Part of the fun of reading Woman of Tomorrow is that the way that Supergirl is depicted in the comic. I hear Melissa Benoist when I'm reading Supergirl, which makes it really funny when she's just swearing up a storm like a sailor in that book. But with Millie Alcock, I see that they are trying to draw more of a contrast between her and Clark.
01:46:23
Nic
At least that was my impression, and it's done very well. I really liked when she's trying to save Ruthye from Lobo in the bar, Kara's just like, oh, no, that's Lobo. You don't want anything to do with Lobo. He's no good. When she's later passing her and Ruthye off as like, oh, we're just some girls from Metropolis hopping around the solar system. I thought that was really funny. You couldn't get away with that in the book. So that's an improvement. I felt the movie made as far as adapting it from book to screen. There was also a bit of dialogue early on that I thought was gonna come payback off later as we got closer to the climax. Like early in the movie when Chara is explaining her superhero name to Ruthye, she's like, I'm not Superwoman, I'm Super Girl.
01:47:11
Nic
And it's almost like, why aren't you an adult? Ruthye says. And Kara doesn't really have answer to that. Now my reading is that because she left Krypton when I'm guessing she was a young adult in the book, she was 14 when she left Krypton, or Argo City rather. So it kind of reads to me as like that sense of arrested development that Kara was in when she left Argo City and has not really been able to get out of it. Like, I could be totally wrong about that. I'm hoping that's not as bad as the whole Geoff Johns writing Power Girl as to why she doesn't have a logo on her chest back from way back when.
01:47:53
Nic
But yeah, that was something that I thought was going to come back later on that Kara was gonna expound upon when they were on the binary sun planet with the yellow sun and the green sun. Again, I don't know if my interpretation would have helped or hurt anything, but it's just something I thought about. Speaking of colors, green suns, yellow suns. This is, I wouldn't call this movie not colorful, at least at the beginning. Like, there's good uses of blues, yellows and reds at the very start. Where it's an issue is around the midpoint where they're on the planet where the brigands are. That's when it starts to get a little bit more dark and gray, which was a little disappointing. Like, especially after having seen Project Hail Mary earlier this year, which is a surprisingly colorful movie.
01:48:46
Nic
I'm not the first person to have said this. Like, the way some scenes look in Project Hail Mary is how you expect most of Supergirl, or at least a book based off of Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow would look all the time, or almost all the time. Speaking of the brigands, Krem, the big bad of the movie, I thought he was alright. I think there is a. Not so much as a upwards trajectory from who he was in the comics, much as a side lateral sort of trajectory for where his character went in this adaptation. Like with the whole, like the whole brigands being women traffickers. There's no other way to say it. That's certainly a choice. Like I said, makes him a more, I guess, grander threat for a movie, like a four quadrant movie rather than a Comic or graphic novel.
01:49:43
Nic
And I mean, how many movies are there where, say, Jason Statham takes on human traffickers? It's, like, a lot. A lot more than you think. And it's notable that this time, like, we got Supergirl sort of taking that on, which it was neat in its own way. With Ruthye, I'm gonna talk more about her when I talk about the ending for the movie and how it compares to the book. But there is a scene around the third act where she's in jail and she has to make an escape. I thought it was a. A fine sequence, but there's like two instances where she jumps into the vents and I'm like, how did she do that? And it's not really something that having a montage of, like, I don't. Kara training Ruthye to jump good, as it were, would fix.
01:50:30
Nic
But I feel like it needed some setup because it kind of took me out of there just for a little bit. One last thing before I talk about the end of the movie. The action again, it was. It was good. Like, I really like the teleportation fight on the bus between the space pirates that aren't the Brigands. And Kara, that's probably the most inventive action scene in the movie. And then the very end movie fight with the green sun. Distracting green screen work is what I'll say. Not as bad as, say, Black Widow from the climax of that movie, but still pretty noticeable. As for the climax of this movie, this is kind of where I can see people being put off by this movie. Like, I don't need complete, total pacifism in my movies. My stories, I consume, like, I do, like action.
01:51:24
Nic
I'm fine with, like, action movies where the villain ends up dead in particular circumstances, but something about the way that the movie builds up, how Ruth needs to let go of revenge and spare Krem so that she doesn't completely ruin herself for life, only for Chara to basically do the deed for her.
01:51:49
Nic
It.
01:51:51
Nic
I really can't help but think about the book where the final fight that Kara takes place in is happening in space and Ruthye is left all alone with Krem. And it's a good fight scene that she has with Krem, being able to outthink him and outsmart him and just completely dominate him. Basically, it's a great fight scene in the comic between Ruthye and Krem. The way that she's able to cut off his fingers with one swift sword strike and just is about to kill him, but finds she can't because she realizes that the reason that Chara led her on this trip to find Krem was a way to teach her humility and compassion. And honestly, that's a much better way of getting that message home than what they do in the movie, is Chara saying, oh, don't do it.
01:52:51
Nic
No, don't do it.
01:52:52
Nic
Don't kill him. You know, I probably wouldn't mind as much if the movie ended with both Ruthye and Chara sparing him, sparing Krem, and then deciding, oh, we destroyed your ship and we're at the ass end of the universe. No one's coming to save you, and then just leaving them to die there like, you know, Batman Begins, I don't have to kill you, but I don't have to save you, basically. Or if it ended with same as before, with Kara and Ruthye sparing Cram, but then the girls that Crem's crew had trafficked, who are now armed with guns, decide they want to kill Crem, and Supergirl, like, basically doesn't stop them. It's, like, very similar to the scene in the comic where one of the brigands is basically stoned to death by a crowd.
