Barbarella Blu-ray Review
Score: 63
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
Barbarella's Blu-ray delivers strong video and good audio, perfect for fans of campy cinema, despite its dated look and lack of substantial supplements.
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Disc Release Date
Dolby TrueHD
Video: 78
The Blu-ray presentation of 'Barbarella' boasts an impressive 1080p transfer with high-fidelity detail, natural film grain, and vibrant color reproduction. Black levels are deep, and skin tones are consistent, although some optical shots reveal age-related artifacts like flickering and debris.
Audio: 70
Barbarella's Dolby TrueHD Mono soundtrack offers a clear, lively presentation with excellent dialogue intelligibility, clean audio free of hiss or defects, and a satisfying dynamic range. Despite the mono limitations, occasional strong bass and natural reverberation enhance the film's vintage charm.
Extra: 40
Despite the cool HD theatrical trailer, this Blu-ray release of Barbarella disappointingly lacks additional extras, reflecting minimal effort from Paramount.
Movie: 56
Barbarella is a visually bizarre, campy 1960s sci-fi film featuring Jane Fonda's memorable zero-gravity striptease, ludicrous plot elements like 'tongue boxes,' and poor acting. Despite its flawed storyline and set design, it maintains a cult status for its humorous, if absurd, charm on Blu-ray.
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Video: 78
The Blu-ray release of "Barbarella" offers a robust 1080p/AVC-MPEG-4 encoded transfer, displayed at 2.35:1 widescreen, and expertly translates this colorful cult classic to high-definition. The image quality is remarkably crisp and stable with an appreciable layer of natural film grain that retains the film’s authentic texture. Fine details emerge distinctly, from skin textures to the assorted materials of the costume and set designs. The color palette, reflective of the production's psychedelic influences, is sharply rendered, bringing out both vibrant and subtle hues, from the pink exterior of Barbarella’s ship to the mossy greens and shaggy browns found within.
Black levels are deep while contrast and shadow detail provide a sense of depth, although some optical shots retain a slight softness inherent in the original photography. Despite minor imperfections such as occasional white speckles and inherent strobe effects during rear projection scenes, the transfer faithfully preserves the film's aesthetic integrity. The enhanced resolution allows for previously unseen details—such as seams in backgrounds and cables suspending Barbarella’s craft—to be visible, evidencing a high degree of fidelity to the source material.
Overall, the Blu-ray presentation excels in delivering a visually engaging experience. Fleshtones remain consistent and lifelike, further amplified by Jane Fonda’s striking screen presence. While some rear projection and special effect shots show their age with scratches and dirt, these moments are infrequent and do not detract significantly from an otherwise impressive high-definition rendering. This transfer is nearly perfect, free from banding and edge halos, making it an ideal presentation for fans and collectors alike.
Audio: 70
The audio presentation of "Barbarella" on Blu-ray is delivered through a mono Dolby TrueHD lossless track that, while not acoustically groundbreaking, proficiently captures the essence of the original recording. The soundtrack is free of undesired clicks, pops, or background hiss, maintaining a clean auditory experience. Despite its monaural limitation, it offers an unexpectedly good dynamic range with dialogue intelligibility that remains excellent and unfaltering. The central channel preserves the clarity of speech, ensuring dialogue is perceptible at all times. However, occasional ADR issues are evident, as seen in scenes involving Joan Greenwood’s dubbing for Anita Pallenberg.
While the soundtrack lacks extensive spatial immersion, this limitation imparts a certain nostalgic charm to the audio experience. The track showcases crisp high frequencies and some surprisingly strong elements in the low end, enhancing certain effects and musical notes. The score and sound effects, characterized by typical 1960s sci-fi bleeps and bloops, are delivered with adequate precision and lively fluidity, extending somewhat beyond the track’s limited range due to natural reverberation.
Bass response is particularly notable during scenes with strong basslines, such as the opening credits and moments when Barbarella’s ship crashes through the planetary surface. The film's sound utilizes effects like machinery whines and gentle hookah gurgles to good effect, adding depth to the auditory landscape. Overall, the heritage audio track on this release stands out as a well-preserved, satisfying complement to the visual presentation, effectively balancing between authenticity and technical robustness for a film of its era.
Extra: 40
The Blu-ray release of "Barbarella" unfortunately falls short in the extras department, with the sole inclusion being the film's theatrical trailer. This high-definition (1080p) trailer runs for just over three minutes and provides a nostalgic glimpse into the original promotion of the movie. While the trailer is a valuable inclusion and offers a brief, enjoyable look back, the absence of additional supplementary content is notable and disappointing. This minimal effort by Paramount will likely leave enthusiasts and collectors wanting more comprehensive extras to accompany this classic film.
Extras included in this disc:
- Theatrical Trailer: The original promotional trailer in high-definition.
Movie: 56
"Barbarella," directed by Roger Vadim and based on Jean-Claude Forest's comic, is a kaleidoscopic dive into 1960s camp, where Jane Fonda embodies the titular space traveler in a universe both flamboyantly futuristic and shamelessly erotic. Set in the year 40,000 on the planet Lythion, Barbarella is summoned by Earth's President to capture the rogue scientist Dr. Durand Durand, who has devised a dangerous Positronic Ray. The plot, however, serves as little more than a vehicle for outrageous visual spectacle and audacious set pieces. Barbarella's journey is littered with bizarre encounters, such as battling killer dolls and seducing an angel named Pygar to lift his spirits—and his wings.
