The FFOW! series takes a look at that vast library created by the proud and the passionate: fan films. Whether the budget and talent is astronomical or amateur, FFOW! celebrates the filmmakers whose love of comics, books, movies, video games, and TV shows inspires them to join the great conversation with their own homemade masterpieces.
For the first FFOW! of 2014, let’s look at one of the first big fan films to hit the web this year, Vincent Tran’s Girl of Steel.
THE FILM
At the CIA in Langley, America’s top intelligence agent questions a mysterious, young lady in red named Kara. It seems they’ve been tracking her movements for some time, movements that include saving a crashing airplane and combating aggressive CIA operatives. She’s an extraordinarily gifted meta-human, and Earth needs her help against a coming alien invasion. Luckily, she won’t be working alone. She’ll have one of the Justice Society’s most celebrated members on her team . . .
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT
Girl of Steel serves as an invigorating prequel to a larger story. It benefits from good performances and good action choreography. Sarah McCreanor embodies a guarded Kara. She distrusts the government and prefers to work in secret; however, she’s not frail. When this lady in red starts dancing with the CIA’s men in black, she uses the setting of their confrontation — a narrow hallway — to her advantage. The stunt performers show their ingenuity in this sequence. Kryptonian action sequences usually showcase the power of a character’s blows, and we all “loved” that in Snyderman’s movie last summer. Here, the emphasis is speed and accuracy. Kara utilizes fighting techniques with quicker moves and more accurate hits than any human. The manga influence adds a unique flavor.
My one question: does every CIA operative have a British accent?
WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT
Watch Girl of Steel on YouTube and like their Facebook page, which has a link to behind-the-scenes footage.
Girl of Steel gets three interrogations out of five.
This film is rated PG-13 for action.
