209 reviews
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.
I could make this very long, or I could make it strict. stricted? yes... This is a truely wonderfull movie that on a mainstreame level has never gotten the attention it deserves. Faye Dunaway is a excellant adversory to Helen Slater and almost everyone in this movie seems to have a great chemistry together wich is outputed highley during it. The special FX are wonderfull and were advanced for its time, many in the movie even to today's standards. It has its roots in artistic litrature, it has heart, because the movie is about a teenager there is a vulrability to it wich feels more humane and personal to a level of a teenager myself...unlike the Superman movies where you simply feel "yes, he's super...he can do anything. good for him" This movie suffered for many reasons wich isn't about its story. It was marketed purley as a Superman "action sueprhero" sort of movie. When the fact is there is a more gentile apraoch to this film, sourcery, love and lots of imaginative things wich make it very unique to the superhero genre. unfortunatley it doesn't do it much favours considering to many it is the worst superhero movie ever. Everything about this movie is very imaginative and creative. From Supergirl flying out of a lake without getting wet to her almost flawless flying ballet (THATS when u believe a person can fly. Unlike Supermans blue screen FX) and the highly inspireing fair ground scenes. This is purley fantasy. Not a Spiderman/Superman action superhero movie wich it was promoted to be. So its real targeted audience didn't want to see it as its trailer and promotion didn't look like "their sorta thing" and the people that did see it were dissapointed as it wasn't what it was said to be. so let me say...STUPID marketting team!simply...its like making American Pie SOUND LIKE the matrix. Many people saw Supergirl and did not expect to see many of the things they saw.
If this film was marketed the way it should have been and released the way it should have been (some countries got a seriously bad edited version wich effected the charactors allot) then this would have been the success everyone thought at the time and still deserves to be This is a great movie and its one of my favourites. I don't think I could praise it enough. I think its not what many people wanted ot see back then though...they wanted explosions, action and they wanted Superman to fit into this film.
I think the fact that Supergirl arrived on earth in the supercostume without no actual logic was bad. Because firstly you need rules, and even more so in fantasy movies. Because it may be fantasy but you still should believe it. I think it could have easily been written in for Supergirl to get her costume. Zaltar could have made her it because she is a big admirer of her cousin Superman. But no, unfortunatley it isn't once explained how and were she got her costume from. Also...the instant costume portrays that she is an instant hero and she wasn't wich let many people down. As she was still nieve, cute and girly and not the strong wilded heroine she turned out to be at the end.
Also, this movie arguable did not fit into the superman mythology very well...But so be it. There is no flaw in this movie that could effect the enjoyment and believability of the movie. On its DVD release there are more visual flaws then I saw on its video release wich is surprising. Not many however but on her first ever flying shot there are...wich makes me cringe. HOWEVER, I am still to see better better flying in a movie that isn't from Supergirl. Highlights of this movie deffanitly are Supergirls flying ballet (you will never see anything as visually wonderfull and pretty as this in a film) and Supergirls scenes with Ethan. This movie is full of heart and art, with beautifull actors and its all acompanied by a wonderfull score wich captures allot of emotion and depth.
I will end this review with that you WILL believe a girl can fly. Because most of the time...it is live flying and not against a screen (when will you learn Superman?)
If this film was marketed the way it should have been and released the way it should have been (some countries got a seriously bad edited version wich effected the charactors allot) then this would have been the success everyone thought at the time and still deserves to be This is a great movie and its one of my favourites. I don't think I could praise it enough. I think its not what many people wanted ot see back then though...they wanted explosions, action and they wanted Superman to fit into this film.
I think the fact that Supergirl arrived on earth in the supercostume without no actual logic was bad. Because firstly you need rules, and even more so in fantasy movies. Because it may be fantasy but you still should believe it. I think it could have easily been written in for Supergirl to get her costume. Zaltar could have made her it because she is a big admirer of her cousin Superman. But no, unfortunatley it isn't once explained how and were she got her costume from. Also...the instant costume portrays that she is an instant hero and she wasn't wich let many people down. As she was still nieve, cute and girly and not the strong wilded heroine she turned out to be at the end.
Also, this movie arguable did not fit into the superman mythology very well...But so be it. There is no flaw in this movie that could effect the enjoyment and believability of the movie. On its DVD release there are more visual flaws then I saw on its video release wich is surprising. Not many however but on her first ever flying shot there are...wich makes me cringe. HOWEVER, I am still to see better better flying in a movie that isn't from Supergirl. Highlights of this movie deffanitly are Supergirls flying ballet (you will never see anything as visually wonderfull and pretty as this in a film) and Supergirls scenes with Ethan. This movie is full of heart and art, with beautifull actors and its all acompanied by a wonderfull score wich captures allot of emotion and depth.
I will end this review with that you WILL believe a girl can fly. Because most of the time...it is live flying and not against a screen (when will you learn Superman?)
I have loved this movie ever since I first laid eyes on it and have always thought it was far far better then Superman III & IV. Helen Slater was perfect as Supergirl (I had a major crush on her), Faye Dunaway was campy as the evil witch Selena and Peter Cook was rather amusing as her boyfriend Nigel.
I first saw this movie in it's director's cut form when it aired on UK TV as a Premiere in the late 80's (yes, the director's cut "was shown" in the UK, regardless of what fans may have read on various websites. The only version shown after that was the "International Version" as it is known in the US which was missing various scenes from the director's cut but still had more footage in it then the cut-down US version. Jerry Goldsmith's score, while not as classic as John Williams Superman is still a great music score and I have never met anyone who did not name the main title music as either Superman or Supergirl to this day.
The reason this movie flopped at the Box-Office in the US was mainly because of poor-marketing, cuts to the US version by it's second distributor Tri-Star (Warner Bros. originally were to release this movie), certain slackers from the company kept leaking the movie to pirates in the US and other countries before it was even released so they decided to sell the movie to Tri-Star who ruined any chance this movie had of being a US hit in 1984 due to their disastrous decisions involving everything to do with Supergirl... Warner Bros. didn't drop it because it was a bad movie for all of you "think you know everything!" people out there!. It's a shame because this is clearly the only reason this movie never had any sequels made.
