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| Supergirl | |
|---|---|
 British theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeannot Szwarc |
| Screenplay by | David Odell |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Timothy Burrill |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Alan Hume |
| Edited by | Malcolm Cooke |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
Production company | Pueblo Film AG Productions[1] |
| Distributed by | Columbia–EMI–Warner Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes (US theatrical cut) 124 minutes (international cut)[2] 138 minutes (director's cut)[3] |
| Country |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million[5] |
| Box office | $14.3 million[6] |
Supergirl is a 1984 Britishsuperhero film directed byJeannot Szwarc and written byDavid Odell, based onthe DC Comics character. It is the fourth film intheSuperman film series. The film starsHelen Slater as Supergirl, along withFaye Dunaway,Hart Bochner,Peter Cook,Mia Farrow,Brenda Vaccaro, andPeter O'Toole, withMarc McClure reprising his role asJimmy Olsen from theSuperman films.
The film was released in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1984 to generally negative reviews from critics. It underperformed at the box office, grossing $14 million against a $35 million budget. Slater was nominated for aSaturn Award for Best Actress. The film's failure ultimately led producersAlexander andIlya Salkind to sell the Superman film rights toThe Cannon Group, Inc. in 1986.
Kara Zor-El, cousin ofKal-El, andJor-El's niece, lives in Argo City, an isolated community that survived the planetKrypton's destruction by being transported into a pocket of trans-dimensional space, called the "Innerspace". Zaltar, a wizard, has allowed Kara to observe a powerful item known as the "Omegahedron," which powers Argo and which he has borrowed without the knowledge of the city's government. However, a mishap leads to the Omegahedron being rocketed into space. Taking a ship, Kara follows the Omegahedron to Earth, while undergoing a transformation into "Supergirl" in the process, to recover it and save Argo City.
On Earth, the Omegahedron is recovered by Selena, a power-hungry would-be witch assisted by the feckless Bianca, seeking to free herself from a relationship with the warlock (and school teacher) Nigel. Whilst not knowing exactly what it is, Selena quickly realizes the Omegahedron is powerful and can give her true magic. Kara arrives on Earth and is granted new powers by its environment and the radiation of its sun. While seeking the Omegahedron, she creates the cover identity "Linda Lee" and enrolls at an all-girls school where she befriendsLucy Lane. Kara also meets and becomes enamored with Ethan, a schoolgroundskeeper.
Ethan also catches the eye of Selena, who drugs him with a love potion which will make him fall in love with the first person he sees for a day. Ethan regains consciousness in Selena's absence and wanders out into the streets. An angry Selena uses her new-found powers to animate a construction vehicle to retrieve Ethan, causing chaos as it does so. Supergirl, in the guise of Linda, rescues Ethan, and he falls in love with her instead. Declaring that nobody gets in her way, Selena desires to seek out the student.
While trying to deal with the love-obsessed Ethan at an amusement park ride, Linda is ambushed by Selena before she turns into Supergirl and traps Selena temporarily in wires. Later on back home, Selena enlists Nigel to teleport Ethan away in order to get Supergirl to come to them. Selena captures Ethan, then traps Supergirl and sends her to thePhantom Zone, a prison dimension. Now powerless, Supergirl wanders the bleak landscape and nearly drowns in an oily bog. Eventually, she encounters Zaltar, who has exiled himself to the Phantom Zone as punishment for losing the Omegahedron and sacrifices himself to help her escape. Back on Earth, Selena uses the Omegahedron to make herself a princess, with Ethan as her lover and consort to go along with a mountain fortress and bikers to guard against dissent.
Emerging from the Phantom Zone through a mirror, Supergirl regains her powers and confronts Selena, who uses the Omegahedron to summon a shadow demon. The demon is on the verge of defeating Supergirl when she hears Zaltar's voice urging her to fight on. Supergirl breaks free and Nigel tells her the only way to defeat Selena is to turn the demon against her. Supergirl complies and creates a focused whirlwind that traps Selena, who is then attacked and incapacitated by the demon as the whirlwind pulls in Bianca as well. The three are sucked through the mirror portal and trapped inside. Free from Selena's spell, Ethan admits his love for Linda, knowing she and Supergirl are one and the same. He also understands she must save Argo City and that he may not see her again. Kara returns the Omegahedron to Argo City, which then lights up again.
Christopher Reeve was slated to have acameo asSuperman, but bowed out early on.[8] His non-appearance in the film is explained via a news broadcast (overheard by Selena) stating that Superman has left Earth on a "peace-seeking mission" to a distant galaxy. In the Superman documentaryYou Will Believe..., Director Jeannot Szwarc said Reeve's involvement in this film would have given the feature higher credibility, and admitted he wished Reeve had made a contribution to the film's production. A publicity photo of him as Superman does appear as a poster in Lucy and Linda's shared dorm room.
