Barbie (2023)

[Trini]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I’m expecting that a good chunk of those deals are going to involves product placement so the studio has probably offset a big chunk of the production costs thorough those deals.

Yeppers!

[AimingforYoko]

AMC says 20,000 moviegoers have booked a "Barbenheimer" double feature.

That's a little much for one day especially with Oppenheimer clocking in at 3hrs.

I might see both opening weekend, though.

[tv echo]

Early critics' reactions are positive - here's a sampling...

Collider:

ComicBook:

Rotten Tomatoes:

ScreenRant:

Variety:

Edited July 11, 2023 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie discuss Barbie's surprising feminism
By Sarah Ferguson and Marina Freri     July 11, 2023
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-11/margot-robbie-greta-gerwig-barbie-and-feminism-730/102565304 

Quote

Gerwig wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach. She quickly realised she didn't want anyone else to direct it.
*  *  *
Mattel decided to trust the pair, but not to the point of accepting a description of the movie as a feminist film. Gerwig has no doubt.

"It most certainly is a feminist film," she said.

"It's that diving into the complexity of it and not running away from it."Looking at all the thorniness and stepping into what is the negotiation of what women need to be, and how to give them something other than a tightrope to walk on, is how it feels feminist to me."
*  *  *

Spoiler

In the movie, Barbie's perfect pink world of high fashion and endless parties is disrupted when she suddenly finds herself having dark thoughts about death. She finds cellulite on her perfect legs and her famous feet suddenly become flat.

With the encouragement of the wise "Weird Barbie" played by Kate McKinnon, Barbie embarks on a journey of self-discovery in the real world, with Ken inviting himself along for the ride.

The idea of female insecurity becomes part of Barbie's story, with Robbie and Gerwig exploring the moment when a teenage girl begins to question her sense of self and worth.

"It's like, there's this age where suddenly you become self-conscious," Robbie explained. "And you kind of like hide yourself instead."

Gerwig says Barbie finds comfort in the words of a young character called Gloria, played by America Ferrera.

"I think for me, I've seen this movie, obviously more than anyone else on planet Earth, and I'm still touched by that ability for a woman to look at another woman and say, 'You're good enough'."

Edited July 11, 2023 by tv echo

[Trini]

Early (social media) reactions are almost always glowing for most films; so I'm not going to put much trust in that, although I expect this to be more good than bad -- at the very least, I think it's going to be fun and pretty.

---

At Axios: 'Barbie's sociocultural meaning in 2023'

excerpt:

Quote

Why it matters: Barbie is a cultural Rorschach test. Do you see a beloved cultural icon who personifies innocence and childhood aspiration, or an insidious villain who perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards and gender and racial stereotypes?

A lot of corporate profits depend on the answer — including those of Mattel (Barbie's maker), Warner Bros. (Barbie's moviemaker), and the 100+ companies with Barbie product tie-ins.

Public excitement is clearly building: After the first movie trailer came out in April, Google searches for "blonde hair dye" more than tripled. (And that's a tiny microcosm of the burgeoning interest in looking like Barbie.)

"Many people are agreeing that this will be the cultural event of the summer, if not the year," says Lisa McKnight, Mattel's global head of Barbie and dolls portfolio. "Barbie has never been more relevant. We are the #1 doll property in the world."

---

This does not answer the question in it's title, but it's a short summary of the marketing so far; at NPR: ''Barbie' is pretty in pink — but will she also be profitable?'

----

I like this because almost no one is talking about this aspect specifically; at Time: 'Barbie Is Directly Targeting Women—A Rare Thing in Hollywood'

Quote

In today’s fractured moviegoing landscape, that remains a rare feat. Even as representation of all types in Hollywood is improving, the kinds of movies in which women star aren’t stereotypically girly—for better or worse. Only 33% of the top 100 grossing films in 2022 featured female protagonists to begin with, and many of those movies slotted into the sorts of genres that typically cater to men: The Woman King is a historical action epic that happens to star women; Everything Everywhere All at Once is a multiversal movie stuffed with fight scenes that happens to center a mother and daughter; Scream 6 is a sequel to a classic horror flick. The intent with those movies is to reach as broad an audience as possible. They’re all solid to excellent movies. They are also, frankly, devoid of the color pink.

Barbie is unapologetically leaning into a feminine aesthetic. ...

 

[mariah23]

I bought my ticket last Friday and it’s a good thing too.  Today I checked the showtime I’m going to and it is nearly sold out.  For a 4:00PM showing.  This NEVER happens where I live.

