We used to complain about Hollywood travesties of great books; now we're reduced to kvetching about movies that cheapen the comic strips on which they're based. Compared to this brash, lunkheaded vehicle for Baywatch star Pamela Anderson Lee, the Barb Wire graphic novels are masterpieces of subtlety and narrative restraint. Still, BARB WIRE delivers the action goods and squeezes its pneumatic star into appropriately tasteless sheathes of leather and latex. Ms. Lee simpers and snarls adequately as the title character, a tough-as-nails saloonkeeper who joins forces with freedom-loving rebels in a dystopian near future. All in all, we can think of worse role models for girls -- e.g., the heroines of I SHOT ANDY WARHOL and BUTTERFLY KISS.

BarbWire movie cast and crew

pamela anderson

Amir Aboulela

Adriana Alexander

David Andriole

Vanessa Lee Asher

Ron Balicki

Jennifer Banko

Candace Kita

Xander Berkeley

Tony Bill

Alex Bookston

Gil Borgos

Andre Rosey Brown

BarbWire overview

It's 2017, and the United States is deep into its second civil war. The treacherous, fascistic Congressional Directorate (the militias were right!) is winning its war of attrition against the rebel underground, and rumors of a new and deadly bio-weapon that could deep-six freedom forever are making the rounds. The resistance's only hope for victory lies with renegade biologist Cori D (Rowell) and the pair of bootlegged German retinal contact lenses that can help her over the Canadian border to freedom. Like Rick's passport out of Casablanca, however, the precious lenses are making the rounds in Steel Harbor, the anarchic free city on the edge of chaos that serves as the home port for gorgeous mercenary Barb Wire (Anderson Lee), a curvaceous blonde bombshell with a heart of gold and a tragic past. Based on the Dark Horse comic series of the same name, Barb Wire marks the much-heralded big-screen debut of Baywatch's Anderson Lee, and -- surprise! -- she's not so bad. She may never make Kenneth Branagh's short list, but Anderson Lee is fine in this over-the-top comic book shoot-'em-up (although the film's recurrent tag line, “Don't call me babe…,” leaves a lot to be desired). Also along for the ride are Barb's estranged lover Axel, now a resistance fighter (Morrison, of Once Were Warriors) and the head waiter at Barb's Hammerhead Bar, Curly (the ever-wonderful Kier, late of Andy Warhol'sDracula, among others). Together, it's up to them to, well, save the world, more or less. Director Hogan, who makes his directorial debut here, freely uses much of what he learned on music videos for the like of The Sisters of Mercy. The film positively radiates pop-culture sheen, with staccato machine gun bursts every two or three minutes and plenty of scantily-clad Anderson Lee. It's a comic book movie in the broadest sense of the term, and although it's neither as emotionally resonant as The Crow nor as surreally goofy as Tank Girl, Barb Wire still manages to get you going, Anderson Lee fan or not. Buxom babes, big explosions, and black leather. Hey, pal, what more do you want?

BarbWire movie review

We used to complain about Hollywood travesties of great books; now we're reduced to kvetching about movies that cheapen the comic strips on which they're based. Compared to this brash, lunkheaded vehicle for Baywatch star Pamela Anderson Lee, the Barb Wire graphic novels are masterpieces of subtlety and narrative restraint. Still, BARB WIRE delivers the action goods and squeezes its pneumatic star into appropriately tasteless sheathes of leather and latex. Ms. Lee simpers and snarls adequately as the title character, a tough-as-nails saloonkeeper who joins forces with freedom-loving rebels in a dystopian near future. All in all, we can think of worse role models for girls -- e.g., the heroines of I SHOT ANDY WARHOL and BUTTERFLY KISS.

It's 2017, and the United States is deep into its second civil war. The treacherous, fascistic Congressional Directorate (the militias were right!) is winning its war of attrition against the rebel underground, and rumors of a new and deadly bio-weapon that could deep-six freedom forever are making the rounds. The resistance's only hope for victory lies with renegade biologist Cori D (Rowell) and the pair of bootlegged German retinal contact lenses that can help her over the Canadian border to freedom. Like Rick's passport out of Casablanca, however, the precious lenses are making the rounds in Steel Harbor, the anarchic free city on the edge of chaos that serves as the home port for gorgeous mercenary Barb Wire (Anderson Lee), a curvaceous blonde bombshell with a heart of gold and a tragic past. Based on the Dark Horse comic series of the same name, Barb Wire marks the much-heralded big-screen debut of Baywatch's Anderson Lee, and -- surprise! -- she's not so bad. She may never make Kenneth Branagh's short list, but Anderson Lee is fine in this over-the-top comic book shoot-'em-up (although the film's recurrent tag line, “Don't call me babe…,” leaves a lot to be desired). Also along for the ride are Barb's estranged lover Axel, now a resistance fighter (Morrison, of Once Were Warriors) and the head waiter at Barb's Hammerhead Bar, Curly (the ever-wonderful Kier, late of Andy Warhol'sDracula, among others). Together, it's up to them to, well, save the world, more or less. Director Hogan, who makes his directorial debut here, freely uses much of what he learned on music videos for the like of The Sisters of Mercy. The film positively radiates pop-culture sheen, with staccato machine gun bursts every two or three minutes and plenty of scantily-clad Anderson Lee. It's a comic book movie in the broadest sense of the term, and although it's neither as emotionally resonant as The Crow nor as surreally goofy as Tank Girl, Barb Wire still manages to get you going, Anderson Lee fan or not. Buxom babes, big explosions, and black leather. Hey, pal, what more do you want?

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