2040

Wicked Pictures

Genre: Feature

Alexis Texas

Director: Brad Armstrong

Non-sex roles: Janet Mason, Barrett Blade, James Bartholet

Alektra Blue and Randy Spears

Length: 174:22 minutes (basic story line): 176:01 minutes (first alternative); or 173:32 minutes (second alternative)

Date of Production: 2009

Extras: Disc One: The second disc was the first one fully dedicated to extras, labeled 2040-D3 Special Features. This disc was broken up into 3 "components" of A, B, and C; each carrying forth a theme. The first had a wonderfully complete Behind the Scenes feature lasting 45:12 minutes, most of the cast and major crew getting some screen time as well as showing he extensive production work that took place to make it happen. The camera work was handled by Lee Snijders and editing by Jef, the extra one of the best of the batch. Then came a 14:43 minute interview with director Brad Armstrong where he sat in a chair describing the idea of the movie from start to finish (though glossing over the missing Stormy Daniels). Brad came across as a decent guy who worked within the parameters of his budget and cast, some clips of the scenes and his production work with Jessica Drake included to flesh it out. There was then a 10:42 minute long feature on the creation of the Wicked Sex Dolls, Matt McMullen from the Real Dolls company explaining the process. Component B had three sections as well, including a 5:09 minute long script reading session of the major performers with the director, some clips included. Then came a 13:03 minute long Pre-Production feature where some of the wardrobe and other production work were covered. Last on this portion was a short, 5:37 minute insider's look to the Special Effects with matte shots and CGI anabot vision being the highlights for me. Component C started off with an 8:32 minute long feature called "The Girls of 2040" which was essentially a montage of movie and BTS footage on the ladies here (as Wicked usually offers on their big budget projects). Then came a 3:49 minute Blooper & Outtake reel to appreciate, followed by a 4:59 minute Box Cover shoot.

Kirsten Price and Eric Masterson

Extras Disc Two: The third disc of the set was also the second disc of pure extras, including a wealth of material for fans to appreciate. It was labeled 2040-D3 Special Features and maintained the futuristic theme of the movie, the menus looking quite cool indeed. The first extra was a selection of two extended scenes, a 29:50 minute long orgy scene up first. While Tory Lane and Randy Spears began the proceeding, it continued throughout the entire original with more footage to appreciate. The second selection here was for a 50:48 minute reel of Behind the Scenes sex; essentially material caught by the BTS cameras for the various scenes included in the movie. While I enjoy a full and balanced BTS feature, this is what many people really want in one, just the sex even if crew members like Francois kept getting in on it. The next selection on this disc was a series of four related sex scenes; Myoto & Pilot (7:25 minutes), Myoto, Monica, Danielle, and Anabot (12:50 minutes); Receptionist & Ryan (13:03 minutes), and Mira in a solo scene (4:09 minutes). Then, under the "Camera Eye" choice, there were 10 Star Galleries (photogalleries of the lady performers), a main photogallery, 11 sex scene galleries, and a BTS photogallery. Under the final choice, "Supplemental", there were a variety of smaller extras including trailers/teasers for 2040, 6 more trailers, a promotional reel (also seen on the final disc of the set), DVD_ROM materials, and a full digital copy of the movie for a portable device.

Jessica Drake, Kaylani Lei, and Brad Armstrong

Extras Disc Three: 2009 Wicked Pictures Sampler: Okay, if all that related content isn't enough to convince you that 2040 is the big release of the year from Wicked, they even tossed in a fourth disc, the third full of extra material for fans to enjoy. The production date was 12/23/2008 and it included five bonus scenes described below (to Fallen, Two, The Accidental Hooker, Cockstar, and Last Call), 14 trailers, a 3:09 promotional reel for 2009, 6 biographies for the contract performing females, 7 biographies for the directors, some spam, and the usual DVD-ROM material. The production was encased in a larger case too, a book sized offering much like Fallen came in but without the feathers. Whew!

