I suppose based on the involvement of Troma and Brion James, and simply the name of the movie, I should have known exactly what to expect from the start. Still I'm rather astonished at how blithely, unapologetically inauthentic and over the top this is. 'Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills' comes off as the type of outrageous fare that might be jokingly whipped up as an overwrought parody of B-movies (perhaps along the lines of Adult Swim's live-action shows), except here borne out over almost 100 minutes. James pointedly overacts in the time he has on-screen, while the rest of the cast (not least star Beverly D'Angelo) wholeheartedly lean into the preposterousness. Yet that's the nearest this gets to any measure of sincerity, for the characters, dialogue, scene writing, narrative, plot development, effects, costume design, hair and makeup, production design, art direction, and even lighting all bear the unmistakable qualities of being deliberately blunt, forthright, ham-handed, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek. Even for those who are gleefully receptive to the utmost nonsense that cinema has to offer, this is a lot to take in from the very first moments.
Weird as it is, however, I'd be lying if I said 'Pterodactyl Woman' wasn't entertaining! Clearly the only intent was to have a silly good time, and it's definitely communicated that everyone involved was having a blast - a feeling that's passed onto the viewer. For all the bluster, there's some sharp intelligence and wit in the dialogue. Beyond the abject absurdity of the scenario, further humor follows from abundant and joyful puns, innuendo, references, and sight gags, nevermind the exaggerated acting. The special makeup, prosthetics, and costume that D'Angelo dons when transformed actually look really great. The cast, bless them, have dropped all reservations about the nature of the material and just totally let themselves go with the flow. That goes above all, of course, for D'Angelo; I've never seen her completely let loose, and embrace utter tomfoolery, the way she does here. The chief delight of this feature is simply watching her run wild with every minute, quirky imitation of avian or reptilian behavior, and I dare say that for her performance alone this is worth watching.
Enjoyable as this ludicrous romp is, it's also distinctly imperfect. While it's all in the spirit of that same zany bombast, there are absolutely points where the movie becomes entirely too self-indulgent. Some attempts at comedy linger far too long; other inclusions just aren't as funny as the filmmaker thinks they are. Novel if it's used sparingly, as director Philippe Mora illustrates a love of the fisheye lens that's overbearing and gets old fast. Much of the last 15-20 minutes tries much too hard to break the fourth wall, and tries too hard generally; to echo a line stated repeatedly, it really seems like the plot has been lost a little bit as Mora tries to shove more ideas into his screenplay than reasonably fit. And with all this having been said, 'Pterodactyl Woman' is also simply longer than it needs to be; the entertainment value has begun to wear thin well before the end credits start to roll. Even if the intent really were pure parody, this would have benefited from leaving some parts on the cutting room floor.
Still, for all its faults, I think this is much more fun than not. Too overcooked for its own good, maybe, but if one isn't readily turned away by the very premise, then chances are this will find appeal. I can only repeat that the best part of the whole film is without a doubt D'Angelo's wholehearted performance as the "were-o-dactyl," yet even beyond her contribution this is a swell bit of minor amusement. Don't feel like you need to go out of your way for it, but if you happen to come across 'Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills - and especially if you're a fan of the star - then this is a fair way to pass the time.