01:53:43
Nic
And Ruthye's like, I know he deserved his fate, but I thought you'd save him. And Chara's like, oh, did you now? Or better yet, since I haven't really talked about him too much at all in this little recap review. If that one guy, that one brigand with a mohawk that Lobo was hunting after, if somehow he died or lost his hair or something or other in a way that Lobo could not recover for his bounty. And then Chara and Ruth decides the spare Crem Krem gets a second wind only for Lobo to come in and kill him. I get that'd be, like, some good. Like, I don't know. Well, maybe not good, like, Marvel style bathos, but I thought that would be funny.
01:54:29
Nic
It's like, hey, scalp's the scalp, you know, I wouldn't say I hesitate to call this a bad movie, but I do believe it could be so much better. That being said, I think we all owe Mandalorian and Grogu an apology. I would watch that movie so many more times in theater than having watched this movie in theater. I really do think that this movie, Supergirl, can wait for streaming. Like, if you don't have the time or money to go see it in theaters. Like, you can wait for Supergirl to hit streaming and don't have to feel too bad about that. So that's my final take. Not bad. Could better. Wait for streaming. Thank you, Case, for letting me say my piece. And until next time, stay super.
01:55:20
Case
And next we've got Randy Allain from the Media Lit Podcast as well as a whole host of things over at the Pop Break Podcast network. So check out his thoughts here.
01:55:31
Randy
This is Randy Elaine from the Media. Lit Podcast and I am here to tell you that I absolutely loved Supergirl. This movie was tons of fun. We got a great introduction to Kara, especially for folks who are not really advanced comic readers like myself. I love the way they contrasted her with Clark, and I cannot wait to see them interact further in the future. Additionally, we got a fun world with. Reasonable stakes and a true human connection between our two female leads. I think they both helped one another grow. And I don't think you can ask for much more from a superhero film. I can't believe people are slamming this movie. It is not perfect, but it is. Better than a vast majority of superhero films that I've seen. My critiques are pretty small.
01:56:23
Randy
Number one, I do think the comparisons to Mad Max are really unfair. Supergirl is hardly the first or the last film to borrow from that aesthetic, so why this one is getting all the flack is kind of beyond me. I will admit they have this very underwritten sex trafficking plot line that I think they should have cut. I think it's making it a little bit easier to make this film a Mad Max punching bag. I also could have done without the. Whole, you know, I'm the bitch whose dog you shot line that probably plays as this really immature, underwritten sort of feminism. But ultimately we get a rich text. Kara is a blast, and she spends most of the film in a killer costume and a blondie T shirt. I couldn't ask for more. And I think you should give this film another chance.
01:57:13
Randy
And if you haven't seen it yet, get out to theater and find out for yourself. I don't think you'll hate it.
01:57:18
Case
And now here we have Logan Crowley's reactions. Logan is, of course, a friend of the pot who's been on a bunch of times and is the host, along with his wife, of Single Bound, which is a really cool show about how individual issues of comics can mean so much to someone.
01:57:35
Case
So check that out and then listen to his reactions here.
01:57:37
Logan
Hi. So right off the bat, let's start with a little introduction. This is Logan Crowley from the Single Bound podcast. Very, very honored that Case would ask me to do a recording for this, just to share my thoughts about Supergirl for a minute, I will say that I personally really liked, really enjoyed this movie. I did not like it more than Superman 2025, but I'm a huge Superman fan and I don't know that there are any movies I enjoyed more than Superman 2025. So it's not really a fair metric to judge this movie on. I thought it was a really fun story. I thought it was really well told. I thought that it made Kara a character that I was more interested in than I have ever been in the. The Kryptonian version of Supergirl.
01:58:32
Logan
But I wanted to talk about something else that I'm not seeing talked about as much. And I will give a warning before I get into this. The big spoilers for the movie from this part, because I've seen a lot of discourse about Kara killing Crim, and I see people arguing over the morality of this decision as if. As if that moves what the movie is saying was the right thing to do. Particularly the conflict of. For a large portion of the movie, Kara tells Ruthye that she does not want her to kill Krim and that she does not think it's the morally right thing to do to. Then ultimately, when Ruthye makes that decision, she kills Krim herself.
01:59:24
Logan
And there's a whole other conversation we could have about the juxtaposition between that decision and the decision that Kara makes in the same moment in the comic. But where I think that people are misunderstanding this scene is they're confused because they. They don't understand why everything Kara says throughout the movie is in contradiction to the scene and the decision that she makes. And they don't understand why we linger on Lobo. And I think that people see that S shield and they jump to the conclusion that any movie where someone is wearing that character is going to be telling us the ironclad cosmic truth about what is right or wrong. And I think that Superman does do that. And it's one of the things I like about the character. There's nothing wrong with a morality play.
02:00:22
Logan
It's one of the oldest forms of human fiction for a reason. But I do not think. I think what we are seeing in that moment where she kills Crim is not very much a decision that Kara has thought through. I don't think she is doing in that moment what she thinks is the right thing to do necessarily. I think we are seeing Kara all throughout the movie up to that scene, trying to live up to what she thinks is right, like Cal Wood, only to then in that moment the hurt that Crim has caused is too much. And she does what Cal would not do, which is buckle under that pressure and give in to what she wants to do.
