You know what? Maybe I'm not a feminist if it means I have to enjoy messaging that trashes men or only focuses on the worst of them to boost women up. I don't believe that men are only weak, whiny, stupid, incompetent, power-hungry, controlling, and empty. So, when they're portrayed that way to set up women as superior, I don't like it.
This movie had all the elements to open a conversation about how it shouldn't be about men ruling over women or women ruling over men, it should be about working together to break down toxic constructs that affect both men and women, supporting each other, and being better for one another to make real change. But instead of opening that conversation, it just tells you what you should think. You should think that if women ruled the world and told men what to do, everything would be great. That's just so... disappointing.
There's a lot I enjoyed about this film; the style, the actors, the direction, the soundtrack, the humor and satire, the way it explored what it means to be a woman, what it means to be human, gender roles, consumerism, and more. So many great things to love, but the feminist message is not one I can get behind.
The meanest thing I could say about this movie is ‘Has extreme Don’t Worry Darling energy’.
I have never seen a movie more desperate to justify itself. It’s trapped in this endless neurosis over what it is- a blockbuster Barbie movie in 2023 by an acclaimed art house director that is fun but also deep but also earnest but also self aware but also but also but also. Every point it raises it brings up a counterpoint to before the audience can, every frame is trying to prove it’s not just product but art. It’s never just Barbie. It’s never confident or even comfortable in its skin. You cannot for a second be immersed in Barbie because it’s not a story so much as a visual dissertation without a central thesis, it’s a student film riffing on the big dogs hoping it’s underdog audacity will carry it but given a budget in the millions. It so desperately wants you to like it, to know it’s in on the joke too.
Everythng is an ouroboros here: an endless loop of argument and counterarguement feeding itself. Isn’t it shitty how the Mattel boardroom is full of men? Ah, but isn’t it cool how Mattel’s acknowledged it with this niche? And it’ll mythologize Barbie’s creator but uh don’t worry she did tax evasion we know that, now let her impart into Barbie the experience of all women. Barbie helps women, Barbie hurts women, Barbie is told to be everything so isn’t she just like women, but it is better to be a creator than the idea, and in the end, hasn’t Barbie helped all these women? Oh uh why is this blonde white Barbie the centerpiece of it all and helping not only her diverse Barbie friends but a Hispanic woman and her daughter? Don’t worry we’ll have the daughter call her a white savior! But don’t worry we’ll have the mom say she’s not! It’s fascinating to watch, honestly. It’s a film that wants to prove to you so so bad that it works but it doesn’t and it knows it doesn’t and it knows you knows. It’s Gerta Gerwig wrestling with taking this job for an hour and a half.
The cast is more than game and able. Margot Robbie is doing her damndest to find the heart and soul in this role, and there’s one scene with an old lady near the end of the first act/beginning of the second that actually works, for just a moment, more than any of the big third act soliloquies or montages with emotional ballads. And as someone who’s seen Blade Runner 2049 and Drive, this is the best Ryan Gosling performance I’ve seen. The man commits and delivers a surprisingly compelling and entertaining antagonist. The movie can’t quite reconcile what he’s done with his ending, or tie it into the themes- is Ken letting go of Barbie and the need to define himself for or against her symbolizing the need for men to do the same, and if so, why play it so lightly and sympathetically?- but that’s not his fault. And the supporting cast are entertaining, but you just can’t have big laughs with a movie that feels like it’s constantly checking in the corner of its eye after every joke to see if you’re laughing, grin stuck in place. It’s not as funny or as smart as it wants to be, and the sad thing is, it feels like it knows that too.
There is some great set design, cinematography, dazzling choreography, popping colors, and some fun high points. But I can’t imagine many kids liking it. And we’ve seen how conservatives have taken this movie. And anyone’s who’s progressed beyond the politics of. Well. A feminist blockbuster Barbie movie will find it cloying or condescending or just incredibly basic. It’s aimed at a very specific crowd who will buy what it’s saying, the liberals who see corporate feminism as progress, who agree that it’s just about a little change sometimes, who are ready for something just a little more complex than a SNL sketch. I don’t regret seeing it, because I was deeply engaged the whole time seeing it struggle at war with itself, in pain for its whole existence. It’s not a boring movie by any means. It wants to say everything before the audience can say it first. It’s the endpoint of The Lego Movie and Enchanted- the corporations interrogating and justifying themselves, and the cracks in this formula are too large to ignore. It wants to be so much, and the attempt is as darkly mesmerizing as a fly thinking it can somehow and someway metamorphize into a butterfly and suffocating and struggling in its makeshift cocoon, but this is one Barbie that fundamentally just cannot break out of its box.
[9.2/10] There are parts of Barbie that aren’t for me. I am a guy. A “Ken” to use the film’s own lingo. I don’t know what it’s like to be a woman. I don't know what it’s like to face those challenges myself. So much of the film is about that experience, both the idealized version that Barbieland represents, and the sometimes harsh reality of it our unwitting doll protagonist crashes into in the real world. I can appreciate some of those things secondhand, and even be compelled by them, but they’re not going to resonate with me the same way they will for someone who’s been through it.
There are parts of Barbie that are very much for me as a guy. As someone whose high school Xanga page used to autoplay “Push” by Matchbox 20, some of the comedic tweaks of masculinity hit a little too close to home. I’ve waxed rhapsodic about The Godfather ad nauseam. I’ve played music “at” girls I liked. And more seriously, in my wayward youth, I treated romantic partners like a solution to my problems rather than ends unto themselves. The film’s playful jabs, and its more serious critiques, are on point, and will resonate even if you’re the target of them.
There are parts of Barbie that are for me as someone who simply appreciates when a film has a distinctive look and feel all its own. Director/co-writer/three-for-three visionary Greta Gerwig and her collaborators construct an incredible world for their title character. Translating a doll’s playspace for the big screen could easily go terribly awry. But their realization of Barbieland is stunning in how vibrant and creative it feels. Everything from the layout of Barbie’s neighborhood, to the movements of the characters, to the texture of the ground give this unique realm a tremendous sense of place. The details big and small are a brilliant example of how to blend the realism of modern film with the bizarre but endearing unreality of such a specific setting.
There are parts of Barbie that are for me as a lover of out there, postmodern camp. WIth that locale comes the wild cosmology of the film: a neat mishmash of a land of imagination crashing into the problems of modern life, of spritely cartoon characters finding unexpected cracks in their paradise, of goofy figures playing their roles to the hilt without a hint of irony, and of a wide-ranging satire that spoofs the gendered elements of society and the peculiar quirks of a toy box world at the same time. Bright colors, wild schemes, beachside battles, song-and-dance numbers, wide-eyed characters, undeniable weirdos, all wrapped in a candy-coated shell. If Barbie hadn't already dominated the box office, it would be destined to be a cult classic.
And as that box office take suggests, here are parts of Barbie that are for anyone. I’d argue they’re the most important parts. I may not know what it’s like to be a woman. But I know what it’s like to grow up. Beyond the gender critiques that swirl around the film, this is, first and foremost, a story about steadily realizing that the world is bigger, more challenging, and more complicated than the ones we perceived and imagined as children.
Through a nigh-magical bond with the young woman who played with her, our protagonist, Stereotypical Barbie, starts to think about death. She starts to feel existential dread. She deals with stress and fear and unease and even (gasp) cellulite. The most piercing aspect of Gerwig’s third feature is how it uses the doll’s awakening conceit to analogize both the humbling, terrifying broadening of perspective we get as we grow up, and the generational motion sickness we get from looking back at what enchanted us, what inspired us, when we were younger.
In that, Barbie is insightful. It is hilarious. It is delightful. It is inventive as all hell. And it is deeply profound.
What’s doubly impressive about all this is that the call is coming from inside the house. If Gerwig, for example, made a thinly-veiled “Malibu Stacy” movie, we’d praise it as subversive. Somehow, though, this is an official branded release that deconstructs and reconstructs the gender politics that Barbie reinforced and then evolved with, that satirizes the Mattel Corporation itself (headed here by one of Will Ferrell’s trademark manchildren characters), takes square aim at the patriarchy, and uses the existence of genitalia to symbolize self-actualization. To convince the powers that be to cosign such a transgressive take on a beloved icon is an achievement beyond the art itself.
