Search For The Snow Leopard Review

Reviewed by YogaGrrl  on  12/12/2001

Cast: Asia Carrera, Ashton Moore, Temptress, Taylor St. Claire, James Bonn, Jennifer Lee, Halli Aston, Gina Ryder, Alec Metro, Stephanie Swift, Mark Davis, Randy Spears, Lexington Steele, Cheyenne Silver, Brick Majors and more

Director: Nick Orleans

Production date: 6/11/98 (box); 9/10/98 (opening statement); 11/17/98 (ending statement)

Length: 132 min. (box); 135 min. (actual running time, with credits)

Extras: Animated chapter menu, three biographies, photo gallery and little else.

Audio/visual quality: Visual quality is adequate. Sets and scenery are substantially above average. The music, which has an interesting "world beat" flavor, is exceptional throughout the feature. Dialog is clear; dubbing is nicely synched with the action.

Why I chose this DVD: XXXmovie-wise, I'm still wet behind the ears (and elsewhere). Prior to this DVD, I'd seen only four adult films--one soft-core feature at a hotel and three hard-core features on videotape at home. I selected this title based solely on the vendor's description. Because I was inexperienced, I paid more than twice its actual worth.

First impression: Despite the awards this feature received and its generous length, about half of the nine scenes lack heat and/or feel incomplete.

Thumbs up: Asia Carrera carries this film. Asia is an unabashedly gorgeous performer who delivers her lines in a convincing and natural fashion. She plays Eve Taggart, a researcher who studies snow leopards. During her travels, Eve repeatedly crosses paths with a cocksure wildlife photographer named Jack (James Bonn). Initially adversarial, Eve and Jack eventually develop a playful, loving chemistry; their two scenes together are gently erotic.

Three additional scenes stand out. In "Hanger Honey," a customs agent (Stephanie Swift) extracts a bribe from Eve's father, Walter Taggart (Mark Davis). We peek around an airplane in the hanger's foreground to view the action. They exchange oral favors, and she rides him enthusiastically, her long hair bouncing against her beautiful, corsetted backside. In "Women of the Wind," Eve and companion Sara (Ashton Moore) discover an outdoor altar, where they become the objects of some well-deserved worship. Ten goddesses appear from thin air and proceed to undress and caress our heros. Eve receives a red dildo as an offering; Sara accepts one in blue. In "Sherpa Delight," Sara consoles a friendly nomad whose father recently died. Although they don't speak the same language, the two communicate just fine, with plenty of eye contact. They make love on exotic-looking rugs and pillows in a tent, illuminated by a flickering campfire and sometimes seen in silhouette.

This film's visual effects deserve a special mention. At one point, a black panther morphs seamlessly into Temptress, who then prowls seductively toward the camera. In addition, the costuming is perfect, from Stephanie's very severe government uniform, to the Women of the Wind's ultrafeminine silks and jewels.

Thumbs down: The oft-praised "plot" of this movie is actually pretty lame. Why would a university send an anthropologist (Eve) abroad to study snow leopards? Wouldn't a field biologist be a more logical choice? And why capture the cat? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to study the animal in its natural habitat? And how weird is this: Walter casually mentions his young daughter Eve during a scene that apparently takes place in the 1940s. This means Eve should be at least 60 years old in the present day...but Asia's only in her mid-20s! The producers spent a quarter of a million dollars on this feature; it would have cost nothing extra to get the details correct. Also, some of the dialog is unintentionally laughable (one character rattles off some amazing facts about snow leopards and then declares that the most astonishing thing is that they are "the only leopard in the world that does not roar!").

A more troubling problem is that several scenes simply leave me cold. The "Cocktail Orgy" is especially not to my taste. Not that I object to orgies--it's just spooky when the party girl (Cheyenne Silver) keeps looking into the camera. Why is she staring at me, when she could be admiring her own beautiful vulva, or alternatively, her hunky male waiter? How humiliating for poor Lexington Steele, to be so grossly ignored and reduced to a mere sex toy. I suppose some viewers must enjoy that, but I just find it disconcerting. (Incidentally, the orgy itself is not particularly dynamic, since there are only two couples and they never interact.)

Themes: Oral, straight, interracial, lesbian and toys.

Juice-o-meter: Average. The great advantage of the DVD format is that the viewer can instantly go to any scene desired (although a few more chapter stops in this film would be helpful). When I'm in the mood for a romantic fantasy, rather than my usual slutty turn-ons, the erotic scenes on this feature are sufficiently stimulating.

Final analysis: I agree with reviewer's assessment that Search for the Snow Leopard provides a pleasant diversion for those who like couples porn. It's generally well-produced and pretty to look at, and softer movies do have their place, after all. Since this feature contains no anal action (which for many is an acquired taste), it's a fairly safe selection for first-timers. And undoubtedly, all Asia and Ashton fans will want this title in their DVD libraries.

As a porn novice, I've discovered a lot about my personal preferences by watching Search for the Snow Leopard. Ultimately, this movie leaves me somewhat unsatified, but I've still enjoyed the learning experience, and now I'm hungry for more.


YogaGrrl's e-mail is here.