Condoms: Yes

Mikayla Mendez

Audio/Video Quality: 2040 was presented in an appealing 1.78:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen color as shot by director Brad Armstrong for Wicked Pictures in the standard definition MPEG-2 codec (in the usual 480 resolution). While filmed in high definition, it was down converted to a regular DVD so there was some grain in certain scenes where lighting was minimized as part of the scene (Darker scenes tend to do that, especially those shot at night, and we all know that the future will look dark, yes?). The video noise was minimal in most cases and the composition of the scenes was well taken care of, enhancing the look of the ladies in nearly all cases but there were times when I wished the high definition version were available to enhance the viewing experience. There were no obvious compression artifacts and the bitrate was typically in the mid to upper 3.2 Mbps range, some scenes nearly twice that but most of them on the lower end of the spectrum. The editing was pretty decent too, not the very best provided by the company but in the top third (a few out of focus moments, compositions cutting off heads or other body parts, and obviously distracting parts in need of polishing up by editor Slammy took away from the otherwise well done flick). My biggest issue was how certain scenes looked particularly soft and fuzzy, perhaps as a result of a directorial choice but more likely due to the manner in which the production was shot. The audio was presented with a choice of three audio tracks, the primary one being a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround English track that balanced the vocals and music nicely (using 384 Kbps and a 48 kHz sampling rate; the Dolby Digital commercial in 448 Kbps though), while the other two versions either enhanced the music over the vocals or the vocals over the music. The audio seemed to be another step in the right direction for Wicked Pictures, even though the vocals were almost certainly recorded in monaural or dubbed in later (not to mention limited in scope) instead of recorded in surround as would be needed for a higher rating. Still, the music was very well done and the overall quality of the audio was substantially better than average as well, the score working to enhance the action (plotted and sexual) a lot.

Jessica Drake with Marcus London

Body of Review: Brad Armstrong is the lead director over at Wicked Pictures and every year he releases a few big budget fuck flicks capable of besting all the others released in the industry. Last year, he defeated P2 with Fallen and this year he hopes to beat out titles like The 8th Day and Teachers with a well crafted science fiction thriller by the name of 2040. Well, I had thought the company blew its collective load working on Stormy's Operation Tropical Stormy but I was wrong, this one surpassing it on several levels, putting it back in the "comedy-only" pile for awards consideration as far as many of us are concerned. Like so many movies before it, 2040 is about a dystopian future where sexually transmitted diseases have ravaged the landscape, forcing the population to resort to robots for sexual stimulation. Alektra Blue plays the lead as a sex android that seems to gain sentience, the complications of which throw those around it into a state of emergency seeking to exploit this secret. If this sounds a little like "Café Flesh", "Bicentennial Man", "Cherry 2000", "Blade Runner", "AI" or any of a hundred other movies you may have seen, beware the surface comparisons because 2040 makes its own way here. The three discs comprising the movie and extras (a fourth, the yearly company sampler also tossed in for good measure) clearly showed the intent to scoop up some awards, placing it in a very good position to replay last year but with even stronger emphasis on broadening its appeal. I'm not going to ruin the plotted elements as some feel the need to do in their reviews with my overview of the sex scenes but suffice it to say that Wicked Pictures really went all out this time and deserves a lot of consideration for awards and sales. The box cover said it like this: "Award winning director of the year Brad Armstrong brings you the adult film of the decade, 2040. Follow this all-star cast into the future of Porn where human performers have become a thing of the past. Enter Mira (Alektra Blue), a prototype anabot so real her makers have kept her existence a well protected secret. During her debut sex scene with one of the few remaining human performers, Ryan (Randy Spears) something happens... Mira begins to "feel". While she's fascinating everyone who sees her, accusations of corporate espionage threaten Mira's very existence. Can she survive the tug of war on both her technology and her heart? Only time will tell just how human she really is... 13 scorching sex scenes, astonishing special effects, exquisite locations combined with bigger than life packaging. Don't miss the biggest movie of the year from Wicked Pictures!" Here's a brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that condoms were used for those still interested:

Orgy footage pt 1

Scene One: Alexis Texas, playing an older model anabot, was up first in sexy lingerie as she performed with human Randy Spears. The background was added in via CGI and he went to town sucking on her juicy snatch, Alexis reciprocating by wrapping her lips around his pecker to savor the taste. While part of her plotted role was to act robotic, she did a decent job and inhaled his cock before impaling her pussy on the condom coated prick, her moans as realistic as ever for the gal. He spanked that fine ass of hers and she offered herself up to him in several positions before a break was needed due to technical malfunctions. It ended when his throat fuck unleashed a wad of genetic juice to her face, Randy finally proving he'd still be in porn long after the rest of the industry faded away.

Orgy pt 2 (with Jayden Jaymes, Jessica Drake, and Brad Armstrong)

Scene Two: Alektra Blue, playing an "MR-5 prototype" sex android, was up next as she was introduced as the latest and greatest thing to a skeptical Randy Spears. This was to be a fetish related scene where he began by flogging her ass, her sensors reacting to his ministrations in such a manner that it surprised him, the technological advances helping her become a world class cock sucker, complete with a deep throat mode for him to appreciate. Alektra aptly played the plotted role well as she began to learn from the action too, the oral leading to vaginal and anal penetration that milked his load of population pudding for the facial with a degree of efficiency but also some chemistry combined with energy.