How could the suits say no to talent like that though. With her Oscar-nominated pedigree, Gerwig brings the same reimagining virtuosity and millennial vanguard she showed off in Little Women. Margot Robbie simply is Barbie, embodying the blithely joyous icon, and then nailing the subtle and shattering changes that came as she slowly feels the weight of the world beyond her shores. Ryan Gosling nearly steals the show with his committedly weird, blithely blinkered, and yet somehow pathos-ridden take on Ken. Comedy vets like Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera bring wry laughs in perfect casting as “Weird Barbie” and just plain “Alan” respectively. And the diversity of the denizens in Barbie’s world is plus that aids in the sense that damn near everyone here is perfectly cast, no matter how big or small the role.
Despite its incredible successes, the film is not perfect. In places, it feels unfocused. Barbie strives to cover a lot of thematic ground in less than two hours. As a result, even though it remains stellar on a scene-to-scene basis, sometimes it comes off disjointed as a whole. While many of its criticisms are right on target, some feel like the male equivalent of “bitches be shoppin’”-style observations. That sense of caricature in some sequences fits the heightened tone of the film, but can seem comparatively shallow to the movie’s more incisive critiques and observations. Late in the film, those critiques and observations start arriving in what amounts to a few blunt spoken essays, rather than arising organically from the situation.
And yet, this is a film of great nuance. Despite the sense of Ken as a blithe, patriarchy promoting dope, the script has genuine sympathy for him, and even uses him to explore gendered marginalization in the context of Barbieland. It plays in the space of motherhood, examining the challenges and expectations that can drive parents and children apart but also the beauty and understanding that brings them back together. It manages to encompass nearly every part of the conversation around Barbie, while also internalizing them to one person’s journey of self-discovering in a way that feels surprisingly natural.
That comes from the sheer boldness and ambition of the story. A doll “malfunctioning” from her owner’s existential quandaries, barging into the real world and coming back shaken by it, with layers of meta commentary and Charlie Kaufman-esque recursive self-reflection, is a hell of a thing to try, let alone pull off with flying (mostly pink) colors the way Gerwig does.
What holds it all together is the way this story comes down to Barbie herself as a protagonist. After psychological tugs and troubles that are a metaphor for the growing, scary understanding we all develop over time, Barbie breaks down. She’s ready to give up in the face of it. She’s lifted up by someone who gives voice to the challenges and contradictions, but in the end, after this enlightenment, isn’t sure what she wants.
The conceit of making her creator a godlike figure, there to bless her and open doors for her, is one of the film’s canniest choices. In Rhea Perlman’s pitch perfect rendition of Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, Barbie has a mother, one who symbolizes the goal not just of feminism, but for all parents -- to try to make the lives of their children a little safer, a little kinder, a little better than theirs were.
So Ruth gives her child the gift of vision, a chance to see and feel the breadth of experiences that await her if she leaves the safety of Barbieland and a safe childhood view of the world, and trades it for the world of adulthood, with all of its terrors and pitfalls, but also a waterfall of joys, fellowship, and wonders. That closing sequence, set to Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”, is the bravura crescendo of the film that surprised and moved me.
It is a cinematic showpiece to capture, well, life, and beyond that, the sublime, terrifying choice to embrace that complex array of experiences, good and bad, that await you. To accept that, to countenance the overwhelming scope of existence, knowing that it will overtake you and that it will end, is an act of profound courage, and a gobsmacking thing to successfully convey on the silver screen.
No matter who you are, you feel that plight. You feel that awe. You feel the spiritual catharsis of a doll who knowingly becomes a person, and scarier yet, a grown-up, with all that comes with both. You feel the hardship and hope of choosing to live in a messy and imperfect world and to be messy and imperfect. And that part of Barbie is for everyone.
So, my feelings on this one are very divisive, so I will state first things I like, then things I dislike. I think this movie looks really good. The set design is awesome, I love how colorful it feels and the outfits are spot on. The combination of pink and light blue is great. This movie also had a lot of fun moments, especially with Ryan Gosling playing Ken. He absolutely killed the role, both in dumb fun and also emotional moments. Highlight of the movie of course was the dance sequence of the Kens. Absolutely in love with this scene, and I wish the movie would have more of that. I think the general intention of this movie to be empowering to little girls is sweet, and I do see how it also plays hardcore into the nostalgic factor for those who played with Barbie as kids. I’m not the target audience in that regard, but, the idea of how much this movie means to some people is kinda nice.
However, there are also things I didn’t like in the movie. The plot is not engaging, and apart from the humor I quickly noticed how I lost interest in the movie. The characters aside from Margot Barbie and Ryan Ken are also very flat, with some developments just happening off-screen (like Sasha and her mother making up all of sudden??)
The movie also was very on-the-nose with its message and themes, repeating surface-level feminism three times out loud, and I guess it serves well to convey that message to a younger audience but for me it felt tone-deaf. The ending I also take issue with as it just returned everything to the status quo which was previously criticized, and it felt like the movie went a bit into the direction that to solve patriarchy you reverse it which I don’t agree with. Overall it really is just surface-level feminism, though. Patriarchy wasn’t really explored beyond sexualizing and objectifying women, and Ken quickly changed his mind too but that doesn’t work in the real world, because misogyny is also a huge generational and systematic issue.
To sum it up together, the movie has very charming assets but the general plot and characters are not engaging and often boring, the delivery of its message is partly questionable and mostly feels tone-deaf and too safe. Honestly, I expected more.
I'm admittedly late to the trend and, having never seen a Greta Gerwig movie before, I can confidently say that 'Barbie' isn't my cup of tea. It's not a movie I despise, but I can't say I like it either.
Feminism is written all over the movie, you can clearly feel a lot of heart was poured into the movie especially the set design which was probably the biggest strength of the movie. The movie takes an attempt to champion feminism and ultimately ends up justifying patriarchy? Most part of the movie feels like it's patting itself on the back and tries to promote anti-capitalism by being pro-capitalistic. The feminism tropes seem like they weren't trying to be ill-intentional but often comes off a bit insincere while trying to navigate the complexities and hardships of womanhood which I know nothing of. Throughout the movie they struggle to maintain a consistent tone and the whole point of the movie looks a disjointed.
Visually, it's one of the most beautiful movies I've seen. The costumes are cool, set designs are gorgeous, and the acting performances are solid, with Ryan Gosling being my favorite among the cast. While Margot Robbie is well-cast, her performance doesn't strike me as Oscar-worthy or groundbreaking; I found her a bit stiff. On the other hand, Michael Cera as Allan was a standout.
Overall the movie tries to be full of depth and ends up being shallow and extremely plastic for me.
So, I dove into "Barbie" expecting some fun, flashy visuals and, well, it didn't disappoint on that front. The start was pretty solid, with all the glitz and glam you'd expect from a Barbie world. They even threw in some cool messages about loving yourself and all that jazz. But then, things got... weird. The movie started going on this whole "women rule, men drool" vibe, which kinda felt like they missed the mark on the whole equality thing.
Greta Gerwig seemed like she was trying to juggle a million things at once. It's like she wanted to wink at the audience every two minutes, saying, "See what I did there?" Margot Robbie as Barbie was cool and all, but Ryan Gosling as Ken? He stole the show. Dude was hilarious!
The visuals? Top-notch. The music? Catchy as heck. But the story? Kinda felt like they were trying to please everyone and ended up pleasing no one. It's like they wanted to make a point, but then they'd immediately backtrack, probably scared of stepping on toes.
The movie was a bit of a bummer for me. It had its moments, but also left me scratching my head a few times. If you're in for some laughs and eye candy, give it a go. Just don't expect a clear message by the end.
My second favorite movie about bottom surgery.
Also, oh my god, that scene at the bus stop. Seeing real life, real people, real beauty for the first time. "Achey, but good."
Proof you only need twelve minutes of deadly, heart-destroying perfection in two hours provided the rest is gleeful enough. When Will Ferrell is the least funny and most boring character in a movie, life is good.
Does feel like some of the captivating raw edges are shaved off relative to Gerwig's other work - naturally, given the budget and licensing, but I was foolishly hoping for like 20% more Lady-Bird-esque gut-punching honesty somewhere in here. (Gerwig probably does get closer than anyone else would.)
The queer subtext is delightful and it's so dumb that the rules of global blockbusters keep it 100% subtextual in 2023 (and that the subtextuality still doesn't save the film from rabid conservative backlash). I still bear a tiny tiny grudge against Gerwig for the flighty-gay-hurts-a-girl's-feelings uncomfortable moments in Lady Bird, and Allan's portrayal feels a little like a channeling of the same vibe. Plus there's a fine like between camp and ha-ha-let's-laugh-at-faggotry that the film IMO didn't perfectly navigate, but whatever, close enough, the queer cast totally kills it.