Despite its absurdity, the film revels in its psychedelic 1960s aesthetics and cheeky sexual liberation. The movie opens with a gravity-defying striptease from Barbarella, setting the tone for a narrative that's as straightforward as it is whimsically nonsensical. Intermixed with hollow dialogue and over-the-top scenarios are scenes that thrust viewers into the depths of sci-fi kitsch. The film’s design features impractical plastic futuristic elements and shag carpeting that evokes a time when the lines between sincere art and intentional parody blurred.
Technically, "Barbarella" falls short in coherence and gravitas, but it compensates with wild imagination and visual audacity. Given its weak characters and flat acting, it is saved only by its set designs and episodic adventures that range from cringe-worthy to comically endearing. As a cinematic device, it invites viewers to suspend disbelief—there’s little effort to disguise the film as anything more than an extravagant spectacle. This Blu-ray release, while illuminating each vibrant scene in high definition, doesn't solve its fundamental flaws but rather showcases them in all their quirky glory. "Barbarella" remains a cult classic for those who appreciate its unique blend of eroticism, humor, and visionary absurdity.
Total: 63
Barbarella endures as a seminal piece of 1960s campy science fiction, embodying cheekiness and a free love spirit primarily through Jane Fonda’s portrayal of the titular character. The film, now over fifty years old, inevitably appears dated and often visually simplistic, reflecting the era's cinematic capabilities and stylistic choices. While it lacks a coherent plot and the imaginative execution expected from its genre, its charm largely resides in its absurdity and playful narrative. Characters such as Dildano and peculiar elements like the zero-G striptease underscore its “so bad, it's good” appeal.
Paramount's Blu-ray release of Barbarella brings considerable improvements in video and audio quality, but it falls short in offering substantial supplementary content. Nonetheless, the high-definition preservation of this cult classic enables viewers to relish its curious aesthetic and outrageous scenarios with far greater clarity. Jane Fonda's performance remains a noteworthy attraction, blending naivety, strength, and sexual allure that captivated audiences upon its original release.
In conclusion, Barbarella on Blu-ray is a purchase worth considering for collectors of oddball cinema or fans of Jane Fonda and 1960s film culture. Despite its numerous flaws and lack of depth, it succeeds as an entertaining piece of cult history that can be particularly enjoyable for those seeking a nostalgic or whimsical viewing experience. While new viewers might find its appeal elusive, existing fans will appreciate this enhanced presentation.
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 90
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....
Audio: 70
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....
Extras: 10
Unfortunately, the only supplement included with this Blu-ray release of Barbarella is the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 3:21)....
Movie: 40
It's a crazy sort of time travel vehicle that transports audiences to some alternate dimension -- surely there's no time such as this -- where 1960s stylings meet interstellar travel in the whatever century...
Total: 60
There's no imagination to it, and there's almost less thought in the construction of the plot....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
Details are too sharp at times, contributing to some of the models and props looking like they came out of episodes of "Doctor Who" from the same era....
Audio: 60
Dialogue is clear, though ADR is obvious and flat, such as the opening scene with Barbarella and the President....
Extras: 0
...
Movie: 20
For his efforts, Mark wants to have sex with Barbarella the old fashioned way, which she finally agrees to, but instead of the anticipated European erotica her striptease suggested, the movie jumps past...
Total: 40
There's no pleasure to be had in its badness, and nude pics of Fonda from the opening can surely be found online at this point....
AVSForumRead review here
Video: 90
Blacks are nice and deep, contrast is spot on, and shadow detail provides a discerning sense of depth....
Audio: 78
The end result is a satisfying and appropriate audio presentation that compliments the source quite nicely....
Extras: 10
...
Movie: 40
Barbarella is marked by the same audacity and originality, fantasy, humor, beauty and horror, cruelty and eroticism that make comic books such a favorite....
Total: 55
Screen Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)...
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 70
Time has not been kind to those elements, but with that being said, anything other than one of those shots that doesn’t contain an effect of that kind looks amazing....
Audio: 60
Dialogue sounds crisp as does everything else, but the film was obviously run through the ADR in its entirety....
Extras: 10
I could have been mean about it and given the Blu-ray the coveted goose egg, but the 3-minute-plus-trailer is actually pretty cool, so it gets a half-dog....
Movie: 60
Sure, the plot is easy enough to follow, but in this case, it’s not the plot that we want to follow....
Total: 60
It’s really tame by today’s standards, but I can see why the previous generations of film-goers thought this to be a cult classic....
Director: Roger Vadim
Actors: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg
PlotIn the far-off 41st century, the universe is at peace due to the abolishment of war and the weaponization of sex. When Earth's President assigns a mission to Barbarella, a highly sexual space agent, she must locate and stop the renegade scientist Durand Durand. His creation, the deadly Positronic Ray, holds the potential to bring back conflict and disrupt the harmonious order of the galaxy. Barbarella's journey begins as she crash-lands on the planet Lythion, starting a quest that will take her through various exotic and perilous environments.
Navigating a world filled with peculiar characters and bizarre customs, Barbarella encounters friend and foe alike. She is drawn into a series of adventures that test her physical prowess and moral boundaries. From the labyrinthine city of Sogo, under the rule of the malevolent Great Tyrant, to encounters with rebels and the angelic Pygar, every step brings her closer to confronting Durand Durand. Throughout her escapades, Barbarella's liberated approach to sexuality leads her to form unlikely alliances and overcome challenges in unexpected ways.
Writers: Jean-Claude Forest, Terry Southern, Roger Vadim
Release Date: 10 Oct 1968
Runtime: 98 min
Rating: Approved
Country: France, Italy
Language: English, French