The basis for this review is the Full Moon DVD.
The steamy scenes have been (mostly) reduced to a series of T&A shots, which is still nice to see, but disappointing. A company called 88 Films, based in the UK, has released an uncut DVD. Before you decide to buy that disc, make sure your setup can accommodate the Region requirements and the NTSC-PAL conversion.
The manner in which the steamy scenes are edited is a bit unusual. Some of it was done via looped footage from the same scene, but mostly they did it by inserting footage of Luna and Sola dancing in slow motion, either on the beach or in the cavewoman village. Longtime fans may be wondering about the infamous "banana scene." It's still there...kind of. Only the first 15 seconds or so is shown, then it cuts to dancing.
This sequel is polarizing. Some people who enjoyed the first movie don't like it, but I did. I will admit that it loses some of the charming, goofy sense of fun that makes the first "Beach Babes" appealing. Even so, I really enjoy watching this film...if I have the time, I watch both of them back to back. One thing I liked is the dancing at the end, as the credits are rolling. Why? Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe because everyone seems so happy and carefree. It's infectious.
I believe a lot of the problems can be traced back to time and money. "Beach Babes" had a ten day filming schedule, and a budget of $250,000 - $300,000. "Cave Girl Island" had only a five day filming schedule, and a small percentage of that budget. The lack of time and money is obvious not only in the physical aspects of production, but the quality of the script...in short, it's all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if the cast/crew were just making stuff up as they went along. For example, several characters mention escaping a volcanic eruption, but nothing of the sort is even implied on screen.
The plot (such as it is) can be a bit difficult to follow, but the description on the back of the DVD case provides a pretty good outline. Almost nothing is said about the events of the first movie, aside from a brief mention of Malibu by Luna. The beautiful Sarah Bellomo (Xena) is the only original cast member who returned. It's a real shame Dave DeCoteau couldn't get the old cast together again. The interweb says that a third movie was planned, but abandoned.
A/V quality of this disc is okay. Nothing to brag about, but still very watchable. There is no VideoZone feature. I don't know if that's because TorchLight / Full Moon never made one, or they chose not to include it.
It may seem as though I'm putting the movie down, but that is not the case. I regard my purchase as money well spent, and I like sitting back, relaxing, and watching "Cave Girl Island." If any Full Moon people happen to read this: please release a Director's Cut BD. "Beach Babes" was awesome; having the sequel on BD would be a dream come true. Failing that, an unrated cut on DVD would be nice.
