Now that Melisa Benoist's television version of Supergirl is a hit, can we just pause a moment to reflect on Helen Slater's movie version of Kara?
She may have been given a bad movie with a terrible script that had her fighting a witch over a boyfriend, but Helen Slater sure gave us a good looking Supergirl-
Heck, she even knew how to be a true DC movie hero in the important ways, too -
Product placement!
Her earnest performance and true-to-character looks were the best part of the film, by far. It's good to see she's a part of the show that follows in her footsteps. (Not to mention to see a show that treats the character with some respect)
She may have been given a bad movie with a terrible script that had her fighting a witch over a boyfriend, but Helen Slater sure gave us a good looking Supergirl-
Heck, she even knew how to be a true DC movie hero in the important ways, too -
Product placement!
Her earnest performance and true-to-character looks were the best part of the film, by far. It's good to see she's a part of the show that follows in her footsteps. (Not to mention to see a show that treats the character with some respect)
all images from Supergirl or promotional materials for the movie (1984)
Like you say, the movie was pretty dire, but Helen was super. Shame she never got another chance to do a good Supergirl movie. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteSadly, even i served her poorly. Her post was supposed to go live at the usual 3am Pacific Hermit Time (GMT-8), but i fumbled and only set date, not time.
DeleteI'm glad she's on Supergirl these days, and i hope we see more of her this season.
While I know this is a minority opinion, I've always felt that, as bad as the movie was, it did succeed in capturing the spirit, if not the letter of the Supergirl comics to that point, as Kara spends too much time investing in a secret identity she has little attachment to or need for, fights inane villains, and pursues a romantic relationship with some dullard she barely knows. Just have Jim Mooney draw it, and it would fit into Silver Age Action Comics with no problem.
ReplyDelete-Mindbender
Hey! I was just wondering about you right around the time you were typing this. If those JLArcane pages become accessible, do send them over, eh?
ReplyDeleteI can't fault your logic there. I didn't really buy Supergirl on a regular basis for those very reasons. It might have gone down better on screen if it wasn't following Superman fighting insurance fraud backed by nuclear terrorism as a "brilliant" scheme, or had he not been elevated to godhood status by giving him the ability to manipulate time. (Why do they always complain the hero is too powerful, and then give him/her new powers to fix their writing?)
If they were going to embrace the worst parts of Supergirl's comics, couldn't we shoot for the go-go pants and cleavage look?
Hey! Let's fully embrace it and have a romantic relationship with her horse.
Back in the late 70s & early 80s, that movie would actually have been thinkable. And would have had a more memorable boyfriend.
In an interview in Amazing Heroes magazine, Sybil Danning grumbled, "Superman saves the world. Supergirl saves her boyfriend."
DeleteI liked a lot of Danning's work. And, obviously, i agree deeply with her sentiment. It's a common Hollywood thing that killed a lot of movies. Look at the abominable Cat Woman movie where the producers decided to make her fight over make-up.
DeleteSeriously?
Did you ever see Sybil Danning's superhero movie, Electra? Basically, Captain America with the super soldier formula acting as a sexually transmitted disease.
Yeah - fun weird. (And T&A, of course)
Actually, it was the movie producers that mandated that the go-go pants & cleavage look be replaced by the movie costume, so we should also thank them for that. And dating her horse was probably one of the most clever bits that ever found its way into a Supergirl comic, so much so that I've long believed that the character who became Comet the Superhorse probably started out as a companion to Mary Marvel that didn't make it into print before Mary lost her own feature. A centaur-turned-horse with powers derived from the Olympians seems more Shazam Family than Superman Family to me!
ReplyDelete-Mindbender
That... really makes a lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteI could definitely see the whole concept working much better with Mary Marvel on almost every level. And a good talk with Tawny would help him face up and date Mary honestly. Of course, if he went to Freddy for help/advice then things could get terribly sitcomic.