"The movie actually did very well overseas" which isn't a huge surprise to me at all because Supergirl had actual decent marketing there, they also got a different "superior" cut of the movie which was released in countries outside of the US, this being the "international version" which is now available in the US via both a separate DVD and a 2-disc DVD set which also includes the even longer "director's cut".
This movie is a fun, enjoyable movie that does not deserve the reputation it has received over the years, the DVD is also one of the best releases I know of, giving the movie the justice it deserved unlike the poor handing of Superman II by Warner Bros., "Anchoy Bay are one of the best DVD handlers out there for Special Editions!"
7/10
I first saw this movie in it's director's cut form when it aired on UK TV as a Premiere in the late 80's (yes, the director's cut "was shown" in the UK, regardless of what fans may have read on various websites. The only version shown after that was the "International Version" as it is known in the US which was missing various scenes from the director's cut but still had more footage in it then the cut-down US version. Jerry Goldsmith's score, while not as classic as John Williams Superman is still a great music score and I have never met anyone who did not name the main title music as either Superman or Supergirl to this day.
The reason this movie flopped at the Box-Office in the US was mainly because of poor-marketing, cuts to the US version by it's second distributor Tri-Star (Warner Bros. originally were to release this movie), certain slackers from the company kept leaking the movie to pirates in the US and other countries before it was even released so they decided to sell the movie to Tri-Star who ruined any chance this movie had of being a US hit in 1984 due to their disastrous decisions involving everything to do with Supergirl... Warner Bros. didn't drop it because it was a bad movie for all of you "think you know everything!" people out there!. It's a shame because this is clearly the only reason this movie never had any sequels made.
"The movie actually did very well overseas" which isn't a huge surprise to me at all because Supergirl had actual decent marketing there, they also got a different "superior" cut of the movie which was released in countries outside of the US, this being the "international version" which is now available in the US via both a separate DVD and a 2-disc DVD set which also includes the even longer "director's cut".
This movie is a fun, enjoyable movie that does not deserve the reputation it has received over the years, the DVD is also one of the best releases I know of, giving the movie the justice it deserved unlike the poor handing of Superman II by Warner Bros., "Anchoy Bay are one of the best DVD handlers out there for Special Editions!"
7/10
- eve6kicksass
- Apr 23, 2002
- Permalink
Just finished watching the director's cut of "Supergirl". Horrbile stuff!
Biggest problem with this movie is that it has absolutely no entertainment value. Nothing interesting or spectacular happens in this movie, mainly due to its poor imaginative-less story that is beyond ridicules and isn't even completely clear at times. Lots of things in the movie are taken for granted and are not explained or deepened out. The result of all of this is that halve of the time the movie doesn't make sense and the other halve of the time its just plain ridicules. For instance when Supergirl comes to Earth, she first discovers her amazing super powers and what does she decide to do next after that? She decides that she wants to go to an Earthly school! The movie is completely filled with ridicules and totally weird plot elements that are extremely lame and are even worser brought to the silver screen by director Jeannot Szwarc, who also directed "Jaws 2". The movie is a 2 hour+ ridicules bore-fest, without even a good camp-value.
The main villains of the movie, played by Faye Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro, are supposed to be also the comical relief of the movie, just like Lex Luthor and Otis were in "Superman". But their characters are completely not funny. Their dialog is painfully bad at times and their actions and motivations are just too ridicules for words.
Not even other fine actors such as Mia Farrow, Peter O'Toole and Peter Cook can bring some life and/or credibility to this movie!
The only real positive thing I can say about this movie concerns the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. Unlike Ken Thorne and Alexander Courage who did the music for Superman II, III & IV, he actually comes up with some totally new themes and doesn't recycle the old classic John Williams musical score from "Superman". It's a fine piece of work that is worth listening to outside of this movie.
Like many other bad movies, it has build up a real solid fan base over the years, which is fine with me, as long as you're staying objective and give credit where it is due. "Supergirl" is a horrible movie that only deserves credit for its musical score and for some of the flying sequences that were better looking as in any of the Superman movies. I wished I liked this movie better but I just can't. It was barley watchable at times and just utterly boring and uninteresting. At least the Superman movies still had an (campy) entertainment value, this movie has absolutely zero story and style and is a complete mess to watch.
1/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Biggest problem with this movie is that it has absolutely no entertainment value. Nothing interesting or spectacular happens in this movie, mainly due to its poor imaginative-less story that is beyond ridicules and isn't even completely clear at times. Lots of things in the movie are taken for granted and are not explained or deepened out. The result of all of this is that halve of the time the movie doesn't make sense and the other halve of the time its just plain ridicules. For instance when Supergirl comes to Earth, she first discovers her amazing super powers and what does she decide to do next after that? She decides that she wants to go to an Earthly school! The movie is completely filled with ridicules and totally weird plot elements that are extremely lame and are even worser brought to the silver screen by director Jeannot Szwarc, who also directed "Jaws 2". The movie is a 2 hour+ ridicules bore-fest, without even a good camp-value.
The main villains of the movie, played by Faye Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro, are supposed to be also the comical relief of the movie, just like Lex Luthor and Otis were in "Superman". But their characters are completely not funny. Their dialog is painfully bad at times and their actions and motivations are just too ridicules for words.
Not even other fine actors such as Mia Farrow, Peter O'Toole and Peter Cook can bring some life and/or credibility to this movie!
The only real positive thing I can say about this movie concerns the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. Unlike Ken Thorne and Alexander Courage who did the music for Superman II, III & IV, he actually comes up with some totally new themes and doesn't recycle the old classic John Williams musical score from "Superman". It's a fine piece of work that is worth listening to outside of this movie.
Like many other bad movies, it has build up a real solid fan base over the years, which is fine with me, as long as you're staying objective and give credit where it is due. "Supergirl" is a horrible movie that only deserves credit for its musical score and for some of the flying sequences that were better looking as in any of the Superman movies. I wished I liked this movie better but I just can't. It was barley watchable at times and just utterly boring and uninteresting. At least the Superman movies still had an (campy) entertainment value, this movie has absolutely zero story and style and is a complete mess to watch.
