The expectations going into a movie like this are always relatively high. The notion of a trio of ass-kicking chicks brings to mind the movies of Russ Meyer and assorted 70's cool but rarely succeeds in the new generation (unless Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez are involved). I suppose that this flick has the indirect influence of that pair as stuntwoman Zoe Bell coordinated all the fights. Bell worked with both on Grindhouse and also doubled for Uma Thurman in Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. The influence of Bell is clear in the numerous and lengthy fight scenes but the problem is that that is all that there is to this movie. Aside from a number of short flashbacks sprinkled throughout the running time, this feels like one big fight scene for the last hour of the movie. Although I would have liked some more substance, this is a good effort at showcasing some babes punching each other out and looking hot doing it.

The movie opens with our trio of babes showing off their tight clothes and ample cleavage upon arrival at the main location in the film: a trailer in the middle of a desert. It is revealed that they have a prisoner in the trunk and they are looking for a stash of diamonds buried near the trailer. After beating the hell out of the prisoner, the girls begin to look for the loot. Things go smoothly for a while and the girls even take time out to have an impromptu water fight to make their outfits just a little sexier than they already are. The usual complications arise when we learn that that there is a villain named Pinky who wants the diamonds delivered and has sent a few cronies out to find them. The law poking around does not help matters either. After a while, secrets are revealed and the girls find that their loyalty to each other is not very strong. This leads to an extended fight between Hel (Erin Cummings) and Camero (America Olivo) that is long and stylish but leaves you wanting a little more.

Director Rick Jacobson has been around for a while. He made some direct to video action flicks in the 90's such as Night Hunter and a couple of the later Bloodfist sequels and then went on to a number of TV series including "Hercules" and "Xena". It is evident that Jacobson knows how to direct an action sequence but he seems to have become quite taken with the use of CGI and specifically green screen techniques such as those used in Sin City. The result is that the scenes in the main desert location look like a graphic novel come to life but some of the flashbacks come off looking like an early 90's PC game where the actors appear somewhat awkwardly in front of a computer generated background. Thankfully, these scenes are short and not too distracting. Jacobson is able to make the most out of the main location that he has and increases the production value near the end by having lots of fire and smoke billowing in the background making for a cool effect and giving us a rich picture to look at.

The main problem in this flick is the fact that the plot is very basic and there is not a lot of depth to the characters. America Olivo is fantastic as a drug-addled psycho chick in the form of Camero who spouts off numerous crass lines mainly to do with female anatomy. I loved watching this girl and the more wigged out she is, the better. Erin Cummings is much more restrained and reminds me a lot of Mary Woronov back in the day. The third girl, Trixie (Julia Voth), looks like she belongs in an Andy Sidaris movie but doesn't have a gun. I had a lot of hope after the opening credit sequence that featured Pam Grier, Christina Lindberg, Cheri Caffaro, and Bettie Page among others. Clearly, Jacobson's intentions are in the right place and he shows us a lot of female toughness but you need some story, some nudity, and less computer tinkering to get the feel down the way it should be. I just think it is really hard to pull off the type of movie that only existed in the 70's in today's world. Good effort but I will stick to the original icons. Look for cameos by Lucy Lawless and Kevin Sorbo. (Josh Pasnak, 5/15/10)

Directed By: Rick Jacobson.
Written By: Rick Jacobson, Eric Gruendemann.

Starring: Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olivo, Michael Hurst.