a fun & cute movie
Added 11/13/2008
it was fun. i love the director's cut. just wish those scenes were shown when it was first released in the theatres in 1984. some were very crucial. i hope someone will do another supergirl in the future. a smart producer will. enjoy.****
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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I loved this movie!!!
Added 9/21/2007
I thought that this film was great,Helen Slater was unbelievable at playing supergirl,I was highly impressed!To those who dont know where superman is it is clearly stated over the radio that superman is light years away doing research or something close to that.My only complaint about the movie was the actor who played supergirl's love interest,when he played the slave part he was cheesy and acting like a baboon but other than that this film rocks on everything and yes you get to the phantom zone which we haven't seen in any of the superman movies!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A Magical Journey that Never Ended....
Added 9/11/2007
Although Superman was long thought to be the only survivor of his doomed home world of Krypton many Kryptonians were able to survive its explosion and survive in 'inner-space.' Their survival was made possible due to a device known as the Omegahedron, which provides their city with energy to power their devices, and air to breathe, among other things. Argo City has blossomed into a utopian society where its inhabitants have become complacent. Zaltar, the city's founder and resident artist, expresses his desire to leave Argo City for parts unknown; however his plans are not to be. Having 'borrowed' the Omegahedron to bring his tree sculpture to life Zaltar attempts to hide his theft from Allura, Kara's mother, by secretly slipping the Omegahedron to Kara while discussing his plans for leaving inner space. Kara subsequently uses the Omegahedron on her own creation, an insect-like creature, that tears through one of the city's walls.
When the precious Omegahedron is sucked into space all hope seems lost, but Kara is determined to return it before the lights, and lives, of Argo City are extinguished forever. Kara follows the Omegahedron to Earth and, discovering her powers, becomes Supergirl.
Guided by a bracelet whose gem is linked to the Omegahedron, Supergirl follows the signal to Midvale, Illinois and assuming the alter ego of Linda Lee enrolls in an all girl college to provide herself with a cover story for her time on Earth. Meanwhile, the Omegahedron finds its way into the hands of a 'wicked sorceress' named Selena who harnesses its power to amplify her black magic. After experimenting on a chicken with her new found powers, Selena sets her eyes on winning the affections of Ethan, a handsome, if aloof, gardener. Selena's ambitions then reach new heights and she declares her desire to rule the world.
Supergirl struggles to acclimate to Earth culture, as she fights mundane forces in the form of Myra and Muffy, two female bullies at her school; and magical ones in the form of the dark forces Selena repeatedly sends in an attempt to destroy her. Failing in her attempts to destroy Supergirl and claim Ethan as her consort, Selena enlists the help of her erstwhile mentor, Nigel, into helping her fully control the Omegahedron and, upon success, abruptly turns on him in true villainous fashion. Now, having mastered the powers of the Omegahedron, Selena successfully sends Supergirl to the Phantom Zone, where she is powerless, and promptly turns Midvale into a police state. Here, Supergirl is reunited with Zaltar who has been imprisoned for losing the Omegahedron. Zaltar ultimately sacrifices himself in order to lead Supergirl out of the Phantom Zone and back to Earth where she engages Selena in an all out battle of might versus magic for possession of the ultimate power.
Considered a major failure for many years, Supergirl attempted to do what didn't occur until the release of Superman Returns in 2006, which was to revive a dying franchise. Critics panned the film for its camp, bad acting, poor use of actors, and sub par script. However, the popularity of Supergirl has grown over the years into a cult classic on par with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Harold and Maude, and Reefer Madness to name a few.
Although there are plot holes, there are not as many as have been claimed. One such plot hole which is often brought up is the question of where Supergirl gets her costume upon emerging from the lake following the Omegahedron. This question can be easily answered if you look closely when Kara enters the sphere which transports her to Earth you can clearly see that she sits on a clear package about the size of a throw pillow containing a suit in the familiar yellow, red, and blue. Other plot-holes such as the question regarding how Selena had knowledge of the Phantom Zone aren't so easily answered.
Despite its plot holes and occasional over-acting, Supergirl is not without merit. The 'flying ballet' sequence, as it has been called, captures the beauty and joy of a naïve young girl coming into her own power. The musical score brings an added dimension to the actions occurring in the film. Blink and you will miss Matt Frewer of Max Headroom fame as a trucker looking for a good time. While some have criticized Peter O'toole as lacking any emotional depth in his performance, I see him as a world-weary artist bored with his own existence and hungry for new adventures. Faye Dunaway is at her best as the evil sorceress Selena, although some would argue that Joan Crawford (Dunaway's character in Mommy Dearest) would beat Selena with a wire hanger given half the chance. Brenda Vaccaro as Bianca seems to be for this film what Otis (Ned Beatty) was for Superman The Movie (and it's sequel) comic relief--although her attempts at humor often fall flat and many of her lines are largely un-necessary. Finally, Helen Slater in her movie debut as Supergirl stands her own against the many veteran actors in whose company she finds herself. She certainly looks the part and plays her dual role to perfection.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable, family-oriented film that doesn't require you to think too much. If you love deadly bumper cars, invisible monsters, run-away tractors, flying ballets, ghost trains, world domination, pseudo-magic, demon storms, teenagers dangling in cages, and the sky raining coconuts with pin point accuracy--then this movie is for you and for two hours you will believe... a girl can fly!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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5 stars? TOO MUCH? MAYBE, but still for a collector's edition IT IS WORTH THE RATE!
