Plot: What’s it about?
It has been long thought that Superman was the only survivor from his ill fated planet, but the truth is a small city exists from there with many survivors. The city was able to survive the ordeal thanks to Zaltar (Peter O’Toole) a scientist who managed to keep the city up and running due to a special device called the Omegahedron. It seems as though things have settled down for these survivors when their precious power source becomes lost and hope is slim that it will be recovered. But there is one hope for this city, in the form of Kara (Helen Slater) who will search for the power source under the guise of Supergirl. It won’t be an easy task by any means, as sorceress Selena (Faye Dunaway) has the power source and has no plans to return it under circumstances. As if controlling the Omegahedron wasn’t enough, Selena plans to use her powerful black magic to take over the entire world! But those plans will be canceled if Supergirl can reclaim the power source and save the day.
As if Supergirl wasn’t treated well enough in their loaded single disc release, Anchor Bay has also issued this cult classic in a two disc limited edition. The first disc in the set is the same disc from the special edition, so all those supplements and the international cut of the film are present in this release. In addition to that spectacular disc, this release contains a nice booklet and a second disc which houses the director’s cut of Supergirl. This version adds twenty-four minutes of footage that was thought to be lost back into the film, which now reflects Szwarc’s vision of what the movie should be. The question is, is this extended cut worth the extra cash? Well, if you’re a fan of the film then yes, it is worth the extra dough. I think this extended cut is more coherent and fills in a few more soft places, making the movie more entertaining and enjoyable. If you’re just a casual fan, then I doubt you will miss this one being in your collection. This is also a numbered limited edition with fifty-thousand copies and if these sell as well as previous Anchor Bay limited editions, they won’t be around long. But perhaps someday they will release the director’s cut on a second disc, such as they have with Army Of Darkness. At any rate, fans of the film will not want to miss out on this terrific limited edition, but more casual fans should be satisfied with the single disc version.
This film was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who delivers a fun and well developed science fiction/fantasy adventure with this movie. The visuals in this picture are excellent and really set the stage for the events and characters well. This type of film needs a broad scope and grand scale and it has just that, but without a solid director it could all fall apart. Szwarc’s camera is used very well and while it never becomes that flashy, it always captures the tone and image needed. While many have criticized his work here for various reasons, I feel Szwarc came through with a fun and exciting adventure movie, which is what this film should have been. If you want to see of Szwarc’s movies I recommend Santa Claus: The Movie, Jaws 2, Mountain Of Diamonds, Somewhere In Time, and Enigma. The lead in this film is the beautiful Helen Slater (Sticky Fingers, City Slickers), who gives a charismatic though sometimes dizzy performance. She looks the role to be sure, but I do feel she sometimes seems in over her head. The real show stopper in this film is Faye Dunaway (The Thomas Crown Affair, Gia), who shines as the evil Selena and steals every scene she stars in. The supporting cast also includes Peter O’Toole (Phantoms, Joan Of Arc), Mia Farrow (Private Parts, Radio Days), Marc McClure (Menno’s Mind, Apollo 13), and Hart Bochner (Anywhere But Here, Die Hard)
Video: How does it look?
Supergirl is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This extended director’s cut looks much like international version, in other words a solid and impressive transfer. The colors are bright, with no signs of bleeds and flesh tones appear natural and warm. The contrast shows no problems either, as shadows are balanced and detail is very high at all times. Again I noted few compression hiccups and the print used is clean and free from debris. This review covers the director’s cut, so if you want a detailed look at the international cut refer to my review of the single disc special edition.
Audio: How does it sound?
The director’s cut is presented in a mono track and it sounds as good as mono can, but still has the limitations you’d expect from a track of this type. This movie can light up the speakers at times and this track just doesn’t open things up, which lessens the overall impact of the film. But when it comes to mono, this track is nice with no hiss and the music comes across with no distortion. The sound effects are loud and distinct, but again lack the force of a full surround track. I prefer this longer cut and wish it was also a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which is why the audio score is lowered somewhat from the single disc version. If you want an audio run down from the single disc release, make sure to read my review for that title.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This is a two set release and the first disc is the same as the single disc version, so all the supplements are present. So you’ll get the commentary track with Szwarc, the featurette, trailers, cast bios, production notes, and all that good stuff. If you want a more in depth look at these bonus materials, check out my review for the single disc version of Supergirl for more details. The second disc is what makes this double disc release worth the cash and that’s the extended director’s cut of the feature. To some folks it might not matter, but I am pleased we can finally have Szwarc’s true vision of this film on home video. This limited edition also contains a very nice booklet filled with information on the production, cast, and crew. Combine this extended cut of the film with the wealth of supplements on the first disc and you’ve got one loaded release.