Marc McClure makes his fourth of five appearances in theSuperman-related films; he is the only actor to appear in all four films featuring Superman and this spin-off film.Demi Moore auditioned for and was cast as Lucy Lane, but left to make the filmBlame It on Rio.
After gaining the film rights forSuperman: The Movie in the 1970s,Alexander Salkind and his sonIlya, also purchased the rights to the character of Supergirl, should anysequel or spin-off occur.[9] Supergirl was originally slated to debut inSuperman III in a plot line intended to set up a standalone film, but her character was ultimately removed.[1] The Salkinds announced the Supergirl film in April 1982, before production began onSuperman III.[1] After the critical disappointment of that film, the Salkinds opted to use the Supergirl movie to freshen the franchise. Ilya later recounted, "[It was] something different, to an extent. I thought it was a very different area to explore."[10] Originally the plot was to center on Supergirl rescuingSuperman, who would be portrayed as her cousin and mentor, but the film was heavily rewritten after Reeve chose not to be involved.[1]
The producers attempted, and failed, to get the services ofRichard Lester, who had directedSuperman III and had completed the second film after their dismissal of original directorRichard Donner.[10]Robert Wise also turned down the director's chair. But French filmmakerJeannot Szwarc, who was best known at that time for his work in television and for directingJaws 2, was chosen after a meeting with Christopher Reeve, who had complimented him.[10] Szwarc sought advice from Donner over some technical aspects of the production.[10]
Hundreds of actresses tested for the role of Supergirl/Linda, among themDemi Moore andBrooke Shields.[10] Shields and Moore were rejected by both Ilya and Szwarc, who wanted an unknown actress, and they instead signed Helen Slater, who was paid $75,000 in a three-picture deal. Slater had four months of physical training to prepare for the role.[1] Additionally,Dolly Parton reportedly turned down the role of Selena before it was offered to Dunaway.
Principal photography began atPinewood Studios near London on 18 April 1983, and wrapped on 11 August 1983.[1] Although the Salkinds financed the film completely on their own budget,Warner Bros. was still involved in the production since the studio owned the distribution rights to the film, and its parent company,Warner Communications, was also the parent company of DC Comics, owners of all "Superman and Superman family" copyrights. The entire film was shot, edited and overseen under the supervision of Warner Bros. and originally scheduled to be released in July 1984. However, the relationship between the studio and the partnership was strained after the critical and commercial underperformance ofSuperman III in June 1983, during the production of the film.[10] The Salkinds insisted on moving the opening date from the summer to the holiday season in order to avoid competition with other major films and the1984 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles. The studio claimed it could not provide a holiday slot and relinquished its distribution rights ofSupergirl to the Salkinds, who gave the distribution rights toTri-Star Pictures.[10][1] The film proceeded to be released overseas, however, and received a Royal Film Premiere in theUnited Kingdom in 1 July.
| Supergirl: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Film score by | |
| Released | 1985 |
| Recorded | 1984 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Length | 39:35 (Varèse Sarabande) 77:37 (Silva Screen) |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Filmtracks |  link |
Thefilm score forSupergirl was composed and conducted byJerry Goldsmith, who had been the initial interest of directorRichard Donner to compose for the firstSuperman film.[11] Goldsmith used a number of techniques to identify the music to the film, such as synthesizers simulating the sounds of take-off during the main theme.[12] The soundtrack has been released twice, throughVarèse Sarabande in 1985 and an extended version through Silva Screen in 1993. It has also been referred by critics as one of the only redeeming qualities of the movie.[13][14]
"The Superman Poster", included on the 1993 release, incorporatesJohn Williams'sSuperman theme.
