Movie Review: Barbarella (1968)

Barbarella is sort of a cult classic of imaginative, but silly science fiction movie that stars film legend Jane Fonda. It’s an erotic film that screams of the era in which it is made. It’s very much of a free love/hippie mentality.

Jane Fonda plays the role in a very interesting way. She’s naked a lot, and the story involves the character having sex with basically everyone she meets, ultimately using sex as a form of empowerment. But she doesn’t play it erotically. This is just part of the world she is from. Earth in the future of this movie is much more open sexually than it is in our reality.

The supporting cast has some familiar faces, but the best is clearly David Hemmings (Blowup, Deep Red), who is billed in the opening credits as a special guest performer.

This is a bad movie, but it’s also a pretty entertaining one. The sets and the look of it are quite imaginative, and remind me a bit of the original Star Trek series. It’s that same era, and everything of course looks like a set, but it’s charming.

Also what makes this interesting is the fact that they got Jane Fonda in it. This is essentially a sexploitation movie, but it stars one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses. Jane Fonda is incredibly attractive in this movie, of course, but it’s just strange that they even got her.

Rating: 3/10