D.E.B.S.

Beautiful lesbian criminal-mastermind inexplicably falls for a squad member of the D.E.B.S., a team of female collegiate crime fighters. High-tech spoofery on a low-income budget, expanded from a short film and overcooked with girlish cuteness, though it does have its canny moments following an excruciating build-up to the plot. The jokes are obvious, and most of the characters are caricatures, yet the movie actually improves and even becomes appealing. Some of the gag-lines are indeed stale, and I'm not sure how even a nefarious femme criminal could pull off such tricks as a booby-trapped bank safe, but the lead actresses try hard and their energy and nonchalance work well for satire. Whether anyone involved with "D.E.B.S." had any genuine hope for the finished returns isn't known, however it is professionally assembled. I liked the "dead end" tunnel (leading to a forbidden punk underworld), and the finale (despite sloppy staging) is well-written and manages to wrap everything up with charm. ** from ****

I was fortunate enough to see this movie at the Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The movie is WONDERFUL- sure, it is as substantial as cotton candy, but it is GREAT to see a summer-blockbuster-type action film that spoofs so many

clichés, never takes itself seriously, and treats its lesbian characters with respect. The writer/director Angela Robinson spoke at the screening and indicated that the film will get a theatrical release, but the distributor is having trouble marketing the film because they don't know which market to target- teenagers, gays, etc. In short, if you think this campy action film will appeal to you GO SEE IT in its opening weekend (to be announced) to send a message to the studios that

taking a risk on an unusual, fun film like this was well worth it. Oh, and the music is great too! The soundtrack features 80's classics from New Order, Erasure, and The Cure, as well as contemporary stuff from

Fischerspooner, Goldfrapp etc.

I would like to extend major props for the actresses being able to portray the love expressed by Amy and Lucy. I can only imagine how strenuous it had to be working such long hours, but through it all they depicted a believable relationship. Everything from the body language between Sara and Jordana, to the way they interacted with each other fit perfectly. It never looked like they were uncomfortable. As for the rest of the actresses and actors in this movie, they blended together well. Whoever was in charge of choosing characters did a marvelous job. I liked how each individual D.E.B stood out from the next, so it didn't just seem like a blur of "wait which girl is that". All in all I think the love story was good and I would love to have the opportunity to watch another one of Angela Robinson's movies. She did a remarkable job orchestrating this film with the limited amount of time and funds.

DEBS is an entertaining, charming flick that does not try to to do too much more than put a smile on the audiences faces. It is hard to imagine how it can go wrong: beautiful young women, guns, and consistent jokes. Jordanna Brewster does a nice job of bringing a great deal of sizzling sexuality to the character of Lucy Diamond. Likewise, Sarah Foster, Devon Aoki, and Meagan Good are equally sensual and fun to watch. Jill Ritchie is terrific as the airhead who is striving vigorously to earn her stripes. While Jimmi Simpson displays strong comedic timing which adds to the diverting and catchy feel of the movie. Kudos to Angela Robinson and the cast for bringing the proper energy and creativeness to the this flick.

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this film. It's a tongue-in-cheek parody of the Charlie's Angels format with good laughs, yet it breaks away from that formula in interesting ways.

First of all, it's pretty racy as far as the revealing uniforms are concerned, so much so it takes you off guard at first.

However, what really shocked me was the well written lesbian love story. At first I reacted in typical guy fashion of: 'Alright! Two chicks going at it', but as you watch the story develop you sense something you don't often see in parody flicks. There's real chemistry here.

I don't know if it was great directing or acting, probably a combination of both, but there were some genuine emotional moments between the two love torn characters -- they were really connecting. It wasn't just a sex thing, but more a real substance, to the point where I found myself rooting for them to finally get together. You'll have to see the movie to find out.

Jimmi Simpson should be mentioned here. I swear I've seen him before, but can't remember where. Point is, his comic timing was flawless and there wasn't a line I didn't laugh on. Maybe I just liked his character… or maybe we're going to see a lot more of him in the future.

All in all, it's a fun flick -- you'll enjoy it.