Makes Superman 3 and 4 look like genius.
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Blueghost — 16 years ago(November 07, 2009 01:19 AM)
You're joking, right?
Just on a fundamental level this film has absolutely nothing to do with the mythos of Superman's cousin. Her origins, or rather how her city survived the catastrophe of Krypton are never explained. And she and some witch fight over some guy they both got the hots for? And that becomes a focal point of the story?
It's never explained what Selena ultimately wants. I mean, to bed the school ground's keeper? It's a childish-girly script ripped out of the pages of some teen schlock novel.
Superman's cousin had a sense of right and wrong like Supes himself. This has that, but is wrapped up in the subplot.
The Omega-thingy's powers are never explained fully, nor its origins. The producers, scum of the Earth that they are, treat the audience with as much respect and disdain as they did Richard Donner.
Supergirl isn't just some cute girl in a hero costume, but that's the premise she's given.
Finally, Helen Slater really doesn't find the role. She's a very capable actress, but is playing Clark Kent instead of owning the role. She was essentially hung out to dry when it came to her direction.
The list goes on. -
skiop — 16 years ago(November 07, 2009 03:10 PM)
You're joking, right?
About what?
bitching and moaning
To quote one of my favorite shows as a child (
http://www.imdb.com/board/10092332/
), "Well, aren't we Mr. Negative? I suppose you could do better."
I'm in awe over the Donner fanboys. I gave the original Superman 8/10, but that was very generous for a movie that's so freakin' slow (to be fair, it does have some magical moments)! It's not just that, but every Donner movie I've ever seen has been comatose. That includes the so-called "action movie" Lethal Weapon (maybe the sequels are better, but I certainly haven't taken the time to watch any of them). The worst offender is Ladyhawke. At least Jeannot Szwarc tried to make an entertaining movie, even if it doesn't spoon-feed you every little irrelevant detail. -
Blueghost — 16 years ago(November 12, 2009 11:44 AM)
What does any of what I said have to do with the director of the Superman film?
I like Big Macs, but I don't call them 5-star cuisine. Nor do I compliment the chef after going through the drive-through.
I'm talking about the quality of the film itself, not any style tendencies. Szwarc is a capable director, but he's more TV-movie of the week caliber, and not so much major theatrical release material.
The fact that the script went through a number of rewrites, including one by the idiot who tried to write a Superman-musical for TV years before, just adds another nail in the coffin to a project that had no aspirations to entertain on a fundamental level. The project itself, unlike the first film, was designed simply to cash in on the property by riding the coat tails of the previous films.
If I were to do a comic book film I'd stick with the source material. If the source material wasn't that good, then I wouldn't do the project. End of story. That's my argument. -
TheSolarSailor — 15 years ago(June 18, 2010 04:52 PM)
skiop
is just being one of those people who tries really hard to drag down good movies in an effort to make something that wasn't such a big hit seem more well made than it actually was. Hey, I enjoy Supergirl for what it is, but at the end of the day your criticisms of the film are spot on and valid. It never aspires to be anything more than a simple-minded plot with witches and teenagers with everyone seeking to bed the hot guy. For some reason, female comic books characters are given less respect when it comes to live action adaptations. Look what happened to Catwoman! Thankfully, Supergirl ended up being better than that abomination of a film.
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
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CromeRose — 9 years ago(January 18, 2017 07:03 PM)
Szwarc is a capable director, but he's more TV-movie of the week caliber, and not so much major theatrical release material.
I heartily disagree. IMO, while his main career may well be focused on TV shows (and one of the best ever, by the way - I'm talking to you Rockford Files), Szwarc happened to direct one of the greatest sequels to one of the greatest movies of all time - Jaws II - in fact, it was the only decent sequel to Jaws. The other two were crap. And he did Somewhere in Time too, which is a fabulous movie. -
digitalWarp — 9 years ago(December 26, 2016 10:20 PM)
As opposed to Superman fighting to save Lois Lane in movie after movie? He went back in time to save her, and you have a problem with Supergirl fighting over a guy to save him? So it's okay for a guy to save a girl he likes, but it's not ok for a girl to save a guy she likes?
Selena wants world domination. It was pretty obvious even though it kept getting side-tracked by her one-track mind of "OMG HOT GUY".
How is the origin of the Omegahedron even relevant?
Yes, they both had that, and it was on display in the movie making it a non-issue.
If this movie was made today we'd have been given a 10 minute synopsis of her city surviving the destruction of Krypton and being put into a trans-dimensional space, but it wasn't made today and isn't really relevant. What I mean is it wouldn't add anything to the movie. When they remade Footloose, they added a scene to explain why there is a ban of public dancing in the city, but it didn't add much of value that wasn't explained as the movie went along.
The Omegaherdron's ability outside of making what was imagined into reality was kept super vague because it was a lazy plot-device.
Helen Slater found the role she was given. Complaining an actress didn't do enough with a poorly written role/poor direction is petty. Blame the director/writers all you want, but don't pin their failings on her.
Overall, the movie felt like a made-for-tv movie to me, and far from the worst movie ever. Not a great movie, not a terrible movie just an average movie. -
HeartMonger — 16 years ago(November 13, 2009 11:28 AM)
Supergirl is NOT a bad film by any means. It just missed out on the general consensus as far as who wanted what in the audience personae. That doesn't make it bad.
