Barbie (2023)

[lilabennet]

I searched "Barbie" on Google and the results page was pink.  And there were sparkles.  I don't know why that cracked me up so much but I couldn't stop giggling for about a minute.

[AimingforYoko]

If this movie doesn't drive a stake in the heart of the "Go Woke, Go Broke" narrative, nothing will.

I gotta give Greta credit, she laid it on the line and now she can write her own ticket. There's a lesson in there, somewhere. 

My favorite line was Helen Mirren's after Stereotypical Barbie complained she wasn't pretty enough for SB, "Note to filmmakers, if you really wanted to make that point, you shouldn't have cast Margot Robbie."

Speaking of Ms. Robbie, she thought her "Fuck You" role was going to be Harley Quinn, and it turned out to be Barbie.

[WendyCR72]

1 hour ago, lilabennet said:

I searched "Barbie" on Google and the results page was pink.  And there were sparkles.  I don't know why that cracked me up so much but I couldn't stop giggling for about a minute.

I just did the same! The little starburst when the page opens, and the neon pink links, are awesome.

Looking forward to this, but with sold-out showings and the sheer cost of going to a theater, I'm waiting for digital. (Amazon already has a pre-order link up, which I went for!)

As one who had tons of Barbies, the motor home ['70s kid, the yellow version!], and the Beauty Salon [no Dream Home, alas, I was deprived. LOL!], I look forward to this!

[Sarahsmile416]

Took my 9 year old today and while much of the humor was definitely over her head, she definitely enjoyed it.  

Me? I loved it.  Every bit of it.  I left wanting to get Depressed Barbie…she spoke to my soul lol

[Guest]

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

If this movie doesn't drive a stake in the heart of the "Go Woke, Go Broke" narrative, nothing will.

Sadly, nothing will. Never underestimate the power of self-delusion. Now comes the goal post moving. 

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

My favorite line was Helen Mirren's after Stereotypical Barbie complained she wasn't pretty enough for SB, "Note to filmmakers, if you really wanted to make that point, you shouldn't have cast Margot Robbie."

Mine, too. That was also the biggest laugh in my showing. 

2 hours ago, lilabennet said:

I searched "Barbie" on Google and the results page was pink.  And there were sparkles.  I don't know why that cracked me up so much but I couldn't stop giggling for about a minute.

The same thing happens if you search Robbie, Gosling and Gerwig. 

[phalange]

 

This movie felt like an event. So many people wearing pink and posing for pictures in the giant Barbie box!

The opening scene being an homage to 2001 with the little girls smashing things then tossing the baby doll in the air was great. I was one of those girls who rarely played with baby dolls but had fifty bajillion Barbies, so that spoke to me lol. Barbieland was exactly the way kids really play. Barbie just floats down to the car instead of walks, and then there's Weird Barbie with her jagged haircut and face covered in squiggles from markers. Perfect.

I loved when Barbie told the elderly woman she's beautiful and the woman just said, "I know." Also America Ferrera's speech about the pressure woman have to try to be everything all the time and how they used it to deprogram the Barbies. One of the Barbies saying it felt like she was in a dream where she only cared about getting the Snyder-cut was *chef's kiss*. 

The Kens' beach battle/dance routine was hilarious and Barbie's final line had everyone cracking up.

[thuganomics85]

Am already going to campaign for "I'm Just Ken" to get an Oscar nomination.  Especially if Ryan Gosling performances it live on the show, complete with Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and the rest of the Kens dancing behind him.

I knew going in that it wasn't going to be just a simple comedy due to Greta Gerwig being at the helm, but even then, I was surprised over how willing this film was to go all in with things.  I'm usually someone who can roll my eyes when a film or show is on the nose about things, but I kind of love how this film/Greta went all in and just made toxic masculinity the main obstacle here.  Not surprised that it led to a backlash (granted, I'm starting to feel like every film that has a non-white male lead tends to get one.  Hmm....) but judging from the box office and the response, I'm glad the "Go Woke, Go Broke" crowd is clearly losing this battle.  Ah, well, I'm sure they can go back to talking about the Snyder Cut nonstop, when they aren't too busy trying to woo their one-sided crushes with that one Matchbox 20 song they learn to play on guitar.