02:01:13
Logan
And I do think that unless I'm really misreading the scene that is going to lead us probably into future movies where Lobo saw her do that and brings it up in front of Clark, and then she is in tension with Clark over that decision. But more than that, it creates such an interesting dimension. And this is what I think James Gunn was thinking because. Because he loves his flawed characters and he loves his characters that don't always make the right decisions. I think that what we are seeing there is that Kara is still a wild card. After everything she's been through, she has. She can have her beliefs and still not necessarily live up to them, which is. Which sounds crazy when you're talking about superhero fiction. And we forget that is how every human being in the world is.
02:02:15
Logan
Every single one of us knows that donuts are bad for you. And every single one of us buys them like once a month. That is Kara in this moment of. She has the wherewithal to tell Ruthye what she knows she's supposed to think is the right thing to do. But when the moment comes where she's going to walk away and have to live with that decision, she can't do it and she kills the villain. Now, we could debate, just like with every super person murder in the history of forever, we could debate until Ma and Pa Kent's cows come home what the correct morality is in that moment. And I think that is the wrong argument in this because I don't think the filmmakers think Kara made the right decision. And it really doesn't matter whether or not Kara made the right decision.
02:03:14
Logan
It is the contradiction between what she says is the right thing to do, the whole movie, and what she does in that moment. That is what makes Kara a compelling character. It is that very thought that this is a character who can believe something with her whole body and tell everyone else in the movie it's the right thing to do and still give in and not do it. That is the interesting part. And that is what is different than Superman, who always does what he believes is right, no matter how hard it is. And I look forward to seeing where that goes in future movies.
02:03:57
Logan
I think that's a very interesting dynamic for Superman to have with his younger cousin, who is also a Kryptonian, who he has brought into the world and put his symbol on and is this last remnant of his blood family, that he is desperate to have work well, but she is just not like him in this fundamental way, this consistency. And maybe she will be. Maybe the arc of this will be Kara overcoming this part of herself. Or maybe it's not. Maybe the arc is the characters having to learn how to live with each other when they do not agree on this most fundamental aspect of their philosophies. I don't know. But that is a very interesting place to start. The relationship of Superman and Supergirl in.
02:04:50
Logan
And it made me, I don't know, 10% more excited to for man of Tomorrow, which means I'm now 219% excited for man of Tomorrow. It's a bravo. I like it, good movie. And I will be waiting in the parking lot with brass knuckles for anyone who disagrees. So have a good evening. Thank you again so much, Case, for inviting me to do this. I hope everybody has a super time listening to this.
02:05:19
Case
And last but not least, we've got Red from Overly Sarcastic Productions taking us home with a truly epic response to the movie.
02:05:27
Red
I saw Supergirl a couple days ago. I thought it was a completely fine movie, like a 6 or a 7 out of 10. It wasn't super complicated. It wasn't particularly striking. I am admittedly struggling to remember some details from it, even though it's only been a couple days at time of recording. I think the thing I kept kind of saying after I watched it is that like, if this is your first ever movie, I think you're gonna have a totally good time with it. But if this is your second movie ever, you might be like, oh, I've seen what this movie is doing. Done more interestingly in the one other movie I've watched. The plot is fairly straightforward.
02:06:09
Red
It's kind of got like a classic old west story archetype of, oh, this kid, you know, wants to hire a gunslinger to take out the man what killed her pa, you know, very standard. And this is also true to the comic. It's based on Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow, which after I watched the movie, I immediately went and the comic to sort of do a little compare and contrast. And that's when my assessment of the movie kind of dropped from a 7 out of 10 to a 6 out of 10. And there's a couple reasons for that. Obviously, you know, it's unlikely to be a direct comic adaptation and it certainly was not attempting to be.
02:06:39
Red
But there are so many specific details from the movie that are borrowed from the comic that it kind of feels like, there was a very intentional effort made to do justice to the comic, which is why it's really weird that it feels like it kind of fundamentally misunderstood the comic's ending. Basically, the. The girl is like, I want this man dead for what he did. And Supergirl has kind of been being like, maybe we don't do that. Maybe revenge, not the best approach. Her whole reason for helping this girl is that ostensibly, they all got attacked by the dude who killed this girl's dad early on, and he, like, shot Krypto and Kara and they both got injured, but, oh, no, Krypto got poisoned.
02:07:20
Red
And, like, to synthesize antidote, they need to learn more about the poison, so they have to hunt this guy down. And admittedly, when I was reading the comic, I was like, and then they spend months hunting this guy. Is Krypto still poisoned? It's been a really long time. And then the comic reveals Krypto was actually never poisoned. This is a cover story Supergirl came up with to explain why she's attending, why she's, you know, helping this girl do this thing. Because what she's actually trying to do is essentially guide her through the process of realizing that, like, revenge won't heal the hole in your heart. And, of course, this is resonating with Kara's personal experience, because she lost Krypton, she lost Argo City, she lost her entire family slowly, while she was, like, adult and aware enough to know that it was happening.
02:08:03
Red
And that's such a contrast with Superman with Clark. And, you know, obviously, this movie is going to be in conversation with Superman 2025 in the same way that Supergirl as a character is in conversation with Superman as character. And pretty much the primary point of contrast between them is that Superman doesn't remember Krypton. He was a baby when he left, whereas Kara was, like, 12, 13, young adult when Krypton exploded. So she remembers all of it. She had to watch it get ripped away from her. Whereas with Clark, Krypton is almost a hypothetical. This, like, idealized past place that's no longer there. And that's a major plot point in Superman in.
02:08:40
Red
In the movie 20255 that Clark has an idealized version of Krypton and his Kryptonian parents in his head, but it's constructed out of his own moral code because he couldn't understand their message. He didn't know what they were telling him. And his big moment at the end of the movie is sort of realizing, like, I'm Superman, not because my parents wanted me to be, but because I believe it's the right thing to do, which is huge. It's a great moment of self actualization for him, but for him, it kind of makes Krypton even more hypothetical, even more distant from him. Him. Whereas with Kara, the loss of Krypton at Argo City is like an open wound on her soul.
