VIBES

Somehow, this one never showed up on my radar. I have absolutely no memory of even hearing about this film when it was released in 1988. I only know about it now because it was recently broadcast on TCM. I decided to give it a shot.

Kinda wish I hadn't.

VIBES is a mash up of far better films including ROMANCING THE STONE, GHOSTBUSTERS and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. It's a quirky rom-com/adventure movie that pairs ditzy pop singer Cyndi Lauper with Jeff Goldblum. The two have psychic powers and they're recruited by Peter Falk (the best thing in this whole affair) to help him find a fabulous treasure hidden somewhere in the mountains of Ecuador.

VIBES has nice on-location cinematography by John Bailey but suffers from those really crappy 1980s visual effects that looked so state of the art at the time and now look terrible. 

The role of Nick, a psychometrist who can pick up on the past of an object by touching it, was originally slated to be played by Dan Aykroyd. He bowed out after reading the screenplay by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, and the part went to Jeff Goldblum, who was no stranger to genre films at that point in his career having appeared in INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978), BUCKAROO BANZAI (1984), TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000 (1985) and his most high profile film, David Cronenberg's THE FLY (1986). 

Produced by Ron Howard's production company, Howard eschewed directing duties on VIBES, turning the reins over to Ken Kwapis, who only had two films (THE BENIKER GANG (1984) and FOLLOW THAT BIRD (1985)) to his credit at the time. Show of hands please for anyone who has ever seen or heard of these films.

VIBES tries hard to win the audience through the oddball pairing of string bean Goldblum and the tiny, pixyish Lauper but it's strictly routine. Sadly, it's veteran Falk who has all of the best lines and moments in a film that fails to deliver either laughs or thrills.

Thumbs down.