I actually kind of wish we spent even more time in Barbieland.  The production and set design was top notch.  And I kind of want to know where all the Kens were living....

No surprise that both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling crushed it.  Been a fan of Robbie since I first saw her on a little seen ABC show called Pan Am years ago, and I always felt like she is someone who is clearly way more than just a pretty face and has legit acting chops.  I thought she was perfectly hilarious at times, but also really carried the emotional beats as well.  Glad she got a great win after a few misfires (Babylon, Amsterdam.)  As for Gosling, there is almost no words.  Well, except that I still can't figure out why there was initially some pushback on his casting, because I thought he showed that he actually has some great comedic chops with the likes of The Nice Guys, Crazy, Stupid, Love (despite my issues with other parts of the film), and whenever he hosted Saturday Night Live.  But he was perfect here.  Ken is everything!

The rest of the cast was good as well.  Love the variations of Barbies and Kens we saw.  Favorite was probably Simu Liu as what I could best describe as "Rival Ken", since he mainly butt heads with Main Ken.  Also, how is it that Kingsley Ben-Adir showed more charisma and had more or a presence here than in five episodes of Secret Invasion?

America Ferrera was great and that one big speech from her character was so on point.

John Cena out of nowhere!  And as a merman none the less!

Every shot of Michael Cera as Allan just kept making me laugh for no reason.

Agree that the stuff with Will Ferrell and the Mattel executives were the weakest parts, even though I chuckled a few times.  Felt like they were just there to be a misdirect and hide that the main showdown was going to be against the Kens infected by toxic masculinity.

Definitely the busiest showing this year so far for me.  And liveliest too.  Seem to hit with most everyone from what I saw.

Congrats to Greta, Margot (who also produced it), and everyone involved!

Edited July 24, 2023 by thuganomics85

[Sarahsmile416]

8 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Am already going to campaign for "I'm Just Ken" to get an Oscar nomination.  Especially if Ryan Gosling performances it live on the show, complete with Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and the rest of the Kens dancing behind him.

I knew going in that it wasn't going to be just a simple comedy due to Greta Gerwig being at the helm, but even then, I was surprised over how willing this film was to go all in with things.  I'm usually someone who can roll my eyes when a film or show is on the nose about things, but I kind of love how this film/Greta went all in and just made toxic masculinity the main obstacle here.  Not surprised that it led to a backlash (granted, I'm starting to feel like every film that has a non-white male lead tends to get one.  Hmm....) but judging from the box office and the response, I'm glad the "Go Woke, Go Broke" crowd is clearly losing this battle.  Ah, well, I'm sure they can go back to talking about the Snyder Cut nonstop, when they aren't too busy trying to woo their one-sided crushes with that one Matchbox 20 song they learn to play on guitar.

I actually kind of wish we spent even more time in Barbieland.  The production and set design was top notch.  And I kind of want to know where all the Kens were living....

No surprise that both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling crushed it.  Been a fan of Robbie since I first saw her on a little seen ABC show called Pan Am years ago, and I always felt like she is someone who is clearly way more than just a pretty face and has legit acting chops.  I thought she was perfectly hilarious at times, but also really carried the emotional beats as well.  Glad she got a great win after a few misfires (Babylon, Amsterdam.)  As for Gosling, there is almost no words.  Well, except that I still can't figure out why there was initially some pushback on his casting, because I thought he showed that he actually has some great comedic chops with the likes of The Nice Guys, Crazy, Stupid, Love (despite my issues with other parts of the film), and whenever he hosted Saturday Night Live.  But he was perfect here.  Ken is everything!

The rest of the cast was good as well.  Love the variations of Barbies and Kens we saw.  Favorite was probably Simu Liu as I could best describe as "Rival Ken", since he mainly butt heads with Main Ken.  Also, how is that Kingsley Ben-Adir showed more charisma and had more or a presence here than in five episodes of Secret Invasion?

America Ferrera was great and that one big speech from her character was so on point.

John Cena out of nowhere!  And as a merman none the less!

Every shot of Michael Cera as Allan just kept making me laugh for no reason.

Agree that the stuff with Will Ferrell and the Mattel executives were the weakest parts, even though I chuckled a few times.  Felt like they were just there to be a misdirect and hide that the main showdown was going to be against the Kens infected by toxic masculinity.