02:09:15
Red
And like, this whole movie and the comic that it's based on is basically about Kara is grieving and in horrible pain and dealing with it very poorly, traveling to planets where she's physically extremely vulnerable just to get drunk, that kind of thing. And in the comic, what she's trying to do for this girl is essentially prevent her from going through what Kara does of like. Like steeping herself so much in the grief and the rage at this loss. But the problem that she runs into is that by the time they finally track down this bad guy, she has steeped herself in so much fresh grief and rage and loss that she's almost lost sight of her own moral compass.
02:09:53
Red
As she's, like, rearing back to kill this guy, she's got this great line where she's like, you know, I still dream of Krypton at the end of her whole speech about, like, I was trying to teach you a lesson, but I couldn't even learn that lesson myself because I still dream of Krypton. But the girl who she's been, like, ferrying along this trip, who's been narrating the entire story, she's like, no, Kara, you have taught me what it actually is to be good. You've actually shown me more than just, like, our grief and our pain by how much goodness and kindness you put back into the universe. Then basically, the. The story shows us that what actually happens is that Kara puts this bad guy in the Phantom Zone instead of killing him, like, she has the option to kill him, but she doesn't.
02:10:33
Red
Instead, she puts him in the fandom zone for 200 years so he can think about what he's done. And then when he comes back out and he's a very old man and the young girl whose father he killed is now a very old woman, he's like, oh, my God, it's you. I've thought about only this moment for the last 200 years. Please forgive me. And then she kicks him in the face and walks on, and it's like, yeah, you don't need to forgive this guy. But keeping him alive so that he can, you know, do good and attempt to atone for some of the bad Things he's done is the morally correct choice, but crucial in the story. We also see that in the narration of this story, they say that Supergirl killed the guy basically to explain why nobody came looking for him.
02:11:11
Red
It's like, yep, then Supergirl murdered him. Don't worry about it. He's definitely nowhere, so don't bother trying to hunt him down. But the fact that he's dead is a lie. Like, intentionally so. So we've got Krypto being poisoned is a lie. This guy being killed is a lie. And in the movie, they're both true. Krypto actually is poisoned and it gives the movie a three day ticking clock to get everything done in. And at the end of the movie, when Supergirl painstakingly convinces the girl to like, hey, don't kill him. I know you've got him at your mercy. But if you kill him, you'll be carrying him around, you know, wherever you go. And then she walks away. And then Supergirl just stabs him herself. And it's like, the moral of the story is don't murder your enemies.
02:11:49
Red
Hire a hitman to do it for you. Because it's. It's only bad if you feel something about it. This is kind of what I mean about, like, if this is your first ever movie, you're probably going to have a better time than if you've seen other movies before. Because it's a very, at this point, classic trope to be like, I know this guy has done terrible things, but if you specifically kill him, you're going to feel terrible about it. Like, they did that in the Batman movie a few years back. But I really liked that because it wasn't like, this dude doesn't deserve to die. Or it wasn't even like killing him would be wrong. It's more like, hi, yeah, if you commit first degree murder, you are going to be carrying around way more terrible baggage.
02:12:28
Red
Like your life is going to demonstrably get legally worse. Right now you just have some felony larceny charges. It's fucking fine. But in this Case, it's like, don't do it, because then you'll just feel bad about it forever. But I, on the other hand, will not feel bad about it and I will have forgotten about it by like next week. And the thing is, that's in character for this version of Supergirl. She is an absolute mess. She's very ruthless. It doesn't really surprise me that she's willing to do this from the way that those fights were choreographed. Earlier in the movie, it really doesn't look like she has a no kill policy at all. She's clearly fine to just let people die, whatever, and I think that's okay. Again, she doesn't need to be Superman again.
02:13:04
Red
She can have her own thing going on, and she clearly does. It's just the comic has such a strong internal theme about, like, Kara remembering what it means to be good. Like, her mother's dying words, be good. And in the comics, she's like, I've been dealing with these terrible things for so long, I'm forgetting what that means. And the girl who she's accompanying is like, no, it's. It's this. It's this thing you've shown me. And that helps Kara remember it and then do the right thing. And the movie has the same thing with her mother's dying words, like, be good. And at the end of the movie, Kara returns to Earth, stops running from her problems and her trauma, you know, meets back up with Clark, says she's planning on staying for a while, helping him out.
02:13:42
Red
Seems like the end point of the movie is Kara has remembered what it means to be Supergirl. And they make, like, a big deal out of the fact that she's not wearing her Supergirl costume for almost the entire movie. And then she puts it on right before the final battle where she goes in to rescue her little friend for, like, the fourth time. It's clearly supposed to be about her coming into her own as Supergirl, but her big climactic action is stabbing a dude in the throat. When the comic it's based on explicitly framed that. That as, like, a moral wrongdoing that she would carry around for the rest of her life if she did that. So it's just. It's a strange choice. And there's a few other strange choices in this movie. Again, compare.
02:14:22
Red
And the compare and contrast of the comic is super useful because the bad guys in the comic, the Brigands, they're truly just a bunch of, like, murder pirates. Like, that's their entire thing. They just kill people. And then the movie was like, yeah, we can do that, but let's give them the aesthetic of some, like, background extras from Guardians of the Galaxy. Because. Because James Gunn did Guardians of the Galaxy, and he's not directing this movie, which makes all the gun isms kind of embarrassing. It's. I don't know. It's just like, if Gunn was directing this movie, I would understand why they had so many needle drops and why it looked so aesthetically similar. To Guardians of the Galaxy.
