Super Hell YEAH!
Female superhero television shows and movies don’t work. There isn’t an audience for it, and most women only like ‘geeky’ things to get attention. They’re not real fans.
So, yeah, this is the sort of stuff I hear. It’s also totally wrong. Let me first refute the second: having your kryptonite between your legs doesn’t make you more of a fan. And as for the first?
Freaking Supergirl.
Having just watched the pilot of CBS’s Supergirl, I can tell you there is an audience out there. And it’s about freaking time they had something to watch! The episode is shamelessly girl power, it’s hilarious, and the special effects are above and beyond.
Without giving too much away, here’s what you should know: Both Kara Zor-El and her baby cousin, Kal-El, were sent from their dying planet in separate pods on course for Earth. When they would arrive, Kara was charged by her mum to protect her cousin. However, Kara’s pod was knocked off course and sent into the Phantom Zone, a region in space where time doesn’t pass. After 24 years Kara’s pod finally landed. She hadn’t aged a day, whereas Kal-El was an adult and had taken the name Superman. With no need to protect her baby cousin, Kara no longer had a purpose and so she resigned to doing her best to hide amongst the people of Earth. That was until the life of her sister, Alex, is threatened.
As opposed to the comics, Kara begins her heroic journey in her early twenties and, honestly, I was a little disappointed. That was until Melissa Benoist absolutely nailed playing Kara Zor-El. Not everyone can play a clumsy, strong, quirky and fiery character and get away with it. But Benoist has the audience twisting and turning with her as she struggles to save a plane full of people and build enough confidence in herself to know she is doing the right thing. She has created a character that women can relate to.
But, if a female audience member can’t relate to her, why not Alex? Or Cat Grant? Or Kara’s super creepy, power hungry Aunt? This show is just choc-full of woman, with no doubt even more to come. And the best thing about that is they will be fresh from the comic book pages with very few, if any, actresses having previously portrayed them.
The pilot really is shamelessly full of girl power. But it’s also full of some of the best visual effects across the super hero television genre. Up until now, The Flash had been in the lead with super speed, flying men and giant gorillas. And although these moments were great, the effects weren’t constant. Most of the time and effort seemed to be put into the ‘big wow!’ moment and not spaced throughout the episodes. Supergirl, however, was constantly on point with their special effects. From guiding a plane over a bridge and slicing a truck with a man, Supergirl delivered its utmost best and put itself on top with visual effects.
So, yeah, Supergirl will have an audience. It will entertain those who like humour and those who like action, all while delivering a variety of amazing woman. And if it keeps this up, Supergirl’s going to open the door to a lot more women in the superhero cinematic universe who aren’t side chicks. Cause it’s nice to have someone like that to look up to.
Review by Brittany Howarth
