Escapay wrote:(off to enjoy the camp and fantasy of Supergirl: Limited Edition)
Well, I've enjoyed the camp and fantasy for 4 straight days now, and can finally give an assessment of the discs and film:
The Film: (International Cut and Director's Cut)
-I really LOVE Jerry Goldsmith's score, and the new titles especially. It kept the theme of the previous Superman movies and also made it its own. Some say it's lesser than the Williams Superman score, but this isn't a film that should rely on the Williams Superman score, as it's not about Superman. The Goldsmith score is so fitting and is just as epic as Williams'.
-Argo City looks nothing like I hoped, especially after seeing the glowing sets of Krypton in Superman: The Movie. Still, it was rather impressive for the film. Same for the Phantom Zone (especially the vortex!!!)
-I'm totally in love with Helen Slater as Supergirl. She's near-perfect in the role and her flying is AMAZING.
-Speaking of flying, the Flying Ballet is perhaps my favorite sequence in the film, though the Phantom Zone is a close second.
-Faye Dunaway, as much as I love her, is so tragically wasted in the role of Selena. I enjoy watching her chew the scenery though, and love it during the finale when she yells "Power of Shadow, DESTROY HER!" It's just such a powerful moment, with her arms outstretched and her hair being blown all over the place. You can tell that Selena is enjoying her power.
-The story was weak. Given the fact that Supergirl must hide from everyone, is only there for a few days to find the Omegahedron, and that Superman was nowhere to be seen, I can't blame them. But when you realize that this was to have been a film series, it makes sense that the first film has the "introductory" feel to it with more on character development instead of story. But come to think of it, the characters really didn't develop much...they were just there in various situations. I'm sure the second film (if there was one) would have a much stronger storyline now that the audience was familiar with the characters.
-I wish the film was successful enough to spawn its own series, mainly because it's such a crime that Helen Slater wouldn't don the cape after this movie.
-Whoever thought the dialogue would work...it didn't. I mean, when they talk normally it works, but when they start rhyming, it's just so out of place. Ethan especially, and his little love ramblings. I can't help but wonder how many people behind the camera were holding back chuckles and laughter when they were filming the scenes.
-Despite the Director's Cut adding 14 minutes to the International Cut, most of it was small lines and such that likely were cut for pacing. Perhaps the few good stuff they added back was the extended finale, with Ethan and Nigel and Jimmy and Lucy all saying their goodbyes.
-I really wish they had gone with the ending where Selena and Supergirl go to Argo City together (a reformed Selena, that is). Would've been interesting to see.
The DVDs:
(International Cut on left, Director's Cut on right)
-Video Quality: The International Cut is THX certified and is of really good quality. Wouldn't go so far as to call it amazing, but it's remarkably crisp and the colors are sharp. The Director's Cut isn't quite as good looking as the International Cut, it looks a little old. But is equally impressive, though the colors are way off/different, and the framing is pulled back a bit.
-Audio Quality: Don't really have an ear for this, but watching it on my TV and on my laptop in the various channels (well, 3. commentary, 2.0 and 5.1), it's a pretty even mix. I love listening to it on my laptop, though. Makes the Goldsmith score even more powerful.
-Audio Commentary - I've got a love/hate relationship with commentaries as some can be very well done (Katherine Orrison's commentary for The Ten Commandments is always worth listening to), while others are just...well, you wonder why they bothered as it offers nothing special. The Swarcz/Bosco commentary has a lot of great information about the film, and since it was newly recorded, there's very little that was repeated in the making-of.
-Making of Documentary - a nearly 50-minute documentary filmed during shooting, it's perhaps one of the best I've seen. You've got great interviews shot on-set and elsewhere, and wonderful behind the scenes footage. Sometimes the clips from the film can get a bit lengthy, but otherwise, this is a great addition and should've been included in the WB Supergirl DVD.
-Trailers and TV Spots - I've got a soft spot for these and have got to say, they really do a good job of promoting the film. It makes it more exciting and fun that it really is, which is a good thing, considering the fact that I entered the film with low expectations and found myself loving it. I love that there's a variety of trailers too beyond just the US one. We've got a teaser (with the John Williams score from Superman), and 4 trailers (US, International, UK, and German). And wonderfully, they're all 16:9 (oddly, except the German, which is fullframe)!
-Still Galleries - 4 different galleries with lots of photos. I'm not that big a fan of still galleries. They're interesting to browse through, but ultimately I like watching video footage over photos.
-Storyboards - next to the documentary, probably my favorite bonus feature as it offers storyboard montages for six sequences, all set to the Jerry Goldsmith score. Wonderful inclusion to the set.
-Talent Bios - standard information and filmographies, nothing really special but nice to read.
-Booklet - It's got a nice introduction and essay from Bosco and a quick breakdown of each castmember. Also, there's a poster and some press materials included which are amusing, but I didn't really see the need to. Also has the chapter listings.
All in All:
-Given today's DVD standards, it's a well-made double-disc set (or a well-made single disc set with bonus movie), but this originally came out in 2000, and it must've been far more impressive then, especially considering that Superman wasn't on DVD yet.
-WB's release will Suck with a capital S despite offering the 125-minute version, commentary, and trailer. There's so much more in this Anchor Bay release that unless the WB version has a more impressive video quality, I have no reason at all to double-dip.
-I highly recommend it if anyone can find it at a good price. It's worth adding to any Superman collection, and the film is nowhere near as bad as people make it to be.
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
DVD: 4 out of 5 stars
Escapay
I only watched the International Cut so far will now definitely has to watch the director's cut and I totally agree this is the copy to have it looks wonderful ... 