I don't get The Discourse about this movie that is critical of its feminism. People are attempting to read the movie's politics as if every line of dialogue was an essay written by Gerwig published in The Atlantic? Does no one in 2023 understand that art and polemic are usually different things? That if you are experiencing art or entertainment primarily for its contributions to The Discourse, you are missing 99% of what it's saying? Do they not realize how taking a movie that treats femininity as a subject as necessarily being a political statement about femininity requires a narrow & shallow view of femininity? It feels like these people are weirdly performing the same media consumption experience as the basement-dwelling dudes who criticize the existence of POC or female or queer characters as political propaganda. Yes, please, use art & entertainment to illustrate your feminist analysis, but spend your one wild and precious life developing an analysis of something beyond a movie please.
This is a good movie and well worth seeing.
Look, obviously, I'm not the primary intended audience for this movie, but the messages it gives (and booooy does it have a lot to say) are well laid out and IMO quite well balanced. The furthest thing possible from the "radical feminist propaganda" some of the other commenters would have you believe it is. It does have an obvious feminist message, and perhaps it is a bit heavy-handed at times, but it doesn't say anything that I think any reasonable person would disagree with. By the end it surprisingly even delivers some well-meaning and nicely landed messages to people outside of their target audience.
Look, if you think the movie is some kind of propaganda piece or a man-bashing endeavour, I urge you to rewatch it with a bit of a more critical mindset, and you might find that it is actually saying a lot of the opposite of what you thought it was saying.
On a less serious note, the jokes are quite funny, and they mostly land well, even the ones aimed squarely at men like me. I had a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments in the cinema and almost lost it quite a few times. The set and costume design is like...really good. REALLY REALLY GOOD. The acting is excellent, at least from Robbie and Gosling. Easter eggs everywhere.
The Rorschach Test of Feminism movies lmao
Pros
+Funny as hell
+Acting from Gosling and Robbie was phenomenal (The rest were fine but nothing noteworthy)
+Interesting story arc that is both super traditional but also very contrarian, it works in the context of this specific movie
+The color palette- Barbieland is obviously very bright and pink/blue but the outer world is exceptionally gray and the movie does a fantastic jobs with using costume design to communicate inner feelings
+The opening scene does a phenomenal job at introducing the basics of what barbie is supposed to be and why she feels so important in a fun 2001:ASO reference
+Every single scene with Ken in the real world was phenomenal
Cons
-The Will Farrell character really meant nothing to the story and felt like they added it on just to have another big name in the credits
-Major scene at the end where Barbie #1 (Margot Robbie) shuts down due to anxiety and is somehow comforted by the mother figure telling her that Women have to put up with tons of shit on the daily to even live a normal life doesn't make sense for multiple reasons. Reason #1: The Barbies lived in a Feminist "Utopia" up until now so none of the things she ranted about should make sense to any of them outside of Barbie #1 and even then she spent like 12 hours in the real world so it shouldn't make sense to her either. Reason #2, is that the barbies under the Kendom weren't experiencing that at all, the Kens were just like having fun with their fellow Kens while the barbies complimented them and handed them "brewskis" while they redistributed the land more fairly. All of the actual jobs in Barbieland are meaningless so who gives a shit if the president is now a cheerleader.
-This is where the film becomes a Rorschach test. The Kens literally did nothing wrong. I know the Barbieland is supposed to be a sort of reverse Chauvinist world but the Kens literally do not have homes and their entire life is just whether Barbies even acknowledge them, that's fucked up man. Even in the most Patriarchal societies Women aren't sleeping in the fucking wild. Gosling Ken (I'll just say Ken #1) starts to talk about how he feels more accepted in the real world and Barbie is just ignores him completely. She literally could have stopped the Ken Uprising if she even paid any attention whatsoever to what he was feeling. It's a problem throughout the movie where the female characters literally don't give two shits about what the Kens are feeling or going through, even the humans who are supposed to be oppressed by patriarchy. Ken #1 even says at the end that he didn't even like being in power (they kind of ruin this moment by saying he just did it because of some weird imagined connection to horses but whatever). The brainwashing part also made no fucking sense, Ken distributed patriarchy like (and yes they actually say this) Smallpox??? What the fuck? This isn't just stupid, it's super lazy writing. Also if they're trying to make it feel like the Kendom was bad then they shouldn't have made all of the Barbies happy in it lmao. The Barbies are literally fine with the whole thing outside of Weird Barbie (who btw is also an outcast from barbieland) and two weird Kens (one of whom is Sugar Daddy Ken...). I don't want to come off like it's a good thing the Patriarchy exists but the movie really makes it feel that way.
-Alan is a little bitch cuck. His entire personality is to be Ken's friend, shame he's actually just a Barbie orbiter
--------- I wanted to separate this part because it's not just weird and lazy but actually super fucked up to teach real people to do this. The barbies decide after a bit that in order to defeat the Kens they need to first free the other Barbies from the "Brainwashing" by literally just brainwashing them back to thinking they're what they were before the Ken Revolution. That part is fine and expected. But the second part is getting them to fight the other Kens by EMOTIONALLY MANIPULATING THEM. What the absolute fuck? This is a terrible lesson to teach young girls. This starts by taking advantage of the Kens mansplaining things to them that they ask for help for (aka the Barbies say they struggle with something easy and the Kens are just generally helpful). Then the second part is agreeing to be in a relationship (in which the writing gives the Barbies an out by making it an long term/distance casual girlfriend or whatever) with Kens and then purposely leading them on, then ignoring them and making them jealous by giving other Kens attention which gets them to fight their fellow Kens. Then While they're fighting the Barbies vote down changes to the Barbieland constitution. Like you couldn't have come up with a more meaningful way to distract a bunch of brainless Kens than to emotionally annihilate them? FUCK THE BARBIES!
-The ending totally fucks up Ken #1's character arc by saying he only liked Patriarchy because he thought it had to do with Horses. I think it was right that Barbie and him didn't fall in love but my dude had wayyyyyyyyyy more reason to start the Ken revolution than the Barbies had to do anything they did. The entirety of what Barbie "accomplished" was re-oppressing the Kens and accepting that she has cellulite and thinks about death
Again, you kind of see things differently depending on the perspective you have in life but it definitely felt weird that a feminist movie, could in any way be interpreted as the female mains mostly being scumbags. I know this reads as very negative but my negatives are all about very specific plot points and their failure to be consistent with the message of the movie. I did enjoy it a lot and think the majority of it was extremely funny and fun. It just had a number of big "what the fuck are they doing?" moments
This was an excellent film that left me emotionally stretched in just the right way. It's an adult movie with childhood references (not a kids' film at all), and seems pitched at people roughly my age (Matchbox 20 referenced as a track for wooing is too close for comfort!) It superbly voices the internal contradictions women need to navigate to be accepted. It works hard not to centre Ken, even while his role is a critical counterpoint, but also gives a little airtime to how much a male-dominated world makes it hard to be a man too.
In fact using Ken—an obviously one-dimensional doll of a man—as the very literal face of the very literal patriarchy neatly sidesteps any "but not all men" reactions getting in the way of the message. (I think they also rolled in some incel representation into his persona, giving him his own mini-arc to self-understanding and maturity.)
The writing is out of this world, the pacing is spot on, and Margot Robbie utterly nails the role — especially the emotional and physical aspects of being a doll in a way that playfully nods to the many ways that children play with Barbie.
I remember wondering on a few occasions how the plot was going to resolve without requiring Ken to "win", be "defeated", or overly-centred. I shouldn't have worried; the battle and show number, followed by Ken being very emotionally mature while he faces his immaturity towards his relationship with Barbie was excellent!
It's a wonderful film that I'd encourage everyone to see. It's hard to watch, as a man—feeling responsible for so many challenges women face—but Barbie doesn't judge, it voices. It's a message that informs me, helps me, as well as entertaining me, but it isn't meant for me; the extent to which my fiancée felt seen, understood and perfectly spoken on behalf of is this movie, and why it deserves all the praise it's getting.
From: https://byjp.me/posts/reviews/movies/barbie/
Yesterday I went to the theatre and watched BARBIE. Here is my review:
First of all, when it was announced that this project was in production I had no desire, whatsoever, to see it, despite the fact that I usually love Margot Robbie’s offbeat roles. There were no Barbies in my childhood. There were however dolls, that to this day trigger childhood sexual abuse traumatic responses. In my mind I thought, “REALLY a whole movie about a pink plastic doll?! How sold out is Hollywood to big merchandisers?”
Then, the film was released… I saw that America Ferrera was attached to the project. She has a voice that I respect. Why would she lend her cred to this project?