Definitely the busiest showing this year so far for me.  And liveliest too.  Seem to hit with most everyone from what I saw.

Congrats to Greta, Margot (who also produced it), and everyone involved!

John Cena as Ken-Maid tickled me…miniSarahSmile created a Barbie scene with her Barbies weeks ago where Ken was in a pool with mermaids but his legs were hidden so he looked like a Kenmaid.  Guess she was channeling the movie before ever seeing it 

[slowpoked]

This was such a fun movie! I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Without really getting into the stupid “go woke, go broke” narrative around this film (which thankfully didn’t hold the film back), I liked how Greta skillfully navigated the decades-long issues of Barbie the brand and the doll itself (which has existed even before “woke” existed), without being preachy about it.

13 hours ago, phalange said:

I loved when Barbie told the elderly woman she's beautiful and the woman just said, "I know."

That was my favorite scene too. Margot took her time looking at the woman with awe before telling her “You’re beautiful.” People never grow old in Barbieland so Barbie seeing someone old for the first time and appreciating it greatly was a nice touch.

I know Ryan Gosling is getting a lot of well-deserved love and even early Oscar buzz, but I thought Margot did as equally fantastic and I think she should also be getting Oscar buzz. For some reason, this performance reminded me a lot of Reese’s Elle in Legally Blonde (first movie) - another performance that was criminally underrated and underappreciated in the awards circuit that frankly deserved more.

[theredhead77]

24 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

I know Ryan Gosling is getting a lot of well-deserved love and even early Oscar buzz, but I thought Margot did as equally fantastic and I think she should also be getting Oscar buzz.

100%. I find it a bit ironic that in a movie centered around Barbie, it's Ken who is getting noticed. Obviously, no one really knew what to expect, and Gosling did a phenomenal job as Ken. It does take a special kind of actor to do what he did. That being said, it also takes a special kind of actor to portray "Stereotypical" Barbie not being a "Stereotypical" blond or "pretty girl", and her story.

Of all the toxic masculinity storylines, my favorite was the "friend-zone", Ken realizing he is Kenough, and that storyline leaving "it's Barbie", and "it's Ken" as friends.

I was mildly disappointed Barbie had to teach Ken he is Kenough, it's not a women's job to teach men that they are enough without them, but being Kenough is an important message for boys (and men) to see. 

Will Ferrell did a great job as "Mr. Mattel". He plays those types of 'villans' so, so well. It was fun learning that Barbie Land wasn't a surprise to Mattel and they had to play by the Barbie Land travel rules to get there. 

Now I want to go to a Barbie Land theme park just for the travel sequence as a ride. And the Barbie Dream House slide into a pool that isn't actually water.

Edited July 23, 2023 by theredhead77

[Guest]

5 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

100%. I find it a bit ironic that in a movie centered around Barbie, it's Ken who is getting noticed.

I think that is because within Barbieland the Kens were analogous to women within much of Hollywood. Existing only as an extension of their love interests. Such complete afterthoughts that no one even knows where they live. There are so many layers to the gender dynamics in the movie.

I loved Barbie’s journey through the movie but Ken was given was given some of the best moments, I think because he started in a weaker position than Barbie. They managed to make a movie where both Ken and Barbie can resonate with the female audience. 

[AimingforYoko]

Of course, a movie like this is tailor-made for thinkpieces, but I believe this one is pretty interesting: An Ode to Allan, The Quietly Queer Heart of "Barbie".

[kiddo82]

For me the best part was the Barbies distracting the Ken's.  "I've never seen the Godfather before.  Can you start it over and talk through the entire thing?"  Been.  There.

I respect how hard Getwig went for it here.  Is Barbie heavy handed at times?  Absolutely.  Would I rather that than a movie that hedges and tries to play both sides?  Also absolutely.  Any movie that deals with any sort of social commentary is going to garner pushback so might as well double down and own it.  I didn't love either of Lady Bird or Little Women but Gerwig is definitely a creator who knows what she wants to say.  I'm glad she was the captain of this ship.

