Search For The Snow Leopard

It's rare to find an adult film as ambitiously produced and excitingly staged as SEARCH FOR THE SNOW LEOPARD. At a generous 135 minutes in length, it's an intriguing and suspenseful tale which, even if trimmed of its delicious sex scenes, would probably work just as well as a straightforward adventure flick. Sporting classy production values, tight direction by Nick Orleans, a literate screenplay by Bella Feega, expert lighting and cinematography by Johnny English, and a terrific music score by Saint, this movie feels in almost every way like a mainstream film.

But from the first scene forward, SNOW LEOPARD goes places that not even the most daring NC-17 feature will tread. Fans of Andy Sidaris' R-rated "girls with big guns" flicks (HARD TICKET TO HAWAII, SAVAGE BEACH, HARD HUNTED, etc.) will think they've died and gone to Hooter Heaven when they discover the assortment of much more explicit XXX thrills awaiting them amid the exotic on-location action in SNOW LEOPARD. The hardcore fun begins with a great opening scene set outdoors at night on a dimly lit balcony. Lovely Asia Carrera - who has what must surely be the prettiest face in modern porn - comforts her irritated boyfriend (Brick Majors) with a terrific blowjob, which is photographed in romantic, seductive closeups. Asia's tongue, its tip flicking playfully across the end of her lover's cock, must be seen to be believed. There's even some nice (albeit brief) tit-fuck action as she satisfies him completely, milking his trouser-snake across her curvaceous cleavage. The scene concludes on a startling note, however, which suggests that the whole encounter was imaginary.

Fantasy vs. reality becomes a continuing thread in SNOW LEOPARD, even in the important sequence which sets the plot in motion. This takes place during a gathering at an upscale art gallery, where Asia imagines that an orgy breaks out. It all begins as Randy Spears - playing the head of a university - formally announces that Asia has been given a generous cash grant to study the elusive, endangered snow leopard in the Far East. Amazingly, Spears (who dresses the part, complete with nerdy little professorial eyeglasses) is quite believable in this small role, and Asia demonstrates that she too can hold her own as a legitimate actor. Less successful is shapely Ashton Moore, playing the head of the university's Religious Sciences Department. Ashton simply can't act, and she spits out her lines almost as if she was captured and to deliver them at gunpoint. She's much more at home shortly afterward, though, when Asia has a weird premonition of a naked girl in leopard makeup, leading to a wild sexual encounter on a nearby staircase between Ashton and Randy Spears.

Parts of SNOW LEOPARD's story unfold in flashbacks which feature Marc Davis as Asia's father, a Great White Hunter (and a bit of a stud) who tracked the snow leopard many years earlier. Filmed with convincing period detail - Bogart and Bacall-style costumes, '40s-era automobiles, vintage planes - these are among the most visually and scenically appealing parts of the film. But there's also a similar sense of verisimilitude in the present day sequences, such as a brief bit staged aboard a small plane when Asia and Ashton arrive at their destination. And some genuinely pulse-pounding suspense occurs when a menacing gang of poachers invades the wilderness retreat, arriving by parachute (and accompanied by dark, unsettling music). At moments like this, SNOW LEOPARD actually succeeds at being a DIE HARD-like action film.

The action that viewers will appreciate the most, however, is the sex action; and SNOW LEOPARD delivers plenty of it. Looking deliciously foxy as she cavorts in the tumbling spray of a waterfall, Asia puts on a nice solo masturbation show that looks like something from Playboy's WET & WILD series. There's also an amazing lesbian frolic in which Asia and Ashton meet the free-spirited "The Women of the Wind" in a 12-girl romp (with Taylor St. Clair and Temptress, among others, as the ethereal Wind ladies) atop an eerie rock formation. Best of all is movie's climactic final sex scene, in which Asia gleefully makes it with James Bonn. Filmed beside an outdoor fish pond, this sequence features breathtaking images of Asia smiling as she sucks Bonn's cock, while exotic fish swirl in the water directly behind them. And when Bonn fucks her, the grin of absolute delight on her face - and her urgent, joyful whispers of encouragement to him - provide priceless moments of premium erotica.

