Plot: What’s it about?
If this synopsis seems thin, then just wait until you see the movie itself, so you can see how thin the storyline is. Bikini Bandits is mostly a wild unrolling of strange events, so a normal plot is nowhere to be found. There is a basic premise from which all this madness unfolds however, which is what I am going to work with here. The Bikini Bandits are a group of beautiful, well endowed women with a penchant for action and adventure. The squad is a force of nature it seems, as no one is able to defeat them, or even slow them down. A mission might require them to use their powers of seduction, or their skills in hand to hand combat, or their masterful weapons abilities, but whatever the method, these chicks always deliver the goods. But when their car takes a header off a tall cliff, the girls are downed by the one force even they cannot overpower, the unstoppable impact of death itself. But the afterlife holds more for these girls, as their wild lives landed them downstairs, where Satan awaits their arrival. Satan (Tool’s Maynard James Keenan) decrees that unless the girls do his bidding, eternity will be a miserable place. Can the girls somehow return to the world of the living, without serving as Satan’s bitches?
Bikini Bandits is a premise that seems rich to me, a chance to make a movie loaded with hot babes in slim linens. So line up a small militia of hotties, to ensure the screen is bathed in supple breasts, tight abs, and incredible asses. If you ask me, you can take just that setup and work wonders, but in Bikini Bandits, these hotties are handed guns, katanas, beers, and whatever else happened to be lying around. These girls drink, smoke, and exploit their own sexual powers, just the kind of movie to drive prudes up the wall. But the fun doesn’t end there, as the producers have tossed in a wealth of hilarious low end celebrities, such as Corey Feldman, Dee Dee Ramone, Hank the Drunken Dwarf, Gary the Retard, Maynard James Keenan, and yes folks, punk rock’s own Jello Biafra. With all the elements thrown into the mix, the recipe seems sure to concoct the kind of B movie madness we want, right? I wasn’t as entertained as I expected, but in truth, Bikini Bandits is a fun little campish project. The scope is rather limited, but the tone is brisk and the focus is on fun, so it all works out. I mean, how can you not be smiling when washed up child star Corey Feldman leads a troupe of female ninjas into battle? I do wish more budget were available, to ramp up some of the stunts, but this was still a fun ride. So if you want some action, some camp, and some hot babes, give Bikini Bandits Experience a spin.
Video: How does it look?
Bikini Bandits Experience is presented in full frame, as intended. The image is about what I expected, which means solid, but not that impressive. This was a low rent production, so the stock isn’t top notch stuff, which results in a kind of home movie visual presence. But you can’t blame the transfer in that respect, as the source material is responsible. The image is clean and sharp though, so all the visual elements come through well. No complaints with colors or contrast either, as both look good for this kind of treatment. As far as the material is concerned, I can’t see how Bikini Bandits could look better than this.
Audio: How does it sound?
A basic, but passable soundtrack is found here, one which sounds good, but reveals the production’s limitations. So all the elements are in order, but the overall sound design is simplistic and not too memorable. I did notice some decent separation effects, so at least there is some added life at times, when needed. But there isn’t as much depth and power as I would like, given the action slant the film leans on. You can also tell some live audio is used, as dialogue is a tad distant in some scenes, though never to an extreme level. In most scenes, the vocals are loud and clear, while sound effects are more than acceptable. The musical soundtrack packs a nice punch however, as it seems to have been given a lot of attention. So not the best track out there, but for the material, the audio is well presented.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The main extra here is a bonus short film, The Adventures of Dirty Sanchez. While not a great project, it has some moments and is worth a look. A couple of behind the scenes featurettes are also found here, one a look behind how the film was created, the other a look at how the Bikini Bandits love to get down. This disc also includes five music videos, some talent files, a bunch of promo spots, a selection of still photos, and the film’s trailer.