[Trini]

A few video interviews with the cast and Gerwig at E! news:

 

 

 

[Trini]

Spoilers? at LA Times: 'Ryan Gosling and Greta Gerwig on how Ken became the subversive center of ‘Barbie’'

excerpt:

Quote

They took the work of creating the wildly stylized world of the movie quite seriously, and as Ken emerged, it became clear that portraying him would require a unique set of skills. Not just good looks, but also a comedic agility and a dramatic gravity that can be hard to find in a single performer.

“I didn’t know Ryan at all,” Gerwig says, “but Ryan was the person who was always in my mind going to play this role. I just knew he could be really funny but also would mine the depths of this kind of outrageous conundrum that Ken finds himself in, as a person.”

I do have to say, after the complaints that Gosling was miscast, there aren't that many actors that a) have comedic timing, b) have a sense of humor about themselves, c) are willing and able to get ripped, bleached, and waxed, AND d) can sing and dance.

Quote

“In the way that I think an architect builds a model to understand how a building can exist in the world, it felt like that’s what Greta had done with this film,” Gosling said. “It was: How do we use these characters to understand how to live in the current world that we live in?”

For all of the pastel coloring and playful nods to the world of the toys, this is nevertheless a heady, philosophical take on Barbie that plays out as an existential crisis of self.

“Don’t say that,” jokes Gerwig at the implication of the film’s more intellectualized leanings. “Say it’s pink.”...

 

[BetterButter]

‘Barbie’ to Be Released in Philippines Cinemas, but Map Scene May Be Blurred

[dmeets]

On 7/10/2023 at 6:54 PM, AimingforYoko said:

AMC says 20,000 moviegoers have booked a "Barbenheimer" double feature.

That's a little much for one day especially with Oppenheimer clocking in at 3hrs.

I might see both opening weekend, though.

We'll see what ends up happening next weekend, but it's interesting how sharing a release date seems to be such an effective marketing tool for both movies to the point where it's trending to try to see both movies as quickly as possible, and now even has its own portmanteau. We don't get this kind of viral reaction if say, DIsney/Pixar releases a new animated movie the same day as a Blumhouse film.

[Trini]

1 hour ago, dmeets said:

We'll see what ends up happening next weekend, but it's interesting how sharing a release date seems to be such an effective marketing tool for both movies to the point where it's trending to try to see both movies as quickly as possible, and now even has its own portmanteau. We don't get this kind of viral reaction if say, DIsney/Pixar releases a new animated movie the same day as a Blumhouse film.

Counter-programming has been a thing for decades; but what I think has really caught people's attention in this case is that a) these are both big-budget, high profile projects with big names attached opening on the same day when studios have tried to avoid that in the past, and b) and despite how opposite these two films seem to be, there seems to be a significant audience who are interested in both as 'event' films.

[Trini]

Fairly lengthy piece about the movie at NY Times Magazine; a few new tidbits, but much of the same info as some of the other profiles.

---

And I thought this was nice:

Quote

Given her love for the Mattel character, the film’s costume designer Jacqueline Durran asked Coughlan for her input on what she’d like to wear for her role as Diplomat Barbie. After mentioning that she had a Sparkle Eyes Barbie – who wears a pink and silver dress and has diamonds for eyes – as a girl, Durran recreated the look for the actor. “I felt like I was a little kid again,” Coughlan says of her look for the film. “It’s a huge Hollywood movie – I never expected [Jacqueline] to ask my opinion on it.”

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/nicola-coughlan-barbie-premiere

Coughlan's Barbie look; and Sparkle Eyes Barbie.

[Trini]

This is a nice profile of America Ferrera that gets into her role in the film, but it's a bit spoiler-y since it discusses a specific scene: 'Into the Dollhouse'

Edited July 14, 2023 by Trini

[millennium]

The firehose of hype for this movie is really grating, especially the "Barbenheimer" marketing bullshit.   The overemphasis on the movie's cultural relevance is hard to swallow too.

[kiddo82]

To be fair, did the studios even come up with marketing these two as a diametrically opposed double header?  I don't think they're the ones technically pushing it. It's more like an internet thing that caught on and WB/Universal can just roll with it because hey, free advertising.  Rising tides and all that.

I frequently do two movies in a row if the timing works out but my mom wants to see both with me and she's not down for that.

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by kiddo82

[millennium]

7 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

To be fair, did the studios even come up with marketing these two as a diametrically opposed double header? 