This one-sided disc contains no preview trailers and not many extras, but commendable skill and care have been lavished on the design and execution of the few extras that it does include. The Photo Gallery is superlative, with its beautifully shot images presented as if they were placed on a leopard-skin blanket. A series of creative wipes and dissolves serves as transition between each picture, and an appropriate music score plays through it all. The Cast Biographies (there are ones for Asia, Ashton and Stephanie Swift) are similarly well designed, with the text scrolling slowly up along the left side of the screen while a changing series of images appears on the right.

The disc's piece-de-resistance, however, is its Chapter Selection Menu. Here, an eye-popping full-motion image of a completely nude Asia (taken from her WET & WILD-like shower scene) appears as wallpaper behind a full-motion thumbnail image from each of the movie's nine chapters. Click on any of the nine images and a brief, descriptive title for that scene (example: the first one is "Blowjob Balcony") appears along the bottom edge of the screen. Click again, and the disc takes you immediately to the start of whichever scene you've selected. It's a superb example of DVD technology used to its best.

The plot is weak and the movie is poorly acted, this is a prime example of why porn stars make porn instead of regular movies. The porn itself is weak and uninspired. If you like outdoor sex there is some good stuff for you, but everything else is tame and uninteresting compared to other 1998 movies.
The only thing that makes this movie special is the fact is has more plot than the average porno. You would spend your time better to watch a real movie and then a real porno, you'd get better entertainment.

Everyone should see it at least once to know what all the hype is about. Porn addicts will not be impressed, nor will anyone who has seen another "porno-with-plot". Pirates is probably a better experiment for this sort of film.

I have always thought Asia Carrera's acting ability to be limited, but she does do a good job in this one. However, the real star is Stephanie Swift; her cowboy grinding is unmatched and her dialogue acting is excellent. Very high production values with excellent locales and camera angles. Lots of medium shots, which I like. Mark Davis, Randy Spears, and James Bonn (probably the best male actors in the business) do a fine job.

The hype was right. This movie is worth every penny you pay, and then some! This is a good couples movie, as Adam & Eve productions tend to be. The acting left something to be desired, but they made up for it with hot sex scenes.

Asia Carrera is simply stunning in this high budget,high quality offering from Ultimate, in association with Adam & Eve. These folks are trying to elevate the industry, and it shows. The opening scene, in which Asia performs a blow-job on Brick Majors, is alone worth the entire cost of the disc. Asia is simply one of the best looking women ever to work in the industry. Ashton Moore is also wonderful in her sex work, even if her acting does leave a little to be desired.

The production values here are outstanding. There is a lot of exterior shooting, a lot of cars, airplanes, jeeps, location shooting, etc. The film is beautifully shot, and there are plenty of quite impressive special effects. The director, Nick Orleans, is one of the better directors working, in the same league with Antonio Passolini and Cameron Grant, and almost as good as Andrew Blake and Michael Ninn.

Technically, the disc is impressive, with outstanding sound. The video is somewhat soft-focused in places, but this is due to the source material, not the excellent DVD transfer. The only thing significantly lacking are extras, which there aren't enough of.

One of the most visually complex adult features in recent memory makes a superb transistion to DVD.

Dazzling cinematography, exotic locations, and a thrilling soundtrack all create the perfect mood for this INDIANA JONES-style adventure. Despite a laughable attempt at acting by Ashton Moore the rest of the cast does a nice job getting into their characters especially Asia Carrera and James Bonn.

Digital surround sound is a key feature that makes this disc stand out from other adult DVDs.

The best adult film of the year by far and one of the best of all time!Exciting plot,a seductive Asia and so many exotic places!