1/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
- Boba_Fett1138
- Dec 26, 2005
- Permalink
This is one painful movie to watch. The only character to cross over from Superman is the guy who played Jimmy Olsen and you can see why no one else would want to be seen in this one. They seem to change a lot of things around that were clearly established in the Superman series and then there is the horrible plot as well. Supergirl played by Helen Slater who is probably a good choice to play the role must retrieve a ball that keeps her people alive in inner space or something. All I know is that Supergirl somehow gets to earth by way of a lake. The ball falls into the hands of Faye Dunaway who somehow knows how to use it and she does all sorts of evil things as she is trying to get a younger guy to like her (kind of desperate, eh?). She somehow even sends Supergirl to the phantom zone...in Superman it was a mirror in space; here it is an entire world. All in all this one just suffers from a really bad script and very bad overacting as well. I have only seen the original theatrical release however, and not the 140 minute cut which may explain a few of my complaints.
The hardest thing to swallow about how bad this film really is, is the talent on hand such as Peter O'Toole and Faye Dunaway - what on earth possessed them to put their genius into this appalling production is beyond me.
Helen Slater's acting is as cardboard as it gets. The principal storyline just stinks and the plot is so full of holes it's untrue. The special effects are just plain awful and everything in the movie looks like a bad prop from the 1930's version of Flash Gordon. But - enough about the good points. The one thing that really annoys me is the patronising but generally incorrect use of "Sci-Fi description". Some of the words they dream up are just so lacking in imagination and condescending it's nauseating. "Omegaheadron" I ask you!
In short, if you want to make history and tell everyone you have witnessed quite possibly the worst film ever made, then watch Supergirl. If, however, you value the relatively short time we have on this planet, then please don't waste 2 hours of it watching this trite, worthless drivel.
Helen Slater's acting is as cardboard as it gets. The principal storyline just stinks and the plot is so full of holes it's untrue. The special effects are just plain awful and everything in the movie looks like a bad prop from the 1930's version of Flash Gordon. But - enough about the good points. The one thing that really annoys me is the patronising but generally incorrect use of "Sci-Fi description". Some of the words they dream up are just so lacking in imagination and condescending it's nauseating. "Omegaheadron" I ask you!
In short, if you want to make history and tell everyone you have witnessed quite possibly the worst film ever made, then watch Supergirl. If, however, you value the relatively short time we have on this planet, then please don't waste 2 hours of it watching this trite, worthless drivel.
- virtualinsanity
- Jan 4, 2003
- Permalink
Set after the events of Superman III, but without Superman (whom is inexplicably off planet at an inter-galactic peace summit. despite there never having been a mention of non- Kryptonian aliens). Starring Helen Slater as Superman's magically existing cousin (from an entire colony of surviving Kryptonians, despite canon that after Superman II, Jor-El was the last living one). Honestly, I could go on listing continuity errors but I'm afraid at some point in the next few weeks, my keyboard is going to run out of batteries. So I'll just have to skip ahead to reviewing the film off of its own merits.
Eventually, sorcery (Superman's other weakness) was eventually going to have to be brought into the series, so I can forgive that lameness, most certainly. That's not what makes this a bad film. It's a combination of probably the weakest romantic plot (not subplot, which it really should have been), a chronically unenthused (to put in nicely) Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, Troy, The Tudors), an overabundance of non-practical effects (which technology of the time was just nut ready for), nearly unbearable banter, and the flimsiest plot built of character being inconceivably stupid that make the film so bad.
But then, that's really the entire film.
At least Supergirl's alter-ego had more thought put into it than "adds/removes glasses" and Selena was an... Acceptable, I suppose, villain. But ultimately Supergirl sits with aforementioned Superman III and Quest for Peace as entirely missable.
20%
-Gimly
Eventually, sorcery (Superman's other weakness) was eventually going to have to be brought into the series, so I can forgive that lameness, most certainly. That's not what makes this a bad film. It's a combination of probably the weakest romantic plot (not subplot, which it really should have been), a chronically unenthused (to put in nicely) Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, Troy, The Tudors), an overabundance of non-practical effects (which technology of the time was just nut ready for), nearly unbearable banter, and the flimsiest plot built of character being inconceivably stupid that make the film so bad.
But then, that's really the entire film.
At least Supergirl's alter-ego had more thought put into it than "adds/removes glasses" and Selena was an... Acceptable, I suppose, villain. But ultimately Supergirl sits with aforementioned Superman III and Quest for Peace as entirely missable.
20%
-Gimly
- firstruleofmethclub
- Apr 16, 2015
- Permalink
Okay, in all honesty
this is a pretty lousy film! The plot is awful and contains more holes than a bowl of Swiss cheese, while the editing and pacing look pretty amateurish. And yet you don't really care about all these flaws! Supergirl is cheerful kitsch with a gorgeous lead-actress and a bunch of great stars overacting (Peter O'Toole, Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow... ). Helen Slater is Kara, superman's niece from Krypton who goes to earth herself in order to recover the lost Omega Hedron which is a power source for the planet. The mad raving amateur witch Selena found the Omega Hedron and wants to use it to obtain world domination! Yihaa! Helen Slater looks yummy in her Supergirl outfit with miniskirt and tight top and that's about all I remembered about this film. It is never explained how exactly this Omega Hedron works
or how Kara suddenly changes into Supergirl...or even who sewed that lovely costume. This is just colorful amusement with flamboyant visual effects and attractive stars.
Truly I have never seen a movie that subverted my expectations like this one. It is so corny and hilariously ridiculous at times, but it is somehow...enjoyable? I am writing this two years after having seen it and I am unsure if I would watch again, but it's an experience for sure.
- imaloneroddy
- Mar 14, 2020
- Permalink
Unfortunately, the Salkinds seemed to be at a point where their time at making "Super" movies was waning.
Supergirl came out on the wake of the lukewarm Superman III. Other than another Superman/Kal-el sequel, the Super series of the time needed some re-boot or re-boost. Supergirl seemed like the answer, but to no avail.
The good: Helen Slater in the title role seemed to bring to life Kal-el's cousin and fellow Krypton denizen, Kara with grace and natural beauty. She looked real good in the outfit and performed the feats of the character real well.
It was good to see Marc Mclure reprise his Jimmy Olsen role to tie this to the Superman franchise of the time. Christopher Reeve declined for a proposed Superman cameo, so Olsen had to do for a crossover.