Then I heard the Twitter backlash by conservative male reviews…
Then, I heard Simu Liu’s comment, “Whatever you think this movie is, you are probably wrong.”
Then, one of my Discord groups started buzzing about it…
Then, I heard that Greta Gerwig was the engine behind the machine...
So, I went… and I was totally blown away…. If I were going to sum up this movie in one visual I would say it is like looking into a surreal mirror, the image is strangely distorted, but absolutely true.
The number of actors that signed up for this project speaks for itself. As each made their cameos I had a little start of recognition.
The dialogue is dense with social awareness in totally obtuse presentations. Even the easy pop songs are loaded with anachronistic lyrics.
I’m going to stop expressing my awe now, not because I’ve run out of things to say, but because there is so much more for the movie to tell, so go, see it yourself. I dare you.
I give this film a 10 (masterpiece of cultural commentary, masked as a fun summer romp) out of 10. [Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy]. In theatres now.
Liberal American Feminism for girls who listen to Taylor Swift: The Movie.
Whole movie felt like a lecture on feminism from an American 16 year old girl at private school who just found out what the patriarchy is? Absolutely no subtlety. The director needs to learn to show not tell. Trying to battle stereotypes by employing stereotypes in every single minute of the movie seems very illogical.
This movie was a disappointment after all of the hype and praise people are giving it. Or I'm too old for this kind of very, very simple, basic movies. I genuinely don’t know how this movie got almost a billion dollars.
It doesn't even know its own target audience, is it for kids, adults or teens? Far from being a children’s film, this is a highly politicized film, filled with messaging that’s inappropriate for children.
I do think that there really wasn’t any plot. You could tell that the director was like let’s make a movie about American feminism - 'women are great, men are awful. It presented a clear and direct dichotomy between good and evil, with no room for nuance or complexity. You were either with us or with them. For me, that's not feminism. This is feminism for babies, a sweet pink summary of an extremely complex fight for human rights, recognition and equality. A truly feminist representation would display a world where men and women can work together to create a better society.
None of the character has any depth or interesting development. The villain, in particular, is a laughable caricature with motivations as thin as tissue paper. The lack of a compelling plot, deep characters, and memorable dialogue leaves the audience struggling to care about the outcome of the contrived conflicts. Successful films are ones that make you think, ponder, question, or even criticize the plot and its reality, and thus your own reality. Great production design though.
Starts off really strong and fun.
The sets look incredible and its immersive. They had a really great message about body positivity and unrealistic expectations on women & I was all the way behind it.... Then rapidly spirals into a pure man hate / Women supremacy. Its obvious the writers have a huge chip on their shoulders.. It's messaging is so heavy handed it completely took me out of the movie & brings it from enjoyable to a drab 2 hour rant by an angry twitter blue user who think's women's rights is still in the 1800's.
They have this unreal take that you're set for life if you're a man and just get instant success. They think everything's better if you're a man (Guess what, it doesn't work that way. I'm told every day how I'm a bad person because I'm a man, and for only that.... Just like this movie does)...
Being preached at about why being a man is so bad for 2 hours does not make for a fun viewing experience.
It shows the glaring double standards of the current mainstream talking points.
This movie blindly preaches that "the world would be better if the shoe was on the other foot" and it comes across as tone deaf.
Its BAD all one gender "rules the world" but if its women, its A-OK!... which defeats the purpose of feminism.
Women getting equality, not supremacy.
call this a hot take but I think men and women should be equal..... but this movie thinks men don't even deserve a seat on Barbie world's court - that's insane.
Why is Patriarchy bad but Matriarchy good....????
Its either all bad or none of it is, and this man hating director needs to make up her mind.
The movie's message is very hypocritical because it claims to promote feminism but actually promotes female supremacy (women ruling over men, not the equality message that feminists tend to preach). The barbies getting their world back from the Kens is seen as fair and equal even though it is literally a matriarchy where the men are just there to entertain the women and don't even have their own houses. They switch from patriarchy to matriarchy but never mention it.
I am a very liberal person and I am completely for equality, but not female supremacy. And besides, if it was just a few references it would have been fine even then, but the problem is it is the film's main plot. The whole point of the movie is to lecture to men why they shouldn't be the ones in charge and make them appear as buffoons, as morons who can't do anything right, that's what I despise about this movie. The women are never portrayed as idiots except when they are in a brainwashed state, yet the movie claims to promote equality. That's the problem with radical feminists like the film's director (Greta Gerwig).
I guess next time, before I pay for movie tickets, I am going to actually read the critic reviews and make sure that the filmmaker is not a radical moron before I make my decision. This time, I just foolishly picked the movie based on the eye candy I saw in the trailer. And yes, the eye candy was there throughout the entire movie, but that's the only good thing about the movie, everything else was horrible. Ryan Gosling is a great actor but in this, he is portrayed as a weak spineless man, and the few times where he is portrayed as strong, it is only in a stereotypical way to make fun of him. If the movie really preached equality, it wouldn't be so focused on making the men appear as idiots or promoting a female dominated society, it is because of that kind of stuff that plenty of people (including some women) are against feminism.
I completely understand wanting to tear down the patriarchal aspects of society or calling them out, but by replacing them with ideas of female supremacy, it makes the movie's message lose its credibility, because feminism tends to be about equality, not trading patriarchy for matriarchy, which doesn't even work in the real world. All matriarchal societies are either failures or they are stuck in a very undeveloped state and never make any progress. Also, there is a reason why some jobs are more male dominated than others, very few women want to work in construction, because it is dirty, it is a lot of heavy lifting, and it can lead to broken nails and even serious injuries.
This movie has a complete lack of any kind of self-awareness or introspection.
Through direct exposition, I think directly to camera, we receive a monologue about society's unrealistic expectations for women's appearances. Meanwhile, it continues the Hollywood tradition of having an absolutely jacked and ripped and never-not-flexing Ryan Gosling walking around shirtless almost all the time.
We're treated to another long exposition in which one of the protagonists lists society's unfair expectations of how women should behave (be nice, but not too nice). I found this crazy. Most of these grievances are about things we all have to grapple with as human beings. Others... Who is society? Where are these expectations made? How do we change them? How do they compare to expectations placed on men to get jobs, go to work, learn plumbing, listen and provide feedback to women, but never explain anything? We never even consider. This movie literally lists "anxiety" as a women's issue. It's lack of ability to understand or interpret its own message is telling.
There's a segment in which men trick women to quit their jobs and take on the roles of supporting men (what!?) and women have to break each other out. At the same time, the men want nothing and do nothing except to drink beer and play guitar and ruin society and have wars because stereotyping is great as long as it's men.
There is some commentary (again, through direct exposition) about Ken's role in Barbieland, how he doesn't have a job or a purpose except to be a guy. We discover pretty quickly that we're supposed to interpret that as, "See? This is what it's like to be a woman [in the 1820s]." And what's the solution? No. No. Ken should continue to have no agency or purpose in Barbieland and that's a hilarious joke.
Every actor, though, is fully committed and doing great work.
This movie is bad. It never heard of, "show, don't tell", and instead has writers repeatedly monologuing directly to the audience. It's a ham-fisted delivery of a message that the movie doesn't itself understand, let alone interpret. The most memorable part, based on comments from women who walked out of the theater, was also the most joyous, a song and dance number starring only (ironically) men. Everyone seemed to like that part and wanted to talk about it, which is an indication of how poorly this movie communicates and entertains.
1/10
Weak Source
FEMINIST PROPAGANDA
This movie destroys everything
Barbie is and what Barbie
stands for.
This movie turns
Barbie into
a Sociopathic Narcissist
who doesn't care who she
hurts and manipulates
to get what she wants.
I absolutely love
Margot Robbie so I came
to this movie for her.
Now the first act I saw
no red flags, Barbie land
was pink and fun and
magical, everything
little girls imagine when
playing with their Barbies.
me personally I thought it
was bang on the money
with Mattels product
placement making this
world seem literally like
the Barbie Doll land
was alive and thriving
in this parallel universe.
Kens are doing their thing
begging for Barbies attention
who couldn't give a stuff and
all the Barbies are ruling
Barbie land.
You very quickly get
the gist of the dynamics
of Barbie land thus the
entire movie of
Men are all Bad
Rude,Misogynistic pigs,
Dumb asses with Slave
Characteristics.
the most and
best way the movie
shows this is Beach Ken
and stereotypical Barbie
with B-Ken being
like an abused dog that
keeps coming back to
his master even though
the master doesn't give a
shit about the dog and
Constantly belittles and
beats and mistreats the
Dog, but the Dog still comes
back with unwavering love
for the master.
