Paul Thomas's 1990 classic The Masseuse was a great film. With an unusual format which would probably never be made by a mainstream porn company today (featuring only one male and one female performer) it holds up well today for those who enjoy plot in their porn. This release, Jenna Jameson is The Masseuse is an updated take on the story, which works well in a lot of ways, although it falls short in a few minor aspects.

The story is about a guy named Jim who is both shy and a bit odd, who meets a masseuse named Barbara with whom he becomes more and more obsessed after a series of increasingly sexual encounters. The storyline (and much of the dialog) will be very familiar for those who have seen the original, until about halfway through when modern sensibilities allow for some more daring action as well as a notable change in Barbara's personal situation.

By the way, I mention the original not only because it was a good movie, but because it's included as a bonus in this package! It's great to be able to compare the two versions. Other extras include a blooper reel, a behind-the-scenes documentary (which is worth watching), and two deleted scenes, along with two random bonus scenes. The usual trailers and galleries of still images are included. An unwanted extra is the barrage of unnecessary ads for phone sex lines and such before you reach the main menu. Vivid often puts these on their DVD releases, and I wish they'd stop.

The 1990 version only had sex scenes between two performers, Hypatia Lee and a young Randy Spears. In the new film, those roles are filled by Jenna Jameson and her real life husband, Justin Sterling. But several other performers also have scenes in the remake: Savanna Samson, Wendy Divine, and Evan Stone. The extra scenes add some added sex, which is necessary in today's porn landscape, but the extra scenes feel tacked on, especially the one between Wendy Divine and Evan Stone. (The scene with Savanna Samson is better integrated into the story, and makes a lot of sense once you reach the end of the movie.)

The two deleted scenes show that they at least considered tacking on even more sex scenes, and in some ways I think it might have worked better if they'd left them in. As it is, the 2004 film is at a somewhat awkward spot between the simplicity of the original film and the huge casts found in modern porn. Those looking for lots of sex may be disappointed, but those who like a plot will be happy to find that the story is just as strong as ever.

Video and audio quality is good, although some film grain is evident at times. The audio balance is usually pretty good, and the music doesn't impose too much. The bonus disc containing the original is of lower quality, and appears to have been digitized from a tape, as it is blurry and has some tape artifacts. It's not bad, though, and is certainly watchable.

My girlfriend and I both enjoyed the film, as we like lots of plot in our porn. We liked all the scenes between Jenna Jameson and Justin Sterling, but the other two scenes were not as much to our liking. The inclusion of the original movie is great, as it provides a very different take on the story with some great performances. Who knew Randy Stone could act that well?