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Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, David Hemmings ... see more see more... , Talitha Pol , Marcel Marceau , Ugo Tognazzi , Antonio Sabato , Joan Greenwood , Maria Theresa Orsini , Franco Gula , Catherine Chevallier , Marie Therese Chevallier , Giancarlo Cobelli , Claude Dauphin , Serge Marquand , Véronique Vendell , Umberto Di Grazia , Nino Musco

A voluptuous outer space agent travels to another galaxy in search of a missing inventor in this science fiction send-up. Barbarella (Jane Fonda), an interstellar representative of the united Earth go... read more read more...vernment in the 41st century, is dispatched to locate scientist Durand Durand, whose positronic ray, if not recovered, could signal the end of humanity. Outfitted in an array of stunning Star Trek/Bond girl outfits and cruising around in a plush, psychedelic spaceship, Barbarella travels to the Tau Seti system and promptly crash-lands. She then spends the rest of the film discovering the joys of interstellar sex with a keeper of feral children (Ugo Tognazzi), a blind, beatific angel (John Phillip Law), and an inept revolutionary named Dildano (David Hemmings). Slowly but surely, she also finds her way to Durand Durand by moving from one exotic, Wizard of Oz-style locale to another. Along the way, she meets the kindly Professor Ping (a surprisingly verbal Marcel Marceau), a Eurotrash dominatrix named the Great Tyrant (Rolling Stones gal pal Anita Pallenberg), and the Concierge (Milo O'Shea), a strangely familiar lackey of the Great Tyrant who tries to destroy Barbarella with his great big organ of love. Jean-Claude Forest, who created the character Barbarella in 1962 for V-Magazine, served as visual advisor on the adaptation. The film's missing scientist character famously inspired the band name of '80s pop stars Duran Duran (who altered the spelling slightly). Almost two decades later, the film also inspired electronic act Matmos, which was named after the aqueous personification of evil unleashed by the Concierge at the movie's climax. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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55% liked it

31,887 ratings

Critics

74% liked it

35 critics

PG, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Roger Vadim

Release Date: October 10, 1968

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DVD Release Date: June 22, 1999

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Stats: 1,611 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,611)

  • fb528166828
    May 20, 2012
    fb528166828
    Scouring the video store shelves in search of something interesting I feel like I should see often yields surprising results, but I wasnâ(TM)t quite prepared for the surprise I got from BARBARELLA: QUEEN OF THE GALAXY. I had a vague idea of what it was (kitschy sci-fi cult classi... read morec was my understanding), but, to my initial delight (but eventual disappointment), I had more in store, but perhaps also much, much less.

    BARBARELLA is a bizarre, psychedelic tale of the sexual awakening of the titular (no pun intended) character, played by an startlingly young and alluring Jane Fonda, a woman sent by the Government of the Republic of Earth to search for scientist Durand Durand. Durand, whose spacecraft disappeared somewhere near mysterious planet Tau Ceti, is the creator of the Positronic Ray, a weapon of unspeakable power which the Earth government wish to retrieve before it falls into unfriendly hands. After crash landing on the planet, Barbarella encounters various odd people and creatures, all of whom seem to exist in a primitive world of sexual liberation. 41st century society has moved on from archaic penetrative intercourse it seems, opting instead for a meditative melding of â~psychocardiogramsâ(TM) (think the virtual sex from DEMOLITION MAN, but less exciting), and Barbarella is initially appalled at the idea, yet after around 20 seconds of coercion from a creep in a bear suit, experiences the pleasures of the flesh for the first time. And so begins the erotic adventures of Barbarella, which include making love to a blind angel, being propositioned by a one-eyed dominatrix who may not be what she seems, and having her body literally played like an organ by the nefarious Durand Durand.

    Unfortunately, it all sounds a little racier than it is. Thereâ(TM)s plenty of innuendo and double entendre (one of the characters is named Dildano!), but really itâ(TM)s not pushed far enough, and the film is a little tame. There are laughs to be had, and Fonda is fully committed to the campy lunacy of the script but BARBARELLA doesnâ(TM)t really live up to its cult status. The spectacularly low-budget sets and effects, Fondaâ(TM)s ever-changing and increasingly revealing outfits, and the fun and funky psychedelic lounge music throughout stand out as highlight, but itâ(TM)s far from a good movie. Amazingly Fonda turned down both BONNIE AND CLYDE and ROSEMARYâ(TM)S BABY to make this, so I guess you have to give her credit for the effort, and perhaps some chemical accompaniment would work in BARBARELLAâ(TM)s favour (as Iâ(TM)m certain there was plenty on set). Itâ(TM)s the sort of film which you know youâ(TM)re going to like or hate before even starting it, and Iâ(TM)m not surprised that it has its fans. Unfortunately, Iâ(TM)m not one of them.

    tinribs27.wordpress.com
  • dunmyer
    October 30, 2011
    dunmyer
    I yield to no one in my appreciation for soft-core porn and self-consciously "bad" cinema. Thus I was eager finally to see "Barbarella," which came out in October of 1968, but which I somehow never saw all these years. I was expecting good, fun trash, and instead I got a dorky, u... read moren-funny, un-sexy snooze-fest, and some of the worst music ever recorded for the cinema.