That is the relationship
Between B-Ken and
S-Barbie.
From the fun magical
First Act this movie
Quickly descends into
complete and utter
Woke bull-shit
I mean from 1-10
this babies an 11 on
the virtual signalling
Woke tick the box meter.
the quibs this movie
constantly throws in
towards man bashing
especially that one at the
end where the Barbies are
handing the little bit of power to
all the Kens (who can't vote by the way)
and literally the Barbies are like
yep you'll have to scratch and claw
to gain any real power or recognition
and status just like WHAMAN*
in the real world have too.
(I shit you not).
This is not a Barbie movie,
there are a thousand other
way,way better Barbie movies
out there without the name
Barbie in the title.
saying this movie is rough
AF is an understatement
and oh man that third act
just dragged on and on
and on, none of the jokes
landed in this movie or
were even remotely funny
all the modern day songs
were crap and very
unmemorable nothing
gets resolved, including
thoughts of "Death"
(that's right, suicidal thoughts),
and the final scene to
rap this Bastardise
Appalling Abomination
movie up was a you've
got to be fcuking kidding
me right........
verdict:
Uber Woke Spit in the Face.
Greta who directed this Shit-Show
(who I have in an interview stating
she doesn't know anything about
Barbies history because her Mom
never let her play with them
when she was a little girl,
heck Greta didn't even Know
that Barbie and Ken were married
or anything about Barbies sisters*)
what Greta has done to Barbie and Ken
in this movie is disgusting and irks me
to my very core, it's absolutely the wrong
message to little girls,
especially the way the Barbies
flirt and trick all the Kens, that man
bash preach-speech was just straight up
man hate speech and if this movie was
flipped the Woke twitter mob would
lose their shit but because it's just men
getting pooped on the entire movie
that's fine.
BARBIE TO LITTLE GIRLS
IS WHAT SUPERMAN IS TO LITTLE BOYS,
YOUR BEST FRIEND, SOMEONE
TO INSPIRE YOU AND FOR YOU
TO LOOK UP TO WHO MAKES YOU
FEEL HAPPY AND HOPEFUL..
This Woke Garbage
of a movie was anything but.
(This movie straight up
Sucked,
I sat through this so you don't
have too, avoid at all costs).
("Drop Dead Fred"
is a much much much
better Barbie movie).
Barbie 2023, oh boy, where do I even begin? This movie is like a glittery train wreck, a hot mess wrapped in a pink bow. From the moment the opening credits rolled, I knew I was in for a wild ride, and not in a good way. It's as if the filmmakers took every cliché in the book and crammed it into one painfully predictable storyline.
The plot, if you can even call it that, is about as shallow as Barbie's plastic smile. It's a recycled tale of Barbie saving the day, yet again, with her perfectly coiffed hair and impossibly tiny waist. Yawn. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the lack of originality and depth in the story. It's like they didn't even bother trying to come up with something remotely interesting.
And let's talk about the dialogue, shall we? It's so cheesy and cringe-worthy that I couldn't help but groan out loud. The lines are as plastic as Barbie herself, lacking any real substance or wit. It's like the writers took a bunch of tired clichés and threw them into a blender, hoping for some sort of magical concoction. Spoiler alert: it didn't work.
But perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Barbie 2023 is the missed opportunity for growth and empowerment. Barbie has been an iconic figure for decades, yet this movie does nothing to challenge or expand upon her character. Instead, it perpetuates outdated stereotypes and reinforces unrealistic beauty standards. It's a disheartening reminder of how far we still have to go in terms of representation and inclusivity in the film industry.
In conclusion, Barbie 2023 is a glittery disaster that falls flat on its perfectly manicured face. It's a prime example of lazy filmmaking and missed potential. Save yourself the agony and skip this one. Trust me, you won't be missing out on anything groundbreaking or remotely entertaining. Barbie deserves better, and so do we.
Barbenheimer: Part 2 of 2
This was never going to be a your average summer blockbuster given the incredibly overqualified cast and crew involved. However, having just finished it, I am still blown away by how far they pushed it. Is it too highbrow and intellectual for its own good? Maybe, I don't see this gaining universal praise from the general audience, but I'd say that's a good thing. I have yet to come across an accurate read of this film by the online outrage economy (or middle aged nerdy Youtube critics, for that matter), so perhaps it's not as preachy or on the nose as thought by some. This thing is directed with such vision and precision, for my money it's the boldest blockbuster I've seen in a long time. Gerwig and her team truly knock it out of the park here: the set design for Barbieland is amazing and colorful (the shitty lighting and lack of liquids are great touches), the campy-yet-sincere humor feels very fresh, there are interesting references to filmmakers like Jacques Tati and Wes Anderson, it has razor sharp commentary and so many memorable scenes. The script feels well read and clever, taking its obvious influences (The Truman Show, The Lego Movie, Toy Story and Elf, to name a few) in a different direction than what's expected. It proves that you can still use meta and self-referential tropes as long as they're executed tastefully. It's also brewing with themes and subtext, trusting the viewer to read between the lines and find the detailed nuances in the script (well, for the most part). Will Ferrell doesn't even serve a real narrative purpose, but conceptually he makes the film a lot more interesting. During the third act it occasionally starts to spell things out a little too much through clunky monologues, which I'd argue is its only real flaw. Besides that, I thought this was a blast. Robbie, Gosling and Ferrera all deliver nuanced, funny and at times emotional performances, there's not a single dull moment and it's one of the rare blockbusters where the production value actually shows up on the screen. Major props to Robbie and Gerwig as producers for getting it made, I almost can't believe some of this stuff survived Mattel’s pr division as well as the Hollywood system.
8.5/10
Barbie was fun and legit had feminism and the patriarchy at it's core but sometimes was a bit heavy-handed for even me, but that part wasn't targeted for me and that's ok, and I think a huge amount of people will love it. Although honestly wasn't as kid friendly as I was expecting akin to The Lego Movie, with a lot more real world issues presented.
I think the highlights are the sets and visuals by Rodrigo Prieto, Greta Gerwig as director and Margot Robbie in the lead role, reminding everyone why she's so amazing after a couple of recent box office duds.
The fact that I used to have a housemate that used to sing an acoustic version of “Push” by Matchbox Twenty to girls had me laughing a lot. I'll tell you The Godfather is a great movie, but you can go and watch it yourself :P
I think there will be a very vocal minority that will hate this movie, and a large amount of people that will vocally defend it. While I did think there was 1-2 occasions the messaging was a bit too strong I can also happily accept that for some people it will be amazing to hear it put so bluntly. I also really think that a lot of the vocal people that hate this movie, might also be represented in this movie and might lack the self-awareness of that fact.
A strong movie and while I think Oppenheimer was the better "Film" of the Barbenheimer combo, I think Barbie will be more memorable to it's target audience.
There are three layers to this movie:
feminism
If you take the movie at face value, it is a feminist movie with a feminist message. It talks to women at several times, saying the world is still patriarchal and the fight is still not over. It's also a critique of third wave feminism, endorsing femininity and beauty and recapturing the meaning of womanhood. It is pink and girly because they are women.
It also addresses feminism for men. Ken is an incel that cannot be happy without living the fantasy relationship with an idealized woman. He gives up simping and accepts his masculinity, not because of simping or resentment.Critique of feminism
Going deeper, the movie talks bad about radical feminism. Ken thinks patriarchy means he gets everything for being a man but gets rejected and made fun of in every attempt, making barbieland a matriarchal utopia and the real world not so patriarchal after all. This addresses the false idea some women have that being a man makes you privileged and an opressor. Ken is also a mirror for real life women. He finds out about patriarchy and turns into a revolutionary. This is an attack on revolutionary feminist that find out about feminism and think it is about destroying men and society to build barbieland. It points to their naivety.liberal movie
As in classical liberalism, it endorses individuality and freedom. As many have said in, Barbie chooses the real world and its imperfections instead of barbieland.
Barbieland is a longhouse with no privacy, no meaning and no agency. It is a proxy for neverland, a perfect fantasy world of dreams. Barbie thinks about death and it starts to break the veil of beauty and perfection.
Ken is the only individual with some bit of a mind and personality, but after he learns about patriarchy, he becomes a caricature and literally a nobody in a sea of kens. This shows how ideology and social movements overtake individuality and turns everyone in mindless minions.
So. Much. Fun!