1985 Varèse Sarabande Album
1993 Silva Screen Album
International Video Entertainment paid $3.2 million for North Americanhome video rights, one of the largest deals at the time,[15] and released the Tri-Star-edited 105-minute U.S. version in 1985.[16] The film has since been released several times on VHS, Betamax, laserdisc, and DVD. In 1990, the same 105-minute U.S. cut was re-released onVHS by Avid Home Entertainment. By the mid-1990s, the rights to the film were acquired by Pueblo Film Licensing (successor-in-interest to the Salkind production company[17][18][19]) and French production companyStudioCanal. By this timeAnchor Bay Entertainment had assumed the video rights, where it was re-issued on VHS in 1998 as the "114-minute cut" under theAnchor Bay Entertainment Family Movies label. For their DVD release on 8 August 2000, two versions were issued. The first of these was a 2-disc "Limited Edition" set (limited to 50,000 copies only) featuring the 124-minute "International Version" (never seen in the United States, which was digitally mastered byTHX for this DVD release), along with a 138-minute "director's cut", which had been discovered in StudioCanal's archives. The second version was a single-disc version featuring the 124-minute "International Version", with many bonus features: a 16-page full color booklet; Audio Commentary with Director Jeannot Szwarc and Special Project Consultant Scott Michael Bosco; "The Making of Supergirl" Featurette; U.S. & Foreign Theatrical Trailers; U.S. TV Spots; Original Storyboards; Still & Poster Galleries; and Talent Bios (these extra features were also available on the 2-disc "Limited Edition" set). Anchor Bay re-issued a new VHS release once again, this time the 124-minute "International Version" coinciding with the DVD release, both a separate fullscreen andwidescreen editions (widescreen version labeled as the "Collector's Edition") under different packaging artwork and digitally mastered byTHX. The "Director's Cut" DVD was made from the last print known to exist of the cut, which was apparently prepared for possible television broadcast before the film was edited into its various versions. This longer version was never broadcast on network television in the United States, though it is believed to have been distributed insyndication worldwide.
In 2002, Anchor Bay re-issued the 138 minute "Director's Cut" separately.[20] In November 2006, coinciding with the home video release ofSuperman Returns,Warner Home Video, now owning the rights to the film through their parent companyWarner Bros., released a single-disc DVD featuring the 124-minute "International Version" cut of the film, with only some extra material being carried over from the former out-of-print Anchor Bay releases, a commentary by director Jeannot Szwarc and Special Project Consultant Scott Bosco, and the theatrical trailer. This Warner Bros. release includes an edited version of the audio commentary from the Anchor Bay release. All comments about Anchor Bay are edited out.
It was reissued on 17 July 2018, under the Warner Archive Collection label as a two–disc set, with the International Cut on Blu-ray (in a new 1080p HD remaster), and the "Director's Cut" on DVD, mastered in SD as the only surviving element of the longer version is from the same StudioCanal print used for the previous Anchor Bay release. The commentary from the 2000 video release, "The Making of Supergirl" Featurette, and a theatrical trailer were carried over to WAC's latest issue.
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Material that was cut for the 105-minute version of the film included the Argo City opening, which was originally longer.
Another cut scene from the U.S. release is known as the "flying ballet", though included in the International Cut. As Supergirl arrives on Earth, she is surprised to find herself capable of almost anything, especially flying. She can use her super-strength to crack rocks into dust, and use her heat-ray vision to help flowers grow.
Scenes concerning Selena, Bianca and Nigel were also trimmed. In the U.S. version, Selena's introduction was merely a few lines long when the Omegahedron lands on Earth and Selena takes it for use of its magic. The full introduction establishes Selena as an impatientwitch who is sick of her mentor and lover Nigel, who is himself awarlock. Later scenes not seen before the 2000 D.V.D. release from Anchor Bay Entertainment include Selena using the Omegahedron for the first time and realizing that she has no control of herself when under its influence, namely the "Roast Chicken" sequence. Selena later throws a party for all her followers, and deleted material shows Nigel insulting Selena after being dismissed. Nigel then gets friendly with another party member, on whom Selena pulls a vicious magical prank.
Other scenes involve Linda Lee making a temporary home in the city of Midvale, Illinois, and an extended version of the tractor sequence in which the possessed machine runs amok on the Midvale streets and kills a civilian. This alleged death scene does not appear in either the International or the 2000 Director's Cut. Another cut scene shows Supergirl unable to find the Omegahedron because Selena keeps it in alead box, demonstrating that Supergirl's limitations are similar to those of her cousin. ThePhantom Zone scenes are also longer.
The 2006 D.V.D. release and current Blu-ray reissue byWarner Home Video, whose parent company, Warner Bros., is the current rights holder to the Superman movies, contains the International Edition, also called the "European Theatrical Edition". The latter release also features the Director's Cut.
Much of the deleted material appeared in DC Comics'one-shot comic book adaptation of the film, primarily the scenes that fleshed out Selena's character.
The American theatrical cut forSupergirl ran at 105 minutes.Supergirl originally ran at 124 minutes in its European version. When it aired on network television in 1987,ABC added numerous scenes from the International theatrical version as well as sequences not contained in any other edit. Shown in a two-hour slot, this 92-minute version was essentially a cut-down version of the Director's Cut, otherwise resembling the U.S. edit, with "offensive" dialogue dubbed over for TV. This same 92-minute version was also seen insyndication on most stations (as well assuperstations such asTBS andWGN) byViacom.[21]
Some broadcast television versions have a scene not seen in eitherlaserdisc edition: After Selena's defeat, Nigel is standing on the street. He bends over to pick up the Coffer of Shadows, now restored to its original, small size and decides to keep it as a memento. In another broadcast-only scene, after Supergirl flies off to return to Argo City, Ethan gets into his truck. He then stops to say goodbye toLucy andJimmy. Both scenes can be found in the Director's Cut.[22]
As mentioned, the full longer version has never been broadcast on U.S. network television.
