Movie Reviews
Retro Movie Review: VIBES (1988)
I know, I know. I hear what you’re saying out there. Some of us remember 1988. A movie from 1988 has no place in a segment about retro movies. It wasn’t that long ago, right? Sometimes, though, a film comes along that transfixes you. It compels you to watch it. This, my friends, is Vibes. All one must do is look over the cast list to wonder how wildly quirky this movie must be. Is this one I’d immediately wonder how I’d missed it? Or should Vibes return to the deepest, darkest corners of the streaming jungle? Read on.
About Vibes
Vibes follows two psychics (Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper). Shortly after getting to know each other, they meet a local eccentric (Peter Falk) who promises them $50,000 if they travel to Peru and track down his missing son. So he claims, anyway. As the film continues, they stumble onto questions of mystic treasure, gold, and a romantic adventure that feels inherently at home in the late 1980s. This is Romancing the Stone for the self-identifying “weird kids.” Julian Sands, Googy Gress and Michael Lerner co-star in the movie. Ken Kwapis directs Vibes from a script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel.
To dive right in, the following must be said, “Holy casting decisions, Batman!” Truthfully, this is going to be what draws a majority of 2024 eyes to this project, and it works to a beautifully quirky effect. Goldblum, even at his still relatively young age, is already the lovable character we recognize today. He’s fully formed and delightful. Cyndi Lauper, meanwhile, is her colorful and eccentric self. If you remember the 1980s, you remember Cyndi Lauper.
RELATED: Retro Movie Review: Cat Women of the Moon (1953)
As a film, Vibes is fully and unapologetically reliant on character and personality. Lauper and Goldblum jump into the lead roles with uninhibited zeal and lean into their immediately familiar personas. Truthfully, this rockets Vibes to a new cinematic plain. This film, as it currently exists, is only possible with Goldblum and Lauper in the lead roles. This is a different and less memorable movie with different actors playing these parts.
Vibes is at its wacky, zany best in Act 2 when Golblum, Lauper, and Peter Falk have the time and the freedom to bounce off each other. Always a brilliant character actor, Peter Falk is having a blast in this role. He’s unafraid to lean into this role and finds an easy verbal slapstick only he could pull off so effortlessly.
As the film shifts into Act 3, it steps away from its easy sense of humor, and things get a little more traditional. While the leads try their darndest, it slips back into familiar and generic action/rom-com territory. This is particularly frustrating because Julian Sands is the performer who ends up largely wasted. While a film like this probably needs a “straight” man, in a movie with this much personality, his scenes sag significantly.
RELATED: Horror With a Side of Cheese: 3-Headed Shark Attack
Ultimately, this is a film that, to some, will always feel at least a little dated. Vibes has a big, brash 1980s sensibility. This comes across in everything from the set design to the hair and especially the wardrobe. Cyndi Lauper is in this film, after all. Add in Jeff Goldblum in his Earth Girls Are Easy era and the fluorescent neon circle is complete. Do with that what you will.
Now, as part of full film critic disclosure, Vibes does not make a great showing on Rotten Tomatoes. In fact, its 13 percent is more than a little daunting. While the movie earns tremendous goodwill for its unabashed personality, anyone coming to this for the action narrative will be left wanting.
RELATED: Retro Movie Review: Avalanche (1978)
The script, in particular, struggles with the treasure story. This is particularly noticeable deep in Act 2 as the final twist materializes seemingly out of nowhere. In truth, this plotline (and the characters stuck within it) feels like an afterthought. This becomes doubly frustrating as the film broadens its scope away from its adorable quirkiness. The narrative groundwork, unfortunately, hasn’t been laid to sustain a more traditional plot.
When all is said and done, Vibes is a fun and pleasant surprise. This wacky little film came out of nowhere and ended up being an absolute pleasure to watch, thanks to this purely enjoyable cast. This film largely knows where its strength lies, and it isn’t afraid to let its characters steal the show. With a script that doesn’t pull its own weight, they are a welcomed distraction. Goldblum, Lauper and Falk are unapologetically themselves, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Vibes is now streaming on Tubi.
Everything Coming to Netflix in September 2024
A film nerd from my earliest years watching Abbott and Costello, that eventually translated to a Master’s Degree in Film History. I spend my time working on my fiction projects in all their forms, as well as covering film and television.