Added 9/4/2007
When it comes to Helen Slater and Supergirl I tend to be a little partial because that blonde changed my life, entirely:she was the first blonde I saw when I was a kid so I felt in love inmediately. I hope to meet her someday, before I pass away because I love her, and I will always will! Anyhow, I will be as objective as I can.It is well know what the Salkinds tried to do: make more money by exploring all the possibilities from the Superman mithos. Therefore, Supergirl was the most obvious choice back then. Now, if we refer to the bad things: the story is not that bad, however, the naiveness and the holes in the plot are. There are too many things unreasonable within the story that if flaws of consistency. The treatment of the characters seems to pay tribute to those of Lex Luthor with a fool sidekick, Perry White=Mr.Danvers, Marc Maclure again as Jimmy Olsen, and the innocence of Kara (as Linda Lee) comparing it to Reeve's Clark Kent. NOW THE GOOD THINGS: The FX are amazing, even cooler than Superman III and Superman IV together. Kara flying ballet is just amazing, the phantom zone and the witch's 'witchery' are from the world beyond!! The Kara's character is one of the best performances, taking into account that it was her first major role. Helen really brought Kara to life, and not to mention that she looks so beautiful and hot in that costume. Even when the movie did not hit the box office it turned to be a legend! Everybody knows that Helen Slater is Supergirl, and probably she will be forever, a nostalgia comes when this movie is presented in TV. The DVD treatment is another two tumbs up. The special features where the director explains what he was trying to accomplish, Helen acting IN the costume, and her appreciations about the character at that time. The booklet and the Director's cut are just amazing, because it gives us additional footage that we would never imagined. And trust me, I have seen the movie about 500 times and I will never get tired! So my friends, if you love the Superman mithos and Reeve's interpretation and everything related to the 80's superheroes 7th art (jeje) buy it without regret. Otherwise, skip to the next movie.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Great Underated Film Given A Great DVD Treatment
Added 6/16/2007
I have enjoyed this film for as long as I can remember and I still enjoy it to this day. The film fell alittle short but this DVD treatment makes up for it by giving us the International Version as well as a newer Directors Cut. The directors cut is the best giving us the best version of the film. It's sad it didnt do so well as I would have loved to see more movies about Supergirl.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Supergirl!
Added 5/13/2008
"Supergirl" thrilled me when it opened back in 1984. Along with Wonder Woman and She-Ra, Supergirl was part of an era of female superheroines. "Supergirl" is a true camp classic. It marked Helen Slater's debut (and subsequent departure) from the silver screen. Faye Dunaway could've shouted,"No more kryptonite wire hangers!" but she's close enough. "Supergirl",along with "Puma Man",is one of the cheesiest superhero movies ever made.
"Supergirl" opens on the heroine's homeworld,with her mother Mia Farrow&her mentor Zaltar (Peter O'Toole,hammy as ever) They need the Omegahedron to restore their world. Supergirl,a.k.a. Kara,is sent to Earth. Her cousin Superman is mentioned, but never makes an appearance,since the late Christopher Reeve wanted nothing to do with this movie. Kara confronts thugs, goes to a boarding school. In the meantime, the evil sorceress Selena (Dunaway) is in control of an amusement park. She has a female companion (Brenda Vaccaro) Lest one think these two dowdy ladies are carrying on a super-Sapphic romance, Selena lusts for a hunky carpenter/gardener. And yet she wants world domination??? Somehow the Hunky Guy is in the middle of all of it. There are numerous cheesy battles. At one point, Supergirl is hurled into the Phantom Zone with Zaltar. Somehow,good triumphs in the end. But not good taste.
"Supergirl" is gloriously campy fun. Take flight!
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Supergirl? Almost.
Added 5/6/2008
This is an okay pass at a Supergirl movie. In an effort to set this one apart from the Superman series, the filmmakers tried to make this one more about a magical enemy, rather than the more Sci Fi aspect of the Superman movies. Magic had already been introduced into the comics as a force that could harm the Super clan, but it becomes a bit tricky to portray it on the big screen without losing your audience.
The villainess and her assistant have little charisma, which already places them below Lex Luthor in the minds of the audience. This is one of the large problems that plagued Superman III. Of course it doesn't help that the main thrust of Serlena's "evil plan" for most of the movie seems to revolve around getting a hunky construction worker to fall in love with her.
When the spell accidentally causes him to fall for Supergirl's human guise, Linda, Serlena decides to start the catfight to end all catfights. Or that's what it seems like. There's little sense that there is a real threat for Supergirl to fight except for the attacks against herself. Superman and Supergirl work best when the fight they are in is for more than their own lives. We just don't get a sense that that is happening here.
Other than that, the effects are not terrible, but the fight at the end with the force of shadows is a bit obscurely filmed. It comes across as a bit confusing.
In truth, the world is actually in danger because Serlena has been using the Omegahedron to increase her powers exponentially, but it doesn't come across like that.
It's better than Superman IV (big deal) and it may be roughly on par with Superman III, but that can largely rely on your personal preferences in this matter.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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A cheezy movie girls 6 to 13 will enjoy.
Added 9/20/2007
My daughter got this movie when she was six. Two years later she still watches it from time to time. It is very cheezy, but kids will enjoy it. There is nothing explicit, and the violence is fairly mild.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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