History Film / BarbWire

* ShoutOut: A villain named Big Fatso, an obvious allusion to "The Fat Man" played by Creator/SidneyGreenstreet.

* NinetiesAntiHero: Barb Wire is a DarkActionGirl with a gritty two-word name that sounds like barbed wire, who is entirely motivated by selfish reasons--whether it be personal profit or revenge--and only looks better by comparison because the villains of the story are worse. Not only that, but Pamala Anderson is probably the only woman who could pull off the look of a female [=NAH=], with [[MostCommonSuperPower very large breasts]] and [[{{Stripperific}} barely-there clothing]].

* NinetiesAntiHero: Barb Wire is a DarkActionGirl with a gritty two-word name that sounds like barbed wire, who is entirely motivated by selfish reasons--whether it be personal profit or revenge--and only looks better by comparison because the villains of the story are worse. Not only that, but Pamala Anderson is probably the only woman who could pull off the look of a female [=NAH=], with [[MostCommonSuperPower very large breasts]] and [[Stripperific barely-there clothing]].

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: A character fools a retina scanner using colored contact lenses, which actually might've worked if it had been an ''iris'' scanner. Evidently the writers didn't know retinas are at the ''back'' of the eyeball.

* BikerBabe: Movie!Barb provides the page image, though she doesn' t appear all that often in that outfit.

* AbsoluteCleavage: The cleavage in Barb's outfit is so low her breast look like [[TheissTitillationTheory they would topple out of her outfit]] at any time.

* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: Colonel Pryzer is good at these. He makes two threats.

* BigBraToFill: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Pam's breasts were actually larger in the movie than the original comic character.

%%* BikerBabe: Downgraded compared to her comic book counterpart.

The film is based on the [[ComicBook/BarbWire eponymous series]] printed by Creator/DarkHorseComics during their attempt at creating a shared comic book universe, ''ComicBook/ComicsGreatestWorld'', which resulted in an InNameOnly compared with the source. The plot copies elements of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' and passes UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest.

->''"The very first actual scene, the one that plays over the credits, is Anderson dancing around and flopping out of her top on a strip club stage... One of the most vocal patrons calls her 'babe' and she severely injures him by throwing her shoe at his forehead. I can only guess all the paying, theater-going viewers of this film, seeing everything they had paid to see, left right after the credits."''
-->--'''Chris Sims''' and '''Matt Wilson''', ''[[http://comicsalliance.com/barb-wire-pamela-anderson-movie-review-part-1/ ComicsAlliance]]''

* BathtubScene: Barb is taking a bubble bath in her house, but it turns into an InterruptedBath when he ex Axel comes in. [[CantBatheWithoutAWeapon She promptly grabs a gun she kept within reach and threatens to shoot him]], but he pacifies her. She then [[SexySurfacingShot gets up out of the tub]] (being covered by CensorSuds) and asks him to throw her a ModestyTowel before they talk.

* UnrelatedBrothers: Creator/PamelaAnderson and Creator/JackNoseworthy, who plays her brother Charlie, are not related in real life.

* MythologyGag: The whole "[[https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/9541/1288084-shovelercolor.gif Don't call me 'Babe']]" CatchPhrase was from the comic book, where Barb was LeaningOnTheFourthWall about Creator/JohnByrne's comic ''Babe'', which was accused of being [[AmazonianBeauty Hot Amazon]] BrainlessBeauty softcore. With the film starring Pamela Anderson, oh, the {{Irony}}!

* CaptainObvious:
** Police Chief Willis deliberately does this near the end of the film.
--> '''Willis:''' "Look out, she's got a grenade!"
** The beauty of this line is the [[DullSurprise almost monotone way]] he says it. It is, after all, the grenade he gave Barb.

Rrleased in 1996, the movie stars [[Creator/PamelaAnderson Pamela Anderson Lee]] as a nightclub owner[=/=]mercenary[=/=]BountyHunter in 2017 during the Second American Civil War. The Chief of Police raids her club because he is looking for a scientist who has information about a superweapon.