The bad: a story that drags. We had these big names that participated: Faye Dunaway; and Peter O'Toole; plus a newcomer that brought Supergirl to life gracefully. But great players are but a small part of a bigger picture which is the story. We had these fantastic players, set against fantastic backdrops, but we went through a slow story hoping it would pick up.
It never did.
This was Helen Slater's shot at a movie series and super stardom as she did the role beautifully. Tri-star and WB (who regained the rights) didn't want to go forward with the Woman of Steel after its dismal performance denying her that chance. Though she still went on to other roles in Hollywood (and seemed to be successful), this one would've propelled her higher had the movie been written better resulting in bigger audiences.
Helen Slater did Supergirl right, hands down. Unfortunately, the writers and everyone else behind the actors didn't do her or the film justice.
Supergirl came out on the wake of the lukewarm Superman III. Other than another Superman/Kal-el sequel, the Super series of the time needed some re-boot or re-boost. Supergirl seemed like the answer, but to no avail.
The good: Helen Slater in the title role seemed to bring to life Kal-el's cousin and fellow Krypton denizen, Kara with grace and natural beauty. She looked real good in the outfit and performed the feats of the character real well.
It was good to see Marc Mclure reprise his Jimmy Olsen role to tie this to the Superman franchise of the time. Christopher Reeve declined for a proposed Superman cameo, so Olsen had to do for a crossover.
The bad: a story that drags. We had these big names that participated: Faye Dunaway; and Peter O'Toole; plus a newcomer that brought Supergirl to life gracefully. But great players are but a small part of a bigger picture which is the story. We had these fantastic players, set against fantastic backdrops, but we went through a slow story hoping it would pick up.
It never did.
This was Helen Slater's shot at a movie series and super stardom as she did the role beautifully. Tri-star and WB (who regained the rights) didn't want to go forward with the Woman of Steel after its dismal performance denying her that chance. Though she still went on to other roles in Hollywood (and seemed to be successful), this one would've propelled her higher had the movie been written better resulting in bigger audiences.
Helen Slater did Supergirl right, hands down. Unfortunately, the writers and everyone else behind the actors didn't do her or the film justice.
- MovieBuffMarine
- Oct 23, 2017
- Permalink
I was seven-years-old when I saw 'Supergirl' in the theaters. Back then I thought it was a fantastic movie with a terrific heroine, a fun villain, and a great story. Recently I saw the film (probably for the first time in 10-15 years) and my opinion of 'Supergirl' has not changed one bit. 'Supergirl' is still a terrific picture that brings back the joy of a time when you truly did believe a person could fly. Yes, it is a little campier than the first 'Superman' movie, but that is what makes it such a fun movie-watching experience. After all, it was the 80's, and in comparison to other films offered up such as 'Ishtar,' 'The Pickup Artist,' and 'Teen Wolf Too,' 'Supergirl' is a masterpiece.
Helen Slater did a stellar job playing the triple role of Kara/Linda Lee/Supergirl. She really made the role her own, and for her first big major motion picture, came off like a pro.
Faye Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro are a wonderfully paired duo as the witch and her accomplice respectively. The blend of comedy and quirky villainy is played up well, and maintains a great balance throughout the film.
One of the best aspects of the film is Jerry Goldsmith's musical score. Like 'Superman' it comes at you hard and fast from the beginning, with a beautiful opening credits sequence, and never lets up. It is one of my all-time favorite movie themes.
Having the opportunity to watch the limited edition DVD, which has both the international release version and the director's cut, made the film even better. Both versions add a new dimension to the film which round out the characters far better than was shown in the United States domestic release.
All in all, if you are a fan of superhero movies, then this is one you don't want to miss. 'Hulk,' 'Dare Devil,' and 'Batman and Robin' don't hold up at all against 'Supergirl.' Suspend your disbelief and take 'Supergirl' for what it is, a fun roller-coaster-of-a-movie that delivers the goods.
Helen Slater did a stellar job playing the triple role of Kara/Linda Lee/Supergirl. She really made the role her own, and for her first big major motion picture, came off like a pro.
Faye Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro are a wonderfully paired duo as the witch and her accomplice respectively. The blend of comedy and quirky villainy is played up well, and maintains a great balance throughout the film.
One of the best aspects of the film is Jerry Goldsmith's musical score. Like 'Superman' it comes at you hard and fast from the beginning, with a beautiful opening credits sequence, and never lets up. It is one of my all-time favorite movie themes.
Having the opportunity to watch the limited edition DVD, which has both the international release version and the director's cut, made the film even better. Both versions add a new dimension to the film which round out the characters far better than was shown in the United States domestic release.
All in all, if you are a fan of superhero movies, then this is one you don't want to miss. 'Hulk,' 'Dare Devil,' and 'Batman and Robin' don't hold up at all against 'Supergirl.' Suspend your disbelief and take 'Supergirl' for what it is, a fun roller-coaster-of-a-movie that delivers the goods.
- airdrumming
- Nov 1, 2004
- Permalink
Watching Supergirl this week for the first time since childhood I see it with fresh eyes and a newfound appreciation of the movie. Supergirl must be considered separate and unrelated to the Superman movie foursome or it will fall short. There is not supposed to be a comparison. The Superman movies are action epics, Supergirl is the story of strength growing out of innocence.
Watching Supergirl now with an understanding of focus that I did not have when younger, I truly enjoy it. Helen Slater, Peter O'Tool, Peter Cook and Maureen Teefy all put in superb performances. Mia Farrow tends to overact the part of Selena, but then the character believes herself larger than life. Brenda Vaccaro could use a little more self assertion, but does alright. Marc McClure is of course an undeniably talented actor, though his part in this film is minor. I am forced to scream at the screen however; Why the hell do you wear a camera if you aren't going to use it when a major news piece flies into your lap?
I remember being dismissive of Supergirl when I was younger; due in part to the use of magic which has no part in the Superman films, but mainly I suspect due to the ludicrous man-eating excavator scene. This scene remains the major absurdity of the movie. Supposed to be terrifying it comes off as a rather poor imitation of the hundred Volkswagens from Herbie Rides Again. It isn't scary, its stupid.
Apart from that scene, Supergirl is good gentle viewing and a nice counterpoint to Superman.
