THE LEGEND BEGINS…

Superman’s cousin Kara (Helen Slater) finds herself accidentally transported to Earth, where she poses as a schoolgirl and eventually battles an aspiring witch (Faye Dunaway).

This spin-off to the Superman films has the same mix of flashy visual effects and campy villains. Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro make the movie almost worth a look were it not for its drab, overlong story and uninspired action, including a scene with a possessed tractor.

Slater is OK, but a little bland.

1984-U.K.-U.S. 114 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc. Comic Book: Otto Binder, Al Plastino. Music: Jerry Goldsmith. Cast: Helen Slater (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), Faye Dunaway (Selena), Peter O’Toole (Zaltar), Hart Bochner, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro, Peter Cook, Matt  Frewer. 

Trivia: Richard Lester and Robert Wise turned down offers to direct. Demi Moore and Brooke Shields were considered for the lead; Moore was subsequently cast as Lucy Lane, but dropped out. Christopher Reeve was asked to have a cameo as Superman, but chose not to do it. Alternative versions run 124 min and 138 min. Kara later got her own TV series, Supergirl (2015-2021), and a new feature film, Supergirl (2026).