02:14:55
Red
But because he's not actually the one directing it kind of just makes it feel like the person who is directing it was like, James Gunn must like this because he does it so much. So I'll do it also. I don't know, that might just be me overthinking it, but that was kind of the vibe I got. But the other thing is that they did with the bad guys is basically instead of the brigands just, you know, being killers who suck, they make them basically just the guys from Mad Fury Road where they're just a bunch of like violent rampaging like marauders who mostly just kidnap women to be their like slaves and perpetuate their all male race. Is like a thing that is said in the movie. And it's just, I get why they did this it.
02:15:41
Red
But it kind of feels again, it feels like if this is your first ever movie, that's a fine choice. But if you're looking at this from kind of like a more jaded eye, it's like, did you think you had to make the bad guys in this movie actively misogynistic because it's a female led superhero movie with a character named Supergirl? It almost feels like they felt the need to add this sort of like this more overt she's protecting women from these terrible evil men plotline specifically because she's a woman. And therefore that means the story has to be about that in some way. And the comic it's based on does absolutely none of that. They're just like, Supergirl is a hero and that's what matters. And like the girl she's aiding is also a girl, in Case you didn't notice.
02:16:30
Red
But like, I don't know, I don't want to be like, oh, why they have to make a big deal out of it. But it feels very clumsy. It feels like a very ham fisted way to incorporate a fairly stock antagonistic archetype into a story that didn't originally have it just to sort of re emphasize like, that's right, we're doing girl power this movie. And I was like, it's not the 90s. We don't need to be doing it like this anyway. I guess that was, in the grand scheme of things, kind of a minor nitpick. But once you see the Mad Max Fury Road connections, you kind of can't unsee them. It's. It's weirdly everywhere. Lobo's in this movie. I thought he was fine. He's not in the comic. He Looks all right.
02:17:07
Red
I feel like they've tried to do a lot of the effects in this movie practically, and a lot of the aliens do look very cool. I would not say Lobo is one of them. I kind of got the impression that Jason Momoa was like, having a little trouble talking around his fang. And he did look a little bit grease painty rather than just being a bonafide gray alien man. I did think he was funny. I thought he was pretty charming. There's one sequence where the. I'm just calling her the girl who Supergirl is helping because at gunpoint I could not remember her name. But she's like, the bad guys have captured her. And this is pretty par for the course. Up to this point in the movie, she has done almost nothing physically impressive. Makes sense. She's a pretty young kid.
02:17:49
Red
She's never really used a sword before. She's kind of specifically hiring somebody to do the dirty work because she can't do it herself. But it's kind of frustrating because, I don't know, like, the fourth time Supergirl had to sweep in and like, rescue her from a situation she had no business getting herself into, visions of scrappy doo were flying through my head. But there's a bit where the bad guys have her captured in a cell next to Lobo, who's also there for some reason. And she just. She does the like, oh, no, please let me out. Take me to your leader. I promise I'll tell him everything. And as soon as they come in, she, like, fully overpowers the guard and like, steals his keys and Lobo's in the other cell, like, yeah, this kid rules, actually. And that.
02:18:27
Red
That got a chuckle out of me. I thought that was pretty sweet. But yeah, I don't know, it's just. It's not a bad movie. It's completely fine. It's put together out of completely fine pieces of other movies that I've already seen. And it doesn't really adapt the comic that it's based on in any meaningful sense, aside from a couple details that are preserved and a couple details that are completely inverted for some reason. It's not terrible, but I think it's really hampered by the fact that there's no way it gets out of this without being directly compared to Superman 2025, which was a phenomenal movie, like, just absolutely spectacular. Absolutely blew a lot of previous DC movies out of the water. And it kind of made it look easy.
02:19:16
Red
Weirdly, like a sentiment I saw after that movie a lot was people being like, Was that so hard? Just make Superman kind and nice. It's not that complicated. You can throw problems at him that he can't solve by hitting them really hard. It's not hard. And then it feels like this is kind of a weird. It's not a stage step back exactly. It's kind of a lateral move. It feels like it was trying to be in the vein of like the Guardians of the Galaxy, ragtag space piracy, you know, hard boiled protagonists who get up to mischief and are kind of self destructive in their coping mechanisms. And this feels like a formula that should be easy at this point. And again, like, by the standards of superhero movies, this is completely fine. I have seen what a bad superhero movie looks like.
02:20:01
Red
This movie is completely functional. It's totally fine. All these complaints are essentially nitpicks. Or like, this could have been a little bit more original and a little bit more creative. Could have just borrowed a little bit more from the original comic. Like, you didn't need to throw in Comet, the super horse. He's not that significant. You can just kind of do what you want. There is one thought I had which is like, I feel like the reason why Lobo is in this movie is because they felt like they had to plant him here before he shows up anywhere else. And I don't think that's true because like, you can just kind of have characters show up like in the. In Superman. It's like, oh, here. Here's a Green Lantern you've never seen before. Here's Hawkgirl. Here's Mr. Terrific.
02:20:41
Red
Three characters who Joe Moviegoer probably doesn't really know much about. And the movie was like, here's who they are. I don't need to give you the quick rundown. You can kind of figure it out. Everything you need to know about them, they will just simply demonstrate on the screen. And I feel like you could very easily do something with that. Of where it's like, oh, here's Lobo. He's a big scary strong guy from outer space who's kind of a maniac. Like, that's kind of how they did it in Justice League. There's an episode where Superman is presumed dead. And at his funeral, Lobo just turns up and is like, what's up, everybody? The main man heard you had a vacancy for a big guy who's strong and hits hard. And it's just.
