6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Barbarella, a 41st century earthling, is sent on a mission by the president of Earth to find Durand Durand, a scientist who has disappeared with an all-powerful weapon.
Starring: Jane Fonda, David Hemmings, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'SheaErotic | 100% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Love.
Boy oh boy is Barbarella a really bad movie. But it's also quite the campy little venture, a movie styled around its decade rather than
its decade weaved into the movie. There's the "make love not war" mantra that runs through it, the "free love" angle, and lots and lots and lots and
lots and lots of shag carpet and plastic faux future fixings that once passed for "modern" and now look downright silly. And even beyond the rubbish
sets and psychedelic offerings, it's clear that Barbarella is destined for camp greatness even in its opening moments when the sexy heroine --
in front of the floor-to-ceiling shag carpet backdrop -- performs a zero-gravity striptease, removing first her gloves, then her leggings, and all the way to
a liquid-filled
helmet before the breasts-exposed reveal (and the movie is rated PG) of the title 1960s gal who takes an interstellar phone call from Earth's President
(who is also the "Rotating Premier of the Sun System"), dressed as fully as she was the moment she was born. With all this goodness, just forget the
story -- it's absurd -- and never mind the absence of any
good acting. With all of that and a character named "Dildano" and future-tech called "tongue boxes," who needs good writing or a plausible plot to
make a fun movie?
Am I blending yet?
Barbarella may be silly, and it might look awful in a general sense, but there's no denying the film's Blu-ray debut is a winner. This is a dazzling 1080p presentation. The movie looks almost brand new, in fact; remove all the period-inspired uglies and this thing might have been made in 2008, not 1968. Fine detail is extraordinary, and the image is remarkably crisp and stable, accentuated by a fine layer of grain. Skin textures, clothing materials, and the shoddy set design elements look fantastic. Even seams in backgrounds and the cables hoisting up Barbarella's star craft as seen in chapter six are plainly visible thanks to the boosted resolution on Blu-ray. Colors are steady and accurate, from Pygar's dull white wings to the mossy greens of his nest, from the ugly brown shaggy carpet inside Barbarella's ship to its pink exterior. Black levels are fine, and flesh tones appear true. The image is absolutely free of banding, blocking, edge halos, or other such issues. A few optical shots look a bit fuzzy, and the occasional white speckle pops up, but this is otherwise a proficient, nearly perfect Blu-ray transfer from Paramount.
Barbarella blasts onto Blu-ray with a fairly energetic and clear Dolby TrueHD mono soundtrack. The track enjoys precious little range, but the lack of spacial immersion doesn't hinder the presentation, instead giving it something of an old-world charm. Music can be slightly muddled at times, but generally the track delivers lively and clean notes that flow with little hindrance into the front portion of the soundstage. Highs prove fairly crisp, while the low end delivers some surprisingly stronger elements. A few effects seem to extended beyond the track's limited range thanks to a good sense of natural reverberation accompanying a few shots. The film's generic 1960s Sci-Fi bleeps and bloops sort of sound effects play with adequate precision. Dialogue enjoys a clean, smooth delivery and a true cadence. This is a good track and probably a best-case scenario sort of presentation for the film in question.
Unfortunately, the only supplement included with this Blu-ray release of Barbarella is the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 3:21).
Barbarella looks really dated, but in fairness it's been fifty years since the thing was released; what will Minority Report or the new Star Trek look like to people who watch them forty or fifty years from now? The answer is probably not nearly as ridiculous as this. Not only does the movie look bad, it looks cheap. There's no imagination to it, and there's almost less thought in the construction of the plot. Barbarella is a mess of a movie, but then again nobody really watches this for the story, do they? No, Barabrella is one of the ultimate party movies, a shining example and at the top of the heap of the "so bad it's good" style of motion picture. And with that zero-G striptease, super-hairy sex fiends, pleasure machines, a character named "Dildano," and the namesake of an 80s band playing the villain, who can resist? Paramount's Blu-ray release of Barbarella features very strong video and good audio but, regrettably, no meaty supplements. Fans of the movie, oddball cinema, Jane Fonda, the 1960s, Duran Duran, and shag carpet should all make this a priority buy. Recommended for the fun of it.
1968
1968
1968
Limited Edition
1968
4K Restoration | Limited Edition
1968
Limited Edition
1968
Standard Edition
1968
4K Restoration | Standard Edition
1968
1980
1974
Retro VHS Collection
1984
Christina y la reconversión sexual
1984
1994
2008
1989
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Awakening
1979
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1985
I Come in Peace
1990
Warner Archive Collection
1984
1983
Uchu kara no messeji
1978
1994
Limited Edition - 2,000 copies
1983
1987
Extended Version
1967
1991
1987
1993