Barbie

This weekend, Barbie, part 2 of Barbenheimer Weekend, was released in theaters. Barbie follows Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she goes through an existential crisis. This crisis leads to a journey to the real world where she questions Barbieland and her existence. It may come as a shock but I did not have much interest in Barbie or in the Barbie movie but Sarah really wanted to see it so here we are. I also felt like I should see both halves of Barbenheimer weekend.

This movie was a lot funnier than I was expecting. It has a very witty sense of humor as it uses satire to comment on societal issues of today. Ryan Gosling does such a great job in this movie. I never knew how funny he was but this movie definitely showcases his comedic style. He does a great job as the dumb Ken doll and steals every scene he is in. Of course, the star of the movie is Margot Robbie as Barbie. She plays the Barbie role so well and delivers both some great comedic and emotional moments. The attention to detail in Barbieland is also very well done. Everything is portrayed as if it is an actual doll house (the pool water is solid, the showers don't flow any water, etc.). The movie also throws in a lot of references to old Barbie products and toys that fans will appreciate. The movie also has a good message. The main message of the movie is that an all-male-run society as well as an all-female fun society are not ideal and that everyone should be equal proponents in society. It also talks about the importance of not being defined by your perceived role in society (i.e. being a mother is just as important as having a strong career but you shouldn't feel pressured by society to live as a certain one). I also thought that the movie did a decent enough job of portraying its message through the story instead of just slapping the audience in the face with it. Finally, I appreciate that the movie decided to do something different with its story. It isn't a standard fish-out-of-water story or even ends with the standard guy and girl getting together. The movie does something different and stays consistent with its message.

One important thing to note is that this movie is definitely not for kids. This movie is very much a satire with strong social commentary. It also has a lot of adult jokes. Most of this movie would go over kids' heads to the point where they probably wouldn't understand what is going on with the story. You definitely need to be at least a middle school to understand and appreciate this movie but the true target audience is definitely 20-30 something adults.

There are a few significant issues I had with the film. One of the biggest issues was that some of the main characters were way too underdeveloped. This is mainly with the two human characters. Both the mother and daughter characters are established to clear character issues that need to be resolved but then the movie does nothing with them. They are just kind of there until the plot needs the mom to say something important after which she fades back to being irrelevant again. I feel like the movie could have done a much better job of incorporating them into the story and actually have a subplot that resolves their arcs. I also feel that Will Ferrell was a bit overused. He was perfect in the real world as a fun little cameo but right when you forget about him, he shows up at the end and feels so out of place. Finally, I felt that the movie had some tone issues. It will try to say something serious and important and then cuts to some stupid joke. I felt that this really undermined the messages they were going for as it was difficult to take the serious parts seriously when they were sandwiched between two jokes.

Overall, this was an entertaining enough film that achieved exactly what it was going for but had some significant plot and tone issues that kept it from being higher for me. This type of movie is also just really not my thing. I can appreciate what it was going for but I have just never been a fan of satirical social commentary films. I prefer movies purely for escapism which is also partly why this movie didn't connect as much with me.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B Recommendation: Worth checking out at least once.

Sarah's Thoughts: "The movie brought back a lot of childhood memories of playing Barbies with my sister and my mom, especially with seeing all the familiar houses and pieces. I also felt connected to the message and roles of women that were talked about in the film. The speech that America Ferra's character gives really connected with me. I loved the comedic relief as well. Finally, I thought the end message of finding balance in the roles of men and women and the importance of Barbie's meaning that you can be anything is really powerful and important. This is one of my top ten favorite movies and the best of this year. "

Score: 9/10 Grade: A+