Comic book artist Mike Randall struggling with his "Brenda Starr" strip draws himself into it when disappointed Brenda leaves the strip and heads to the Amazon jungle to find a scientist who... Read allComic book artist Mike Randall struggling with his "Brenda Starr" strip draws himself into it when disappointed Brenda leaves the strip and heads to the Amazon jungle to find a scientist whose secret formula will create cheap gasoline.Comic book artist Mike Randall struggling with his "Brenda Starr" strip draws himself into it when disappointed Brenda leaves the strip and heads to the Amazon jungle to find a scientist whose secret formula will create cheap gasoline.
Featured reviews
It certainly doesn't deserve the bad rap that it has gotten over the years and isn't a terrible movie either, however. I'm not sure why so many people hate this film. The direction, writing and acting are all just fine.
Brooke Shields looks great and does a fair enough job of playing the main character.
The story is also very unique and fun with her literally coming out of the comic strip as a real life character. Maybe the strangeness of that turns some people off.
But it's a fun movie and worth seeing... if you can find it that is, it's not super well known or loved!
They say I need four lines, so I guess I'll say it again, because it really says all that needs saying.
This movie is great, campy fun. Light-hearted fluff, but wonderful!
Indeed, this dilemma afflicts the entire production to its ultimate detriment with the result that the film was shelved for some three years (it was, in fact, shot in 1986 i.e. prior to co-star Timothy Dalton's brief stint as James Bond)! At least, the latter seems to have had a good time making it for he subsequently tackled the part of the villain in another comic-strip adaptation with, again, some powerful gizmo as the object of contention between various factions (and nationalities) namely ROCKETEER (1991; which I watched a day previously and found to be vastly superior)! Dalton's character here is actually enigmatic dashing in spite of an eye-patch, he always turns up at unexpected moments to save, guide or otherwise romance the heroine.
The chief villains are a gang of incompetent Russian agents (including a bald-headed goofball and the pint-sized cigar-smoking female leader), though also hindering Shields is the ambitious and vaguely vampish rival reporter played by Diana Scarwid. Incidentally, the plot involves a fantasy framework in which animator Tony Peck inhabits the world of his subject (they keep quarrelling about how he isn't fit to design Brenda's exploits because he continually looks down on her, something of which the film-makers themselves are guilty!) this doesn't really work and is actually rather pointless.
I was surprised to learn that renowned veteran cinematographer Freddie Francis (a beloved minor genre director in his own right) was behind this one in the former capacity; his craftsmanship at least renders the silly and positively dreary goings-on (which relocates to Brazil during the second half) pleasing to the eye. A number of guest appearances (including Eddie Albert as the Police Commissioner, Charles Durning as Starr's flamboyant boss, Henry Gibson as the obligatory eccentric scientist and Ed Nelson as the piano-playing American President) add nothing of substance to the film.
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough shot in 1986 and released in Europe in 1989, the movie, due to legal disputes regarding the American distribution and television rights, was not released in American theaters until 1992.
- Quotes
Brenda Starr: [after Mike continually insults Brenda as a cartoon, she comes to life] I've had it! Who the heck do you think you are? For four months I've put up with your insults. Night after night! And I've had it up to here!
[Mike gasps in disbelief]
Brenda Starr: So bug off, buster!
- ConnectionsReferenced in Turtle Beach (1992)
- SoundtracksFiesta With My Love
Written by Kashif, Brian Alexander Morgan (as Brian Morgan) & Shelley Scruggs
Published by Music Corp. of America (BMI)
Kashif Music (BMI)
New Music Group, Inc. (BMI)
Produced by Kashif, Brian Alexander Morgan (as Brian Morgan) & Shelley Scruggs for
The New Music Group, Inc.
Vocal Performance by Yogi Lee
- How long is Brenda Starr?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $16,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $67,878
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $30,035
- Apr 19, 1992
- Gross worldwide
- $67,878