Supergirl + Toy Story 5

 

Supergirl

Score:  B

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Starring Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts

Running time: 108 minutes

Rated PG-13

Never mind the critics (and especially the misogynist fanboys): Supergirl is a well-made, entertaining superhero blockbuster, thanks to the lead's performance and its new take on the Supers.  This movie is much more like Guardians of the Galaxy than any Superman movie.  On the surface, that's because it takes place entirely outside of Earth and has a similar vibe (though not quite as funny).  Just as importantly, Supergirl is nothing like her Boy Scout cousin, Superman.  She is younger and at first seems the carefree, party-hard-type we think of as many early-20s young adults.  But Supergirl, or Kara, does this more as a numbing mechanism after a traumatic childhood incident (we get a short flashback of her past, in which Kara leaves her parents under different circumstances than Superman, explaining much of the difference between the two).  Alcock does a great job with this, strongly establishing a believable and sympathetic - if certainly flawed and still maturing - hero, thanks to her dynamic, wide range of facial and physical expressions.  Supergirl has some very fun action, too, of course, particularly a sort of outer-space bus-hijacking that has clever and humorous twists.  Kara is very powerful, like her cousin, but reasonable plot elements keep this in check which allows for more tension and excitement than in many of Superman's fights (Supergirl does get to unleash her full powers a little, too, though).  The side characters are solid as well, such as Kara's young orphan companion (Ridley), gentle yet seeking revenge; Momoa chewing the scenery as a sort-of ally looking like a member of Kiss; and a villain with a small part but appropriately revolting and dastardly.  The plot structure is familiar and nothing special, but also solid with few if any glaring problems.  Same goes for the writing, and by not taking place on Earth, it has the advantage of not needing to simulate our real-world political or cultural milieu (which last year's Superman tripped up on multiple times).  Yes, this is a sturdy little superhero movie and a perfectly worthy summer theater outing.

***

Toy Story 5

Score:  B+

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, et al

Running time: 102 minutes

Rated PG

Toy Story 5 is a quality, enjoyable entry in the beloved Pixar animated franchise; it doesn't reach the heights of the first three movies but it's a great choice for any family audience.  Anyone who has seen the previous Toy Story movies will instantly feel the warm familiarity of the franchise, and the feeling persists throughout.  Like other entries, this one has a theme - here, tech's domination of today's youth's attention - as well as some new characters to freshen up the main, iconic yet aging cast.  Tech is represented here by Lily the Lilypad, who first gobbles up young Bonnie's attention through addictive games before moving on to the potent (for good and ill) power of instant messaging/social media.  The presentation of this is a bit on the nose (or "duh"), even if it does create an effective foil for the toys.  It also makes Bonnie and her peers more or less the main characters, which is a change for the franchise.  Jessie the cowgirl is the lead toy character, which is nice to give her the spotlight, but her arc is too similar to others in the series to be very intriguing.  New characters, as always, add a nice dose of humor and freshness, particularly Conan O'Brien's combination potty training & messaging (not sure how those functions were combined into one device!) retro tool.  In a first (I think), Pixar cribs from another animation studio this time in creating an army of Buzz Lightyears, a la the Minions - cute distraction but a little lazy, too.  And while it's a solid effort in most ways, a touch lazy describes the movie overall - it just doesn't have the spark of creativity and even mischievousness that marked the series's first movies.  The ending "message" of Bonnie's continued growing up and importance of friendship is a good one, yes.  But I just wish it all had that special feeling I remember from years past.

***

These movies represent June's main blockbuster offerings, solid if unspectacular movies.  Of course, the target audiences for Supergirl (young men) and Toy Story 5 (families) are significantly different, but each does an admirable job being perfectly entertaining for those outside the "core" groups.  Overall I would say that Supergirl is significantly better than the critics rate it, while on the other hand Toy Story 5 is not as good as they say.  Interesting to note that halfway through the year, my top three movies are ones I was not at all expecting (Send Help and The Bride!) or at least a fresh take on a blockbuster (Project Hail Mary).  Meanwhile, a bevy of popular franchises and big Hollywood names have produced, at best, solid but far from its predecessors' heights (Toy Story 5) or flat-out failures (Hoppers, The Mandalorian and Grogu).  A big part of that is my own tastes are certainly changing; I have now seen a LOT of movies in my life; and I am focusing more than ever on core features like writing, characters, and filmmaking creativity.  I hope that my beloved franchises - and even some of my favorite filmmakers - will take bolder steps in reinventing themselves, because the "new guys" are eating their lunch this year.  Next up: super excited for The Odyssey!!!

* By source IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80455414

** By source Pixar Animation Studios - "Toy Story 5". Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved February 19, 2026., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81607956