Movie tickets here are $17 on average, which doesn't include the $20 for popcorn and soda.   God bless those who have that kind of disposable income to see two movies in a row so they can participate in an internet meme.   I see one or two movies a year in the theater (partly because of the price, partly because most movies today suck) so they have to be pretty good ones.   I know the promoters want us to believe Barbie is a must-see "event," but the last movie to be hyped like this was The Flash (btw, Is Michael Keaton's Batman in Barbie?)

[Wonkabar5]

Just finished The Cut article with America F. I see the little sly dig the author inserted there, lol at the end. 

For all this talk about Barbie being bad for a girl/young woman's body image I recently came across this Vanity Fair* cover*  with Margo R (Dec 2022/Jan2023 where she does indeed do  promotion for the Barbie  movie.

https://www.yourcelebritymagazines.com/en-us/products/margot-robbie-for-vanity-fair-dec-2022-jan-2023

You can count her ribs. Is *this* the (unrealistic?)  image Margo and Greta want and like?  The other  side is purposely shadow obscured. She was probably told by the higher-ups to lean back and suck it in and she did. The mag said jump and she demonstrated how high.  Did she speak to Greta about it? This is a real life image, not a doll. 

Has Gerwig ever said anything about Robbie's VF cover? How this is just the sort of thing that they fight against. Robbie I guess didn't fight too hard. If she did, who ultimately told her to "suck it up, buttercup" so to speak? 

Margo and Greta are directly participating in what she, and moreover, Greta Gerwig, and America F claim to hate. Such is the price for promoting such a high profile and expensive mainstream movie. I just wish Gerwig and Robbie would stop pretending that they made some small art-house indie movie and not some heavily corporate promoted one. 

But we are told that it is so very "brave" for the studio (and Mattel implied)  to agree to keep America's speech in the movie. 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Wonkabar5

[SeanC]

3 hours ago, millennium said:

I know the promoters want us to believe Barbie is a must-see "event," but the last movie to be hyped like this was The Flash (btw, Is Michael Keaton's Batman in Barbie?)

I don't see any similarities between this and the marketing for The Flash; the latter never generated much actual excitement anywhere.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, millennium said:

Movie tickets here are $17 on average, which doesn't include the $20 for popcorn and soda.   God bless those who have that kind of disposable income to see two movies in a row so they can participate in an internet meme.   I see one or two movies a year in the theater (partly because of the price, partly because most movies today suck) so they have to be pretty good ones.

I’m guessing that a good chunk of the people who are actually doing the Oppenheimer/Barbie double feature have a theater subscription. 

5 hours ago, millennium said:

I know the promoters want us to believe Barbie is a must-see "event," but the last movie to be hyped like this was The Flash (btw, Is Michael Keaton's Batman in Barbie?)

I don’t think it’s the same. Both movies have had massive marketing campaigns but Barbie is also being hyped by general audiences. Long before the marketing campaign even begun I had multiple people around me mention the movie. For many of us Barbie is a must-see event. The Flash marketing was attempting to generate interest while Barbie marketing is taping into peoples interest. 

It’s definitely not going to be for everyone. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, millennium said:

Movie tickets here are $17 on average, which doesn't include the $20 for popcorn and soda.   God bless those who have that kind of disposable income to see two movies in a row so they can participate in an internet meme.  

I'm not sure it's fair to include something optional, like popcorn and a soda, when discussing how much a movie costs.  And even if you include popcorn, surely you don't need a new batch for the second movie.  That's 20 bucks saved right there by going to a double feature. 

If I wanted to participate in an internet meme, which I most definitely do not, I could go to the theater closest to me, in the Chicago suburbs, on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday of opening weekend, and see Oppenheimer at 12:00 noon for $8.69 and then Barbie at 3:30 for $8.69. 

I often go to two movies back-to-back, especially if I go to the art theater 30 miles away (where they charge $7 for matinees and $9 after 6:00), because it make sense from a money angle to drive there once instead of twice.

4 hours ago, millennium said:

I see one or two movies a year in the theater (partly because of the price, partly because most movies today suck) so they have to be pretty good ones. 

I'm guessing you're in a big city if movie tickets average $17, which means there are probably theaters that play independent and foreign movies.  My personal experience is that most of them that make it to theaters in the U.S. don't suck.  Maybe you could consider trying some of them if what mainsteam theaters offer doesn't appeal to you, or at least before declaring that most movies today suck. 

[kiddo82]

Whether or not people actually do the double or just like talking about it remains to be seen.  That said, I think it's actually heartening that the internet of all places isn't driving division this time.  It's a minor miracle that we haven't been bombarded with factions and fan wars.  

