Search - Supergirl (Limited Edition) on DVD

Great 2Disc Set,Wish The Superman Sequels Got This Treatment

Mr. | USA | 07/03/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Supergirl seems to grow on you after a while. It's not the powerhouse that the first two Superman films were, but it definately has it's own unique story to tell. Helen Slater does a very nice job in the title role. She comes across as goodnatured, if not a bit naive since she knows very little about the people of Earth. Catch Matt Frewer (Max Headroom, Honey I Shrunk The Kids) as one of the thugs who tries to take advantage of her when she first arrives. The interaction between Selena (a nicely wicked Faye Dunaway) and her friend Bionca (Brenda Vaccaro) make for some fun dialogue. Just a couple of gals having fun and dabbling in black magic. It's a nice bit of comic relief that fits quite nicely in the film....on the radio in one scene it is stated that Superman is off on another planet doing some diplomatic business and this is why he's not around. Actually, Christopher Reeve was considering being in the film. He would've been the one to show Supergirl around, and at the end, Supergirl would end up saving his life, but this would never come to pass after he decided not to be in the film. But one of my favorite moments is when Kara (Slater) walks into Lucy Lane's dorm room and sees the poster of Superman on the wall and just slowly puts her hand on it. I really liked that. I highly recommend you pick up this 2 Disc Set before it's no longer available. Only 50,000 copies were made and once they're gone...they're gone. And although a single disc version will remain available, what you lose on the 2nd disc is the director's cut which adds on an additional 15 minutes of footage that rounds out more of the story and character development, paticularly, Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure) and Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy)'s relationship.I was somewhat surprised when Supergirl came out on DVD before any of the Superman films did. I was also disappointed that, with the exception of the first Superman movie, none of the sequels contained any additional scenes or extra features. Kind of makes me wish Anchor Bay had the rights to these films. Then they'd all be 2 disc Collector's editions like Supergirl. Even Superman: The Movie isn't a 2 Disc Set. Instead, Warner Brothers used both sides of one DVD, so it can't have any cover art like all the other films. Supergirl actually has the most impressive packaging. A nice two box snap case, with cover art on both DVDs as well as a nifty 16 page booklet that gives you more information.The extras on Supergirl rival the extras on Superman: The Movie. In fact I'd say if it wasn't for the fact that Superman contains 3 retrospective documentaries and an isolated music score, Supergirl would beat it hands down. The featurette, hosted by Faye Dunaway is an hour long and is very enjoyable to watch. You get all the trailers (U.S. and Foreign) and U.S. TV spots, storyboards, still & poster galleries of some very nice artwork. This stuff should've been on the Superman DVDs. Anchor Bay has outdone themselves and put Warner Brothers to shame at the same time. So check this out, it's worth every penny and will become a collector's item, once all initial copies are sold.Supergirl: a girl's story of the most exciting kind!"

An Almost Perfect example of a Limited/Special Edition DVD !

S. R. | 09/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Supergirl the Limited Edition DVD has proven itself (to me anyway), that it is possible to have an almost perfect Limited/Special Edition DVD, despite a campy storyline.
On this very special edition DVD created by Anchor Bay, there are 2 versions of Supergirl. The first vesion is a Digitally Mastered, THX quality of the International Version of the movie (Yes, the one not shown in US theatres). The second version is an unrealeased Director's Cut, which contains about 24 mins of never before seen footage of the movie. Both were spectacular (in terms of quality and sound) despite its weak storyline. Included in the DVDs are: a featurette on "The Making of" the movie, Trailers, TV spots, stills, poster galleries, star bios, and even an Audio commentary by the director, on the various scenes throughout the movie. Above all these goodies, there is even a 16 page full-color booklet on the various aspects of the movie (and a mini-poster)!
Its too bad that the movie was a flop when it was shown in the theatres back in 1984 (due to the weak plot, no doubt). Helen Slater was simply meant to play Supergirl (she's a natural). Her portrayal of Supergirl's innocence and beauty could be seen in the ballet scene; and the night flight scene over the Chicago Skyline was simply awesome! Together with the music by Jerry Goldsmith, it was a match made in heaven (or Hollywood anyway).
This DVD set, in my opinion, is much better produced (in terms of it's contents) than Superman : The Movie, Special Edition. More movie special editions should be made like this one. I hope the Indiana Jones, and Star Wars Trilogy (if and when it comes out in DVD) could be produced exactly like this one.
This Limited Edition set is limited to 50,000 copies (every copy is numbered). I would most certainly recommend this movie to anyone, if they are interested in seeing how (in my opinion) a special editon DVD should be made, and also, how vibrantly restored the movie was - the color is awesome. I can completely agree with what was written on the bonus booklet, "If you haven't seen SUPERGIRL on DVD, you haven't seen SUPERGIRL at all""

