Supergirl

I am surprised at the high percentage of very low votes for this movie, SUPERGIRL. While it is by no means a great movie, it IS a good film which makes a comic book story come to life. Helen Slater was only 19 when she played Supergirl and it is hard to imagine a better choice. She is pretty and innocent, but has a fine figure and very athletic legs, very believable as Superman's cousin, come to Earth to return the omegahedron to her society, while Superman is on self-imposed exile. For a 1984 film the production values are very high, not one wire is shown in the scenes where Supergirl flies, unlike Superman IV which is very poor in comparison. And, except for the drawn-out ending, is paced very nicely. I have the director's cut, which is 2 hours and 13 minutes of film, and another 5 or 6 minutes of credits.

Faye Dunnaway is also excellent as the archrival, evil sorceress. To me that is the best type of role for her. The DVD has a remarkably good video transfer and is an altogther fun movie, for fans of the Super series of comic book characters.

And, at 1:45 into the film, several newly-introduced Honda Sabre motorcycles were escorting Dunnaway's car.

It could be because I was six the first time I saw it and had a crush on the girl that played supergirl for a long time thereafter, but I enjoy the movie. The special effects are horribly dated compared to what we have become use to in movies, and the acting is not much better. Unless you really like the superman movies, or are under the age of six, the movie would probably be utterly boring. The only good thing that I can say about the movie is that I like it, but I don't know why.

When this movie was released to audiences in the US and Canada, it was done a grave disservice because it was edited way too much. International audiences got extra scenes that added certain nuances, and subtly changed the overall enjoyment and understanding of the plot and characters.

Anchor Bay deserves kudos for the excellent DVD Special Edition release, which includes the International version, as well as an un-cut Director's Edition, which has footage that has never been seen. Comparing the 'crapped-up' domestic version which is often edited further for pan-and-scan television audiences, it is clear why this movie is thought of as being a stinker. (Anchor Bay prudently ignored releasing the domestic version.)

This movie was meant to be viewed in a widescreen format. I cannot emphasize this enough. One important scene is always lost due to pan-and-scan cropping, and it is a scene that establishes the diabolical forces that surround villainess Selena. This reviewer never before understood what Selena was referring to when shown a reflection of herself in a mirror stating: "What is that?" Widescreen reveals that there is something else being reflected next to her. Supergirl's 'Flying Ballet' scenes are sublime (and extended) in this format.

This movie, if anything for nostalgia's sake, ought to be revisited in all its un-cut widescreen glory. And let's not forget the top-notch score by soundtrack genius Jerry Goldsmith!

The unfair treatment this movie got has been redeemed by this DVD release. Yes, the movie is dated, and maybe still a little hokey. But the un-cut edition is far superior to what Tri Star Pictures tried to pass off as a feature film for a super-heroine back in 1984. (Someone give Helen Slater a prize for all her dedication to this project! She deserved more attention than she got for this role.)

The main problem with SUPERGIRL is the terrible script. It's really bad. The basic idea is BRILLIANT (Supergirl gaining her powers on the go) but the execution is lamentable. Where does Supergirl get her costume? How does the space thingy follow the Omegahedron from inner space to outer space? Why does Supergirl decide to join a school when Argo City is dying? Why does she play field hockey? Why, why, why!!! The script is filled with so many assumptions and plot-holes that it was simply impossible to build a solid movie around it. The script also fails to give any sense of urgency to Supergirl's quest. Her quest is a matter of life and death. Instead of looking for the Omegahedron 24/7, she frolics around here and there while her world might be imploding. The pacing is lackadaisical when it needed to be frantic and urgent. Another problem with the script is that Supergirl doesn't do many super heroic feats. The producers and director were apparently unable to conceive the fact that a female could do heroic stuffs. There are simply not enough heroics going on in the film to be seen as a successful superhero film. As for the combination of magic and sci-fi elements, well, that was actually good and preceded BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and other current films and TV shows which have amalgamated both genres successfully.

The other thing that drag this movie is the acting. Most of it is terrible. And what makes it worst is the cringe inducing dialogue. It's really bad. You can't really blame the actors for spouting their dialogue with zero conviction. And the special effects are really uneven. One second, they're impressive, the next second they're embarrassing.

But as uneven as SUPERGIRL is, the film does have good things going for it. The film's spirit is right-on. It's good-hearted and light and never takes itself too seriously. Helen Slater is PERFECTLY cast as Supergirl. I'd say she's the best movie superhero ever. And some special effects are pretty good (the scene with the mountain is impressive. I still don't know how they did it). But the best thing in SUPERGIRL is the score by Jerry Goldsmith. It's one of my favorite scores ever. It's just amazing. I give the score a perfect 10. Without the score, Supergirl would probably be impossible to watch. It gives character, importance to the otherwise flimsy direction. Another good thing is the use of widescreen. This film has to be seen widescreen. It looks really terrible in pan and scan mode.

I'm not a big fan of the whole SUPERMAN series but I have to say that I actually prefer SUPERGIRL over any of the bloated SUPERMAN movies. What's great about SUPERGIRL is that it's an "orphaned" movie: there's only one SUPERGIRL flick and because they didn't make any sequels, the film has a timeless and cultish feel to it which makes it more fun to watch than the SUPERMAN films. Because of the lack of sequels, Helen Slater has, indirectly, become an ageless Supergirl. The Anchor Bay DVD is pretty good. The best version is the International Version. The director's version is even more lackadaisical than the I. V., if you can imagine that. Thankfully, the US theatrical version is not included in the DVD set.

I first saw this movie when i was still a kid, and I enjoyed it then, as would all other children. I have seen it again, and cannot in all honesty understand why it failed. Helen Slater played the role of Supergirl perfectly, and had a strong supporting cast. Perhaps it was not the right time for it, because the macho-male action hero sterotype was still very much prevalent in the 80's. Chances are that movies like G.I. Jane and Alien would also have flopped at the box-office if they was released in the early 80's.

Supergirl was and still is a great film for people of all ages, despite what the critics may have said.