"D.E.B.S.," the most recent addition to the smart-chick-flick genre, is movie alchemy, mixing some of the best plot elements in circulation today: freakishly smart girls, guns, acrobatic fights, spies, gadgets, vendettas and, best of all, a great lesbian romance that is neither deviant nor calculated -- just romantic.
In the world of "D.E.B.S.," the Scholastic Aptitude Test measures not only a person's math and language skills, but also one's aptitude for serving in a supersecret spy service. High scorers are conscripted into D.E.B.S. (Discipline, Energy, Beauty and Strength) as agents to battle wicked villains wreaking havoc on innocent souls everywhere. As it turns out, all of the D.E.B.S., just like their compatriots in "Charlie's Angels," are gorgeous and as good with weapons as they are with synonyms.
The current crackerjack D.E.B.S. squad is a well-rounded foursome consisting of Max, the leader, airhead Dominique, by-the-book Amy and sexy, coffee-drinking, chain-smoking French spy Dominique.
But the big scene-stealer of the movie is their nemesis, Lucy Diamond, played by the overwhelmingly beautiful Jordana Brewster. Lucy, who's fresh off a breakup, is on a blind date, set up by her sidekick Scud, with a pretty Russian assassin. The D.E.B.S. misinterpret this date as a work meeting, and the whole thing turns into a raucous shootout.
As Lucy tries to escape the wrath of the D.E.B.S. (mind you, no member of D.E.B.S. has ever survived an encounter with her), she comes face to face with Amy. Despite their strained, potentially violent introduction, they fall for each another, guns drawn.
But the D.E.B.S don't stand idly by as their friend and colleague pursues this ill-conceived relationship; they pull out all the stops to intervene in a madcap, silly, bullet-riddled spy movie laced with many clever, hilarious lines that are certain to make it a cult classic -- or quite possibly a crossover mainstream hit.
Angela Robinson, the writer, director and editor of "D.E.B.S.," does a fantastic job pacing her film, making for a remarkable mainstream debut. (She first submitted a short version of "D.E.B.S." at Sundance last year to so much acclaim, it was immediately picked up for this feature-length release.)
Perhaps most interesting is the sophisticated treatment of the lesbian relationships in the movie. The "L" word is never mentioned, which underscores the emerging commonality of the idea in mainstream culture: Lesbianism no longer serves exclusively as a cheap shock-value device, but as the basis for well-developed characters.
This isn't a heavy movie with a complex examination of larger issues. The script's adherence to slapstick and action sequences prohibits any overanalyzing. But it's undoubtedly one of the most entertaining releases to come out in a while, with enough hot chicks, side-splitting laugh lines and guns to please gay and straight audiences alike.
-- Josh Tager
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