02:21:18
Red
Then he's just with the Justice League for the next couple episodes and then he fucks off. As soon as Clark comes back from the dead and it's just most people watching that probably hadn't watched Superman, the Animated Series, where I think Lobo showed up first. And it's just like, okay, you know, Superman gets around. He does a lot of stuff. It kind of makes sense that a guy like this would show up at his funeral. And at some point you're always going to just be dropping a character in without explanation. It's just, I don't think he needed to be in this movie. And there's a bit when he's first. When he first turns up in the. In one of like four seedy bars that they spend time in this movie.
02:21:50
Red
He shows up and Supergirl like pulls the girl she's with aside and is like, no, don't talk to that guy. Don't make eye contact. That's Lobo. He's this maniac, all borderline immortal, like, killed his entire planet to prove he's the strongest. And I was like, I was having flashbacks to the Suicide Squad. You know, this is Katana. She's got my back. It's like, this isn't how you introduce a character. You, you don't look directly at the camera and list their three most salient character traits. It's just, it feels like they were afraid of confusing the audience. But I think Superman 2025 kind of proved that the tolerance for confusion in a comic adaptation is actually pretty good. Like you can kind of just throw something at me.
02:22:33
Red
And as long as you explain their salient details, or rather demonstrate them, not explain, I'll kind of get it. It. Did I know much about Mr. Terrific before Superman 2025? Not really. I knew he showed up in Justice League Unlimited and I knew he was smart. And then they're like, he's smart. He's got little robot orbs and a chair that can fly, and he's really smart. And that's it. That's great. That's all I needed to know. And with Lobo, it's like all I needed to know is that he's a badass. And that was kind of self evident. So I, I don't know. It was a strange set of decisions went into this movie. Obviously, you know, I think a lot of people are like, oh my God, it's. Is this the death knell of the new DC Universe? No, no. Come on.
02:23:16
Red
It's super easy to make. I was about to say it's easy to make a good movie. Like, I know it goes into making a good movie, but I feel like the things that are Slightly subpar about this movie. Are still worlds better than a lot of the stuff were getting in, like, the early 2000s. Like, people have forgotten where the bar actually is on superhero movies. This is completely fine. And if you watch it without reading the comic and just take it on its own merits, it's a little bit better than that. And it's just. But you do read the comic. The comic is really good. I thought that parts of it were quite beautiful. Parts of it were very good.
02:23:50
Red
I liked the little confirmation that Jor El was actually just kind of a weirdo and the rest of the Kryptonians were not on board with the conquer the Earth and subjugate its people and, you know, re perpetuate the Kryptonian race. Because that was a bit of a weird swing in Superman 2025. I think that's the only writing decision where I was like, can we stop making the Kryptonians just vites again? Like, we're subverting the subversion back to being the boring thing. But anyway, yeah, movie was fine. I did roll my eyes a little bit when the entire inciting incident of the movie was Krypto's in trouble again. Because they also did that in Superman 2025. And it worked pretty well. But when we do it enough times again, visions of Scrappy Doo dancing in my head. But yeah, that's about all I got.
02:24:31
Red
Hope there's something usable in here. And I will talk to you later.
02:24:35
Case
And that's it for listener feedback. I just want to thank everyone involved for submitting their thoughts. I really appreciate getting a diversity of opinions on the movie. I think that this is a really fun topic that invites a lot of conversation. So I just wanted to thank everyone for participating in that conversation. And with that, we're back to the regular episode. But, but, yeah, so, like, that, like I said, that kind of covers a lot of the thoughts I had about this movie. I, I, I think that the stakes of Act 3 just weren't high enough. And it doesn't have to be Supergirls in danger. It could have just been like, the girls are in danger, you know, and Ruthye's in danger in ways that, like, made it more interesting.
02:25:15
Case
But if that had been, you know, stronger, I, I think that the rest of the movie would have been more forgivable. Like, everything else, I think are, like, relatively minor nitpicks, you know, like, hating the Girl from Ipanema. Like, sure. Like, it's not going to Kill a movie for me saying like, oh, we could have used a little bit of dialogue about at Argo City. Like, sure. Also not going to kill the movie for me because there's so much, so many things to like about it. Millie Alcock is great in it. David Corn Sweat coming back as Superman. So good. All the stuff in Argo City, really good. The concept of a, a girl who has all this power who is also so messed up in the head because of the trauma of her world being destroyed. Droid, really good.
02:25:56
Keith
Yeah, definitely.
02:25:58
Case
So that's my take on this movie. I, I, you know, like, I, I really wanted to love it as much as I love Superman going in and I didn't and that bums me out. But I still liked it.
02:26:10
Jmike
Yeah, it was a movie.
02:26:11
Keith
What would you say your score is? Your final score? Case?
02:26:15
Case
Now that I've given like a letter grade, I've given different like number grades over the whole thing. So it depends on the rating system. But like, it's, we're settling into the like, it's like a C plus which is like a 6.5 or like a three star out of five.
02:26:28
Keith
Okay. JMU.
02:26:30
Jmike
I gave it a B minus. When I walked out to theater, I was like, this is fun. Like, I wasn't like, I went in knowing exactly what I was getting into. So I wasn't like super low or super high. I was like, this is gonna be a fun movie. I'm gonna enjoy myself. And I was like, yeah, it was fun. I had, I had a fun time. It didn't wow me, but I was, I still enjoyed myself.
