Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar is a singular experience the likes of which we very rarely get these days. The mainstream studio comedy has become more and more of an anomaly as audiences forgo getting their comedy from theaters in favor of streaming from the comfort of their homes. The handful of comedies that we do get each year can mostly be depended on to have a basis in reality – your Judd Apatow, Paul Feig, etc. Barb and Star is not this at all. While real-life best friends Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are known for delivering the uproarious reality-based Bridesmaids to the world, they are working on a different frequency here. Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) are broad, capital “C” characters in a heightened world that have more in common with the Austin Powers franchise and the various Saturday Night Live movie adaptations than anything else. Part of the power of this film is the uncertainty of what exactly you are getting, so this review will be purposefully vague to ensure maximum enjoyment. All you really need to know is that Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar is the burst of joy in your life that you have been missing.
As the writers and stars are in real life, Barb and Star are best friends for life. The pair are living their best culottes-clad life in Soft Rock, Nebraska, gleefully working at the local furniture store. The two could not love their jobs more, as it gives them time to come in and gab for hours – sometimes when they are not even on the schedule – while doing some occasional work. They have the easy rapport of old friends, completing each other’s sentences about the most banal topics, such as the most trustworthy names (Trish). They only have one another; Barb lost her husband a while back and Star is bouncing back from a divorce. They do get a little “wild” at their weekly Talking Club, a meeting in which a hilarious array of women gather to have carefully structured conversations about a specific topic. Life is good, but it could be better. After their normal routine gets interrupted, they decide to take the advice of a friend (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and take a trip to the little slice of paradise in Florida known as Vista Del Mar. Getting out of their Midwest bubble is going to be a big journey for these ladies.
Wiig and Mumolo give truly committed performances that ground the humor in something human. The overarching situation that these two find themselves in is patently ridiculous, but you never feel as if these characters are ever being betrayed for the sake of a gag. Vista Del Mar is a locale that has a pulsating zeal that is able to match the infectious energy of our titular duo. From the welcome musical number forward, these two are treated to a candy-colored world filled with one outrageous scenario after another. If only to give a little more context to the general arc of the film, this lifelong friendship is tested by the introduction of the mysterious and hunky Edgar (Jamie Dornan), who both women find themselves drawn to at various points. After watching this performance from Dornan, it is safe to say that we as a society have not been utilizing his talents properly. The two leads are hilarious, but Dornan steals the show with this kooky and un-self-conscious turn that is everything. Jamie Dornan was made for comedies, not whatever Wild Mountain Thyme was.
There is still so much left to discover about this film that I cannot recommend highly enough. Will it be for everyone? Absolutely not. Those who are not comfortable giving themselves over to occasionally juvenile and baffling detours will find this effort more stupid than funny. But those who lock in to what this film is delivering will be rewarded with one of the most consistently giggle-inducing comedies that has come out in some time. For comedy fans, this one is filled with an array of supporting performers that will keep you laughing consistently. A personal favorite is a recurring appearance from Damon Wayans Jr. who plays a character that has trouble with keeping secrets. Even at 107 minutes, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar really moves and keeps the laughs coming pretty consistently, which is really all that you can ask. The art of broad character-based comedy has never gone away, but it has not been done so well in quite some time. This one is destined to become a cult classic.
Video Quality
Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar to Blu-Ray with a really lovely 1080p video presentation. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially in the interior shots. The production design from the cold, technology-laden evil lair to the marvelous hotel in Vista Del Mar, along with the fabrics of clothing, provide crystal clear textural details. The image is clean with the bright color palette popping off the screen. The film employs nice splashes of bold colors within the production design, which makes for a very striking image. The black levels are appropriately deep and inky with no discernible digital noise. The flesh tones are natural with a magnificent amount of detail present in close-ups, especially in the stark white face of Sharon. It would have been most excellent to get this on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but this Blu-Ray is still a top-tier representation of this movie.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures these fantastic locations beautifully. There is little in the way of pure action sequences, but the environmental sounds of the world engage the surround speakers in a really pleasing way. When the characters are walking through the hotel, there are some really nice ambient details that flesh out the setting. Dialogue is the driving force of the film, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. This is a film that recognizes the importance of music, and moments such as Jamie Dornan’s epic showstopping tune shine on this disc. The music in the film fills the speakers in a wonderful, well-balanced way. The various sound effects, including exploding houses and cannon fire, engage the low end of the track in a forceful manner. The audio track is an excellent sounding presentation for this feature in all respects.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Josh Greenbaum, Writer / Actor Annie Mumolo and Writer / Actor Kristen Wiig provide a lively track which offers fun insights into the film as well as camaraderie between the three which is pure fun. This is a must-listen for fans of the film.
- Barb & Star – Making Life A Little Brighter: A 10-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the story and aesthetic of the film, how the characters have evolved and much more.
- Barb & Star – Casting In Paradise: An 11-minute featurette which focuses more so on the talented cast members, the natural friendships, the experience filming on set and more.
- Bloopers: A six-minute collection of flubbed lines, giggle fits, horsing around, missed cues and more. As always, this is one of my favorite supplements on the disc.
- Deleted Scenes: Thirteen minutes of unused material from the film including a fear of escalators, a friendly bartender, friendly moments at the hotel and more. Definitely worth checking out if you want more of this world.
- Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar Fashion Show: A minute-and-a-half featurette in which some of the Talking Club members and other women model the very fashionable looks of Vista Del Mar.
Final Thoughts
Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar is the type of broad character-based comedy that we rarely get these days, and it is an absolute blast from beginning to end. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo contribute equally to the hilarity with their complete commitment to their characters. The supporting cast members likewise get shine in their gleefully peculiar roles. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray with a stellar A/V presentation and a wonderful selection of special features. If you are a fan of silly humor done really well, this movie will hit the spot just right. Highly Recommended
Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