It is hard to describe my exact feelings, but I do feel that standing on its own Supergirl should be considered a success and I deeply regret never having a chance to watch the sequels that were never made.
Watching Supergirl now with an understanding of focus that I did not have when younger, I truly enjoy it. Helen Slater, Peter O'Tool, Peter Cook and Maureen Teefy all put in superb performances. Mia Farrow tends to overact the part of Selena, but then the character believes herself larger than life. Brenda Vaccaro could use a little more self assertion, but does alright. Marc McClure is of course an undeniably talented actor, though his part in this film is minor. I am forced to scream at the screen however; Why the hell do you wear a camera if you aren't going to use it when a major news piece flies into your lap?
I remember being dismissive of Supergirl when I was younger; due in part to the use of magic which has no part in the Superman films, but mainly I suspect due to the ludicrous man-eating excavator scene. This scene remains the major absurdity of the movie. Supposed to be terrifying it comes off as a rather poor imitation of the hundred Volkswagens from Herbie Rides Again. It isn't scary, its stupid.
Apart from that scene, Supergirl is good gentle viewing and a nice counterpoint to Superman.
It is hard to describe my exact feelings, but I do feel that standing on its own Supergirl should be considered a success and I deeply regret never having a chance to watch the sequels that were never made.
Well, that was something. Reeling from the financial failure of Superman III, the Salkinds were banking on this spinoff to rescue the franchise and their financial stake in the Super characters. It...it did not work. This silly look at superheroes versus witches lacks any sense of urgency even though the action is supposed to undo terrible things. Instead, we get a full act of filler that derails everything that the movie never recovers from, not that its first act was anything terribly special.
In some kind of technobabble pocket dimension that exists for technobabble reasons, saved by Zaltar (Peter O'Toole), lives a group of Kryptonians preserved from the destruction of their home planet. Among them lives Kara Zor-El (Helen Slater). Zaltar uses a device called the Omegahedron to create art projects based on Earth life for...reasons. An accident sends the Omegahedron out of the city and to Earth, so Zaltar gets banished to the Phantom Zone and Kara decides to just go to Earth to get it back so that her people won't die. There's your stakes.
And then Kara gets to Earth and she instantly forgets everything about the movie's stakes. She emerges from a lake in full Supergirl gear for reasons, start smelling flowers and chasing bunnies. Meanwhile, the Omegahedron has fallen into the picnic of Selena (Faye Dunaway), a witch, alongside Nigel (Peter Cook), who is also a witch? I guess. It's not important. Anyway, Selena sees this orb fall into her food and she instantly decides that it will help her...conquer the world. Like...there's no second to consider what this thing is that she's holding. She's going to conquer the world with it.
Now, to talk about Plato for a quick second. He established several rules for drama that dominated Greek theater at its height in Poetics. A couple of these major rules tend to work best in theatrical settings, but one is pretty easily applicable to all forms of storytelling, Unity of Action. This concept is the idea that everything in a story should feed the central point of the story. Everything should interlace together to tell one thing, one story. So, when Selena decides to use the Omegahedron to conquer the world and this has absolutely nothing to do with Kara's central concern of saving her home, it creates a dissonance in the storytelling that creates the impression that we're not watching one story. We're watching several, and they clash.
It also doesn't help that Kara then spends the next half hour trying to get into and blend in with the girls at an all-girls boarding school. Why? I assume it's because superhero convention demands that our superheroes have secret identities, and what would a Supergirl movie be without Kara leading some kind of double life even if it has nothing to do with her story, has no effect on her ability to carry out her central mission and purpose, and she has no direct tie to the planet? So, sure, let's watch Kara get stuck in math classes (taught by Nigel for inexplicable reasons), save Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), Lois Lane's younger sister, from a maliciously delivered ball in a schoolyard game, and, because why not, let's watch Selena decide that a man is her primary concern now.
Wait...wasn't she going to conquer the world? Not after she got some tasty man meat from Ethan (Hart Bochner), a groundskeeper at the school that she sees once and decides must be hers, for some reason. And that becomes the plot of the movie for a bit. Selena wants Ethan, so she cooks up a love potion, but it backfires and Ethan ends up falling in love with Kara's alter ego Linda Lee (with brown hair instead of yellow hair). This is after, of course, a ridiculous action sequence where Selena uses her magic to power a piece of construction equipment to literally scoop Ethan up from the ground that Supergirl flies away with to save him. Because, why not? It's not like any of this matters.
Selena ends up getting Ethan back and sending Kara to the Phantom Zone where she meets Zaltar again. I'll say that Peter O'Toole not caring about his performance is still worth watching. He was nominated for a Golden Raspberry for his performance here, but it wasn't deserved. This isn't some great O'Toole performance on par with T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia or anything, but I'll take half-drunk O'Toole over most actors desperately trying any day. Anyway, Zaltar leads Kara out of the Phantom Zone in the one special effects sequence that looks any good with a maelstrom that they must crawl past, and Kara gets out for her final confrontation. She wins, blah, blah, blah.
I felt like using witches in a Superman/Supergirl movie was a weird choice, but I was willing to go with it. This subgenre of comic book movies feels more natural with cosmic fantasy than spells and potions, but it's all in a similar vein of fantasy. They can intersect. The problem isn't that. It's that Selena's whole plot is nonsensical. It has nothing to do with Supergirl's motives. It also functions as a complete distraction from the actual story. It probably doesn't help that about half of the film is about girls being boy crazy. At best, this is silly nonsense, but there was real money behind this. It was the final nail in the coffin of the Salkinds having anything to do with the Superman franchise, and it was a deserving end. They had absolutely no idea what they were doing, and hiring Jeannot Szwarc, the director of Jaws 2, was the exact kind of strange choice I would have expected.
In some kind of technobabble pocket dimension that exists for technobabble reasons, saved by Zaltar (Peter O'Toole), lives a group of Kryptonians preserved from the destruction of their home planet. Among them lives Kara Zor-El (Helen Slater). Zaltar uses a device called the Omegahedron to create art projects based on Earth life for...reasons. An accident sends the Omegahedron out of the city and to Earth, so Zaltar gets banished to the Phantom Zone and Kara decides to just go to Earth to get it back so that her people won't die. There's your stakes.