In the United States,Supergirl was picked up byTri-Star Pictures for release on 21 November 1984. Test audiences found the film overlong and the film was edited from 135 minutes to 105 minutes for its North American release.[10] Critical reviews in the United States were poor, and although the film took the #1 slot at the North American box-office during its opening weekend,[23][24] it is widely considered to be abox office bomb after making only $14.3 million in North America.[6][25]
Colin Greenland reviewedSupergirl forImagine magazine, and stated that "I may be old-fashioned, but I can't help wishing today's film-makers thought it worthwhile including a little logic In their fantasies, instead of having characters whose motivations, abilities and weaknesses change all the time, with no explanation whatever. A fun film, in a vacuous sort of way."[26]
John Nubbin reviewedSupergirl forDifferent Worlds magazine and stated that "Although the similarities betweenSuperman I andSupergirl are striking, this is a new picture, with a new feel. It is good solid work, the kind nobody ever gets enough of, but which we haven't even been getting the usual quote of for a long time. The film has its problems; some scenes are a bit too campy [...] some of the acting is a tad thick - but all in all,Supergirl is just the kind of boost the American theater scene needs after the dull showing of the past summer."[27]
Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times expressed "some initial curiosity" about the differences between Superman and Supergirl, but that the film "quickly loses its novelty."[28]
James Lowder reviewedSupergirl inWhite Wolf Inphobia #57 (July 1995), rating it a 1 1/2 out of 5 and stated that "The movie's special effects vary in quality. A few of the flying sequences come close to capturing the magic of Reeve's first solo as Superman. Both the shadow monster that Dunaway conjures at the film's climax and the invisible stalker that she sends after Supergirl are well crafted [...] Unfortunately, a few good effects can't makeSupergirl anything more than a mildly interesting but derivative superhero flick."[29]
RedLetterMedia includedSupergirl in a 2014 episode of theirBest Of The Worst review series. The panel offered praise forSupergirl's production quality, special effects, and individual performances, but criticized the film's plotting, scripting, treatment of the Supergirl character, and choice to center the conflict on the character of Ethan. Summarizing the film, reviewer Rich Evans likenedSupergirl to "someone takingfilet mignon and somehow makingramen noodles", while reviewer Jack Packard suggested that, "[the viewer] should watch this to know how not to write a lady."[30]
Supergirl holds an approval rating of 19% and has an average rating of 3.8/10 onRotten Tomatoes based on 118 reviews. Many of the reviews were negative, with Dunaway's campy performance especially reviled. The consensus reads: "The effects are cheesy, the story is aimless, andSupergirl's wide-eyed, cheery heroine simply isn't interesting."[31] OnMetacritic the film has a rating of 41 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews" from 13 professional reviewers.[32]Variety referred to the film as "intermittently enjoyable spectacle" and described "some well-staged effects highlights, notably a violent storm that threatens the school and the climax which Supergirl and Selena confront each other in the latter's mountain-top castle."[33][34]
Both Rita Kempley andPaul Attanasio ofThe Washington Post gave it positive marks.John Grant, writing inThe Encyclopedia of Fantasy, was more positive about the film, describing Slater as "an exceptionally charming Supergirl" and wrote thatSupergirl had some "excellent—and excellently realised—flights of imagination."[35] Grant criticised the "inconsistent" characterization of Slater and Dunaway's characters.[35] In conclusion, he stated whileSupergirl "was less than the sum of its parts, not all of those parts are insignificant."[35]
The film was nominated for twoRazzie Awards, includingWorst Actor for Peter O'Toole andWorst Actress for Faye Dunaway.[36] Helen Slater was nominated for aSaturn Award for Best Actress.
Years after her single appearance as Supergirl, Helen Slater took on the recurring role ofLara, biological mother ofClark Kent, on the TV seriesSmallville (2001–2011), and later played the recurring character of Eliza Danvers, the adopted mother of the titular character in the TV seriesSupergirl (2015–2021). A CGI version of the character makes a cameo in the 2023DC Studios filmThe Flash, alongside a CGI version of Christopher Reeve's Superman.
Anovelization was written byNorma Fox Mazer and released in paperback form in 1984.[37]
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