Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a gleefully absurd comedy that's really fun even if the jokes don't always land. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are terrific with perfect chemistry. Jamie Dornan is excellent and Damon Wayans Jr. is consistently really funny. Josh Greenbaum's direction is really good, it's well filmed and extremely well paced. The soundtrack is also really good and the music by Christopher Lennertz and Dara Taylor is good.
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masonsaul15 March 2021
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Neon_Gold20 February 2021This movie is complete non sense and I loved it so much.
It can be hard to find a place when making a comedy that is absurd but isn't just like stupid if that makes sense but this movie finds it.
At first I wasn't won over by one of the main plots and didn't understand why it was there, I thought the movie should have just been about the main characters trip but it proved me wrong and tied it all together perfectly.
The jokes are a mile a minute and yeah sometimes they are duds but it doesn't matter because there will be another one any minute that won't be and will really land.
I also think that even though this movie is completely illogical I think it really got it's characters. They were fleshed out and that's what made them funny. You knew them after watching it, they didn't just say stupid lines for the sake of it, you felt like that was actually what them characters were like.
I also loved its colours they were just so sweet and candy like. It looks so good and worked really well with the film
I think this movie was great and you should give it a watch. -
sanbb-115118 April 2021Starts off slow but stick with it, complete non stop silliness just couldn't help myself loving this film, personally they could of given more comedy moments to Jamie Dornan as he is a naturally funny guy( please someone give him a good comedy film).
Barb and Star I just love these two women they could do so much more and please more comedy, the soundtrack to the film was good and so silly you cannot help but join in with the madness of it all. Ludicrous plot but just take the film in all its glory of silliness. These characters have so much potential to do much more. I hope their next adventures are with more plot, more silliness and an even bigger soundtrack.
I won't spoil the film just watch and it it your feet up and don't take life to seriously. -
superlip200321 February 2021Watched this with zero expectation oh boy we laughed so hard. Did NOT see that hilarious "death-defying" twist coming either. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are amazing not a dull moment fun and feel good start till the end. Almost for the first time forever I wish they develop a sequel to this :)
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stephenstephenbyrne14 March 2021This is kind of a silly movie. I can totally understand if this style of humour doesn't work or even irritates some people but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a lowkey smile on my face for most of it. Like the characters of the movie itself, its good nature just kind of rubs off on you
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rocketwoods12 February 2021I thought Barb & Star was going to miss but... it was actually a hit and was funny as hell lol. I gave it a try based on bridesmaids, which was a hit and written by the same characters also. If anyone doesn't like this movie, it's because they expected a bad comedy. The comedy (which is also PG-13) was wildly different than anything we've seen in a long time. Trust me!
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colonnesel15 February 2021I'm a pretty big fan of Kristen Wiig but this felt like a bad, long SNL sketch. There was nothing funny in there unfortunately which left me disappointed.
Most of the dialogue between Barb and Star seems improvised. The end point for me came when the musical number started at the resort. I just stopped watching and moved on to something else that actually entertained me. -
... and I absolutely LOVED it! I couldn't stop laughing! It was just what is needed with everything going on. Its fun, colorful, cheery and completely rediculous (in a good way). One of those movies you can watch again and again, good background while going things around the house. The music numbers are really well done and funny, the acting was great. It's like a toss up of those cheesy movies like Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion crossed with the even more rediculous ones like Airplane with a touch of Austin Powers type bad guys and a little bit of musical thrown in. Definitely worth a watch if you enjoy stuff like that.
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This is a completely bonkers movie. To begin with I thought - it's not even that funny but somehow it's still likeable and silly and, as pretty much everyone has said, just the kind of light hearted nonsense we need right now. But by the time Jamie Dornan sings an earnest ballad of love to the seagulls, I was won over. It takes comedy cliches to an unprecedented level and is well worth a watch for anyone who needs cheering up.
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markwoolley-6444215 February 2021Love the actors, hate the movie. It just doesn't work and is not funny. A couple of the visual gags are good, but even for a spoof, this is poor. Comparisons with Bridesmaids and Austin Powers are way off - this is nowhere near the same league. I paid £12 to watch it, which is money I will never get back. So save your cash and if you are intrigued, watch it when it is free...
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kathschneck25 April 2021There is so much to enjoy in this film. The writing has layers of humor that can appeal to almost anyone, if they're willing to accept some of the absurdism. Just accept it. Just go with it because this truly insane film hits so many notes of comedy accented by vivid sets and fun cut aways (packing their suitcases). And hats off to Jamie Dornan. He truly trusted his director and writers/costars because you have to admit, that character on paper would've been indiscernible. And yet he ends up charming at the end, in a caricature way, but still sympathetic. Wiig's dual performance is the cherry on top of all around incredible character moments-and lovely to see Phyllis and Vanessa. This seems like a movie that was a riot to make.
