Review: 'Stargirl' is a fun ride for the whole family
Posted Monday, September 28, 2020 at 4:36 PM Central
Last updated Monday, September 28, 2020 at 4:37 PM Central
by John Couture
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this news story. The opinions I share are my own.
We have spent many reviews heaping praise on Greg Berlanti and his creation of the Arrowverse and Stargirl is just the latest feather in a cap that is quickly running out of room for more feathers. As the father of a young daughter, I am always on the outlook for quality TV that we can watch together and this show fits the bill.
With Batwoman and Supergirl already in the Arrowverse stable, there's no shortage of strong and empowered female characters on the CW. With my young daughter seeking out more and more entertainment options, it's good to know that she can find strong role-models with a simple click of a channel.
As a relatively new superhero property, the backstory of Stargirl isn't as well-known and overplayed as say Superman's so it allows for a true sense of discovery. And I'm glad that we discovered it!
Stargirl follows a high school sophomore who discovers the cosmic staff and inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to take up the mantle of an old superhero team, The Justice Society of America. Their re-emergence awakens the dormant villains from the Injustice Society of America and a new Super Hero rivalry is formed.
First and foremost, I have to say how perfectly cast Brec Bassinger is as Courtney/Stargirl. She has all of the moxie of a young Sarah Michelle Gellar finding her footing as a young Buffy. The comparison is rather apt as Buffy is the TV show that I was constantly reminded of as I watched Stargirl.
We haven't introduced our daughter to Buffy yet, but it's one that we plan to show her when she gets just a wee bit older. And that's the true brilliance of Stargirl. It not only resonates with the older teen set, but it can play down to tweens and younger without much worry of heavy subject matter.
There's plenty of light-hearted moments to soften the blow, but the action is thrilling enough to keep the older crowd pleased. It truly is a great show to watch with your young daughter that you should both enjoy equally.
Beyond Brec's breakout performance, her parents bring a long line of Hollywood bonafides with them. Amy Smart may have been on the side of a milk carton for the last decade, but it's great to see her finally getting another shot at mainstream success. She's so great and underrated here that she might get overlooked, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her role expand down the road.
Luke Wilson plays Stargirl's dad and also serves as a link to the older generation of The Justice Society of America. He is brilliant and funny and it's good to see him back on TV. Whether it's in movies or on the tube, Luke always makes everything around him better. This is definitely the case on Stargirl.
The only downfall of the season is that there are only 13 episodes to enjoy. It didn't take long for them to realize that they have a hit on their hands and to greenlight a second season, but only COVID knows when we will see it. Until then, we are left with a wonderful first season of mythology building and plenty of questions to get us through even the coldest winter nights.
Stargirl: The Complete First Season is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
