Not that the film itself isn't funny, it most definitely is, but it is a formless mass of crazy one-liners and ridiculous situations.
Barbarella (1968)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:24
Rotten:9
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Unevenly paced and thoroughly cheesy, Barbarella is nonetheless full of humor, entertaining visuals, and Fonda's sex appeal.
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: In this notorious film version of the popular French comic strip by Jean-Claude Forest, Jane Fonda plays a sexy yet innocent space-age heroine in the year 40,000 A.D. who never gets herself into a... In this notorious film version of the popular French comic strip by Jean-Claude Forest, Jane Fonda plays a sexy yet innocent space-age heroine in the year 40,000 A.D. who never gets herself into a situation that requires too much clothing. BARBARELLA opens with the titular heroine stripping down to nothing in zero gravity among strategically placed credits. From there Barbarella embarks on a mission to find a peace-threatening young scientist named Duran Duran (Milo O'Shea) by order of the president of Earth. En route, she's attacked by killer dolls, is strapped into a contraption known as the Excessive Machine, and falls in love with a blind angel. Remaining true to its comic book origins, Barbarella's adventure unfolds in a series of dramatic difficulties and unlikely solutions, making for a galloping pace and never-ending opportunities for Mario Garbuglia's hallucinatory set design to dazzle. With guest appearances by 1960s icons Anita Pallenberg, Marcel Marceau, and David Hemmings, and featuring dialogue by novelist Terry Southern, among others, BARBARELLA is not only a comic sci-fi sex romp but also a sly, tongue-in-cheek portrait of the legendary debauchery of that era. [More]
Starring: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, David Hemmings, Milo O'Shea
Starring: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, David Hemmings, Milo O'Shea, Marcel Marceau, Anita Pallenberg, Claude Dauphin, Veronique Vendell, Giancarlo Cobelli, Serge Marquand, Ugo Tognazzi
Director: Roger Vadim
Director: Roger Vadim
Story: Jean-Claude Forest
Screenwriter: Vittorio Bonicelli, Claude Brule, Tudor Gates, Terry Southern, Roger Vadim, Clement Biddle Wood
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
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Reviews for Barbarella
Terry Southern's dialogue occasionally sparkles, and the imaginative designs, as shot by Claude Renoir, look really splendid.
Despite a certain amount of production dash and polish and a few silly-funny lines of dialog, Barbarella isn't very much of a film.
Most of this is soft-core nonsense, but snappy dialogue and design -- as well as the striptease routine that Fonda performs behind the opening credits -- have made it something of a cult favorite.
A nutty film that boasts at times beautiful photography of some cheap but truly epic sets of PVC and everything that clings.
Though slow spots abound, the camp content of some scenes is astro-nomical and it reminds us of a more innocent time when the concept of death by sex was something we could laugh about.
The film is ugly on so many levels -- from art direction to human values -- that it's hard to know where to begin.
Fonda looks sensational and glides through this romp like a dazed, ripe-to-the- touch innocent.
It is an extravagant exercise in bad taste and camp. While it tries to intentionally funny, some of the humour merely falls flat on its face.
It's not a film that tries to break barriers or provide deep and meaningful commentary on the nature and meaning of life -- it's a film which sets out to entertain and does so with considerable panache. What more do you need to know?
Latest News for Barbarella
August 07, 2009:
Barbarella Remake Back in Development ![]()
The "Barbarella" remake is back on track, with Robert Luketic attached to direct and Joe Gazzam hired to write the screenplay. More...
June 03, 2009:
Robert Luketic Directing Barbarella Remake? ![]()
Will "Monster-in-Law" director Robert Luketic step in for Robert Rodriguez behind the cameras of the "Barbarella" remake? According to Entertainment Weekly's sources, a deal is... More...
April 11, 2008:
Rose McGowan Refutes Those Nasty Barbarella Rumors ![]()
Despite all rumors to the contrary, Rose McGowan says she remains firmly entrenched in her intergalactic go-go boots for Robert Rodriguez's Barbarella remake. More...
October 18, 2007:
Universal Dumps Rodriguez's Barbarella Remake
It looks like we'll have to wait a little longer before seeing a 21st century version of Roger Vadim's "21st century girl": Universal has parted ways with Robert Rodriguez's... More...
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