Must See Movie...

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Up until Valerian and the movie of a 1000 bores, this was the worst psychedelic sf movie ever. Based on the comic from France and starring the put upon Jane Fonda (who should be forced to watch it anytime she opens her mouth about anything), this is a really silly and at times, dull movie. Typical eurotrash. I'd rather watch The Fifth Element any day of the week. While it does have a few interesting designs here and there, it's mostly silly. Some like it, they can have it.

If you look it up on IMDb, the plot synopsis will tell you that Barbarella is about "an astronaut from the 41st century (who) sets out to find and stop the evil scientist Durand Durand, whose Positronic Ray threatens to bring evil back into the galaxy." But, Barbarella is really one of Roger Vadim's excuses to exploit his then-wife, Jane Fonda, in a ton of sexual situations and skimpy outfits.Joined by John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, Marcel Marceau, and Claude Dauphin, Jane Fonda traipses around outer space and various planets in ridiculous, if not adorable, costumes and shows the audience that the future is one giant sex party. She strips down in the opening credits, just to warn off squeamish viewers, and battles bad guys who literally use sex to kill people. Obviously, unless you're a thirteen-year-old boy, you're not going to take this movie seriously. It's incredibly stupid, but depending on your point of view, you might get a few laughs out of it.I didn't really like the movie—it was just a little too ridiculous for my taste—but if you want to see Jane Fonda prance around in go-go boots and a leotard, you can rent it. She's drop-dead gorgeous in almost every other movie she made, so if your intentions are more honorable, you might want to check her out in Barefoot in the Park or Cat Ballou instead.

This is going to be a simple review. The reason for it is that this movie aimed low, it was trying to be trash and it succeeded in maybe entertaining the kind of person who enjoys watching trash. The plot is that Barbarella is called for fan service... I mean an assignment by the President of Earth and current leader of the solar system that a scientist named Duran-Duran (That's how they pronounce it and yes that does make this movie hilarious whenever they say it) from creating a weapon, because in this future hippies and the counter-culture of the 60's is dominant across galaxies so she goes to a planet that doesn't have this and tries to find him. This movie is not for me, the entire movie is like a drug trip written on paper by someone who really hates war strung along by fan service of a 30 year old Jane Fonda. Oh and the fan service, if it's your thing to see women in extremely skimpy outfits of which she keeps changing them and doesn't put clothes on for 10 minutes, a character who for the first hour has sex every 20 minutes (including a WEIRD one where she joins hands with another person after taking pills until their hair flies everywhere... Did I mention this was like a drug trip?)... All this and more, if this is your thing then without judgement, you'll probably love this. The Visual effects are hokey but in all fairness I did like the creativity with some of the set design and this is probably the most 60's movie ever made, there is literally no other time period in which I can see this getting made. I know all I talked about is how drug-trippy this movie is and the fan service but, take that away - there isn't that much else to comment on. To sum up, this movie is trash - pure and simple. I didn't like it but I can see other people liking it so if trash is your thing then I'd recommend this.

One simply cannot comment on any of the following phenomena until they have first screened this tissue soft, searing fever dream of a romping film: Hollywood science fiction, Roger Vadim, Marcel Marceau, the American reply to Brigitte Bardot, Return of the Jedi, George Lucas, the Austin Powers franchise, the Rolling Stones, or any ranking of all-time female American actors on a scale of hotness. Speaking of hotness, you cannot look away from Jane Fonda as she plays the lead role of Barbarella. I'm sorry to discuss the looks of Ms. Fonda, a two-time Oscar-winner and a Hollywood icon, in such cro- magnon terms. But look for yourself; one simply cannot look away from her in this role. Sexual magnetism of the highest strength. Separation is not possible. And because Ms. Fonda is such a powerful actor, her ability to gamely deliver the lines written for a 41st century space adventure protagonist whilst flying a starship lined in shag carpet, and sleeping on Reynolds Wrap beds, and being dragged by a stingray unicorn- powered sled, and facing off with the haute and hot likes of Anita Pallenberg, all while being exquisitely costumed in high late 1960's go-go inspired fashions, results in a display of all out megawatt starpower that would incinerate Darth Vader before he could even get his lightsaber up. I won't share details of the film's plot. The movie is crazy, silly, and cajoling, in the best possible way. Once you see it, you can't imagine the history of the American film industry without its 98 minutes of run time, you won't wan't to live in a parallel reality where the film never existed. And look, I'm not alone in understanding the fact that Barbarella was the first blistering postmodern commentary on the pop-influenced excesses of American gender roles and sexuality. Duran Duran named themselves after one of this film's characters. All manner of directors stole ideas from this film, wholesale. Barbarella is a minor pop cultural miracle. Think of it as an art film, and one that both stands up over time and remains more interesting than anything Matthew Barney has ever made. See Jane conquer all. Notes:1. Not for watching with those under the age of 18. There is creative nudity.2. This film would be fairly easy to remake or update/reimagine. The producers just have to go all out, betting the house on the most extruded sets, costumes, and soundtracks that contemporary aesthetics will hold together. What about Sofia Vergara or Reese Witherspoon as Barbarella?