Supergirl's polarizing soundtrack hides the film's biggest flaw

Fans are roasting Supergirl’s needle drop, but the real DCU red flag is lurking in the finale — the same endgame stumble that has torpedoed superhero franchises before.

Milly Alcock Nails It – But Supergirl Doesn’t Land With Everyone

First off, credit where it’s due: Milly Alcock is getting plenty of love for her performance as Kara Zor-El. She’s taken on the role of a hero with heavy baggage, and according to most, she makes it work. What’s less universally adored is, well, just about everything else.

The casting of Jason Momoa as Lobo seemed like a sure-fire winner, but a fair few viewers haven’t been overly impressed—his take on the intergalactic bounty hunter supposedly comes off a bit flat. Meanwhile, die-hard fans of the Woman of Tomorrow comics are less than thrilled with the depiction of Ruthye, saying she’s not remotely as sharply written or memorable as her comic counterpart.

That Infamous Needle Drop

Right, on to the bit everyone’s got an opinion about: the third act and its now-notorious musical choice. If you’ve managed to avoid spoilers so far, the moment in question is the film’s big action climax. Everything slows down just as 'The Middle' by Kelty Greye (featuring KidMotel, if you’re keeping score) blares over the scene. We get a showcase of Kara’s powers, complete with her saving Ruthye, all framed by the sort of slow-mo that you either love or hate.

Loads of fans reckon the song is an odd fit – not exactly the stuff of superhero legend. But the real issue isn’t the playlist. The actual problem is much more basic and, if you ask me, a lot harder to fix: the visuals.

The Dreaded Brown Finale

The entire last act takes place in a drab, nondescript rocky wasteland, where nearly every shot is drenched in dull browns and oranges. Sure, Supergirl’s bright suit stands out, but the rest is flat and, frankly, lifeless – classic overuse of CGI, so there’s barely a hint of anything concrete on screen. If you’re having flashbacks to the worst bits of Wonder Woman’s final boss battle, you’re not alone.

This sort of thing isn’t new for DC, but what makes it a bit odd is that James Gunn, who’s been producing a string of entertaining DCU projects, has been credited (by the director Craig Gillespie, no less) for picking the very song everyone’s arguing about. Gillespie told Rolling Stone:

"It was down to the very last week, and I gotta credit James Gunn for that one."

Thing is, the chatter about the soundtrack is just covering up the real issue: the finale itself is a bland, uninspired wash of CGI with zero real-world texture. You could drop the entire cast onto a green screen and you’d barely notice the difference.

Gunn’s Creative Choices: Hits, Misses, and Deja Vu

Now, for all my nitpicking, I do respect what Gunn has brought to DC so far. Superman kicked things off brilliantly, Peacemaker and Creature Commandos were actually fun to watch, and he’s even brave (or mad) enough to give us a Clayface movie soon. But with Supergirl, his fingerprints are everywhere – and not always in a good way.

Beyond the aesthetics, there’s the business with the script: Gunn apparently insisted on changing the fate of Krem from what’s in the comic, and director Gillespie confirmed to CBR that Gunn was ‘adamant’ to keep the twist in. It’s a choice that puts Supergirl on similar ground as Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel – we’re talking about those divisive moments where the hero makes a fatal call. It’s controversial, and DC fans aren’t likely to forget it, whatever side they land on.

• Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)
• Jason Momoa as Lobo
• Ruthye: fans note the movie version lacks the comic’s spark
• Music: 'The Middle' (Kelty Greye, feat. KidMotel) is the track everyone’s arguing about
• Cinematography: Third act shot in a dull, orange-brown setting, heavy on CGI
• James Gunn: Produced the film, chose the controversial song, pushed for major script changes

There’s more DCU on the horizon—Clayface is due out this year—but whatever you make of Supergirl, the debate isn’t going away any time soon.