And then Kara gets to Earth and she instantly forgets everything about the movie's stakes. She emerges from a lake in full Supergirl gear for reasons, start smelling flowers and chasing bunnies. Meanwhile, the Omegahedron has fallen into the picnic of Selena (Faye Dunaway), a witch, alongside Nigel (Peter Cook), who is also a witch? I guess. It's not important. Anyway, Selena sees this orb fall into her food and she instantly decides that it will help her...conquer the world. Like...there's no second to consider what this thing is that she's holding. She's going to conquer the world with it.
Now, to talk about Plato for a quick second. He established several rules for drama that dominated Greek theater at its height in Poetics. A couple of these major rules tend to work best in theatrical settings, but one is pretty easily applicable to all forms of storytelling, Unity of Action. This concept is the idea that everything in a story should feed the central point of the story. Everything should interlace together to tell one thing, one story. So, when Selena decides to use the Omegahedron to conquer the world and this has absolutely nothing to do with Kara's central concern of saving her home, it creates a dissonance in the storytelling that creates the impression that we're not watching one story. We're watching several, and they clash.
It also doesn't help that Kara then spends the next half hour trying to get into and blend in with the girls at an all-girls boarding school. Why? I assume it's because superhero convention demands that our superheroes have secret identities, and what would a Supergirl movie be without Kara leading some kind of double life even if it has nothing to do with her story, has no effect on her ability to carry out her central mission and purpose, and she has no direct tie to the planet? So, sure, let's watch Kara get stuck in math classes (taught by Nigel for inexplicable reasons), save Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), Lois Lane's younger sister, from a maliciously delivered ball in a schoolyard game, and, because why not, let's watch Selena decide that a man is her primary concern now.
Wait...wasn't she going to conquer the world? Not after she got some tasty man meat from Ethan (Hart Bochner), a groundskeeper at the school that she sees once and decides must be hers, for some reason. And that becomes the plot of the movie for a bit. Selena wants Ethan, so she cooks up a love potion, but it backfires and Ethan ends up falling in love with Kara's alter ego Linda Lee (with brown hair instead of yellow hair). This is after, of course, a ridiculous action sequence where Selena uses her magic to power a piece of construction equipment to literally scoop Ethan up from the ground that Supergirl flies away with to save him. Because, why not? It's not like any of this matters.
Selena ends up getting Ethan back and sending Kara to the Phantom Zone where she meets Zaltar again. I'll say that Peter O'Toole not caring about his performance is still worth watching. He was nominated for a Golden Raspberry for his performance here, but it wasn't deserved. This isn't some great O'Toole performance on par with T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia or anything, but I'll take half-drunk O'Toole over most actors desperately trying any day. Anyway, Zaltar leads Kara out of the Phantom Zone in the one special effects sequence that looks any good with a maelstrom that they must crawl past, and Kara gets out for her final confrontation. She wins, blah, blah, blah.
I felt like using witches in a Superman/Supergirl movie was a weird choice, but I was willing to go with it. This subgenre of comic book movies feels more natural with cosmic fantasy than spells and potions, but it's all in a similar vein of fantasy. They can intersect. The problem isn't that. It's that Selena's whole plot is nonsensical. It has nothing to do with Supergirl's motives. It also functions as a complete distraction from the actual story. It probably doesn't help that about half of the film is about girls being boy crazy. At best, this is silly nonsense, but there was real money behind this. It was the final nail in the coffin of the Salkinds having anything to do with the Superman franchise, and it was a deserving end. They had absolutely no idea what they were doing, and hiring Jeannot Szwarc, the director of Jaws 2, was the exact kind of strange choice I would have expected.
- davidmvining
- May 13, 2022
- Permalink
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.
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.
- jboothmillard
- Jun 17, 2023
- Permalink
There is an almost decent movie in all this, but you have to dig pretty deep to find it. The problem is that as popular as Supergirl is in the comic books, she can't carry a movie by herself. This should have been a sequel in the Superman series than a movie on it's own. Helen Slater is beautiful and talented but she is wasted in a bad script dragged down by an unrealistic plot and the over-acting of Faye Dunaway and her co-horts of Mia Farrow and Peter Cook. Peter O'Toole is a delight in everything he does as he is here, but the movie is just one big embarrassment. Slater was signed on to do two more sequels had this been a success, but the magic and sorcery angle was too ridiculous as was the concept of a bumbling witch playing with and somehow learning how to use a cosmic power source. Right there the movie loses gravity and coherence.Huge holes large enough for a train to go through sideways are throughout the script as in why does Supergirl waste time getting enrolled in school when her family's life is in the balance and how in the world did she know about her cousin as Superman. Superman, himself is conspicuously absent from the movie with a stupid excuse and it's never explained as to how Supergirl's family got in another dimension. Too much of the script strayed from the comic book, and in the process got lost. I can only really watch this for Slater in the costume, but much of her best scenes in the school have been edited out of the film. If they had centered it more on her acceptance by her peers, this may have been a better movie, but the fight scenes and sorcery is really bad. Jimmy Olsen and Lois's sister, Lucy, have been tacked on to connect the film to the Superman movies, but it really doesn't help.
- aesgaard41
- Dec 18, 2000
- Permalink
I like to watch comicbook movies, even the ones that were not very well received, and now it's time for this flick about the cousin of the Man of Steel.
Supergirl starts with showing a space city which happens to be an isolated Kryptorian community in a pocket of trans-dimensional space(?? I just quote this stuff from the internet, it's not explained in the movie what trans-dimensional space is...). Some wizard dude called Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) shows Kara Zor- El/Supergirl (Helen Slater) a baseball-sized object known as the Omegahedron which powers the city but can also be used to make cheap looking jewelry or big butterflies (??). Kara Zor-El creates a big butterfly, which promptly flies out of the plastic sheet(?!) covered window causing the Omegahedron getting sucked out into space and flying straight to earth, landing in the thee of a woman known as Selena (Faye Dunaway), who immediately recognizes it as a valuable artifact.. The Kryptorians are a little angry with their power source flying out of the window and they blame Zaltar who takes full responsibility and goes to live in the phantom zone. However, Klara jumps in a "space ships" (space egg would be a better description) and flies to Earth to get the power source back. She lands on Earth as Supergirl; having the power to fly, great strength, laser-beam eyes and frost breath. But instead of using those powers to get the stone back, she decides it's better to dress up as a schoolgirl, make friends with other schoolgirls and doing schoolgirly things because that's obviously the right thing to do... The Kryptorian city could only last two "days" (Earth days?) so hopefully the schoolgirl approach will make sure Supergirl get's the stone back in time!
