Supergirl (1984)

Archetypes are written in all kinds of stories. Comedies, Dramas, Suspenses, Horror films, even documentaries. This was such a film written at the best archetypal pace and yet, has validity and stands on it's own as a Superman film. Supergirl was one of the best ideas to hit the big screen. The Superman formula had been worn very thin by the egregious Superman III, and the world needed a new style and direction of the series. Alas, this film was conceived, with the best special effects crew and a cast that could take home the Oscars like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in a limousine on a gravel driveway. But the film was not well received, because many believed it to be a bad film and criticized it with out even seeing it.

The film, a Superhero's story, is about Kara-El, Superman's cousin, who must go to earth and save mankind from a witch who is going to take over the world, to save millions and most importantly, to do what's right. Very major events take place and important life lessons are learned.

The film is not only a great film of Superhero wonder and mystique, it is a completely written archetypal story with wit, charm, and heart to it. The story begins in the inner space where a city has been built to store all the citizens that survived the Krypton explosion. This is where not only the movie, but the archetype begins. With the biblical dressed people of ArgoCity, and the people whom inhabit the story. then, the magical symbol for eternity is introduced as an omegahedron. It is lost by a young Kara, who is introduced as the soon to be Supergirl. This is where our both heroin and initiate is introduced. She loses the omegahedron and must go to earth to retrieve it. From here we are taken on the famous dual journey: The Journey of physical sanctity, but also the journey of self discovery. When Kara goes to earth and becomes Supergirl-Woman of steel, she is naive to all the ways of earth, and is new to all the ways of technology. This is buttressed by her bracelet she carries with her to help her track the omegahedron, which brings us to our next archetype. Selena is a power hungry witch who wants no more than to rule the world. This is not just your average villain, but with needs and clauses to be treated like a person, but knows not how to obtain these things. This gives Selena great depth to add to her fueling anger towards mankind for not getting her what she wants. There are characters all over the place symbolizing the archetype of the accomplice or friend who helps the heroin through the beautiful but difficult journey. Then you have the mentor of the story, zaltar, the founder of Argocity and the one who is paying for Kara's mistake by sending himself to the phantom zone. This is a powerful moment of truth and justice when he and Kara are in the archetypal moment in the movie where the heroin and the mentor are faced with death and crossroads and must come through new people-all done greatly and masterly in the frighteningly tense phantom zone scene which Kara displays great courage in the face of death. Finally the archetypal battle of the villain and hero ends with the villain in white and getting a comeuppance of great justice to the hero. Then the hero returns home knowing that she is a new person and has learned both lessons of life and lessons about herself. And in the perfect archetypal ending, she enters the inner space zone through water-symbolizing the cleansing of her soul and mind.

So one sees, Supergirl has much to be praised about being a Superhero film with terrific acting and a great cast, but a script that seems to be dumped on the most. Everyone attacks the script but does anyone really think about it? IT is a very intelligently written script about finding out what you can do and looking inside yourself to see the beauty within. All attackers of the writing if this greatly done archetype masterpiece will one day have their comeuppance like the villain Selena does. And one day this film will, I believe, receive the best treatment for which is so rightly deserves. Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, Peter O Toole, Jeannot Szwarc, Jerry Goldsmith, and Ilya Salkind all did their absolute best to make sure that this film is a thrilling experience, and I think they have done their job. Plus all the rest of the cast and crew which did their time and effort to make this works. It does. A Great Film. 9/10