Young man is angry! Girl is afraid! He wants to get high, she wants to get paid! City's Burning! -
Blueghost — 16 years ago(November 14, 2009 12:22 AM)
Oh I disagree. Technically it's competent, but it has absolutely no heart. You're saying it's a marketing issue, but the film itself is a giant Harlequin Romance aimed at the 12 to 35 year old female market, and it bombed miserably.
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Lu-21 — 16 years ago(November 15, 2009 10:38 AM)
It is true that Supergirl was being marketed for younger audience. It is also true that the script could have been better. A lot of the things that people say as negatives about this movie are also the very reasons why the movie is so popular to this very day. Campy? Cheesy? Maybe. The fact is that a huge number of people, myself included, see this movie as one of our coming of age films that helped us deal with growing up. That makes is very special and dear to us. It is a movie that is liked and considered special by the die hard fans for reasons that cannot easily be explained. Unless the film touched and changed your life in a certain manner, it will be hard for you to understand its magic.
Worst movie ever? I do not think so. There are a lot of other movies out there which can be considered really bad. Supergirl is different. It is not a male oriented action film, neither is it totally a chick flick. It falls in between and allows both the male and female audience to enjoy it. It has a something for everyone, who choose to enjoy the film rather than nitpick, that makes it a good film. For all the shortcomings that the film might have, the reality is that everybody dealt with and worked within the limited parameters they were given as the shooting progressed.
No sense in trying to lay blame for the failure of the movie now. What matters is that it is still around for everyone to enjoy and a new generation to discover. Since the film is still drawing attention and fans to this very day, I would say that this is not the worst movie of all time. Rather, it is a movie with a continuously growing cult following. Therefore, it is a good film. As was pointed out in one of the threads here "Either you love the film or you hate it." More of us choose to love it. Nuff said.
http://www.fanfiction.net/~karazorel
SUPERGIRL, the female super hero of all time -
Blueghost — 16 years ago(November 17, 2009 07:15 PM)
A coming of age film? Then why tell the Supergirl story at all? Why not just some young teen with her first crush or something like that?
This is supposed to be the girl of steel, Superman's cousin. The guy who goes around rounding up criminals, writing wrongs, saving people.
A coming of age story? Die hard fans? You've got to be kidding right? -
HeartMonger — 16 years ago(February 05, 2010 01:23 PM)
Oh I disagree. Technically it's competent, but it has absolutely no heart. You're saying it's a marketing issue, but the film itself is a giant Harlequin Romance aimed at the 12 to 35 year old female market, and it bombed miserably.
I've never laughed harder! It didn't BOMB as many may say, for it was the #1 film it's opening weekend. Do your research my child. Next, it is not a romance by any means. Either admit you are trying(very horribly) to be satirical or cynical in saying this, but don't expect us to REALLY take you seriously when you post things like this!I mean REALLY!
Then you have to look at the facts, little one. The US version of the film was geared toward children, yes, but this was a mishap, and has since been remedied by the release of two longer versions, though an even longer version is said to be out there. Personally, the editor would be the person on the set to blame, not anybody else. But he has NOTHING to be ashamed of. The film is a more poetic take that remains as fresh today, as it was back then.
True art cannot be taken at face value, and this film is no exception. It's a film about superhero. It's a film about good vs. Evil. It's a film that employs women in power, and they use their minds instead of their muscles.
Young man is angry! Girl is afraid! He wants to get high, she wants to get paid! City's Burning! -
TheSolarSailor — 15 years ago(June 18, 2010 04:58 PM)
The movie did indeed bomb, both critically and with overall audiences. Being number one for an opening weekend only says that there was an audience for Supergirl that quickly died out when they realized that the film wasn't very good. It did well overseas, but only made 1/3 of it's budget in the Unites States (where a film is really intended to make it's biggest money). Stop trying to twist the simple facts into something else, please. If it did so well as folks like yourself love to claim, then where are the sequels? Right, there aren't any. It's alright to enjoy the film, but it is NOT alright to start lying and talking down to folks because you live in a bubble where Supergirl was suddenly a hit. It was NOT a hit. Sorry. Take your own advice and do some real research on the facts and not just an effort to take tidbits to prop up some distorted reality that isn't accurate. When you cross the line into being an apologist for a movie who can't accept the truth, then you become an embarrassment to fans. One can like a movie whether it was a bomb or not. Get a clue and stop trying to warp the facts to match your opinions.
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
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earthquaker — 16 years ago(February 05, 2010 12:19 PM)
Grow up blughost. The film IS a superhero film, but the elements thrown into the mix are not the same as conventional type. It's not bad, just different, and you can take that and eat it with Custard on a lawn chair, because nobody cares what you think.
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TheSolarSailor — 15 years ago(June 18, 2010 05:00 PM)
And you're telling him to grow up? If you don't care what he thinks, then don't respond to him, and CERTAINLY don't chime in with the childish attitude of "nobody cares what you think".
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
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TheSolarSailor — 15 years ago(June 18, 2010 05:02 PM)
Supergirl is far from a good film, but I actually think its better than Superman 3 and Superman 4. Superman 3 is actually my least of the series.
I actually agree that as a whole, Supergirl is a more entertaining film that Superman III. The third Superman is seriously dragged down by eye-rolling comedy and a terrible plot. Superman IV is pretty bad too, so at least Supergirl is a beautiful film to look at.
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?