Like "Alice in Wonderland", Barbarella meets a bizarre variety of characters, ranging from the pure to the pure evil. Most of the inhabitants of planet 16 are keen for her to join them in their excesses of pleasure and pain. While she's on a mission for peace, everyone else is more interested in love, the old- fashioned way. Using her intergalactic innocence, a variety of fashions, and her tongue-box translator she hopes to make more allies than enemies. But at the rate she changes her costumes, is her wardrobe large enough for her to complete the mission?

From the opening zero-gravity striptease to the psychedelic Chamber of Dreams, "Barbarella" is a marvellous collaboration of talent; the witty script, the international cast, the predominantly plastic costumes and surreal production design combine to form a unique vision of the distant future.

Barbarella started life in 1962 as an adult comic strip in a French magazine. When a reprint became a best-selling success and gained wide notoriety, producer Dino De Laurentiis (who later produced "Flash Gordon") bought the rights. He then showed the story to Jane Fonda. Director Roger Vadim, her husband at that time, persuaded her that this would be a good project for them both. Shooting began in Dino De Laurentiis' Rome studios in 1967.

Barbarella's first comic strip adventure formed the basis for the film, with creator Jean-Claude Forest acting as artistic consultant on the film.

Jane Fonda had been offered the leading roles in "Rosemary's Baby" and "Bonnie and Clyde" but chose instead to make "Barbarella" and stay in Europe. Her talent for comedy, also on show earlier in "Cat Ballou" and "Barefoot in the Park", is exploited to the full here. However, after "Barbarella", Fonda changed to more serious, challenging roles, starting with "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?".

Photographs of Jane Fonda dressed (or undressed) as Barbarella made her image famous across the magazine covers of the world. Jacques Fonteray's provocative and unusual costumes (some were apparently transparent) mean they are still instantly recognisable today, even to those who haven't seen the film. The cheeky outfits involve a lot of plastic, a few windows, and one particularly annoying tail.

The saucy humour and inventiveness of the script is particularly notable for its futuristic jargon (exultation-transference pellets, anyone?). Top of the list of credited scriptwriters for "Barbarella" was Terry Southern, who also co- scripted "Dr Strangelove" and "Easy Rider".

The American star was joined by an international supporting cast, at a time when European cinema was popular in America. Most of them are also known for their appearances in other cult projects. John Phillip Law (Pygar the angel) starred as another comic strip creation in director Mario Bava's similarly tongue-in-cheek "Danger: Diabolik", also released in 1968. Anita Pallenberg (the Black Queen) went on to star in "Performance" opposite James Fox and Mick Jagger. Yet here her voice sounds more like the luxuriously delectable Fenella Fielding. Milo O'Shea (the Concierge) recreated his character for "Arena", a pop video extravaganza directed by Russell Mulcahy for the pop group Duran Duran. David Hemmings (Dildano), was then famous for starring in Michelangelo Antioni's "Blow Up" and later starred in Dario Argento's "Deep Red". Marcel Marceau (Professor Ping) the world famous mime appears in this, his firsts speaking role! He would later use his vocal talents in Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie" and William Castle's "Shanks". Italian comedian, Ugo Tognazzi (Mark Hand) is probably better known as one of the stars of the "La Cage Aux Folles" films.

This widescreen presentation is an excellent chance to enjoy the spectacle of the huge sets; from the giant multi-level streets of Sogo with their plastic staircases and transparent travel tubes, to the Dante-esque living walls of the Labyrinth. We can also enjoy more of the bizarre and colourful special effects. Instead of the usual starfields consisting of points of light against black, Barbarella's bubbly visions of outer space resemble the colourful liquid contents of a lava lamp! Large scale front-projection was also used for the airborne battle with the Leathered Men and the shifting walls of the Chamber of Dreams.

The influence of Barbarella, the look, the ideas, are still being enjoyed today. It stands as a highly evocative recollection of the carefree outlook of the swinging sixties, mixed with an optimistic look forward to the far future.