Neither of these movies should be considered an underdog.  Big studios, brand name writers/directors, big stars and marketing, and google says both have an estimated budget of 100 million USD.  And given the nature of both movies you are going to have people who are naturally curious which gives you a built in audience from the jump.  However, it is more refreshing than not that there is so much conversation around two movies and neither is a sequel, prequel, rebootquel, remake, or other franchise tentpole.*  This feels like a step in the right direction towards getting back to your midbudget, more adult skewing** content that we have been so bereft of for at least a decade.  I hope it's not just a blip.  I like all the tentpoles too but I also don't want to dine on one meal alone.

Will either or both live up to their billing?  We wont know until we get there but that's the gamble one signs up for when he or she decides to buy a ticket.  And if that person weighs their options and decides the risk isn't worth it then my guess is that person will opt out or wait for VOD/streaming.

*If Barbie meets or exceeds financial expectations it will probably become a franchise.  But as of now it is not.

**As was mentioned by someone else, Barbie will skew more age ranges than Oppenheimer but it still doesn't appear like it's a family or kid's movie.

Edited July 16, 2023 by kiddo82

[Trini]

This definitely had a well-planned hype machine; but then there's also a lot of people/media getting on the hype train for their own content needs. However, some of the buzz and memes developed organically even before most of the marketing got going.

Unlike The Flash, Barbie's cast of actual, bankable movie stars have been everywhere for promotion; and they didn't have to bribe Stephen King for a soundbite.

 

6 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

Whether or not people actually do the double or just like talking about it remains to be seen. <...>  However, it is more refreshing than not that there is so much conversation around two movies and neither is a sequel, prequel, rebootquel, remake, or other franchise tentpole.*  <...>

Will either or both live up to their billing?...

This is the other thing that's really interesting about Barbie (and Oppenheimer) whether you're into it or not; it's kind of an unknown quantity - despite being connected to a known brand. Is the marketing blitz actually going to pay off? Can a female-centric brand make as much money as superheroes? The media and studios are going to be paying attention.

[kiddo82]

I don't know that Barbie has been "pushed" any harder than say Indiana Jones, The Flash, The Little Mermaid, Mission Impossible, Guardians, etc.  If a studio puts a lot of money into a film they are probably going to put a lot of money into promoting it too.  As consumers, I think it's easy to get frequency illusion over such things.   

[Trini]

5 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

I don't know that Barbie has been "pushed" any harder than say Indiana Jones, The Flash, The Little Mermaid, Mission Impossible, Guardians, etc.  If a studio puts a lot of money into a film they are probably going to put a lot of money into promoting it too.  As consumers, I think it's easy to get frequency illusion over such things.   

I'd say it's about on par with what Disney did for The Little Mermaid, except they were also targeting kids.

---

Greta Gerwig’s Official Barbie Watchlist at Letterboxd:

Quote

To celebrate the theatrical release of Barbie—Letterboxd’s most anticipated movie of 2023—filmmaker and cinephile Greta Gerwig produced with a watchlist of films that influenced the look and script of her blockbusting fantasy-comedy-kind-of-musical. 

Gerwig gave us a comprehensive list of 29 films that inspired Barbie, and the number rose to 33 by the end of her interview with Mia Lee Vicino ...

 

[Spartan Girl]

On 7/15/2023 at 7:32 PM, SeanC said:

I don't see any similarities between this and the marketing for The Flash; the latter never generated much actual excitement anywhere.

Plus, Barbie isn’t trying to cover up any violent predators in the cast (because there aren’t any).

[Luckylyn]

Barbenheimer is more than a Meme 

 

[LennieBriscoe]

I doubt there are any theaters with a double-feature, same-room-viewing, of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." Seeing both movies in one day in different screening rooms is not a "double feature." 

[SeanC]

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

I doubt there are any theaters with a double-feature, same-room-viewing, of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." Seeing both movies in one day in different screening rooms is not a "double feature." 

It is in the modern parlance, since there are no classic double features anymore.

Edited July 17, 2023 by SeanC

[Trini]

'How Hair and Makeup Artist Ivana Primorac Brought Barbie to Life' -- at Glamour:

Quote

Here, Primorac breaks down key beauty moments from the Barbie movie, including Margot Robbie’s Barbie makeup look, Ryan Gosling’s perfect Ken tan, and Kate McKinnon’s face scribbles—plus, the exact nail polish used in the famous Barbie shoes scene. 

