Barb Wire (1996 film)
Barb Wire | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | David Hogan |
Screenplay by | Chuck Pfarrer Ilene Chaiken |
Story by | Ilene Chaiken |
Based on | |
Produced by | Todd Moyer Mike Richardson Brad Wyman |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Rick Bota |
Edited by | Peter Schink |
Music by | Michel Colombier |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Gramercy Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | English French German |
Budget | $9 million[1] |
Box office | $3.8 million[2] |
Barb Wire is a 1996 American superhero film based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name. It stars Pamela Anderson in the titular role, alongside Temuera Morrison, Victoria Rowell, Xander Berkeley, Udo Kier, and Steve Railsback. Brad Wyman produced, and David Hogan directed from a screenplay by Chuck Pfarrer and Ilene Chaiken.
Critics panned the film, which was nominated for multiple Golden Raspberry Awards.
Plot[]
In 2017, during the Second American Civil War, Barb Wire owns the Hammerhead, a nightclub in Steel Harbor, "the last free city" in a United States ravaged by the war. She earns cash as a mercenary and bounty hunter. Chief of Police Willis raids her club. Willis's target is fugitive Dr. Corrina 'Cora D' Devonshire, a former government scientist with information about a new bioweapon called Red Ribbon being developed by her former superiors in the Congressional Directorate. The Congressional Council has tasked Colonel Victor Pryzer with finding Dr. Devonshire so they can end the Second Civil War by releasing the virus on the United Front territories. Dr. Devonshire hopes to escape to Canada to make this information public.
Devonshire turns up at the Hammerhead. She is accompanied by Axel Hood, a "freedom fighter" Barb had loved at the outbreak of the war. The two were separated during the conflict. Axel tries to help Cora get to Canada. They try to find a contraband pair of contact lenses that would allow Cora to evade the retinal scan identification at the Steel Harbor airport. The lenses pass through the hands of several lowlifes before also ending up at Barb's nightclub.
Rather than give the lenses to Cora and Axel, Barb makes a deal with 'Big Fatso', the leader of a junkyard gang: Fatso wants the lenses, which are worth a fortune on the black market, and Barb wants a million dollars and an armed escort to the airport, where she plans to get on the plane to Canada. But Fatso double-crosses Barb; when Barb, Axel and Cora show up at the junkyard to make the swap, Colonel Pryzer and his storm troopers are also there, along with Chief of Police Willis. Willis makes a show of arresting Barb and Cora, but instead of putting handcuffs on Barb, he slips her a hand grenade. Barb uses the grenade to kill Fatso and cause enough confusion to allow Barb, Axel, Cora and Willis to pile into Barb's armored van and lead the Congressionals on a car chase, culminating in a hand-to-hand fight between Barb and Colonel Pryzer on a forklift suspended by crane above the harbor. Pryzer falls to his death while Barb escapes.
The party makes it to the airport, where Barb reveals she still has the contact lenses. She gives them to Cora, and Cora and Axel get on the plane to Canada while Willis and Barb remain on the rainswept tarmac.
