Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar review: An acid trip buddy comedy

There’s been a frequent complaint amongst film fans going around of late that the movie industry has all but killed off two genres that used to rule the early 2000s: The rom-com and the raunch comedy. Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar sets out to singlehandedly shatter that notion, giving audiences one of the most singular and gleefully bizarre films in recent memory.

It’s Austin Powers meets Mamma Mia!, with a dash of The Hangover thrown in there as well – an insane yet magical combination that wields one of the most entertaining comedies in recent memory.

The film follows middle-aged midwestern besties Star (Kristen Wiig) and Barb (Annie Mumolo) as they vacation to, you guessed it, Vista Del Mar, after being fired from their beloved job at a furniture store. Unbeknownst to the two hapless women, the villainous Dr. Lady (also played by Wiig in pasty white makeup and a black bob) and her cronies Edgar (Jamie Dornan) and YoYo (Reyn Doi) are planning a sinister plot that could lead to the destruction of Vista Del Mar… and the ruins of their vacation.

What resonates most with us about Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar is its complete and utter willingness to do whatever the hell it wants. Comedies tend to be far and few between as it is in the current film landscape, and the ones that do come out typically follow a tried-and-true formula or coast on a bankable star or director. While Wiig is without a doubt an acting powerhouse, she’s not the main draw for Barb and Star, nor does the film over-rely on her comedic talents.

Instead, the film is more interested in carving its own niche and going full steam ahead with its own absurd cocktail of musical numbers, action scenes, and raunch comedy bits. Take the film’s opening scene – YoYo riding his bike and jamming to Barbra Streisand as he delivers newspapers on a sunny suburban paper route until he tosses one suspiciously and it turns out to be a bomb, destroying an entire house. It’s a musical, a comedy, and an action flick all rolled into one – and that’s just the film’s first two minutes.

It’s the perfect introduction to what can really only be described as comedy’s answer to an acid trip – Barb and Star is unrelenting in its weirdness – Wiig and Mumolo commit FULLY to the midwestern accents, and their meaningless prattle is so jarringly different from most film dialogue, it’s almost like a joke in and of itself. There are two more musical numbers – one of which features a Footlight Parade-style display of choreography, and the other which sees Jamie Dornan doing his best to channel Zac Efron’s iconic “Bet on It” scene in High School Musical 2. It’s difficult to put into words the unique brand of insane that Barb and Star establishes for itself – but it’s the kind of fever dream that can really only be fully explained by watching the film yourself.

While the film’s constant genre-straddling and tone were our initial draws to the film, credit must also be given to Kristen Wiig for her powerhouse role in its creation – pulling quadruple duty as writer, producer, and actor for two different characters. She spends most of the runtime as Star, the more randy of the two women, but also intermittently slips into the role of the film’s villain Dr. Lady as well. As Star, she nails the speech patterns and cadences of an aging midwestern woman (though the accent may struggle at times), and brings her signature physicality and unique brand of line delivery that’s made her such a comedy legend. She’s equally as strong when playing Dr. Lady – delivering the kinds of monologues and one-liners that evoke the same screen presence as Mike Meyers pulling double duty in the Austin Powers franchise.

Her partner in crime, Barb (Annie Mumolo) shines a little less brightly, but that’s also because Barb is mostly playing second fiddle, and her own personal arc isn’t quite as plot-relevant – it’s more like the writers giving her something to do while Star is off making out in corners with Edgar. Speaking of the handsome Irishman himself, if you’re only familiar with Jamie Dornan from the 50 Shades of Grey films, you likely won’t even recognize him here. He throws himself into the role with incredible gusto – proving he’s got some serious versatility, and a great sense for the kind of movie that he’s in. He plays the lovesick puppy well, and it’s great fun to watch him jaunt across the screen, singing and dancing.

The rest of the supporting cast fills out well – Reyn Doi nails the dry humor and physical comedy particularly well for an actor his age, and brings quite a bit of substance to Yoyo that might not have originally come through in the writing. Damon Wayans Jr. is wonderful in the few scenes he’s in, but the film makes the mistake of mis-utilizing him. Vanessa Bayer is similarly shoehorned in a manner that sometimes tends to feel a little forced.

Undoubtedly, though, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar is one of the most winning comedies we’ve seen in years. Joyous, and bombastic yet self-deprecating and dry, the film’s eagerness to straddle genre boundaries and vibrant set of characters align to create one of the few recent comedies that is unquestionably worth seeing.

Are you planning to watch Barb and Star? Why or why not? Sound off in the comments.