Quote

It’s all wigs. We had to have 18 wigs for [Margot Robbie], full wigs. And on top of that, we had something like 30 hairpieces. So hairpieces that would be stacked on top to create volume, pieces that would create length. One of the traveling wigs that she wears in the camping section of the travel into the real world is so super long that she could only wear it a couple of times because it was too heavy. ...

 

[Irlandesa]

On 7/16/2023 at 3:40 AM, Trini said:

This definitely had a well-planned hype machine; but then there's also a lot of people/media getting on the hype train for their own content needs. However, some of the buzz and memes developed organically even before most of the marketing got going.

I think Barbie embraced the viral.  Some of what they created was perfectly suited to go viral.  And they signal boosted fan-made viral objects.  That's what made the marketing so great and seem like it was maybe more than it was.

[EtheltoTillie]

The New York Times article is so pretentious. No one is writing a similar article about, say, the Flash. 

[SeanC]

14 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

The New York Times article is so pretentious. No one is writing a similar article about, say, the Flash. 

Why is that a surprise? By basically all accounts there is a massive difference in artistry and quality between the two, and Gerwig is one of the most acclaimed young(ish) auteurs of the past decade.

[Trini]

Review embargo has lifted, BTW: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/barbie/reviews

[EtheltoTillie]

16 hours ago, SeanC said:

Why is that a surprise? By basically all accounts there is a massive difference in artistry and quality between the two, and Gerwig is one of the most acclaimed young(ish) auteurs of the past decade.

Oh, it's not a surprise.  Just a comment.  I actually love Greta Gerwig, but she has the Times writer all excited about being front and center in the hype machine with the literary questions.  I'm happy to see a woman director get a chance to direct a big budget blockbuster.  Does it need so much metaphysical analysis?  Nah. 

[Laura Holt]

It's also not hurting the hype that a few prominent people have come out condemning it - nothing gets attention like people trying to tell you not see (or read) something.  I know I've got a few friends who were not interested in the Barbie movie at all and they're now planning their week-end around it!

[Trini]

On 7/15/2023 at 9:50 PM, kiddo82 said:

That said, I think it's actually heartening that the internet of all places isn't driving division this time.  It's a minor miracle that we haven't been bombarded with factions and fan wars.  

I dunno; things might get hairy during awards season. We'll see.

----

New, recent interview with Greta Gerwig; she reacts to reviews, the press tour (and specifically Gosling on the press tour), and 'Barbenheimer'.

excerpt:

Quote

...If you open this weekend over a $100 million domestic, you are going to join a very rarefied club of female directors who have met that benchmark with a live-action solo effort. As of now, it’s only Patty Jenkins. What does that possibility feel like?

I feel like I’ve been trying to manage expectations and [I do] not want to jinx anything. The thing I’ve been focusing on is that it is connecting with people and that people are feeling the joy that I hope that they would feel. That is the thing that I can hang my hat on in a way that doesn’t make me feel like I’m going to spin out into outer space.

Something that does feel meaningful to me in that scenario is that — you mentioned Patty Jenkins, and it’s something Margot and I have talked about — there’s no way we would’ve been able to make this movie if [Jenkins] hadn’t made “Wonder Woman” and it was successful. That’s just true. So one thing that I’ve been thinking about, and feeling the joy we felt reflected in audiences, is thinking, “Well, if it works, maybe it’s easier for the next person.”

 

[Trini]

America Ferrera on the cover of Vogue Mexico for their July issue; a bit about Barbie, the article is in Spanish, though.

[TigerLily20]

I just got back from seeing it with my sister, I have to say it surpassed my expectations, there were times we were busting up laughing and then almost in tears from the emotional pull.  I will be interested in seeing how this is received overall.  Our theater seemed to really enjoy it.

[methodwriter85]

4 hours ago, TigerLily20 said:

I just got back from seeing it with my sister, I have to say it surpassed my expectations, there were times we were busting up laughing and then almost in tears from the emotional pull.  I will be interested in seeing how this is received overall.  Our theater seemed to really enjoy it.

Mine absolutely did not, and I want to re-see the movie with a better crowd. Lol

[shapeshifter]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:11 PM, millennium said:

(btw, Is Michael Keaton's Batman in Barbie?)

Hah. Hopefully a subliminal cameo?

 

On 7/11/2023 at 9:01 PM, Trini said:

A few video interviews with the cast...