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jewelch15 April 2021The movie Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is so crazy and clever that it deserves an award. The entire cast & crew did such an amazing job with their talent & comedic timing. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time & It felt good to watch something so ridiculously off the wall silly. I really liked this one because its not just funny but its refreshing to escape in the absurd storyline. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 4/13/21.
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chrisk016 February 2021We have the girls gabble on about an imaginary friend they'd like to have named Trish. They describe her at length. This was meant to be hilarious. A lounge singer has a song about liking boobies. Is the word itself supposed to make it comedy gold? Wiig and Mumolo thought so I guess. Is the extended gabbling about anything that popped into their heads supposed to be funny because it's done with a nebraska accent? Again they seemed to think so. A tedious movie. Jamie Dornan pretends to be a comedic actor while having no business being a comedic actor. The whole thing was forgettable after about an hour.
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jk8jj2913 February 2021Three of my middle-age girlfriends and I watched this movie together with lots of laughs. It was like an Adam Sandler genre for women mixed with Wes Anderson style. Now we want to go to Vista Del Mar!
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pizandeng15 February 2021I was not impressed by the trailer at all but my sister somehow wanted to watch it last night, so we rented it. And I'm glad to say it was a blast, everyone in my family had fun. It has some flaws, some of the jokes didn't land and the craziness was sometimes over the top but overall, a very enjoyable goofy, silly, old-school comedy. I have new respect for Kristen Wiig. Thank you for a nice Sunday night.
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SnoopyStyle3 July 2021Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) are middle-aged best friends. Their small town lives are thrown upside down when their work shuts down. They try to get back their shimmer by vacationing in Vista Del Mar, Florida. The ladies encounter hunky Edgar Pagét (Jamie Dornan) and have a wild night. Unbeknownst to them, he's on a deadly mission from evil supervillain Sharon Gordon Fisherman (Kristen Wiig).
The supervillain part threw me off at first. I assumed it to be a movie with a movie. It's probably a step too wacky. It seems to me that Barb and Star would be funnier as fish out of water in this world. They should be the wackiest part and the movie world would react to them. Instead, everyone is wacky. I do really love hilarity of the threesome including the song and dance. That's the crux of this movie. I like Barb, Star, and Edgar. The rest may be too wacky like loud music that drowns out a good song. There is still some good fun to be had. -
dancehardordie23 February 2021There are a handful of laughs to be had, but few and far between. It's entirely absurd, which is fine, but most of the jokes are misses. Very disappointing. If you still want to watch it, I'd suggest getting a high a possible first, then it might be better.
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dangerous-person13 February 2021Okay, I'm not going to lie. I was super drunk when I watched this. In fact, I'm still drunk. And I probably will be for several more hours.
That being said, this was probably the funniest movie I've seen in a LONG time. Maybe it's the pandemic, or maybe it's Reba McEntire emerging from the ocean as an angel mermaid or whatever for absolutely no reason. Dude I don't know what the hell is going on, but I loved it.
The vibe of this movie is basically Wet Hot American Summer meets Austin Powers. If you're not into absurdist humor, you aren't going to like it. If you're not into Kristen Wiig, you won't enjoy it. Simple enough? Maybe you need more convincing?
Well that's too bad, because there are fried baby eagles on the menu and you're just a sad sack eating hot dog soup at talking club. -
Opinate13 February 2021If you need a little bit of silliness to brighten you up during the pandemic I highly recommend you give this movie a try. It won't play to anyone who is after a whip-smart intellectual comedy and some parts are a little trying (the cuts to the talking club - ugh - I find Vanessa Bayer annoying...) but for the most part it is loopy kooky colorful ride.
Jamie Dornan's musical numbers are made all the more hilarious if you mainly know him as the killer from 'The Fall,' as I do. So unexpected. -
lotekguy-112 February 2021As any SNL fan knows from the range of her sketches, when Kristen Wiig is on her game, she can be hilarious; other characters of hers can be pointlessly or excessively annoying. In this outing, she and co-star Annie Mumolo play the eponymous gal pals who seem destined to splurge on a big vacation. They lost their jobs and were ousted from their suburban social circle (a nicely satiric group of tea-sipping Karens' Talk Club) on the same day another friend gushes over her recent vacation to the titular Florida destination. And they're off.
Unfortunately, their trip coincides with an over-the-top supervillain's elaborate revenge plot against that resort town. She is sort of a distaff Dr. Evil, whose pasty complexion makes Tilda Swinton look like a sun-baked beach bunny. That's not pale-shaming; it's key to the plot. Such as it is.