Not surprisingly but this was such a professionally researched and made movie.  In lesser hands this could have been a bad parody but it's clear those working on it had a lot of respect for actual Barbie and the people they were making it for.  I loved the production design and all the Barbie details and in jokes.  The way the houses and beaches looked down to the fire and the water.  The fact that when Barbie drinks from a cup nothing is ever in there to come out of it! The costumes!  The look of those Rollerblades was dead on. And the inclusion of "weird" Barbie was inspired.  So true to life for any of us who played with dolls as kids. The entire cast was perfect and bless Ryan Gossling because he really jumped in with both feet here.  In related news I will now be referring to my own home as my "Mojo dojo casa house."  I sincerely hope Margot Robbie's performance isn't overlooked because her role is the less showy one, but she does all the little things spot on.  Again, in lesser hands this could have been a bad SNL sketch but she brings so much depth.  

I didn't know what to expect going in and while I can't say this is my favorite movie ever, down the card it is one of the most impressively produced movies I've seen in a long time.  Between that and it's unapologetic feminism I'm glad it exists.  Congrats to all involved.

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by kiddo82

[Fukui San]

On 7/22/2023 at 5:34 PM, lilabennet said:

I searched "Barbie" on Google and the results page was pink.  And there were sparkles.  I don't know why that cracked me up so much but I couldn't stop giggling for about a minute.

Unfortunately, when I googled “Oppenheimer” the screen did not explode into nuclear Armageddon. Missed opportunity!

[Trini]

'‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’: A Rundown Of All The Box Office Records Broken' . . . so far.

[AimingforYoko]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

"I've never seen the Godfather before.  Can you start it over and talk through the entire thing?"  Been.  There.

After that scene, I wondered if Noah did that to Greta.

[Laura Holt]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

For me the best part was the Barbies distracting the Ken's.  "I've never seen the Godfather before.  Can you start it over and talk through the entire thing?"  Been.  There.

I didn't get a chance to see it yet but it's on my Must Watch list and I have a feeling it will be  money well spent just for these lines!

[choclatechip45]

I enjoyed it. I thought it was slow at times. So many women and men in pink at my theater. 

[slowpoked]

So far this is the best Barbenheimer poster I’ve seen:

 

[Trini]

Analysis of "Barbenheimer"s  success at Variety:

excerpt:

Quote

These two movies, with nothing in common except the power and passion that got each of them made, have arrived at the perfect moment in our perfect storm of entertainment-industry meltdown. Long after their theatrical runs are over, “Barbenheimer” will stand as a touchstone that can remind everyone why we go to the movies: not just to relive some old IP but to dive into a vision, to live life for two hours (or maybe three) in the grip of an artist. ...

 

-----

Despite the title, Warner Bros.' president of global marketing wisely does not take all the credit for the Barbie marketing blitz and success in this interview: 'Inside ‘Barbie’s’ Pink Publicity Machine: How Warner Bros. Pulled Off the Marketing Campaign of the Year'

[slowpoked]

From Variety - what scene almost got cut if Greta didn’t stand her ground:

Gerwig revealed that it was suggested she cut out the scene where Barbie (Margot Robbie) meets an elderly woman on a bench and tells her she's beautiful.

"I love that scene so much," Gerwig told Rolling Stone. "And the older woman on the bench is the costume designer Ann Roth. She's a legend. It's a cul-de-sac of a moment, in a way -- it doesn't lead anywhere. And in early cuts, looking at the movie, it was suggested, 'Well, you could cut it. And actually, the story would move on just the same.' And I said, 'If I cut the scene, I don't know what this movie is about.'"[\quote]
 

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/barbie-cut-scene-greta-gerwig-refused-remove-old-woman-bench-scene-1235676474/amp/

[starri]

After a bunch of Hot Takes about how the movie is anti-masculinity, I had to wonder if I somehow saw a different movie.  While the narrative definitely opposed to toxic masculinity, it actually came across to me as exceedingly sympathetic to the insecurities that give rise to that kind of behavior.  

[Spartan Girl]

3 minutes ago, starri said:

After a bunch of Hot Takes about how the movie is anti-masculinity, I had to wonder if I somehow saw a different movie.  While the narrative definitely opposed to toxic masculinity, it actually came across to me as exceedingly sympathetic to the insecurities that give rise to that kind of behavior.  

While I haven’t seen the movie yet, from everything I heard, that’s exactly right. The fact that those idiots are quick to cry that’s “anti-man” says more about them than anything else. Truth hurts.

