Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar was a hilarious film that was very different than what I expected. Besides the girlfriends on vacation comedy I was expecting, this film also has a crime subplot and some fantastic yet random musical numbers.
After the year we’ve had, I love when a film like this comes along. I loved how bubbly, colorful and fun the movie was. The film also feels like an extended SNL skit, but not in the wrong way.
The film tells the story of best friends Barb and Star, who leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to go on vacation in Vista Del Mar, Florida, where they soon find themselves tangled up in adventure, love, and a villain’s evil plot to kill everyone in town.
The film was co-written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who were nominated for a screenwriting Oscar for their first collaboration, Bridesmaids. While it doesn’t reach the heights of that film, it is still very funny and another winner for the pair. Besides writing the film, they also play the titular roles, and they are both in top form. They have incredible chemistry, and I just loved seeing their back-and-forth banter, an easy highlight for me. I wanted to party with them because of how happy and fun they came off.
The film is reminiscent of Austin Powers, especially with Kristen Wiig playing dual roles of hero and villain. I also found myself thinking of Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion with Barb and Star’s friendship and ditzy personalities.
Kristen Wiig was so freaking funny. This character and performance felt like an extension of her iconic Target Lady character from SNL and shows how nobody writes better characters for her than herself. She also plays a second character who is the villain of the film, and let’s say this is a better villain performance than what she did in Zoolander 2, but that’s not saying much. I found myself thinking that Wiig only took it upon herself to play the role because Tilda Swinton must have turned it down, as this seems to be the kind of role she usually plays.
Mamolo, who usually plays a supporting role, shines in a rare lead role. Like Wiig, she perfectly nails her character’s chipper, infectious tone brilliantly. The way they both play their characters can be a bad or good thing. It just all depends on your taste in comedy. For me, it worked.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar has the best use of Jamie Dornan ever too. Hollywood has tried making him a thing for a long time but to no avail. However, in this film, he shows charisma and comedic timing that wasn’t evident in the Fifty Shades films. He has a couple of the film’s random musical numbers, and oh man, did he deliver in them.
No spoilers, but the film also features two small cameos, one of a famous actor as a crab’s voice, and man did that scene make me laugh till my cheeks hurt. The other was just as shocking and made me smile because Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar executed it well.
That’s where the positives stop, and we transition to the very few issues I did have with the film. I feel the film was a bit longer than it needed to be, as the film clocks at 107 minutes. The film takes a while to get going, and that initial 15 minutes could have had a few things trimmed. Once we get to Vista Del Mar, the film is a hit delivering pretty much non-stop. The film’s villain subplot was also very hit and miss for me, as I stated in my comments regarding Wiig’s performance in that secondary character. It had its parts, but I wasn’t too big on it.
It also sucks to say it, but Damon Wayans Jr. and Wendi McLendon-Covey, who have proven to be hilarious on many occasions, such as in New Girl and The Goldbergs, were utterly wasted. While Reyn Doi was delightful as Yoyo, the little boy who completely stole the teaser trailer with his rendition of Barbra Streisand’s Guilty, I wanted more of him in the film. He at least does get more to do than those two.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a hilarious film for a fun date night film. One of the funniest films of the past 12 months. This movie is one I’ll be watching on repeat. If you’re a fan of crude humor and Kristen Wiig’s comedy, be sure to check it out if you haven’t already.