    The score seems to have been put together by the lounge singer Tom Jones in his tackiest phase. Jones seems also to have directed. What a catastrophic failure "Barbarella" is. This is my first Roger Vadim film, and it may be my last.

    As an example of self-consciously "bad" cinema that I like: John Waters' early stuff. Waters, who was starting to make films around 1968, has vastly more imagination than Vadim had. Vadim died in 2000, incidentally.
  • kenstachnik
    August 27, 2011
    kenstachnik
    A Sex kitten traveling through space in a fur-lined spaceship, I mean how cool is that.

    What I like about this film is it's deliberateness.

    What I love most about Barbarella is how hard it tries,

    It's like Bono.

    Trying so hard to be cool...s... read moreomehow makes him cool.
  • lewiskendell
    December 21, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "You are so good that you made the Matmos vomit."

    I don't even really know where to begin with this one. The space adventures of Jane Fonda's sexy Barbarella are hard to review, because this has to be one of the most WTF movies that I've ever seen in my life. Every scene either ... read morehad me laughing out loud or scratching my head and wondering what kind of powerful narcotics the writer/director/everyone involved with making this was OD'ing on.

    The story is ridiculous. Barbarella is some kind of space traveler/astronaut, and she's been charged with finding a missing scientist named Durand Durand. That's right Durand Durand. Along the way, she encounters ravenous dolls, a man in three-fourths of a Chewbacca outfit, a blind angel (one of the more inspired and hilarious parts of the movie), a rousing musical performance that she ends up participating in in a rather intimate fashion, an invisible key to an invisible wall, and about 10 different wardrobe changes. It has to be seen to be believed.

    The whole movie is campy, from the special effects, to the sets, to the costumes to the music. And the surreal plot and characters are just the icing on the cake. If you're fond of the particular brand of trippy 60's weirdness, then Barbarella is a must-see. It's like Star Wars mixed with Austin Powers, a hot blonde, and some LSD.
  • ajv2688
    December 11, 2010
    ajv2688
    This movie is so bad it's awesome! I love it. The style is weirdly fantastic, Fonda's costumes are fabulous, and the story is good too. I love this weird 60s sci-fi movie.
  • matertenebraum
    August 8, 2010
    matertenebraum
    This film is beautiful. From the gorgeous Jane Fonda, and sexy Pygar to the wonderful costumes, and the very shiney sets, there is nothing ugly in the whole thing.

    Unbelievably silly it has some fantastic lines of dialogue like "de-crucify the angel or I melt your face!" Great... read more characters, a killer lava lamp, fur lined space ship and a villain called Duran Duran.

    The evil organ of desire scene, and the opening strip tease still manage to be erotic, even though this film is dated. Cult with a capital C, this is never going to appeal to a mainstream audience, and yet remains my favourite movie of all time. A classic. And very pretty pretty.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    Jane Fonda as Barbarella, wow! Camp and crazy, I love this film!
  • deano
    August 24, 2008
    deano
    This sci-fi is based on a French erotic comic, Barbarella's a secret agent of the future, a "five star, double rated, astro navigatrix, Earthgirl" to be precise. Wild and inventive production design, bizarre costumes and a cheesy Euro score all scream one thing: cult classic!
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    February 8, 2008
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Succeeds on pure schlock-value alone.
  • Deano78
    June 11, 2007
    Deano78
    Jane Fonda appears in this cult classic ahead of it's time, also quite rauchey for when it was made. A pure swinging 60's film.

View All Barbarella Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
April 17, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The film is ugly on so many levels -- from art direction to human values -- that it's hard to know where to begin. Full Review

April 17, 2007
Variety

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. Full Review

Renata Adler
May 9, 2005
Renata Adler, New York Times

Throughout the movie, there is the assumption that just mentioning a thing (sex, politics, religion) makes it funny and that mentioning it in some offensive context makes it funnier. Full Review

Colin Covert
June 10, 2004
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

It's fun in a 'What were they smoking?' kind of way. Full Review

Edward Guthmann
January 1, 2000
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Fonda looks sensational and glides through this romp like a dazed, ripe-to-the- touch innocent. Full Review

Kim Newman
July 13, 2010
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

Cheerfully catch-all. Full Review

July 13, 2010
Film4

A kitsch cult classic. Full Review

April 17, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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. Full Review

JoBlo
June 24, 2006
JoBlo, JoBlo's Movie Emporium

I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Terry Southern's dialogue occasionally sparkles, and the imaginative designs, as shot by Claude Renoir, look really splendid. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Barbarella: What are you smoking?
    • Pipe-smoking girl: Essence of man, darling.
    • Pygar: An angel doesn't make love; an angel is love.
    • Dildano: A life without cause is a life without effect.
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Barbarella Trivia

  • which movie starring jane fonda was based on a comic strip by jean claude forest?  Answer »
  • In what flick does a weightless Jane Fonda get naked in outer space?  Answer »
  • witch movie did Duran Duran take there name from?  Answer »
  • What famous French entertainer played Professor Ping in Barbarella with Jane Fonda and had the only speaking part in a Mel Brooks comedy, Silent Movie-1976  Answer »
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