Remember Romy and Michele's High School Reunion from 1997? Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino were a delight as ditzy innocents with a lifelong bond that synced their minds on a wavelength beyond most peoples' comprehension. This one plays as if those characters are back 20+ years later, having been drained of all their charm. Barb and Star work and live together, chatting incessantly over mostly meaningless minutia that has kept them on their own island of reality. Their characters grow tiresome long before they grow in their story arcs. The result is a tedious experience, relieved somewhat by a smattering of truly funny moments. Among those are a few clever songs (one going almost full Bollywood) and surprising, mostly uncredited, cameos from stars who must have assumed the final script would turn out much better than the working version they were sent.
Barb and Star is mediocre fluff. Even so, for those who watch, here's a bonus tip. During one character's semi-romantic song on the beach, watch the shadows on the sand to see how many different times of day were involved in the filming of one sequence. It's something for the unengaged to do. -
RoryIrish12 February 2021I knew Jamie was funny in interviews but that doesn't automatically translate to screen. In the first few minutes I wasn't sure. He seemed subdued. I expected a cameo, but he's central to the movie, and by the time he lets rip with an ode to seagulls or love or something... well goddamit he'd won me over. The movie around him is a bit hit and miss, though it's more hit. While dissimilar in plot, I found the movie resembled Zoolander in tone and sheer mentalness. I like Zoolander.
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nancyldraper5 April 2021If you are looking for a completely silly movie, then, look no further. If you need a giggle or a sudden explosive laugh, it's here. Absurd, preposterous, farcical, ludicrous. It's therapeutic. I needed it, so, I give this film a 7 (cathartic) out of 10. {Comedy}
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gfrancis014 February 2021This is a trippy comedy. Has a couple of musical numbers in it for some reason. There were some laughs, but I would recommend being in the mood for goofy comedy if you watch it, I think they were super high when the wrote it. There is a quick comedy bit after the credits as well, slightly funny, like most of the movie.
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IN A NUTSHELL: This movie is exactly what we all need right now. If you've been experiencing a pandemic funk as I have, you'll welcome this silly comedy as a breath of fresh air. It's super colorful, tropical, and ridiculously goofy... basically, the complete opposite of the pandemic. Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, and directed by Josh Greenbaum, the movie celebrates friendship and fun. In fact, one of the lines in the movie is, "Isn't that what we all want: a little love, friendship, and adventure?"
THINGS I LIKED: Kristen Wiig is so talented and plays two different characters in the movie. Her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and Kristen's writing partner of the comedy hit Bridesmaids. While their writing includes a lot of crude humor I don't enjoy, I recognize the importance of being able to laugh at a lighthearted movie with a simple message. There's a funny line about culottes, so I thought it was really cute that the movie opens with a written definition of what culottes are. Fun music soundtrack. I was surprised that there were several musical numbers. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) I love the idea of a "soul juzz." We all need that every now and then! The film is soooo colorful that you can't be in a bad mood when you watch it. Morgan Freeman gives a cameo performance...of sorts... I love the SNL code. Well, at least it seems like there's one. It's the loyal friendship that inspires the comedians from Saturday Night Live to include spots in each other's movies. SNL actors in this movie include Kristen Wiig and Vanessa Bayer. Another SNL alum, Will Ferrell, was one of the producers of the movie. Two stand-up comediennes included in the cast are Fortune Feimster and Karen Maruyama. Young Reyn Doi does a great job as YoYo. There's a random cameo by someone who actually shares a profound lesson in life. No spoilers! There's another cute cameo by someone who shares the other life lesson in the film. No spoilers! She looks great though! Obligatory dance party at the end of the movie that will put a smile on your face. If you're a fan of Jamie Dornan from Fifty Shades of Grey, you're going to see a very different side of him in this movie. His Irish accent comes out and he even sings and dances.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I don't appreciate crude humor and there is a lot of it. There's a stupid, offensive song called "I love boobies." Really? While the dumb things that come out of Barb and Star's mouths are unexpected, the movie is plot is pretty formulaic. Damon Wayans Jr.'s character was super random and didn't make any sense in the story.
TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of inappropriate sex jokes both visual and spoken Unmarried people "go at it" Some profanity
THEMES: Friendship Love Laughter Adventure "You can only be a friend if you're a friend to yourself first. That is where you find your truth." - Tommy Bahama (surprise cameo performance)
FUNNY LINES: "This place is full of places looking to hire women in their 40s." - Barb (Annie Mumolo) "A person's face says a lot about her look." - Star (Kristin Wiig) "I like wicker but I don't like sitting on it." - Lady in the talking club (Rose Abdoo)
INTERESTING LINES: "I feel like I've lost my shimmer." - Star (Kristen Wiig) "Isn't that just what happens when you're older?" - Barb (Annie Mumolo) "Sometimes you gotta step out of your box a little so then you'll know what life is really about. - Trish (cameo performance)
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