The pandemic threw the entertainment industry into chaos, and a number of movie and TV projects were affected/pushed back. Josh Greenbaum's Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar was one such title, being pushed from 2020 to 2021 and arriving in theaters before folks were completely back at the movies. I recently did my annual re-watch of the zany comedy, and I still don't understand why it's not Anchorman-level of quotable and beloved by moviegoers.
Barb & Star's cast absolutely crushes the ridiculous nature of this film, which I personally think is one of the best comedies of all time. While I can quote the movie back and forth a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I'm constantly frustrated by people who have never seen this comedy in all of its culotte glory. Seriously go watch it now, it's streaming with a Hulu subscription.
While comedy is a tried and true genre, few titles are just as ridiculous as Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar. That's why I put it on the same level as Anchorman. This movie is dumb, but in the smartest, funniest way. It's downright ridiculous from its opening scene to its credits, which is why CinemaBlend's Barb & Star review was so overwhelmingly positive. We weren't the only publication to think so, as the movie sits at 81% and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
While not enough people have seen Barb & Star (get it together. Seriously put it on right now), everyone I've shown the project to has instantly become obsessed like me. Indeed, I have entire friend groups who constantly quote the movie. I just wish that more people would join the club and help make the the comedy a bonafide cult classic. And then hopefully we can get a sequel, where Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's title characters can take a trip to another destination.
Another standout performance in Barb & Star comes from Jamie Dornan, who filmed the comedy after finishing his tenure in the Fifty Shades franchise. He perfectly fits into the movie's bonkers tone, and keeps up with comedy legends like Wiig and Mumolo. This is especially true in the movie's two musical numbers, one of which is a solo for the 43 year-old actor.
Jamie Dornan is open for a Barb & Star sequel, which is truly music to my ears. But he admitted that the movie's release in the midst of COVID meant that far few people saw the project than anticipated. But if we all keep spreading the word of this delightfully ridiculous title then perhaps the chatter will get loud enough that we'll get some sort of follow-up project. Hey, a guy can dream.
As I've mentioned, Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar is streaming now on Hulu. No sequel is on the 2025 movie release list or beyond, so I'll just keep re-watching and quoting back each line.
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