02:26:47
Keith
So nice. My score is a hard eyes emoji followed by my phone number. Yes.
02:26:57
Case
I love how you were just like teeing that one up for yourself and.
02:27:00
Keith
The phrase I can fix her.
02:27:05
Case
So that's our thoughts on Supergirl. I like, I said like, solid movie. If you listen to this episode and listen to Mikovash like and haven't seen it like it's still worth going to see. I just don't know how many times I'm going to see it after. Like, I, I, I'm like when it comes on streaming or on dvd, I'm definitely going to like, check it out again. I was tempted to try to go see it again before we recorded this, but I wasn't dying to go see it. And it's which is different than Superman. Superman. I like resaw in theaters multiple times. I got a bootleg of it so I could like watch it while I was on a. A work trip.
02:27:38
Jmike
Oh, dear. But I mean, for this movie, it's like, it's very short, it's very concise. You. You get everything that you're going to get out of it. Like they put it out there, it's everything. You're not gonna, you're not really missing too much to go see it again, honestly, unless you really want to.
02:27:56
Keith
I'm going again this weekend, so if.
02:27:58
Jmike
You really want to go see it again. But like you, like once you've seen it once you've basically seen everything. There's no after credits. There's no after credit scene. Yeah.
02:28:05
Keith
That's important to mention. No mid credit scene.
02:28:08
Case
Yeah.
02:28:08
Jmike
Yeah. Because there were a bunch of people in our theater who were sitting there and were just kind of like, we're just going to leave.
02:28:13
Nic
Yeah.
02:28:14
Keith
I looked it up ahead of time. I always look it up ahead of time. Yeah. I think you should all watch it and watch it multiple times and let it make a billion dollars so I can do a victory dance in front of all the incels online.
02:28:25
Ben
Yeah.
02:28:25
Case
I will say the fact that it's coming in as low in the box office is kind of a bummer because it doesn't deserve that.
02:28:33
Keith
I will say I know two people, girls, who would love this movie who said, oh, I heard the reviews were bad. I'm not gonna go watch it. So. And that's like not critic reviews. But the people have been complaining for months. So I think the well was a bit poisoned as a lot of these movies have been that star women. So that's real bummer. And we kind of need to stop that as a society and wait for things to come out. You know my opinion, Case, we talked about this. The role of a critic is to point people towards things, not away from them. So. Yeah. But yeah, I liked it. It's good. Watch it. That's my fun movie.
02:29:14
Jmike
Enjoy yourself.
02:29:16
Keith
If nothing else, think about this version of Kara and how much fun she's going to be bouncing off the supporting cast from the Superman movie in the next movie. Like with her and the Jimmy Olsen we have. Are you kidding me? That's gonna be so much fun. So. Yeah.
02:29:34
Case
Yeah. So on that note, Keith, thank you for coming on and for chatting with us about Supergirl.
02:29:40
Keith
I mean, anytime, sir.
02:29:42
Case
I know, I know, but I still have to thank you.
02:29:46
Keith
No, thank you, Keith.
02:29:49
Case
Where can people find you and follow you?
02:29:51
Keith
So the best place to follow me is on bluesky. On bluesky. Okay, so I got to change this up because we got some stuff to talk about now. The best place to find me is we have issues. Bsky Social, which is my comic book review podcast, that is the one that I'm most likely using the most. And if you're interested in the My comic book review podcast, which ideally comes out weekly, aspirationally comes out weekly, make sure to follow me on there. I have another podcast which was a very long hiatus but has now returned and I'm so excited about it, which is a music podcast called Jukebox Vertigo, which is at jukebox vertigo. BSGuy Social this is our musical playlist podcast where we build a playlist with our friends around a randomized category.
02:30:38
Keith
Our first episode has just come out recently from the reboot and I've heard nothing but positive stuff about it, so check it out. We're always looking for guests, so if you have a microphone out there, that's all I really need to have you on the show. Other than that, the best place to find me is on our Discord, which I'm sure Case is going to tell you about, so I'll leave that to him.
02:30:58
Case
Yes, well, the Discord is a great place to find myself and J. Mike Falson. J. Mike, where can people find you and follow you?
02:31:05
Jmike
Oh, man. You can find me over at J5 Bluesky Social as well, but mostly on the Discord server where everyone is over always partying and talking about all the new fun things that happen with Superman King Case.
02:31:16
Case
Yeah, no, the Discord server is great. Like, it's a, a wonderful time. It's, it's really, it's a shockingly respectful server for the size that it is and the limited moderation that we do on it. So I, I not, I'm not trying to say like it's a free for all, but like people are just like chill and nice and that's really cool. Like, we haven't had to like really be like super strict about it as a result. I mean, we do have, we do have mods. It's just not. It doesn't consume our every waking moment the way some servers. It's like, oh, more bots. More bots.
02:31:48
Alan
Yeah.
02:31:49
Keith
Yeah. Especially in a Discord that's like, hey, you want to talk about Star wars and the mcu? And it's like, hey, let's throw some fireworks in here and see what happens. And we're all like, no, it's cool.
02:32:00
Case
Yeah.
02:32:02
Keith
Yeah, it's great.
02:32:03
Case
Yeah. Shockingly chill server in all the Best ways like it. It also is a good rhythm of conversation where like stuff is. Well, you know, we have good active conversations. The comic chat, the video game chats, like those are active channels always, but you generally can follow them. It's not like some servers that I've been on where like you post a thing and then you look away and then you look back and you have to like scroll for like 10 minutes to like find the comment you made.