Much Better in Hindsight

S. R. | USA | 05/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is safe to assume that I have never been fond of this movie, but I decided to check out this release after hearing it was packed with extras that Superman fans should not miss. Much to my surprise, I was glued to my TV for hours simply going through all of the bonus features! There is the 1984 'Making of Supergirl' one hour documentary, which chronicles everything from day 1. Then there are several TV spots, domestic and foreign trailers (these are fun, especially the German one), storyboard art, talent bios, and tons of color and black & white stills from the movie. In addition to all of this, there is a neat 16 page color booklet which reprints some of the original promotional movie tie-ins like contests and games. I can't believe somebody actually managed to dig all of this up!



The movie itself is a nice, crisp transfer with 5.1 digital surround sound. The audio commentary by the director and the special project consultant is among the most informative and fun I have ever listened to. The consultant manages to get the somewhat wooden director to reveal a lot of tidbits like Christopher Reeve's proposed cameo and the reasons behind why and how they created so many of the special effects and set pieces. To its credit, this film performs much better as a major motion picture after viewing the 138 minute director's cut included on disc 2 and seeing the original intent of the filmmakers. Cutting out a half-hour of footage from any movie is bound to affect the flow of the plot and characterization. Anchor Bay Entertainment should be commended for taking a widely panned movie and giving it the VIP treatment, proving irrefutably that it is possible to produce a great DVD for an under-appreciated movie."

Fantastic DVD, under-rated comic book movie adaptation..

JP Welch | Brighton, East Sussex United Kingdom | 09/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Strangely, SUPERGIRL has obtained the reputation of being one of the worst blockbusters of all time - the question remains though, WHY? Criticisms that it lacks the "maturity" or flair of the first two SUPERMAN films just aren't really fair. I mean, surely the director didn't want the film to just be a SUPERMAN film with the only difference being the lead character? Indeed, SUPERGIRL certainly has it's own identity and rarely feels like a SUPERMAN clone, so hats off to the filmmakers on that one.Helen Slater is actually perfect for the part, and it's a shame that she seems to have disappeared these days, whilst the supporting cast are hugely impressive, particularly the always reliable Peter O'Toole, whose scene with Slater in the Phantam Zone remains the most effective of the movie. Faye Dunaway makes a splendidly over the top villain, even if her humorous portrayal means she lacks the danger that Hackman's Lex Luthor displayed in SUPERMAN, and Peter Cook is wonderfully sarcastic as the school teacher who likes to dabble in sorcery.The real star of the film though is Jerry Goldsmith's amazing score, which lends the film a power it just wouldn't have otherwise. A genuine classic score, it's testament to Goldsmith's talent, that he's able to bring so much to the quality and atmosphere of a movie like this.Special effects wise, SUPERGIRL also impresses hugely, outclassing the SUPERMAN movies at evry turn. Not only are the flying sequences absolutely stunning (helped by Slater's graceful presence), but the big-scale street sequence is still, for my money, one of the best "live" special effects sequences I've ever seen. Superb.Congratulations to Anchor Bay too, for presenting such a great DVD of an overlooked movie. From the THX sound to the excellent, vibrant picture, it's a top class job that many other companies would do well to learn from. The animated menus also add a nice finishing touch, and the extras are also brilliantly researched, with a very interesting commentary, an impressive gallery of pictures, photos etc, and best of all, the original making of documentary (over 50 minutes long) which is one of the best makings of I've seen on a blockbuster movie.I can not recommend this Limited 2 disc DVD enough!! Shame however, that the Directors Cut is only in mono. Go Supergirl!"