Alektra Blue with Brad Armstrong

Scene Three: Kirsten Price, as a jaded operative working for the company that created Mira, wanted to test the latest male model in the form of Eric Masterson. They were in the laboratory and she wanted some cock, her sucking causing the turgid member to grow to full length as he parroted her comments. Kirsten is best when giving a hummer though she fared well during the short vaginal penetration and technical DP (a toy in her ass as he pounded her moderately passive pussy). She also included some fine dirty talk to enhance the moment before his programming caused him to bust a nut on her face. Sadly, much of the following beating was done off screen, implied rather than shown.

Alektra Blue

Scene Four: Jessica Drake, Kaylani Lei, and Brad Armstrong, were up next as the corporate bigwig (Brad), his personal assistant (Jessica), and espionage agent (Kaylani) engaged in a tryst in a warehouse. Jessica wore a muff buffer skirt and Kaylani's fetish attire with thigh high boots, Brad's suit slowly coming off as the gals double teamed him orally. As with a few other scenes, it was never explained exactly why these humans screwed like the advanced STDs of the time were not a factor (a basic premise of the movie) but I wasn't upset that they did given the selection of pairings. The mixture of close up shots with medium range helped show a more complete picture of their efforts too, both ladies enthusiastic as they did him and each other. Jessica's masturbation act while watching her two peers bone was particularly heated, the ensuing taste testing sweet. Both gals rode actively (vaginal only) and shared the facial of semen, the chemistry substantial between all three of them.

Extras Menu page

Scene Five: Mikayla Mendez, the lead scientist at Real Dolls in the picture, was up next as she tested out her latest creations in the form of Mick Blue and Jerry in her lab. She knelt before them and sucked away passionately, the non-music version of this one better for me by a lot. The guys took turns vaginally penetrating the curvy hotty (who, in her glasses, looked much like Eva Angelina) and she responded fairly well, rocking their cocks in all sorts of ways that proved her own anabots were advanced enough to sweat too. The scene finished with the men giving her a double facial, the story cutting away to the competition.

The Wicked Pictures 2009 Sampler (included)

Scene Six: Jessica Drake, the lean babe (and production assistant) coveted by most of the cast, was up next as she paid an impromptu visit to competitor Marcus London in his torn up lab. It was clear that they had a history together and she explained the reality of the situation, the couple embracing for old time's sake as she straddled his lap and they kissed. Her sleek black outfit worked well on her figure but better on the floor, her devotion to cock getting him hard enough to cut diamonds. She combined a tender and aggressive approach to blowing him too, soon fingering her ass as he reciprocated on her sweet little box. That did not last long as both of them wanted to bump uglies, his cock driving deep inside her pussy (and then ass) as she moaned, some taste testing elevating the outcome more than a little bit. The color tint was off here due to the way the lab was structured but Jessica again looked better than ever, proving my point about her once more.

A still from the photogallery focusing on the orgy

Scene Seven: Tory Lane, Jayden Jaymes, Kayla Carrera, Jessica Drake, Randy Spears, Rocco Reed, TJ Cummings, and most of the rest of the cast were up next in a huge orgy in a majestic location (some sweeping stairs with landings) at a futuristic AVN awards ceremony broadcast across the universe. The cute nod to the show aside, Tory was up first slobbing the knob of Randy though the camera swept across the numerous performers like Alektra Blue, Kirsten Price, Eric Masterson, Jayden Jaymes, Jessica Drake, and the rest as they went after pussy and cock alike. For my own tastes, I'm glad that the men stuck with their genetic programming to play with the ladies only but the ladies played the entire field, Mikayla strutting her stuff very heatedly. My favorite part of the orgy was where Jessica and Jayden focused their efforts on Brad, the trio the hottest portion of the act (though it was edited in such a way that it wasn't easy to keep track of who was doing what to whom all the time). There was some anal here but the majority of the action was devoted to oral in various forms and vaginal penetration, most of the ladies actively riding the peckers presented to them; the best version of the scene shown on the extras disc with the longer version of it. At the end, the loads of semen flew all over the ladies, from mouths and faces to chests to wherever.

Scene Eight: Alektra Blue, having been upgraded by her relationships to others in the movie, was up next with Brad Armstrong, the man strong-arming himself into the lab to take what he considered to be his property. She moaned in a sexy manner as he diddled her holes (pussy and ass), some solid head given him as a reward before they boned vaginally. Alektra fingered her ass as they banged rapidly, her whispered musings leading to him clearly drilling her perfect pucker as she prompted him to continue with the anal action. She actively rode him until she milked out his nut, the ensuing facial satisfying her.