The movie stars [[Creator/PamelaAnderson Pamela Anderson Lee]] as a nightclub owner[=/=]mercenary[=/=]BountyHunter in 2017 during the Second American Civil War. The Chief of Police raids her club because he is looking for a scientist who has information about a superweapon.

The film is based on the [[ComicBook/BarbWire eponymous series]] printed by Creator/DarkHorseComics during their attempt at creating a shared comic book universe, ''ComicBook/ComicsGreatestWorld'', which resulted as InNameOnly compared with the source. The plot copies elements of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' and passes UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest.

The movie stars [[Creator/PamelaAnderson Pamela Anderson Lee]] doing what she does best - running around with the minimal amount of clothing on, and the opening credits involve a prolonged scene with Pam wet-dancing on a trapeze to [[Music/{{Cameo}} "Word Up"]]. There's also no small number of other women wearing very little as well, but honest to goodness mom, look at all the explosions and Pam kicking the asses of all those men; it's just packed with female empowerment!

And, considering the way the women in this movie are assertive, vital to the plot, and get solid screentime, and the guys are portrayed as douches or bad guys, you might have more of a point than you know. Hell, the movie passes UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest, although to be honest that tells you more about the test than the movie.

Anyway, apart all the boobage - err, the explosions - this was Pam's attempt for her to bridge her career from television to mainstream Hollywood film. And quaint as seeing her toting vast amounts of guns in skin-tight black leather is, it kinda failed. It has earned its reputation for completely ripping off the plot of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' in a way that makes ''Film/OverdrawnAtTheMemoryBank'' look like ''Film/CitizenKane'' (to stretch a metaphor beyond the point of logic). Has been SnarkBait for [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Barb_Wire_1996.aspx many]] [[http://channelawesome.com/nostalgia-critic-barb-wire/ a reviewer.]]

The film is based on the [[ComicBook/BarbWire eponymous series]] printed by Creator/DarkHorseComics during their attempt at creating a shared comic book universe, ''ComicBook/ComicsGreatestWorld'', which resulted as InNameOnly compared with the source.

%%* AntiHero: Barb Wire is a Type IV.

** The beauty of this line is the almost monotone way he says it. It is, after all, the grenade he gave Barb.

%%* DullSurprise: "God damn it!"
* EvilLaugh: Barb Wire hears the villain do it for at least two minutes as ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 he tries to kill her with a forklift!]]''

* {{Fanservice}}: It's a whole movie with Creator/PamelaAnderson in tight, revealing clothing, what else would you expect?

A 1996 soft core porn film disguised as an action film. So when you're watching it, and your mom walks in, you can just point to some of the explosions and claim it's an example of female empowerment... or something...

The movie stars [[Creator/PamelaAnderson Pamela Anderson Lee]] doing what she does best - running around with the minimal amount of clothing on, and the opening credits involve a prolonged scene with Pam wet-dancing on a trapeze to "Word Up". There's also no small number of other women wearing very little as well, but honest to goodness mom, look at all the explosions and Pam kicking the asses of all those men; it's just packed with female empowerment!

!!Tropes Include:

* {{Fanservice}}: A film with so much that is only [[BestKnownForTheFanservice being known for it]]. As said at first, this is more a sofcore porn movie than an action movie.

%%* GuiltyPleasure

* MythologyGag: The whole "[[https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/9541/1288084-shovelercolor.gif Don't call me 'Babe']]" CatchPhrase was from the comic book, where Barb was LeaningOnTheFourthWall about Creator/JohnByrne's comic ''Babe'', which was accused of being HotAmazon BrainlessBeauty softcore. With the film starring Pamela Anderson, oh, the {{Irony}}!

* OfCorsetSexy: Barb spends much of the movie wearing a corset that enhances her already-buxom figure. According to Pamela Anderson, filming the fight scenes while wearing a corset and heels was extremely challenging.

* BigBad: Colonel Pryzer.