Colorful, cheery, emotional, serious, sad and really the perfect balance between all of these, I never felt like it was too much of either. Barbie adresses powerful themes on identity, gender dynamics, steriotypes, job functions, self-worth, self-confidence, patriarchy, searching for a purpose, toxic masculinity... I never expected it to be that layered and deep. It's a satire and also very self-aware in moments, i'm someone that detests musicals but I loved every musical scene and dance number. The comedy was on point.
Margot Robbie obliterated it, she shows such a wide range of emotions I really can't see anyone else in the role. Ryan Gosling's Ken steals the show often and again I can't see anyone else in the role. Two excellent performances! The fake-looking colorful Barbieland set is perfection I couldn't get enough of it they should do a theme park with it or something.
A negative would be the creator lady, it feels like she came out of absolutely nowhere and what's with that weird room? Will Ferrell and his acolytes didn't add much but at the same time, their scenes were fun and funny so why not. When Gloria and Sasha came in I was a bit worried it would go in an obvious and nowadays overdone way but they turned out to be an excellent addition and it adds layers to the story.
So many emotions watching this, it felt like a gut punch at times but I loved it. I could rewatch this plenty. Ken I get more?!
Barbie is a breath of fresh air. It's a brilliant conceit with stunning visuals, incisive writing, imaginative direction, and pitch-perfect performances. It'll go down as a cultural touchstone, but not a classic, IMO. What holds it back is its complete abandonment of any world-building. To be fair, at several points, writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach tell us via different characters that none of the "How" and "Why" questions are important; and what's left off of the page in the way of table-setting leaves plenty of room for sly political jabs & feminist manifestos. (The takedown of Citizens United & Trump's Border Wall in particular are beautifully rendered.) Unfortunately, without this connective tissue the movie can feel like a collection of awesome scenes that are only tangentially related to each other, and the final 10 minutes (which should have been 5) do not feel earned... I know that this can feel a bit nit-picky, but my nerd brain craves rules for my cinematic universes, and I just couldn't help but keep bumping up against the lack of any while I was watching this movie, no matter how many times it (rightfully) criticized Mattel, capitalism, consumerism, the objectification of women, and the patriarchy.
That said, I still had lots of fun and laughed out loud quite a bit. Margot Robbie is absolutely brilliant as Stereotypical Barbie. She's a Toy Story character come to life, and you root for her the whole way- right up until her final line, when she exudes unmitigated joy at doing something that most women (I imagine) see as a chore, at best. What's more, the wattage of her star power goes toe-to-toe with - and matches - Ryan Gosling's turn as Ken. He absolutely knocks it out of the park, giving a heartfelt complexity to a story arc that is, arguably, more transformative that that of Barbie's (up until the final 10 minutes, anyway). And the secondary characters from Barbieland all shine, with Simu Liu & Kingsley Ben-Adir standing out from the (very talented) crowd.
The world needs Barbie the movie, even with all of it's imperfections, and even if it hasn't convinced me that it needs the toy itself.
The hype was huge. The film is... fine.
I think the thing to praise most of all about this is the ambition. The easy thing would have been to make the film you have in your head when you hear the phrase "Barbie movie". But Gerwig wanted to go way beyond that, to use the IP to make something meaningful that comments on the real world while still being entertaining - essentially have her cake and eat it too. I don't think it ultimately worked as well as was intended, but the pure ambition behind it and the choice of format is admirable. The production design is fantastic and probably the film's biggest achievement, there are some good performances in here, as are some clever gags in the way the film handles the different worlds.
Having said that, the actual plot and how the characters are portrayed within it just aren't up to the ambition of the movie around it. It barely follows its own logic and tends to be too cartoony in a way that actually sabotages the humor and most of the potential to get engaged with the story and characters. Sure, the movie deliberately wants to be fun and over the top in a lot of scenes, but then it also wants to be serious in others and those attempts just fall flat. You can't take most of it seriously given the way the characters act. It sometimes feels like a children's film - and not the kind adults can still watch without having to roll their eyes every five minutes - and the supporting characters aren't always handled very well. America Ferrera probably has one of the most interesting roles in the movie, but is quickly pushed to the side, and other characters also seem to only pop back into the movie when the script can think of a fun line for them. A lot of this would have been less of an issue if the humor really worked, but I rarely even chuckled and the musical moments didn't do a lot for me either. And yes, the message is delivered with a sledgehammer, but this didn't bother me as much. Gerwig's Little Women also wasn't subtle and also had both fun and seriousness, but managed to weave both sides together much more effectively, not least by portraying the characters and story in a grounded way that didn't constantly keep the viewer at a distance.
In the end, I have no real desire to watch this movie again, nor do I think I will remember much about its contents in the years to come. It's fine with some really good elements, but not much more.
Film 74 (Goal: 300) of 2024
I got to be honest, I don't get the love for this film. I'm glad it succeeded because we need more variety at the box office, a box office that has been steadily declining post-COVID. But yeah... I don't get this. It was a bang average film with some really great performances from Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling - both perfectly cast. But outside of them everything just feels meh. I had trouble understanding the way the world(s) worked, the understanding of who knew about the world(s). I also didn't care for anyone outside of the two leads - especially everything with America Ferrera and her daughter, and Will Ferrell. Any time any of them were on screen, I wanted them to get back to the two leads. Maybe the two leads were just so good or the writing was so perfunctory outside of them - I don't know.
I will never not love Will Ferrell but even I can concede that he doesn't always work. And this is the case here. There's a whole subplot will Will Ferrell that hinders the film; from plot to performance to execution - none of it works. The hallway office place chase scene descends into Charlie Chaplin-esque lunacy that had me scratching my head as to why people were raving about Gerwig's direction.
It's important for cinema that Barbie did well, and I'm glad it has. But having watched the film with an open mind - I don't understand the hype behind the quality of the film, as outside production design and the performances of the two leads, there was a lot that left me scratching my head.
The first half is quite enjoyable, masterfully staging such an absurd idea as a Barbie live-action with a language and tone perfect for its target audience. Granted, it's a kind of humor that is metanarrative and strictly generational, destined to age at an alarming rate. Yet, it's more than enough to crown the film as the queen of the past summer.
Unfortunately, the problems emerge once the story shifts to the real world, where the narrative tends to overload, veering into chaotic exposition and overly simplistic resolutions. The fact that the film itself invites you to "not think about the details" says a lot. Plot elements presented as potentially significant, such as the conflicted relationship between mother and daughter, or even the entire role of the president of Mattel, end up being set aside without explanations, perhaps in an attempt to make room for more discussions on patriarchy or to indulge in movie quotes and musical digressions until the very last narrative beats.
Regarding the infamous feminist overtones, I remain rather conflicted. At times, the film seems genuinely intent on taking revenge against the patriarchy, while at other times, the monologues and speeches become so didactic and heavy-handed that they almost seem self-mocking. It's as if the film’s point was not simply to condemn misogyny but rather to point the finger at the extreme currents on both sides. In the end, it's not as if the Barbies came off any better than Kens, or real-life men for that matter. It might just be a delirious overreading on my side, but the fact that the infamous monologue of the mother has alienated millions of men and brought even more women to tears would only confirm my thesis that even if "Barbie" may have proven to be superficial in multiple instances, it still showed depth that the audience it’s sardonically making fun of.
I’m at a loss as to what to rate this movie .. somewhere between fair and good but I’ll err toward good.
I’ll start off first by saying I never played with Barbie. I didn’t have a complex or anything about her I just always knew that I didn’t fit the doll-playing mould.
Performances by Margot Robbie and America Ferrara were solid. I liked Rhea Perlman though I’m not sure what the movie was trying to say by having the woman that invented Barbie, especially one that apparently had such lofty ideals about what Barbie should represent, hidden away, silenced from participating in future branding, and R&D decisions. The Will Ferrall role was just simply insulting … insulting to the corporate world and insulting to consumers everywhere. Ryan Gosling portrayed what they wanted him to. I hated the character and the idea “Kendom” not because it was patriarchal but because it was so stupidly overblown it went well beyond the other side of comical.
The statement that alternative or moody, sullen teens are like that because of what Barbie supposedly ‘unintentionally’ represented in society is absurd. In my experience girls didn’t stop playing with dolls or Barbie at and early age because she posed some threat to their views of themselves but because dolls are kid toys and kids grow up and have different interests. To suggest otherwise is taking a big leap into the void of ludicrous.
I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it. But damn if I didn’t get a bit teary at the ending.
'Barbie' has more to it than I would've predicted. It's a good movie.