02:32:27
Jmike
Yeah.
02:32:28
Case
So like that. That is a really nice aspect of it. You can find a link to our Discord server On our website certainpov.com you can find me if you want on other things on other social media platforms. Aiken exception of Instagram where I'm holding on 4 dear life to my aim screen name from high school which is quetzalcoatl5q u e t Z A L C o a T L5 because I was pretentious in high school. But otherwise you should, you know, check out the stuff that certain POV is doing. You should check out our Patreon. The Patreon is a great way to support this show as well as a lot of the stuff going on with certain POV in a large way because I am the owner of the server and the website.
02:33:07
Case
So like any money that helps keep the lights on is good. So you should check it out like even at the free tier. We would love to have you. I do two nerdy essays a week. One on a nerdy topic of my choice, one on a D and D topic of my choice which has been a lot of homebrew recently. But that's because I. That's the kind of nerd I am. But, but even if you do that like that'll be appreciated. But you know, obviously we'd love to have you as a paid patron because that's really cool. You could be an awesome person who gets the shout out at their name at the end of each episode such as has Micah McCaw, Carter Hallett, Sean Muir Lee, Gregor Memento Young, Logan Crowley, Joe Masterpiero, Casey and Nancy Aiken, Adam Sampter and Keith Latinen.
02:33:50
Keith
Yay me.
02:33:53
Case
You can be an awesome person like Keith and support this show and have it keep, you know, keep doing the stuff that we've been doing for a long ass time now. We've been doing this show for like seven years.
02:34:06
Jmike
It's been so long, hasn't it?
02:34:08
Case
I know, it's great. We have such a large back catalog.
02:34:12
Jmike
I was thinking about the other day, I was like, man, we've been doing this for, oh my Gosh, it's been 70 years. Oh my God. Right? And it started out of spite. Never forget that. Yeah, this show started out of spite.
02:34:25
Keith
Excellent.
02:34:26
Case
Actually, now that I'm saying it, I think we're in our eighth year now.
02:34:29
Keith
Oh, God.
02:34:31
Case
Yeah, yeah, it was optimistic spite. Yeah, it was optimistic spite.
02:34:38
Jmike
Was it though? Because they just kept making fun of us like non stop.
02:34:43
Case
Always true. Always true. But yes, I mean, you can support this, you can support my other show, another pass. You can all. All that through the Patreon or like I said, just go to certain pov. You can see all kinds of cool shows. You can check out Trade School, which is an awesome project that we are involved in where we are collecting the stories of why comic books matter to people. We are getting five to 15min monologues from people explaining why a trade paperback meant something to them. And if you want to be on a podcast, that's a really easy way to dip your toe into it. Just tell us about it.
02:35:13
Case
And if you just want to hear about cool stories about why comic books matter or just hear about cool comic books that you may not have heard about before, that's a really great series. Its sister series side Quests, which is part of the Fun and Games feed, is the same concept but for video games. That's. That's a really good one to check out if you're just looking for good podcasts. And you should also check out the Word from Tomorrow, which by the time this episode is dropping, our finale will be coming out.
02:35:37
Keith
I. Oh my gosh.
02:35:38
Case
This is really podcast time because like this is. I'm putting this out as soon as we get it edited. So I don't know exactly when this episode's going to drop, but it's going to be early next week.
02:35:48
Keith
Right.
02:35:48
Case
And Monday is when the episode for the finale for the Word From Tomorrow is coming out. So it's in a race between a thing that we recorded months ago versus a thing that we're recording right this moment. But that is an awesome reread podcast for Transmetropolitan. And Keith, you were my co host on that.
02:36:03
Keith
Yes, and I had a blast. And yeah, looking forward to possibly doing a similar thing in the future is what I'll say.
02:36:10
Case
So yeah, absolutely, it was a blast and we had such a great finale because we got to talk to Derek Robertson, one of the co creators of.
02:36:17
Keith
Trans Metropolitan, who was great, a really nice person.
02:36:21
Case
And, yeah, fabulous guy. And this time, unlike the time he was on Men of Steel, we actually remembered to record.
02:36:29
Jmike
But you don't have to bring it up, Case.
02:36:32
Case
But. But, yeah, so check out all that stuff. You can go to certainpov.com and check out all the wonderful podcasts that are. Are going on there. There's so many great ones. Yeah. And then after that, come back here because we've got more episodes coming. And until next time, Men of Steel.
02:36:57
Jmike
Is a Certain POV production. Our hosts are J. Mike Folson and Case Agan. The show is edited by Sofia Ricciardi. Our logo is by Chris Bautista and episode art is by Case Aiken. Our theme is by Jen Moonan.
02:37:18
Keith
All right, Josue, let's go through our new comic day stack. We have a lot to recommend.
02:37:22
Ben
I know.
02:37:22
Keith
Maybe we've gone too far. Let's see. Marvel, of course, dc. I got Image, Dark Horse, Black Mask, Boom. Idw, Aftershock, Vault, of course. Mad Cave, Ony, Valiant, Scout, Magma, Behemoth. Wow, that's a lot. Oh. All we need now is a name for our show. We need a name for a show about reviewing comic books every week. Something clever, but not too clever, like a pun. It's kind of cheesy.
02:37:53
Alan
Yeah.
02:37:54
Keith
Something that seems funny at first, but we might regret later on as an impulsive decision. A few dozen episodes in. Yeah, we'll think of something. Join Keith and Osway for we have Issues, a weekly show reviewing almost every new comic released each week, available on Geek Elite Media. And wherever you listen to your podcasts,.
02:38:12
Case
See POV certainpov.com.