Now I have seen some bad movies before but I think this is one of the worst ever for me. The only thing that was decent where some of the action scenes and some set pieces. The rest was just awful! The acting and the way that lines are delivered here is below the level of porn parodies. It looks like everything was just shot in one take after the actors remembered their lines. And yeah this movie is from the 80's so special effects where not what they are today but compared to the effects in the original superman (which came out 7 years earlier) this looks like stuff thrown together on a Sunday afternoon. The worst fake flying scenes ever are shown here.
There is also nothing explained who Supergirl is and how she survived the destruction of Krypton? And who is this Zaltar guy? It's also not clear what the villain character wants, other then some big muscled guy who she has the hots for. Lex Luther in the original Superman wanted to blow up California, that sound more like a comicbook villain then some woman seducing a attractive guy. And the only reason she battles Supergirl is because she also likes the big muscled guy? Really?
And don't get me started on the "join the schoolgirls!" part of the movie. My goodness, it felt like watching a parody of "Porky's Revenge" or some other B-class 80's comedy. Who thought that watching "Linda Kent's first day at high school!" made great stuff for a comic-book movie? This should be about superheroes not some dumb teenage crap. And when Supergirl finally could actually use her powers for the good, she just stands there in her schoolgirl uniform watching the town getting destroyed! And when she finally decides to do something she only saves the hot guy and nothing else! Worst. Superhero. Ever.
I don't know if there is a Supergirl porn parody movie but I think it has better acting, plot and special effects then this piece of utter garbage. This is the first time that I regret watching a movie and feel sorry for myself to waste two hours. I recommend you clean your house, go help your neighbors with something or watch paint dry instead of watching this.
Supergirl starts with showing a space city which happens to be an isolated Kryptorian community in a pocket of trans-dimensional space(?? I just quote this stuff from the internet, it's not explained in the movie what trans-dimensional space is...). Some wizard dude called Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) shows Kara Zor- El/Supergirl (Helen Slater) a baseball-sized object known as the Omegahedron which powers the city but can also be used to make cheap looking jewelry or big butterflies (??). Kara Zor-El creates a big butterfly, which promptly flies out of the plastic sheet(?!) covered window causing the Omegahedron getting sucked out into space and flying straight to earth, landing in the thee of a woman known as Selena (Faye Dunaway), who immediately recognizes it as a valuable artifact.. The Kryptorians are a little angry with their power source flying out of the window and they blame Zaltar who takes full responsibility and goes to live in the phantom zone. However, Klara jumps in a "space ships" (space egg would be a better description) and flies to Earth to get the power source back. She lands on Earth as Supergirl; having the power to fly, great strength, laser-beam eyes and frost breath. But instead of using those powers to get the stone back, she decides it's better to dress up as a schoolgirl, make friends with other schoolgirls and doing schoolgirly things because that's obviously the right thing to do... The Kryptorian city could only last two "days" (Earth days?) so hopefully the schoolgirl approach will make sure Supergirl get's the stone back in time!
Now I have seen some bad movies before but I think this is one of the worst ever for me. The only thing that was decent where some of the action scenes and some set pieces. The rest was just awful! The acting and the way that lines are delivered here is below the level of porn parodies. It looks like everything was just shot in one take after the actors remembered their lines. And yeah this movie is from the 80's so special effects where not what they are today but compared to the effects in the original superman (which came out 7 years earlier) this looks like stuff thrown together on a Sunday afternoon. The worst fake flying scenes ever are shown here.
There is also nothing explained who Supergirl is and how she survived the destruction of Krypton? And who is this Zaltar guy? It's also not clear what the villain character wants, other then some big muscled guy who she has the hots for. Lex Luther in the original Superman wanted to blow up California, that sound more like a comicbook villain then some woman seducing a attractive guy. And the only reason she battles Supergirl is because she also likes the big muscled guy? Really?
And don't get me started on the "join the schoolgirls!" part of the movie. My goodness, it felt like watching a parody of "Porky's Revenge" or some other B-class 80's comedy. Who thought that watching "Linda Kent's first day at high school!" made great stuff for a comic-book movie? This should be about superheroes not some dumb teenage crap. And when Supergirl finally could actually use her powers for the good, she just stands there in her schoolgirl uniform watching the town getting destroyed! And when she finally decides to do something she only saves the hot guy and nothing else! Worst. Superhero. Ever.
I don't know if there is a Supergirl porn parody movie but I think it has better acting, plot and special effects then this piece of utter garbage. This is the first time that I regret watching a movie and feel sorry for myself to waste two hours. I recommend you clean your house, go help your neighbors with something or watch paint dry instead of watching this.
- Marthian80
- Oct 9, 2017
- Permalink
I started out liking this film, with its fine cast and hippy-dippy Argo City, but the film eventually gets so boring and goes on and on and on.. Especially on the "director's cut" DVD - it has 30 minutes of extra stuff that should have stayed out. If this film were skillfully edited down to about 1.5 hours it would be bearable, but some of the lines are pretty stupid, and the Dunaway character is no more than a cardborad cutout villain, with a pointless Brenda Vaccarro running around squawking about nothing. Watch this and you will enter a Phantom Zone - of boredom...
- miamigringo
- Apr 8, 2004
- Permalink
Supergirl is a fine film that has been unjustly overlooked in the years. For those expecting a straight Superman clone with a girl instead of a grown man, then it was probably a shock to have so many fantasy elements in the mix. Granted a man flying and stopping bullets is very fantastical, but his villains were always very grounded on earth. Lex Luthor anyone? So when it was announced that Superman's cousin would be getting her own movie, I'm sure everyone had their own preconceived notion of what it would be like. The fact that Supergirl is up against a witch and battles demons may have been too much of a stretch for most. Hopefully, the film finally gets its due now that it is out on DVD since it really isn't a bad movie. Helen Slater brings a wide eyed innocence to the role. Some have called Kara a half-wit but that is not true. She is merely a sheltered girl who has never seen the world and when she does get to she has trouble interacting with it. Peter O'Toole is his usual wonderful self as the founder of Argo City and Kara's mentor. Faye Dunaway does a fine job as well as the sorceress. Indeed most of the cast do just fine. The only real downer is Hart Bochner as love interest than. This guy should never have been let even near a movie set. Ouch! Still, Supergirl is good clean fun. Trivia buffs can watch for Matt Frewer in a small role as a lascivious truck driver.