I steer clear of as much film promo as possible, so was kinda expecting this to be more of a 'proper' comedy - just an assumption on my part. It does have humour but it's far from the film's main thing, there are a few chucklesome moments but I found it to be more earnest than funny.
It does get a tiny bit moralistic, though undoubtedly has the right intentions and does certainly hit the nail on the head with certain points. The story itself is interesting, I like that they didn't lean deep into the usual fish out of water stuff when Barbie visits the real world. I enjoy how the world is set, with the multiple Barbies and Kens etc.
The cast are great. Margot Robbie is top notch - the perfect choice. Ryan Gosling is excellent as well, while America Ferrera, Will Ferrell and Michael Cera are positives too. Away from those onscreen, the look of the film is splendid and the soundtrack fits well - even if Charli XCX's track is the only one I'd intentionally listen to.
All in all, glad I watched this. I'd recommend it, even if my mum (who I watched this with, fwiw) wouldn't. :smile:
Barbie – A Visual Feast in a Disjointed Narrative
"Barbie", while an ambitious attempt to blend modern woke culture with nostalgic charm, ultimately stumbles in its execution, resulting in a film that shines in aesthetics but falters in substance. It's a cinematic endeavor that, despite its flaws, does have moments of brilliance, particularly in its visual presentation.
Margot Robbie's portrayal of Barbie, while confined within the film's limited narrative scope, does offer glimpses of charm and charisma. Her performance, coupled with her striking resemblance to the iconic doll, adds a layer of authenticity to the character. Robbie's efforts bring a certain depth to Barbie, hinting at potential that remains unfortunately underexplored in the film.
Ryan Gosling's Ken initially appears out of place, but his portrayal grows on the viewer as the film progresses. Gosling brings a level of sincerity to the role, managing to inject some complexity into a character that could easily have been a mere caricature. His performance, particularly in the latter half of the movie, stands out as one of the film's stronger elements.
The cinematography and set design are undeniable highlights. The vibrant colours, meticulous attention to detail in the costumes and sets, and the overall visual flair create a world that is both captivating and true to the Barbie brand. These elements provide a feast for the eyes and are among the film's most commendable aspects.
However, the film struggles with its tone and message. It often resorts to oversimplified views on societal issues, missing the mark in delivering a nuanced or impactful commentary. The narrative feels disjointed, swinging between attempts at satire and a more sincere exploration of gender roles and societal expectations.
In summary, "Barbie" scores a 6 out of 10. It's a film that offers a visual delight and some notable performances, particularly from Gosling. However, it is ultimately let down by a lackluster script and a failure to fully capitalize on its premise. While it may not be a must-see, for those interested in a visually striking interpretation of the Barbie world, it might be worth a watch, if only for its aesthetic achievements and a few noteworthy performances.
I recently had the unfortunate experience of watching the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and let me tell you, it was one of the worst cinematic nightmares I have ever endured. This film is a prime example of how a talented cast can be wasted on a cringeworthy script and a shameless attempt at corporate redemption.
First and foremost, Margot Robbie, known for her exceptional acting skills, deserves so much better than the lackluster material presented in this film. The script is so mind-numbingly awful that it's almost painful to witness her attempt to breathe life into her character. It's as if the writers thought they could coast by on the Barbie brand name rather than crafting a story that would showcase Robbie's true talents.
The entire movie feels like an excessively long and depressing advertisement for Barbie dolls. It's clear that Mattel is desperately trying to whitewash the negative impact the Barbie brand has had on the body image and self-esteem of millions of young girls since its inception in 1959. This film, however, does nothing to address or rectify the damage. Instead, it shamelessly perpetuates the unrealistic beauty standards that have haunted the brand for decades.
The blatant attempt to manipulate the narrative around Barbie is both transparent and insulting. It's as if the creators believe that by force-feeding audiences a contrived story, they can erase the deep-rooted issues associated with the Barbie brand. Unfortunately, this film does nothing but add insult to injury for those who have suffered from the damaging effects of Barbie's unrealistic portrayal of beauty.
And let's not even get started on the so-called hype surrounding the movie. The marketing machine worked overtime to generate excitement. The tepid response from audiences reflects the studio's gross miscalculation of their audience's intelligence. Viewers are not as naive as the filmmakers seem to believe; they can see through the facade of a film that prioritizes corporate interests over genuine storytelling.
The hype was fake, nobody cared about Oppenheimer either. These studio seem to think their audiences are complete idiots, that we just blindly think what they tell us to think.
In conclusion, the Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is a disgraceful attempt to salvage the tarnished reputation of the Barbie brand. It fails to address the real issues associated with the iconic doll and, instead, perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Save yourself the agony and skip this cringe-worthy excuse for a film.
"Humans have only one ending. Ideas live forever."
Sometimes in life, you embrace being you because you are KENough.
On a serious note, I had a great time with Barbie.
Do not let the title or poster fool you into thinking this is another stupid kid's movie for little girls because despite the colourful and happy-go-lucky comedic start with the introduction of Barbie Land. The film quickly and suddenly goes into mature themes, where the narrative shifts to gender roles in society, mostly on women.
But as soon as the line "Do you ever think about dying?" drops, you are in for something different. Weirdly enough, this reminded me of The Lego Movie, and what is even stranger is that it stars Will Ferrell.
One of the most amusing parts I got from the movie is that the film feels "insidery" and what I mean by that is that it speaks to women and is made for them, which only they will truly understand. So, any comedic or emotional scenes regarding female experiences will have a bigger laugh and impact for them, while the guys are not picking it up. On the other hand, it manages not to alienate, and that's very tricky to pull off. Anyone can still enjoy it, but it's just something I notice with the audience. I mean, it is why it's having such a positive reaction, both box office and reception, as audiences and critics finally got something that strikes a decent balance of being entertaining and well-made.
Margot Robbie is fantastic as the main Barbie. She portrayed her character's feelings, thoughts, and inner turmoil beautifully. It's another ensemble film where everyone does solid work.
But man, Ryan Gosling as Ken is fantastic. Gosling is one of the best comedic talents of today. I would say this - Gosling's casting as Ken is up there with Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. I hope he gets an Oscar nomination for this. Yep, I am dead serious. Whenever Gosling was on screen, I was smiling from ear to ear. His passion for the character is both amusing and hilarious. His musical number I'm Just Ken was the highlight.
Director Greta Gerwig is one of the most unique voices in cinema right now. Her influences with classic cinema, mostly in music, dance, and rich visuals are on display here. Her directing for the musical segments, especially with ‘I'm Just Ken’, is fantastic.
The movie has flaws. It can get overstuffed with so much going on, and the preachy message can be too much at points. It needed more nuance. But that is it for problems.
If you are a guy, check this one out. Go out of your comfort zone.
With the internet phenomenon known as Barbenheimer, who would have thought that a movie based on a doll and another film about the creation of the nuclear bomb would save cinema? Hopefully, this is a sign of great things to come. Audiences are hungry for quality again.
There's a lot to like here. Unfortunately, along with the pros, there are a number of cons. The film, as it is, is too long. Much like Barbie, the film suffers from an identity crisis. What is it? What does it want to be?
Parts of the films are moving and intelligent. Some of it is fun. Some are both. It may veer in too many directions. It wants it's cake and to eat it, too. Some of the messages are crossed. Some are executed in a heavy-handed manner. Outside of Ferrell's unnecessary role and performance as... Ferrell. This entire section was poorly executed and shallow. The other actors were all fine (although, as amusing as he was, Allan was distracting, as were a few Kens and Barbies). Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie seemed to give it their all. Gosling was let down by the writing and Robbie continues to prove she's a talented actor. She carried the film and gave it it's heart.
Content is king. Some of the script is nice. However, other bits are a let down, as was how it was portrayed. Certain sections of the film were very nice. This movie is a bag of odd parts that don't all fit together or feel like they're from the same team.
The script introduces a number of intriguing paths, but doesn't follow any of them... and plucks the low-hanging fruit and doesn't know how to resolve some of the arcs. All this typed, I did enjoy seeing the film. I just wish it could be edited and tweaked. More 60s lavish production (with more polish) meets La La Land and less bad and mundane early 90s comedy... and wokeness (which is not a compliment - the term itself being ironic and a synonym for behavior that's always been present in a kaleidoscope of contexts).
Also, fire the musical director. The opening two songs and the closing song not only aren't good, they're inappropriate for the film (and embarrassing for all involved). These songs detracted from the experience. Billie Eilish's song was nice and worked well within the context of the film and the scenes during which it was played. What happened to classic scores? Where's Herrmann, Mancini and company when you need them?
Kudos to the production team and costume design.