Cast[]
- Pamela Anderson Lee as Barbara "Barb Wire" Kopetski
- Temuera Morrison as Axel Hood
- Victoria Rowell as Dr. Corrina "Cora D" Devonshire
- Jack Noseworthy as Charlie Kopetski
- Xander Berkeley as Chief Alexander Willis
- Udo Kier as "Curly"
- Steve Railsback as Colonel Victor Pryzer
- Mary Anna Reyes as Woman In Torture Room
- Andre Rosey Brown as "Big Fatso"
- Nicholas Worth as Ruben Tannenbaum
- Clint Howard as Schmitz
- Nils Allen Stewart as Jack
- Henry Kingi as Moe
- Mark Collver as Manny
- Jennifer Banko as "Spike"
- Loren Rubin as Willie Krebs
- Peewee Piemonte as Officer Frick
- Dominiquie Vandenberg as Officer Frack
- Tony Bill as Foster
- Michael Russo as Mr. Santos
- Shelly Desai as Sharif
- Marshall Manesh as Sheik
- John Paxton as "Smooth"
- Neil Hunt as "Weasel"
- Ken Fosgren as "Greaseball"
- Tom Lister Jr. as Bouncer
- Teo as Disc Jockey
- Ai Wan as "China"
- Diane Warshay as Maria
- Candace Kita as Dancer
- Diane Shay as Stripper In Dressing Room
- Adriana Alexander as Redhead
In the film, Anderson's waist was laced down to 17 inches (43 cm). She did some of her own stunts, although the corset and the heels she wore made fight scenes challenging.[3][4]
Reception[]
Barb Wire was panned by critics and was a box office bomb. It holds a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 37 reviews (10 positive, 27 negative), with the consensus stating that "Barb Wire could've been fun camp, but Pamela Anderson can't deliver her lines with any dramatic or comedic impact".[5] Roger Ebert pointed out that the film's plot was identical to that of Casablanca and derided the low-brow attempts at sensuality, but praised the cast and crew's approach to the material: "The filmmakers must have known they were not making a good movie, but they didn't use that as an excuse to be boring and lazy. Barb Wire has a high energy level, and a sense of deranged fun." He gave it two and a half stars.[6] Similarly to Ebert, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly commented on the film's aping of the Casablanca plot and its "teasing, hollow 'naughtiness'", but further said that the film is lacking in energy. He gave it a C.[7]
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Group | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Picture | Nominated |
Worst Actress (Pamela Anderson) | Nominated | ||
Worst Screen Couple (Pamela Anderson's "Impressive Enhancements") | Nominated | ||
Worst Screenplay (Chuck Pfarrer and Ilene Chaiken) | Nominated | ||
Worst New Star (Pamela Anderson) | Won | ||
Worst "Original" Song ("Welcome to Planet Boom!", by Tommy Lee) | Nominated | ||
1996 | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Actress (Pamela Lee [Anderson]) | Nominated |
1997 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight (Pamela Anderson/Steve Railsback) | Nominated |
Barb Wire would later rank in the listed bottom 20 of the Stinkers' "100 Years, 100 Stinkers" list, which noted the 100 worst movies of the 20th century, at #19.[8][9]
Box office[]
The film failed at the box-office, grossing only $3,794,000 in the United States.[10]
Soundtrack[]
An official soundtrack was released in 1996.[11]
Video game[]
GT Interactive announced that they would be publishing a video game based on the film for the PlayStation, Saturn, PC, and Macintosh in January 1997.[12] The developer was Cryo Interactive.[13] The gameplay was said to be similar to Resident Evil, with a single-player campaign and a two-player deathmatch mode.[14] It was never released.
References[]
- ^ "Barb Wire". thewrap.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ Box Office Mojo: Barb Wire
- ^ "Sky Magazine Interview". PamWatch.com. May 1996. Archived from the original on May 28, 2001. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
- ^ "Biography of Pamela Denise Anderson". PamWatch.com. March 13, 2007. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
- ^ "Barb Wire". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
- ^ "Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. 1996-05-03. Archived from the original on 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (May 10, 1996). "Barb Wire". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "The 100 Worst Films of the 20th Century". The Stinkers. Archived from the original on 2002-06-04. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ "The Top Ten [sic] Worst Films of All-Time". The Stinkers. Archived from the original on 2002-06-07. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ Puig, Claudia (1996-05-07). "Weekend Box Office : 'Craft's' Magical Start Surprises Experts". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
- ^ Gomes, Whitney. "Barb Wire Review". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "News Bits". GamePro. No. 96. IDG. September 1996. p. 21.
- ^ "Cryo? Who They?". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 19. Emap International Limited. May 1997. p. 27.
- ^ "Sneak Previews: Barb Wire". GamePro. No. 102. IDG. March 1997. p. 47.
External links[]
- 1996 films
- 1996 directorial debut films
- 1990s English-language films
- 1990s science fiction action films
- American science fiction action films
- American films
- American dystopian films
- 1990s feminist films
- Films set in 2017
- Films set in the future
- Girls with guns films
- PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films
- Dark Horse Entertainment films
- Gramercy Pictures films
- Live-action films based on comics
- Films based on Dark Horse Comics
- Films scored by Michel Colombier
- Superheroine films