Supergirl

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.

While not an epic like "Superman: The Movie", "Supergirl" is an enjoyable movie and it has a special place in my heart just like the first Superman movie.

The beautiful Helen Slater is fantastic in the title role of Supergirl and she easily carries the film. Like Reeve, Slater looks like she just popped out of the comic books and she gives a great performance as both Linda Lee and Supergirl. It's a shame she doesn't have a bigger career than the one she does now.

Faye Dunaway is miscast as Selena and is too campy in the role. The rest of the cast are fine in the movie, and I enjoyed Peter O'Toole's performance as Zaltar. Also, it was nice to see Marc McLure as Jimmy Olsen. However, my biggest disappointment with the film was that Christopher Reeve was not in it. It would have been fantastic to see Superman and Supergirl together.

The script, while good, should have been better and the campiness of Selena thrown out. I've read the original script and that one should have been used as it was slightly better and had some more characterisation in it.

The special effects are fantastic, especially in the flying scenes. I enjoy the Flying Ballet sequence a great deal, it's my favourite flying scene out of all the 'Super' films. This scene has always made me wish I could fly, a desire that was created when I saw the original Superman movie.

The music, which was composed and conducted by the great Jerry Goldsmith, is also one of the film's best aspects and I love it very much. The music is beautiful to listen to and are easy on the ears -- it's very poetic and lyrical which suits the film well.

Anchor Bay released "Supergirl" on DVD last year and they did a magnificent job, doing the film justice. The Director's Cut is the best version of the movie as it provides better characterisation and some explanations for plot holes that are present in the US theatrical and domestic cuts.

"Supergirl" is one of my favourite movies despite it's flaws and I find it to be a much better film than "Superman 3" and "Superman 4: The Quest For Peace".

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.

Apart from the witchcraft, I LOVE this movie!

This was the first time I ever saw Helen Slater, and rightaway I knew she was the most beautiful lady in the world! (Sorry ladies!)

I think there are some classic lines that have been overlooked: I remember when the Tractor went wild in Midvale, and Linda/Supergirl was searching for a place to change into her costume, she spied the Ladies' Room, and dashed toward it at super-speed, plowing into a woman who was just coming out. Linda apologized, "Sorry, I'm in a rush!" and shot inside. The woman looked wry. "I know what you mean!"

Perhaps Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) wasn't as important as he could have been. Although I thought Faye Dunaway was perfect as Selena (a little type-casting courtesy of Mommie Dearest), I prefer to wonder what would have happened if Zaltar had been just a little more complex (he's an artist, after all!) and a little more selfish, and actually followed through with his plans to see Outer Space with the assistance of the Omegahedron.

Then he might have been the villain of the piece, and the most dangerous kind of villain: the villain an audience can sympathize with. Then the audience would have been torn between wanting Zaltar to succeed, and wanting Kara/Supergirl to stop him before the loss of the Omegahedron destroys Argo City.

Oh! And I would've liked to see how Argo City was torn away more or less whole from Krypton as the planet detonated, and wound up in Inner Space, trapped in a warp that only Kal-El's little spaceship was equipped to navigate and exit.

I don't think it's over for Supergirl, her story could be REtold (a la Batman), but I'd only be interested in a remake if the filmmakers would remain true to the style of THIS movie (Supergirl (1984), rather than opting for a trendy, dark, angst-ridden "hero" (I use the term loosely) in a demented action "adventure". I miss the bright, cheerful style of the old Superman comics, from the 50's, 60's and 70's, and I'd love to see that back on the big screen, like Superman The Movie and Superman II, and . . . naturally, Supergirl - The First Adventure.

This is a beautiful, dream-like jewel of a movie, a real Pink Panther (I refer, of course, to the diamond).

That breath-taking, emotional moment as Supergirl arrives on Earth, and discovers her powers and her new environment, in my humble opinion, is unmatched in all the Super-movies.

Jerry Goldsmith's score, especially the Supergirl March and the Love Theme are stirring and moving respectively, and easily equal to John Williams' contributions to the Superman movies. I have Jerry's score on CD (thanks to Silva Screen Records) and the Supergirl Main Theme is my Favorite Movie Theme of all time.

(Superman was and is my hero, Superman II (1980) was THE defining movie of my youth, and I can probably sing you the entire score to Superman III, but I love the Supergirl themes more.)

And if a widescreen, remastered version of this movie ever becomes available "Down Under" , I want to see it!