- timhayes-1
- Jan 23, 2007
- Permalink
Supergirl(1984) Starring: Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole, Hart Bochner, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccro, Marc McClure, Peter Cook, and Mia Frewer Directed By: Jeannot Szwarc Review From out of another galaxy and into your hearts comes... Supergirl I'm going to be reviewing one superhero movie a month and well for this month(even though I wanted this one to be later) I got Supergirl. After Superman IV: The Quest for peace the name Superman became a product for money and no genuinely cared about making a superhero movie anymore. However they decided to change it up a bit instead of it being Superman again they decide to use his cousin Kara/Supergirl. After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch. This movie fracking sucks. By the look of this movie, you can tell that no one gave a crap about the source material which is very sad because I hate every single female hero in the DC except the three known as Supergirl, Starfire, and Zatana. Supergirl being my favorite. The producers said lets throw in a love story, let's make the villain an evil female who's jealous and wants to be pretty, manipulative and have everyone be her slave. We can't have Supergirl save the planet, or do something noble it has to be a giant cat fight, that's what happens when old straight white men write stories about strong young women. They just want to be pretty, the music is very bland and almost like not their and doesn't engage me in the film. Which I find to be very odd because I put the disc in and I hear the John Williams Superman theme in the main menu so I'm thinking maybe this movie might be a little engaging but no it isn't. The effects are terrible as well because they just look so much better in other 80 films. I'm giving this film a one out of five.
- Spideyfan-963-246215
- Sep 8, 2016
- Permalink
I personally enjoy this film immensely. It is a fun, free, and at times, spooky fantasy/adventure. In other words, it's a different type of Superhero film, and that's a good thing. First off, it's about a female, so the interest is more enchanting, I think. Secondly, it keeps more true to the superhero fashion, because it has monsters and magical evils that put people in peril. In Superman, the villain was a human, who was indeed, putting many in peril, but even so, it could have been more along the lines of fighting the green-eyed monster or something. Anyway, this movie is very stunning, with powerful effects, and even better acting by Helen Slater as "Supergirl". I just LOVE Faye Dunaway as the witch Selena. Peter O'Toole is great, and so is everybody else. I know it isn't Superman, but what else would be? This film is just a good ol' fashioned Superhero film, fun for all who should see it. Obviously, some may not like it, and that's okay. However, this film has a specialness to it that true adventurers will love! a 10/10!
- lonelydarling78
- Jul 7, 2006
- Permalink
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.
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.
- Maciste_Brother
- Oct 27, 2003
- Permalink
Through its fan's rabid adoration it shows that women and girls (and some boys) are starving for a female hero who is not just a stand in for a man.
Just about everything else this movie attempts comes off insipid and boring to anyone with a critical eye. The flight scenes are elegantly portrayed and Helen Slater is beautiful. The script is awful, Faye Dunaway comes off like a schizophrenic homeless woman with delusions of grandeur. Even as a product of it's time it was an insult to anyone over the intellectual age of 13 and that is why it flopped.
Helen Slater's acting makes her appear she's on Valium half the time. The "gee, shucks" portrayal of Lucy Lane is grating not to mention the contrived love story subplot between her and Jimmy Olsen. Selena's bimbo sidekick seems to be a Salkind trademark, akin to Luthor's moll in the first Superman, inexplicably hooked up with an evil character without any actual sense that she possesses a cruel bone in her body.
I can't imagine Uwe Boll could have made a more insipid lackluster film.
If Helen Slater had not been so lovely and the Kryptonian ethic so endearing I don't imagine I could have sat through the whole thing. And actually, that's another thing. Supergirl has a birthright as a relative of Clark Kent and a daughter of Krypton that she never lives up to. She does almost nothing heroic the entire film and often she seems to sit back and watch as bad things escalate and get worse before she remembers "Oh yeah! I can do something about this!" It's actually frustrating to watch as she hesitates and does nothing again and again failing to live up to her powers and the nobility of her race.
This movie is only entertaining as a look into the past and a peep show at Helen Slater in tights and a mini-skirt. It's "girl power" will hook some starving for a female hero that isn't just a dude with boobs (Tomb Raider) but really we could do much better.
Just about everything else this movie attempts comes off insipid and boring to anyone with a critical eye. The flight scenes are elegantly portrayed and Helen Slater is beautiful. The script is awful, Faye Dunaway comes off like a schizophrenic homeless woman with delusions of grandeur. Even as a product of it's time it was an insult to anyone over the intellectual age of 13 and that is why it flopped.
Helen Slater's acting makes her appear she's on Valium half the time. The "gee, shucks" portrayal of Lucy Lane is grating not to mention the contrived love story subplot between her and Jimmy Olsen. Selena's bimbo sidekick seems to be a Salkind trademark, akin to Luthor's moll in the first Superman, inexplicably hooked up with an evil character without any actual sense that she possesses a cruel bone in her body.
I can't imagine Uwe Boll could have made a more insipid lackluster film.
If Helen Slater had not been so lovely and the Kryptonian ethic so endearing I don't imagine I could have sat through the whole thing. And actually, that's another thing. Supergirl has a birthright as a relative of Clark Kent and a daughter of Krypton that she never lives up to. She does almost nothing heroic the entire film and often she seems to sit back and watch as bad things escalate and get worse before she remembers "Oh yeah! I can do something about this!" It's actually frustrating to watch as she hesitates and does nothing again and again failing to live up to her powers and the nobility of her race.
This movie is only entertaining as a look into the past and a peep show at Helen Slater in tights and a mini-skirt. It's "girl power" will hook some starving for a female hero that isn't just a dude with boobs (Tomb Raider) but really we could do much better.