The concept of the ‘anti-comedy’ is something I’ve never really quite gotten a grasp on as a viewer. It’s the meta tactic of a comedian or comedy writer making fun of the concept of traditional humorous gags for the sake of being ironic. David Wain’s cult classic Wet Hot American Summer (2001) has a little of this, as do any of Andy Kaufman’s infamous TV bits back in the 1970s.
With Josh Greenbaum’s Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, I wonder if this might be a version of the trend. The new comedy currently holds an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 68% on Metacritic, showing a lot of people clearly enjoyed the movie. Yet by the end of the feature I was still struggling to find the appeal.
Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) are two single, middle-aged women in small town Nebraska who adore each other as best friends. They see each other as the perfect friendship, while the rest of town is baffled by how uninteresting they are. When the pair lose their jobs at a local furniture store, Barb and Star are inspired to travel on vacation to a luxurious beach resort in Vista Del Mar, FL. Little do they know that at the same time an evil mastermind, Sharon (Wiig) with a bad history with the beach community is organizing local genocide — and has sent her good looking, infatuating sidekick Edgar (Jamie Dornan) to do the dirty work.
Damon Wayans, Jr., Michael Hitchcock, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Vanessa Bayer make up some of the supporting cast. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is the second movie penned by Mumolo and Wiig a decade after Paul Feig’s more conventional comedy hit Bridesmaids (2011). The two ladies can write some relatable and memorable characters as proven with the earlier picture, and Greenbaum’s past directing credits include episodes of the popular sitcoms “New Girl” (2011-2018) and “Fresh Off the Boat” (2015-2020). So I’m not sure what to make of Barb and Star. The new flick is really, really silly. Mumolo, Wiig and Greenbaum threw every comedic gimmick thinkable into the runtime, including slapstick humor, pop culture references, musical numbers, and drug-fueled club sequences. Wiig even fancies herself like Mike Myers this time around with her double role as a Dr. Evil type villain.
I can appreciate an amusing goofy comedy as much as the next person, with Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles (1974) and Harold Ramis’ Caddyshack (1980) as two of my favorites. And yet, I barely cracked a smile throughout the whole wacky adventure through Vista Del Mar. Is this a new brand of on-screen performance art? Am I out of touch? Is the general public lowering their standards for humor? Maybe time will tell where Barb and Star falls into the pop culture zeitgeist, as I cannot tell you on opening week (now available on VOD and Amazon).
Have you seen Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar? Did you find it funnier than I did? Let us know in the comments!
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