Simu Liu gives such thoughtful responses when interviewed. However, I have a grandmotherly urge to correct something he mentioned:

Quote

...an innovative and disruptive idea....before that girls played with dolls that were like infant children and Barbie for the first time was like...a future version of yourself where you can aspire and hope to dream to be anyone that you want. I mean at that time... you had to be blonde but you could be a doctor you know you could be a lawyer you could be you know president of the United States. 

My sister and I had first gen Barbies in the early 1960s with black hair, like ours. 

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by shapeshifter
so the key words of the quote would show in the quote box without expanding it

[Trini]

A bit more about how the soundtrack came together, and specifically the "I'm Just Ken" musical number: 'Music Producer Mark Ronson on Working With Dua Lipa, Lizzo, and Creating the Sound of the Year’s Biggest Film'

[Guest]

I just got back from watching it and I am surprised that they dove headfirst into a potential firestorm. I expected there to be not so thinly veiled social commentary but I didn’t expect them it take off the veil and light it on fire. 

It was gorgeous and all the meta Barbie things were so well done. There are times I felt they went a little heavy handed on the message in a way diluted the impact.

I wish they would have done more with the Kens. I felt like they were going to go there then they just didn’t. It irritates me that I still don’t know where the Kens live. Gosling was so good. They also could have done more with Allan.

Robbie was perfect. She nailed Barbie’s emotional reactions and the physical comedy. The narrator (brilliant casting) actually got the biggest laugh in my showing. 

Mattel needs to start selling the “I’m Kenough” sweatshirt.

My only real complaint is that everything with Mattel was a waste of time. It seemed like something Mattel insisted on including and it added nothing to the movie. 

[theredhead77]

I just got back and I LOVED it. The two hours flew by. It was everything I didn't know I needed. 

[Guest]

I forgot to mention that I have never seen so many women at the movie theater. Or so much pink. 
While I didn’t love everything about the movie, I absolutely loved how unapologetically feminist it was. America’s monologue about the unrealistic expectations put on women was spot on. As was Barbie reacting to being objectified and harassed for the first time. 

Barbie opening-day box office clobbers The Batman , Spider-Man , and Guardians of the Galaxy

The opening weekend prediction is now $150 million and it got an A Cinemascore rating. 
 

[Cress]

11 hours ago, Dani said:

Mattel needs to start selling the “I’m Kenough” sweatshirt.

Oh they already are, and it's sold out. They have a lot of merch at their shop, but it's expensive. When even the hats are $30... I don't love Barbie that much.

[JAYJAY1979]

So my fear that Barbie would show Barbie as everything and Ken as just Ken isn't a reality.  It seems when a feminist makes a movie, they tend to over correct by making the male lead into an object while injecting all focus/development into the lead female character.  Which is no better than when the reverse.

That said, I'll wait till it's available to watch at home since movie tickets are expensive.

 

[shantown]

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were so great in their roles. So good, that it would make me forget about Allan until he popped up, but that was what made Michael Cera so perfect in that role too. I went with a group and it was a funny jumpscare for us every time Allan popped up. 
 

the Lizzo song at the beginning set the tone for the movie and it delivered all the way through. Great visual gags, good one-liners, and Ken’s song! Thankfully we also had a good audience who was laughing along too. 

[Guest]

‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Fueling Mindblowing $300M+ Box Office Weekend – Saturday AM Update 

Quote

Barbie has a lot of bragging rights beyond owning a dream house and sports car: Warners still says $150M+3-day for America’s blonde. But industry calculations believe it’s well more than $161M. Any way you cut it, it’s the biggest opening weekend of 2023 to date after an opening day, also best YTD, of $70.5M.

If it can reach $161 million it would be in the top 20 of highest opening weekends ever. 

[methodwriter85]

16 hours ago, Dani said:

My only real complaint is that everything with Mattel was a waste of time. It seemed like something Mattel insisted on including and it added nothing to the movie. 

My guess is that Mattel was originally supposed to be more Villanous but they couldn't really allow that, so they added the bit about them going into the Barbie Land to try and "fix" things.

I really thought American's character was dealing with grief (say the death of her mother) and that is why she was preoccupied with death at the particular moment in her life. I was surprised that it didn't seem to be the case. 

[hendersonrocks]

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as loud in a movie theater as I did when “Push” started playing on Ken Radio. And then the bonfire scene! I almost wet myself.

Overall, I thought it was really good. Ryan Gosling is indeed amazing - it is a little weird that Ken steals the Barbie movie, but here we are. 

One favorite little moment: Barbie’s pale pink Birkenstocks in the final scene. I loved that way of marrying the different parts of her story together.