Sidney Sweeney as the New Barbarella? Hmm.

Credit: The Voyeurs

How many people realize it’s been more than 50 years since Barbarella was allowed to be seen by the general public in such a big way? It might be worth it to remind folks of the fact that at one time, Jane Fonda was believed to be one of the sexiest women around, and that this movie was one of those that was counted as one of those that was destined to be remembered. The movie didn’t really do that well when it first came out, but it did achieve cult status after a while, and it’s been fondly remembered for many years now. But as far as bringing it back, there has been a bit of interest here and there, but nothing strong enough to bring the movie back in any significant way. That’s about to change since Sidney Sweeney is apparently taking on this role and will be seeking to bring a new look and perhaps a new vibe to this story so that people of this era can find enjoyment in a story that, at one time, was thought to be silly, sexy, and not quite as effective as it should have been. 

Credit: Barbarella

One has to wonder if the original story is going to be adhered to, or if this movie will bring something new to the audience. 

It’s been long enough that a lot of people probably don’t remember the movie that well, but seeing as how it was one of those movies that is obscure enough to be forgotten not long after it came out, it’s fair to think that a lot of people won’t care if the original story is used or if another adventure is drawn up. There are purists out there who will no doubt want to see the version that was churned out so long ago, but whether anyone is going to bat an eye at something new in this case is hard to say, since it feels more likely that Barbarella’s return will be welcomed no matter if the story is the original or something that people can wrap their minds around. 

Sidney Sweeney has been making her way up the ranks in a huge way over the last several years. 

It’s been impressive to see how quickly and how effectively Sweeney has made her way up, especially since a lot of the movies she’s starred in have been lesser-known titles that have gone to streaming. That doesn’t appear to matter since she’s had such a massive rise over the last several years that it’s only natural that she’s taken on roles in quite a few movies that have made her highly noticeable to many people, thereby increasing her fanbase and making it evident that she has the type of skill that’s needed to keep her in front of the camera. It does feel that Barbarella is a stretch, if only because Sweeney is gorgeous and has a definite presence on screen, but if one compares her to Jane Fonda, it does appear that she might be reaching just a bit, and could be risking a potential failure. It might be an arguable point, but the fact is that Barbarella has been kind of a joke as well as a cult classic over the years. 

credit: Nocturne

It’s important to remember how nutty the original movie was. 

To be fair, it was the ’60s, and much like now, there were great movies and there were those movies that a lot of people looked at in utter confusion as they tried to figure out what was going on. In fact, after watching it the first time, it’s not too difficult to see why it didn’t light up the box office, but it’s also easy to see why some folks would lock on it and create the kind of buzz it’s experienced over the years. Those who know about the movie will understand why it is and isn’t a popular movie, and those who’ve never seen it might need to look it up to see what the hubbub is all about. But after seeing what Sweeney can do on screen it’s fair to say that this could be a great chance to bring back a classic that might do well this time around. 

Expectations should probably be kept from mid to low tier just in case. 

This probably won’t happen, especially since people tend to walk into stories such as this expecting little to nothing or whatever hype that’s been built up. But at the same time, it’s wise to think that this could be the rehashing of something that might have been best left where it was, back in the ’60s. Or, it could be the chance to revive something that might end up becoming a reboot that actually works. Hey, it could happen.