Enquête en tête

Cheerful, underrated comedy about psychics served as a showcase for pop singer Cyndi Lauper (in her acting debut). She's a comic natural playing Sylvia Pickel, an unlucky-in-love single gal whose "psychic guide" leads her into the arms of fellow clairvoyant Jeff Goldblum (in possibly his smoothest comic performance to date). Both have been duped by con-man Peter Falk into finding a lost city of gold in Ecuador, and for the most part "Vibes" is a funny, knockabout journey with witty vignettes scattered about. The last-act drags its feet, but the script is full of great exchanges and a wonderful scene on the dance floor between the two stars. Lots of amusing one-liners, such as my favorite from Goldblum after Elizabeth Peña disrobes: "Parts of me are already applauding." *** out of ****

"Vibes" is a totally fun, light, cotton-candy puff of a movie and a bit more. The plot is stupid but still hilarious, and Cyndi Lauper turns in a surprisingly (or not surprisingly) wonderful debut performance as an ultra-quirky psychic. Incidentally, the track she recorded for this movie- "Hole in my Heart (That goes all the way to china)"- is awesome, and arguably the best song she ever made after the "She's So Unsual" era. The rest of the cast is also a pleasant surprise. A colourful, cute little bubblegum flick...you can rent "Apocalypse Now Redux" another day.

"Vibes" is an overlooked gem, waiting to be discovered. It's faults (weak special effects, and underdeveloped script) are swamped by the enthusiastic performances of Cyndi Lauper and Jeff Goldblum. There are so many quick one liners that could easily be missed, multiple viewings are almost mandatory. Peter Falk delivers some real gems too. I can see why the film never found an audience, because it is very silly in parts, yet knives in the back are nothing to laugh at. I say this, go in expecting some dark humor along with endearing acting from Lauper and Goldblum and you will not be disappointed. Simply come along for the ride and leave logic at home. - MERK

For some reason then I have actually never seen the 1988 adventure comedy "Vibes". And even more surprisingly so, as the movie even has my favorite actor on the cast list. But I guess it is because I never stumbled upon a copy of the movie before now in 2021.

Needless to say that I opted to sit down, on the accounts of it being a movie that I hadn't already seen, the synopsis sounded good, and the movie had Julian Sands on the cast list. And of course, having the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk on the cast list definitely helped to sweeten the deal.

The storyline told in "Vibes" was good. This wasn't a movie that required a whole lot of concentration or investment from the audience as it was a fairly light-hearted and non-too serious movie. So you just switch off the brain, grab whatever snack you have, lean back and watch the movie.

They had gotten together a good ensemble of actors and actresses for the movie. And I will say that Cyndi Lauper actually did perform surprisingly well here, something that was I a bit hesitant about having her in a lead role. But she surprised me with her performance. It was also fun to watch Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk in their roles. It was a shame, though, that Julian Sands didn't have more time on the screen.

If you enjoy a light adventure movie, then "Vibes" is certainly a good choice. And despite its age, it is a movie that has aged well, and it quite watchable today.

I am rating "Vibes" a six out of ten stars.

Vibes entertains me immensely. While I can somewhat comprehend those who don't enjoy this movie, I don't share their attitude at all. Cyndi Lauper's lovelorn portrayal of Silvia is perfect in style and comic timing. She is utterly believable. She also pronounces Scandinavian and Incan sounds with flair. Peter Falk displays his usual mastery of comedy as the pathologically lying Harry, reminiscent of his role in The In-Laws (1979). He has the best and most absurd lines dealing with static electricity, a friend's infidelities with his former wives, his desire to be someone (someone with money), and how women are soft and might bounce out of a hotel, among many others. I like Jeff Goldblum in just about every movie he does, including this one, though here as Nick he seems a bit more distracted than usual. Still, that's a trait of many of his characters and is perhaps a component of his charm. Supporting players (Sands, Gress, Lerner, Bieri, &c.) all perform excellently, and the music is enchanting, particularly during the scenic settings in Ecuador. Although I've dubbed a fine DVD copy from a late-night movie channel, I'll buy a commercial release as soon as one's available. If I always wanted an intricate intellectual acting masterpiece with minimal music and scenery, I'd watch 12 Angry Men (1957) another dozen times, but Vibes is just the thing for light, fun fare.