The opening sequence of Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar feels reminiscent of Spy Kids or a children's action film where bright colour palettes and questionable VFX run rife in small-town suburbia. Underground, a lair holds Sharon Gordon Fisherman, a malevolent Kristen Wiig, scheming with Yoyo (Reyn Doi) and Edgar (Jamie Dornan) to assert an attack to avenge her childhood trauma.
After a brief introduction to the arguably nonsensical narrative device, the real stars of the show arrive. Armed with their midwestern accents and culottes, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are Barb and Star, two lifelong friends who are ready to revitalise their groove after receiving word they're about to lose their jobs.
The film is the personification of turning to your friends and saying "let's take a silly one". Nothing makes sense, but it's just pure unabashed "tit-flapping" fun. It's a remedy for the times we're living through and will transport you right to the heart of sunny Vista Del Mar to get caught up in Barb and Star's escapades.
Mumolo and Wiig are the headliners, and the strengths lie entirely with them and their signature quick-witted humour that flows through the veins of their screenplay. It is every bit as fun as their previous collaborations, albeit slightly less coherent in parts with surprise musical numbers and unexplainable mythology. Their friendship is so sweet and endearing that it's easy to stride alongside them as they peruse the cheap tourist traps and indulge in late-night escapades at the bar.
Perhaps in times outside of the current climate, the sheer chaotic energy would be enough to warrant scrutiny, however, where escapism is necessary for survival right now, Mumolo and Wiig deliver.
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