My name is...Linda Lee

SUPERGIRL (1984)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

There was hope with the first known screen version of "Supergirl" that lightning might strike twice with a different franchise in the vein of Superman. My hope was that "Supergirl" would be more fun and engaging than the dreary "Superman III." Well, it certainly is but the film sank fast to the ground and nothing could keep it afloat, not even my best friend at the time who detested the film. I still like it, certainly far more than "Superman III," but it has a camp value that rates it as a late Saturday night viewing.

Helen Slater, in her first starring role, plays Supergirl, also known as Kara, who has fled in some orb from her dying planet, Argo City, to retrieve a precious power source known as the Omegahedron on Earth. Her planet exists in innerspace, which means she comes flying out of the water dressed in her Supergirl costume! Yes, we are talking a skimpy red dress, red boots, blue shirt with the famous S emblazoned on it and a red cape, not to mention striking blonde hair. Supergirl has a mission: to retrieve this crystal with magical powers and save her planet. Lo and behold, she has to deal with stereotypical truck rapists, Lois Lane's sister (Maureen Teefy, who has Margot Kidder's sarcasm intact), a lovey-dovey Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), a flamboyant witch named Selena (Faye Dunaway), schoolgirl bullies and pranksters, a huge monster that resembles the Nothing from "The Never-Ending Story" (another cinematic charmer from 1984), and a pure hunk of a mechanic (Hart Bochner). Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention that Kara aka Supergirl can't be seen flying around the Illinois area so she conceals her identity as a high school student at a private all-girls' school and calls herself Linda Lee (based on a photo she spots of Robert E. Lee!)

"Supergirl" is flat-out silly and incomprehensible at times, but never less than funny and campy. Slater is wonderful as Supergirl - she makes the part her own and imbues it with enough charm and heroism to come across as anything but ludicrous. She has many priceless moments, including some hysterical reaction shots when talking to Bochner's character who has fallen in love with her secret identity. I also found Dunaway quite funny and regaling, giving the role every ounce of humor she can muster. She is not as over-the-top as in some of her later work, or her famous villainess, Joan Crawford, in the criminally underrated "Mommie Dearest." Brenda Vaccaro plays second fiddle to Dunaway, and is equally delightful. Peter Cook and Hart Bochner can get on your nerves, and Mia Farrow's cameo as Kara's mother leaves a lot to be desired.

On the plus side, the special-effects are well-done and the flying sequences are convincing (including Supergirl's somersaults in the air). The storyline could have used more development (and this concept of innerspace was not very clear to me). Still, it is nice to see the Phantom Zone for once, which looks like one grimy, depressing place! How Selena manages to send Supergirl there at one point, let alone hear of it, is baffling to me. It is all fluffy nonsense that could have led to some sequels had the original not bombed so badly with audiences and critics. I say remake the film and bring back Helen Slater! The time is right considering all these comic-book heroes are coming out of the woodwork and entering our cinema screens. She could be our own darling Superwoman all over again!

By the way, seeing what a film nut I am (emphasis on the word "nut"), I saw the director's cut version of "Supergirl" and the 124 minute cut, which is precisely twenty minutes longer than the theatrical cut. The discrepancies of the plot and other sweet scenes (like Supergirl practicing her kissing on a mirror) are in the director's cut, though there are deletions of other lines or transitions (for instance, the word "retarded" is omitted, which is a stupid idea). But I do think there is too much of Selena and her ritual acts in this cut, so I'd say stick with the 124 minute cut, by far the better version.