This was an interesting film. Nothing about it was normal. It takes an iconic toy brand and makes a serious social commentary/coming of age story out of it. It was also a smash hit financially, backed by a strong social media campaign linking it with a movie about nuclear bombs. That's impossible to repeat.
From a technical standpoint, it's amazing. The casting was perfect. Margot Robbie is the perfect "stereotypical Barbie." This is a Barbie that is both the perfect doll she is known as, and also the maturing Barbie who's seeking a purpose and to right her world. They could not have picked a better leading actress. Ryan Gosling is the perfect Ken. Even the characters created for this movie were perfectly cast, especially Will Farrell as the CEO of Mattel (it's my personal headcanon that he and President Business from the Lego Movie are the same person, also it's amazing Mattel was okay with this script). Note for anyone who didn't have Barbie in their childhoods: there is Barbie lore, and the movie does assume you know who the characters are.
You will never see a movie that looks like this again. Barbie enters a rare selection of movies that are instantly recognizable from a single screenshot. Barbieland looks exactly like a world made of Barbie dream houses. The bright pastel colors, the overload of pink, the way everything is shaped makes it a real life town of dollhouses, and it's highly impressive. It's made with such a real love for its source seldom seen in movies. Additionally, part of what makes the casting so good is the ability to make the actors look like dolls. The soundtrack perfectly befits the film. The two dance numbers (one for the Barbies, one for the Kens) are very well choreographed. Perhaps most importantly for fans and enthusiasts, there are several wardrobes worth of costumes for all the Barbies, based on different outfits she's worn over the years.
This is, as one would expect from Gerwig, also a film carrying strong feminist messaging. Some people were surprised by that upon release, although being surprised by a Greta Gerwig movie having feminist messaging is like being surprised that a Tarantino movie is violent. This is where things get complicated. On one hand, the messages appear to hit the audience with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, which some may deem necessary given the urgency of its subject matter. On the other hand, it's so over the top it's difficult to tell how seriously you're supposed to be taking it. It often feels like a satire of itself. There are times when it feels like a Mel Brooks movie. This is a problem because it muddies the message. You could very well watch this movie and come to the conclusion that it's supposed to be a satirical takedown of feminism, which is the last thing the filmmakers want you to do. And when it does spell it out, it can very easily come off as preachy. This is quite a conundrum, and highly ironic. I'm really not sure how a filmmaker would make this work.
Now, despite all exterior appearances, Barbie is a very nuanced film that has several layers to it, and does not provide all of the answers, nor does it need to. Now, while it is ultimately a feminist film, it does not shy away from addressing some things the movement is doing wrong and has done wrong in the past. No matter how it may look or seem on the outside, there's a whole world of ideas in its subtext. This is where the strength of its messages lies, not in the bluntness of its outer appearance. It does have some comic relief, which is mostly meta humor. Not my cup of tea, but if you like it then enjoy it. There are some references to movies like 2001 and The Matrix, which are funny.
This is a movie that's going to be a game changer for the industry. Between the success of Barbie and the failure of movies such as The Marvels, there is going to be a change in how blockbusters for women are made. In the coming years, there will be much more of the former and much less of that latter. A lot of people were saying Barbie was snubbed at the Oscars. Robbie got snubbed for best actress, but Director is so stacked it's not even funny. But the 1.4 billion at the box office will probably have a longer lasting impact than any technical Oscars.
From a technical standpoint, it's amazing. The casting was perfect. Margot Robbie is the perfect "stereotypical Barbie." This is a Barbie that is both the perfect doll she is known as, and also the maturing Barbie who's seeking a purpose and to right her world. They could not have picked a better leading actress. Ryan Gosling is the perfect Ken. Even the characters created for this movie were perfectly cast, especially Will Farrell as the CEO of Mattel (it's my personal headcanon that he and President Business from the Lego Movie are the same person, also it's amazing Mattel was okay with this script). Note for anyone who didn't have Barbie in their childhoods: there is Barbie lore, and the movie does assume you know who the characters are.
You will never see a movie that looks like this again. Barbie enters a rare selection of movies that are instantly recognizable from a single screenshot. Barbieland looks exactly like a world made of Barbie dream houses. The bright pastel colors, the overload of pink, the way everything is shaped makes it a real life town of dollhouses, and it's highly impressive. It's made with such a real love for its source seldom seen in movies. Additionally, part of what makes the casting so good is the ability to make the actors look like dolls. The soundtrack perfectly befits the film. The two dance numbers (one for the Barbies, one for the Kens) are very well choreographed. Perhaps most importantly for fans and enthusiasts, there are several wardrobes worth of costumes for all the Barbies, based on different outfits she's worn over the years.
This is, as one would expect from Gerwig, also a film carrying strong feminist messaging. Some people were surprised by that upon release, although being surprised by a Greta Gerwig movie having feminist messaging is like being surprised that a Tarantino movie is violent. This is where things get complicated. On one hand, the messages appear to hit the audience with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, which some may deem necessary given the urgency of its subject matter. On the other hand, it's so over the top it's difficult to tell how seriously you're supposed to be taking it. It often feels like a satire of itself. There are times when it feels like a Mel Brooks movie. This is a problem because it muddies the message. You could very well watch this movie and come to the conclusion that it's supposed to be a satirical takedown of feminism, which is the last thing the filmmakers want you to do. And when it does spell it out, it can very easily come off as preachy. This is quite a conundrum, and highly ironic. I'm really not sure how a filmmaker would make this work.
Now, despite all exterior appearances, Barbie is a very nuanced film that has several layers to it, and does not provide all of the answers, nor does it need to. Now, while it is ultimately a feminist film, it does not shy away from addressing some things the movement is doing wrong and has done wrong in the past. No matter how it may look or seem on the outside, there's a whole world of ideas in its subtext. This is where the strength of its messages lies, not in the bluntness of its outer appearance. It does have some comic relief, which is mostly meta humor. Not my cup of tea, but if you like it then enjoy it. There are some references to movies like 2001 and The Matrix, which are funny.
This is a movie that's going to be a game changer for the industry. Between the success of Barbie and the failure of movies such as The Marvels, there is going to be a change in how blockbusters for women are made. In the coming years, there will be much more of the former and much less of that latter. A lot of people were saying Barbie was snubbed at the Oscars. Robbie got snubbed for best actress, but Director is so stacked it's not even funny. But the 1.4 billion at the box office will probably have a longer lasting impact than any technical Oscars.