Scene Nine: Alektra Blue, in a white camisole and matching stripper shoes, was up last as she turned on all her skills to work with Tommy Gunn and Bill Bailey. I think this was another case where the dialogue-only track worked better for me, her sexy voice enhancing the moment as she engulfed the men in alternating fashion during her splendid oral. Using her hand to gland techniques to increase the friction, the men were soon taking turns pounding her pussy, the gal actively pushing back to meet their thrusts as though she was into it. The boning and oral continued until they unleashed their seed all over her face, the passion and chemistry observed among the best of the show.

Bonus Scene: Fallen: Jessica Drake, walking the street at night in search of meaning in her existence, came across policeman Randy Spears who wanted some fun with her on the back of his patrol car while his partner smoked a cancer stick. He was Officer Sinclair and knew how to use his night stick in Jessica's sweet ass nearly as well as his personal version of the device in her pussy, the blowjob and other tricks minimal as she cried out for him to fuck her. Randy could have had a bigger role here and this was a scene in need of more positions, perhaps beckoning for extended versions of the scenes like P2 provided to give the consumer the best of both worlds. The scene finished up with Jessica taking a face full of population pudding after fingering her own ass while Randy drilled her pussy. Her vocals were too low in the balanced version of the soundtrack but her moans are always appreciated by this reviewer. (7:57 minutes)

Bonus Scene: Two: By this time, Stormy's serial killer persona is wearing a tad thin. We are far more interested in her meek, shy girl shtick and perceive the dangerous posturing as somewhat pathetic. Derrick doesn't help matters much - he's such an obvious horndog that you imagine his $hot will be nothing but mustard and relish. Together with the sports car backdrop, they try their best to pony up some passion. Sometimes, we can almost see it. At other instances, we grow weary of their carnal cat and mouse. (review by Disco Dirge) (9:58 minutes)

Bonus Scene: The Accidental Hooker: As the interview continues, Kaylani mentions that she grew nervous when it came to her next trick. Michael then continues his line of questioning about having sex in exchange for money. Next we see Kaylani having dinner with Shyla and Tommy. Tommy takes notices that she is playing with her food. Tommy excuses himself for a few and comes back to find that the ladies on making out. The ladies engage in some muff diving before they share duties in sucking Tommy off. Shyla is the first up with Tommy nailing her in mish while Kaylani is playing with herself watching them. The roles are reversed a few minutes later with Kaylani getting in some on mish then over to RCG with the ladies sharing a facial. (review by Ravyn) (18:22 minutes)

Bonus Scene: Cockstar: Kristen Price, Alektra Blue, and Lexxi Tyler, were up first as a trio of lesbian rocker chicks satiating themselves on each other's juices. The fingering and titty play were decent, some rougher edged action included as they pushed each other's limits before eating each other out. The impression I got from them was that they were putting on a lipstick lesbian showing though, the toys hardly used before Kirsten started her solo act while watching. My biggest grievance with the scene was how it kept breaking up to move to the guitar playing portions, my taste for gal on gal action not limited to ladies truly into it if I like them enough. Alektra was the main driver of the scene here and if you enjoy this kind of thing, there was some minor stroke value. (12:46 minutes)

Bonus Scene: Last Call: Left to make his own way back , Brad walks around aimlessly at first he meets up with a very Looney Tori Black, who cracks you up with every word she says. He then meets up with two very naughty and sex starved beauties in a lingerie store, played by Mikayla Mendez and Alektra Blue. Brad asks to use the phone and comes to find out that Alektra is on the extension egging him on while Mikayla is right in front of him getting him very aroused. Brad gives into the temptation enjoying the blowjob giving explicit details to Alektra who is still on the phone playing with herself. Brad lets his fingers do as they please fingering Mikayla before he does her in doggie and in scissor before she takes his load into her mouth. (review by Ravyn) (13:33 minutes)

Summary: 2040 by director Brad Armstrong for Wicked Pictures worked both sexually and as a porno, minor plot points easy to overlook given the manner in which so much was attempted on so many levels compared to a generic "porno". The plotted points can be debated endlessly regarding where they came from (science fiction has long held a fascination with androids seeking sentience, even pop culture shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" showing the many moral dilemmas involved, Isaac Asimov's famous trilogy making it standard fare decades ago) but the sexual portions held up very nicely too thanks to a series of heated performances by the contract gals and outside ladies alike, the total package earning a vaunted Xcritic Pick. In short, 2040 was the kind of adult entertainment that some people just don't get (regarding the combining of sexual performances and plotted story) and it won't please everyone but it was certainly a rare bird indeed in a time when very few companies are willing to showcase their best talents in big budget titles, their DVD packages enhanced by a wealth of dedicated extras. Armstrong and his crew went all out here and it shows, the movie serving as a very tough title to beat come awards time.