[tennisgurl]

I have honestly loved all of this Barbenheimer hype, it really feels like the movies have become an event again in a way that they haven't in a long time. I saw Barbie this weekend and plan on seeing Oppenheimer soon, but I feel like as good as that movie will be that its going to be hard to beat Barbie! It was so much fun seeing a packed theater filled with people wearing pink and taking pictures with the Barbie poster, before I went to the movie I went to a local bakery that was making Barbie themed sweets and I saw tons of people in there wearing pink eating cookies and cupcakes and saw most of them in the theater later, it was so much fun. 

The movie itself absolutely lives up to the hype, I had such a great time watching it. It was fun and funny but also surprisingly insightful and deep in how it explored gender issues and what its like to be a human while keeping the tone consistent. I really respect how much Greta really went there with the themes of feminism and Barbie's complicated legacy and place in girls lives, you can tell how much they researched into Barbie's history to really make this a Barbie Movie and not just another cheap cash in on a popular IP. I especially loved seeing Mermaid Barbie (male and female!) which was my favorite growing up, and Weird Barbie, who I am sure was familiar to lots of kids who played HARD with their toys. Barbieland was so incredible, I wish we had gotten to spend just a bit more time there, so many details and so much pink. The way everyone just mimes eating and drinking, how Barbie just floats out of her house, the fake ocean, it all felt so on brand.

The cast was amazing as expected, Margot Robbie is perfectly cast as Stereotypical Barbie, she really does look like a real life Barbie but has an way of showing the depts behind the plastic, and I am shocked that so many people were against Ryan Gosling as Ken early on, he was incredible in this. He was really willing to full commit to the goofiness and the more serious parts along with singing, dancing, and just generally being alright with looking like a total dork. There were also a great supporting cast, I'm always happy to see America Ferrera and she was great as our normal person audience surrogate, and it was a lot of fun seeing Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, and especially Michael Cera having a grand old time going for broke with the wild comedy. Alan was an absolute scene stealer, I laughed every time he just popped up out of nowhere. 

So many great laughs in this one, but the ones that got me most were NSYNC all being made up of escaped Allans (yes, even that one) and the Mattel CEO casually mentioning that Ruth Handler's ghost rents an office in their building. In general I was really amused by the fact that so many people know about Barbieland but any attempt at explaining how this actually works is always just handwaved away. 

The movies feminist message is not in any well subtle, but it works really well in such a stylized setting and its certainly a message that needs to be yelled loud so that the back rows can hear. The usual crowd always whining about how this movie is "anti-mail" clearly went into this movie looking to be offended because they have completely missed the point of the movie. The exploration of gender is really complex and interesting, I think one of the biggest lessons is that the sort of toxic masculinity that the Kens glomp onto in a child like way hurts everyone involved in it, and really was sympathetic to the kind of insecurity that leads men to act that way. Also by the end the Barbies realize that them all treating the Kens like trophy boyfriends and nothing else wasn't right and want to start changing things, I think the take away should be that everyone should be allowed to just be themselves instead of obsessing over who they are to other people and what society tells them to be. 

I desperately hope that someone is making a Barbie themed amusement park location as we speak.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, starri said:

After a bunch of Hot Takes about how the movie is anti-masculinity, I had to wonder if I somehow saw a different movie.  While the narrative definitely opposed to toxic masculinity, it actually came across to me as exceedingly sympathetic to the insecurities that give rise to that kind of behavior.  

They don’t realize they are outing their own fragile masculinity. So much of the negativity directed at the movie is people running right into the point of the movie but still missing it. 

[Leeds]

  

 

On 5/6/2023 at 7:16 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

I saw the trailer for this tonight when I went to see another movie.

This looks ABSOLUTELY STOOPID.

HARD PASS.

I'm curious as to what the other movie was.

On 7/16/2023 at 6:38 PM, Spartan Girl said:

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

That we know of.  Yet.

 

[Athena]

It's been two days and I still have the Ken song stuck in my head.

Fun, great time. Glad I saw it in theater as there was so much pink and laughter. My friend wanted to do Barbienheimer and we did it with a dinner break between ending with Barbie. I'll rewatch Barbie for sure.