Edit: After additional thought, I'm tempted to lower the score to a 5, secondary to some of the writing and execution. It's sometimes a challenge to weigh, for example, execution, production, writing, and the plethora of technical aspects with a small side of my experience, enjoyment and perspective. This film is Frankenstein's monster and the pieces don't add up to a complete Barbie. It's definitely a film for adults, despite much of it masquerading to be intended for younger females. The mixed messaging (sometimes delivered via a 5-ton sledge hammer) returned to haunt me last night. Why? As in, why did the screenwriters not polish and balance the script? Their prior projects indicate they're capable of doing so.
While I cannot bring anything new to the discussion around this movie, I'm willing to accept two things that reflect my review score. Firstly, I recognise that I am not the target audience for this movie, even though I absolutely adore Gerwig and Baumbach and their respective portfolios. Secondly, I think this may have been the one time that I feel Gerwig was a little over her head and attempted to speak on too many things at once, all while contending with being a commerical, marketing-laden project at the same time. There is a looseness and franticism about the many arcs present in this movie which leads to none getting the spotlight they deserve.
I still enjoyed the hell out of it, the usual existential crisis that comes from Greta's work is ever present and played to great effect, and the production is mindbogglingly thorough. I know people throw out the terms cinematography and setwork when they're loosely giving movies merits but Barbie really is phenomenal in that regard. Barbie World and all of it's bubblegum, plastic-y pink galore is perfectly realised, from the plastic waves to the dream houses to the eye-searingly luminous outfits, it really is some great attention to detail.
TL;DR: I perhaps didn't love it as much as most people, and some of that maybe comes down to the expectation that was built during the marketing and hype cycle, but it's still a good time all in all.
So the big question is was Barbie over hyped? The answer is Yes.
By like 1-2%. It's a fun movie. It might help that I don't feel like I was bombarded with advertising for the movie. I didn't watch the trailer when it dropped and unlike other movies I wasn't being sneaky assaulted with the trailer and BTS stuff all the time so I was able go into it basically virgin. I kept seeing Oppenheimer/Barbie hype but honestly I had seen more Oppenheimer footage and teasers than Barbie and I continue to have negative interest in Oppenheimer. I keep meaning to watch the trailer because I'll never watch the movie but I just forget that's how little I care for it. I don't expect Barbie to be my movie of the year but I did at least want to see it.
It doesn't have the emotional punch of say "Promising Young Woman" or the charming subversion of "The Craft" or the beautiful nuance of "Stepmom" or the instant classic status of "Clueless". But what it does have in some ways more than some of those others is just pure entertaining factor. It's just an enjoyable movie. There are some theatre laughs there are some watching by yourself laughs. The barbie movie knows what it is and it stays in it's lane and excels at it. Even the dragging Feminism 101 speech in the middle of the movie that doesn't really seem to fit tonally with the rest of the movie, works. And more importantly it doesn't drag down the rest of the movie. Even if that one tiny short clip is 'bad'. The movie quickly picks up again. There are a few cameos but they're mostly so quick you don't really care.
Margot Robbie.. not my taste and in this role I didn't find her that compelling as an actress. But the writing and direction are excellent. Everyone else shined. And by no means am I suggesting Margot was awful. She wasn't. Gosling takes Ken in a direction that I wasn't expecting. It's almost like someone was in his ear saying "You never go full Zoolander". It's not what I would have expected from Ken but it worked.
Overall the movie is fun enough for a rewatch and substantial enough to make you not be embarrassed to do so.
It's going up against movies like M3GAN, Shin Ultraman, Women Talking, Black Panther 2, Creed III, John Wick 4, Polite Society, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse, The Blackening, Joy Ride and Mission Impossible 7. Among the best films in the year. Barbie fits right in. If anyone were to put this in their top slot of the year. I don't see a problem with that.
The movie feels like an 8/10 but I bump it up to a 9/10 because it just doesn't try to be what it's not. The barbie movie really gets points for knowing what it is and being exactly that and that kind of restraint is admirable.
liked this a lot, it was definitely a joy to watch, but I think my expectations might have been too high. the performances are incredible, and I LOVED the production design, barbieland looked immaculate, but overall this just felt a tad bit... shallow? maybe I had too much spoiled for me ahead of time, but I just didn't love this the way I thought I would
also, gosling is fantastic as ken but I think there was a little too much ken and the kens for my liking, I would have loved to see some of the other barbies get more screentime/depth
ik people shit on lady bird a lot but idk that movie held more weight for me in terms of its story and script
the stuff I liked most was the humor for sure but also the stuff with america/margot and margot on her own, I wish there was MORE of that!! I wanted more of them together as a trio, sasha's character ends up really being sidelined and America is awesome and has been underrated by critics but again, she needed more!I like I could have done without the ken beach fight/dance montage even though ik that's a high point for a lot of people idk
I think I need to rewatch this too to get a better idea of how i feel overall
in terms of greta's big three i think little women > lady bird > barbie for me at least for now until I revisit all of them
Greta Gerwig's on the nose social commentary in disguise of a brilliantly designed plastic world.
My Rating : :star::star: (45/100)
Barbie is a monumental achievement in terms of its eye pleasing production design yet is too preachy in terms of its messaging. Barbie is silly and messy and doesnt take itself seriously in the first half which was funny and enjoyable but its undertones drastically shift towards a preachy take on toxic masculinity and the usual gender norms. The film is a social commentary or sattire masked in plastic dolls. Its wasn't powerful or resonating to me as it is for people who loved it. It dilutes the harshness of patriarchy which is a serious problem in the living world. There is a scene where Barbies unite to cause chaos by disrupting peace within the Kens by swindling them. How can this be good? I loved the way Greta has designed the whole world but the messaging and commentary wasn't appealing to me nor my wife who went to watch it.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are true gems ofcourse. They are the best looking actors for the particular roles and the understood the assignment pretty well. The first half is enjoyable and no one can deny it. Ryan is good, Margot is good but calling them exceptional is going overboard according to me. People have already nominated Ryan Gosling for Oscars and nothing can be more hilarious than this. Its also overlooking hardworking actors in the west.
For someone who loved Barbie film will disagree and hate me for my opinion but this is a place where I put my unfiltered views on a film. I respect women and despise patriarchy but these two are so difficult and hard-hitting subjects to be addressed in a silly film as Barbie. For people in the West I would recommend films like The Great Indian Kitchen and Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey which is more hillarious and profound compared to Barbie in terms of its messaging. Watch it only if you ever owned a Barbie for the nostalgia else skip it atleast in Theatres.
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Review by ToralfVIP 3BlockedParent2023-07-21T20:23:44Z
"If you love Barbie. If you hate Barbie. This movie is for you."
At least that's what the trailers say. But as someone who doesn't belong to either group, I can confirm that you'll have fun even without a love-hate attitude towards the doll. As a fan of Greta Gerwig, this didn't surprise me either. Since it was announced that she was chosen as director for the Barbie film, one could foresee that the film would turn out to be more profound than it could have been.
However, "Barbie" is not entirely free of criticism. I definitely felt the advertising message in numerous places. It is, to some extent, surprising how many jokes the company Mattel has allowed on their account. But that is, of course, exactly the strategy. In the end, it's all about selling Barbie dolls. But the merchandise approach is omnipresent in most other big-budget Hollywood productions, so I can overlook it for the most part here as well.
What really convinced me about the film were two primary factors: the great production design and the clever screenplay. "Barbie" looks really fantastic with its excess of pink and plastic feel. The Barbie world and the real world are a perfect contrast. The screenplay, which Gerwig co-wrote with her partner Noah Baumbach, in turn offers room for numerous different approaches. Thus, at some points the film is a biting satire, while at other moments it is heartfelt, hilarious, feminist, existentialist, or totally absurd. Gerwig and Baumbach teach the audience several life lessons at once, most of which have depth. The film is thus, fortunately, so much more than just a commercial.
But "Barbie" is also a complete success because of its strong cast. That Margot Robbie is a good choice for the lead should come as no surprise to anyone. I also appreciate the fact that she finally doesn't play the "slightly crazy" character for a change. Ironically, though, the real star of the film is probably Ryan Gosling as Ken, who has already demonstrated fantastic timing in comedy several times in the past. Here, he's so good that he might even have a shot in the Oscar race.
All in all, my verdict is positive across the board. "Barbie" is a film that is one of the better examples of mainstream summer cinema. Above all, its high level of creativity sets it apart from the competition. I can only recommend everyone give this film a chance. It really doesn't matter at all whether you hate Barbie, love her, or don't care about her.