Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85237 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-08-08
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, THX, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Amazon.com
Supergirl qualifies as one of the most bizarre comic book adaptations ever to hit the silver screen. Bereft of logic or sensible plotting, but featuring a strong cast and slick special effects, the film follows Superman's cousin Kara (played by Helen Slater in her film debut) as she leaves Krypton to venture to Earth to retrieve the "Omegahedron," a life-force globe vital to her people's survival. She tracks down the device, unaware that it's fallen into the hands of aspiring black magician Selena (Faye Dunaway), which leads to an inevitable showdown.

All of the strong characters in Supergirl are women, making for a nice change of pace from traditional superhero machismo. However, none of the players seem to notice that many things are left unexplained, including how the naive Kara knows so much about Earth while having never been there, how a novice sorceress can attain power so quickly from something she does not understand, and how hardly anyone notices Supergirl flying around their city! (And hey, where's Superman?)

Taken as a campy 1980s comic book relic rather than a serious adaptation, Supergirl is fun because of its engaging special effects and sets, tongue-in-cheek humor, and Dunaway's truly inspired performance. Look for Marc McClure reprising his Superman role of Jimmy Olsen, while Mia Farrow and Peter O'Toole have small supporting roles as Kara's mother and mentor, respectively. The director's cut DVD features 24 minutes of newly restored footage that has never been seen before, which should enthrall Supergirl aficionados, although the additional material doesn't make the story any more logical. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

A flawed classic and guilty pleasure
Almost done in by a campy villainess subplot, Supergirl survives thanks to superb pre-cgi special effects (Chris Reeve praised it as the best flying he'd seen in any of the films), a solid Jerry Goldsmith score, and Helen Slater's, well, *goodness*, in the title role.

I had the advantage of first seeing the film with my own then-seven-year-old blonde superheroine, and my daughter's expression of sheer delight as Kara skimmed over the lake and flew with the wild horses reminded me of the thrill I felt 30 years before when I watched George Reeves hurl himself out of the stockroom window and into the endlessly repetitive stock footage skies of Metropolis.

This is one of those films where you filter out the silly story and watch the pretty pictures.

Make certain to get the international widescreen edition. The film was butchered in its original American theatrical release.

Not a bad movie, not a great one either.....
I know this movie is known far and wide as a flop, a disaster, an altogether awful movie. But I don't think it's really as bad as everyone says it is. "Supergirl" has some great actors. Helen Slater, and Faye Dunaway to name a couple. They're not at their best, but they give an overall good performance. Also, the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is great. Especially the Supergirl theme. The special effects are, contrary to others opinions, actually some of the best I've seen in a Superhero movie. The flying sequences are great. The story, however, could use some work. Overall, though, Supergirl is an enjoyable movie for fans of Superman or Supergirl. It's entertaining and worth watching.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Supergirl!
"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!