Supergirl (1984)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writer:

David Odell (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Her first great adventure.

Plot:

After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.

Plot Keywords:

Power | Encounter | Monster | Phantom Zone | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Faye Dunaway	...	Selena
Helen Slater	...	Kara / Supergirl / Linda Lee
Peter O'Toole	...	Zaltar
Mia Farrow	...	Alura
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Bianca
Peter Cook	...	Nigel
Simon Ward	...	Zor-El
Marc McClure	...	Jimmy Olsen
Hart Bochner	...	Ethan
Maureen Teefy	...	Lucy Lane
David Healy	...	Mr. Danvers
Sandra Dickinson	...	Pretty Young Lady
Robyn Mandell	...	Myra
Jenifer Landor	...	Muffy
Diana Ricardo	...	Mrs. Murray

Also Known As:

Supergirl: The Movie

Runtime:

124 min (international version) | USA:105 min (theatrical version) | USA:138 min (director's cut) | USA:150 min (original cut) | Germany:89 min (Video Version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Germany:6 (re-rating) (2006) | Argentina:Atp | Iceland:LH | South Korea:12 (2006) | Netherlands:9 | Australia:PG | Denmark:A | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Norway:12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Black Park Country Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Artistry Limited

Trivia:

Almost 85% of the film was shot on giant sound stages at Pinewood Studios.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Selena uses her magical powers to accelerate the fairground ride to super fast speed, the twinkling fairground lights in the background are also flashing much faster. They obviously played the tape back at high speed to achieve this.

Quotes:

Supergirl: Oh. I have to go. I have to return this to where it belongs. And I must ask you all something.
Jimmy Olsen: It's all right, Supergirl. We never saw you.
Lucy Lane: We never even heard of you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Superior Firepower: The Making of 'Aliens' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

WHAT IS LOVE

Glad I'm not the only one

I guess I was 7 or 8 when my parents took me to the cinema for the first time. They picked Supergirl as something fun and unthreatening. I have been hooked on film ever since! Supergirl is a hugely under-rated movie, and while I can take on board some of the negative comments you read here, I also think they're a bit harsh. Come on people (you know who you are), it's a fantasy film! If it played the same as Superman (another great), there would be no point in making it in the first place. Sure the magic angle is slightly odd, but what the hell, it's a fun film which doesn't take itself too seriously, but doesn't go in for over the top slapstick either (take heed Richard Lester!!). And of course the effects are a little dated, it is 20 years old after all (though many still look great). Jerry Goldsmith's score it beautiful and lyrical, as it should be, becoming triumphantly heroic when it needs to (The main theme is tremendous, even with the eighties electronic whooshes and eagle squarks). Helen Slater is gorgeous in the lead role, and considering this was her first major role, she does a commendable job. Then there's Miss Dunaway: first rate as always-you can almost see the scenery going down her throat, but that's part of the charm of the character. All the actors come off well, and if you ignore some bits and pieces (there's still some huge plot holes even in the Directors Cut!) you should have a great time. It would be interesting to see a remake that perhaps didn't stray so far from the source mythology (was the omegahedron in the comics?), but on the other hand, the eighties was a different time, and perhaps today's climate (whether the world could use a super-hero or not) is not right to relaunch the poor girl to Earth. One of my all time favourites, and I'm glad to see so many other fans on the IMDB. Let's lobby Anchor Bay for an official Region 2 version. My TV can't broadcast NTSC signals, so have to watch it in black & white, or in jerky (but colour) vision on a slow laptop. Peace. Out.