[GHScorpiosRule]

11 minutes ago, Leeds said:

  

 

I'm curious as to what the other movie was.

 

 

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

[Leeds]

19 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

Thanks.  (Seems like a weird trailer to show with that film, though in retrospect, perhaps not!)

I thought the same as you when I first heard about Barbie, but having read some of the posts here I'm thinking I might be persuaded to go and see it with friends at one of our local "watch a second-run movie while you drink a decent pint of beer and eat a mediocre slice of pizza" places.

[Fukui San]

7 hours ago, starri said:

After a bunch of Hot Takes about how the movie is anti-masculinity, I had to wonder if I somehow saw a different movie.  While the narrative definitely opposed to toxic masculinity, it actually came across to me as exceedingly sympathetic to the insecurities that give rise to that kind of behavior.  

There's just a bunch of people whose mission it is to try and shout down cultural properties that dare to not cater to white male hegemony no matter whether it has any basis in anything.

Here's the weirdest example that comes to mind when I think of this phenomenon. A few years back, when Cracked.com was a vital source of cool stuff (ie, before its enshittification), the Cracked Podcast had an episode where it interviewed a Japanese female comedian living in the US on the theme "Unexpected Differences Between the US and Japan".  The episode was completely innocuous. Basically 60 minutes of cute observations like "Cantaloupe here is so fucking cheap! I ate so much of it." and "Why are your sodas so big here?"

In the comments section of the episode, there was a guy who made a couple of comments that sticks in my mind for the bizarre POV of it. The first was "OMG! I'm so excited for this episode! I hope you get into how women totally berate and cow men in this country! This has to change!" or something like that.  The next comment was "Oh, so disappointed. This episode was about how all men are dogs. I was expecting better. oh well."  

Mind you, in an hour plus episode, there was maybe one observation about how in America, it's harder for a man and a woman to do a purely social thing together without the expectation of being on a date. The rest were random observations about American life, nothing at all to do with gender roles in either society. Someone out there just wanted to air a grievance to the world and somehow shoehorned it into the comment section of this random podcast episode that never even promised examination on gender roles.

Seeing stuff like so often attached to so many properties makes me come to expect an organized, aggressive countermovement to anything even vaguely progressive. It also makes it hard to express genuine critique less you get lumped into the Incel brigade. I liked the Barbie movie as it was goofy weird fun. But if I didn't, I'd keep my mouth shut since I know who I'd be standing next to. 

[tv echo]

Canadian 'Kenada' Premiere | Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Warner Bros.
FAN EXPO    Jul 21, 2023

Quote

* This was filmed prior to the SAG-AFTRA Strike beginning on July 14 *

Barbie | The Album x Movie (Trailer)
Warner Bros. Pictures   Jul 21, 2023

Edited July 25, 2023 by tv echo

[Laura Holt]

We had intended to go see this tonight in the theatre in our town.  Sold out.  This has never happened before IME.  Usually even when a movie is a big hit they're lucky to fill half the seats for any given showing.  It is cheap seats Tuesday so I'm sure that made a difference but even so.  Wow.  Gonna try again tomorrow.

[slowpoked]

On 7/24/2023 at 12:01 PM, Leeds said:

Thanks.  (Seems like a weird trailer to show with that film, though in retrospect, perhaps not!)

I thought the same as you when I first heard about Barbie, but having read some of the posts here I'm thinking I might be persuaded to go and see it with friends at one of our local "watch a second-run movie while you drink a decent pint of beer and eat a mediocre slice of pizza" places.

I also cringed when I first saw the trailer. I thought it was going to be a campy, cheesy exercise into Barbie, that has the makings of a huge flop. But the more promos I saw, and the more I hear Greta and Margot talked about the movie, I got curious enough to watch it. I did play with Barbies when I was little, so there’s that. And it didn’t disappoint. 

Edited July 26, 2023 by slowpoked

[tv echo]

Barbie Casting Director Explains Why SNL’s Bowen Yang Couldn’t Play a Ken
BY MATT WEBB MITOVICH  JULY 25, 2023
https://tvline.com/news/barbie-bowen-yang-almost-cast-ken-snl-1235018582/ 

Quote

Yang was almost a part of said Kensemble, but it sounds like his SNL commitment got in the way of him joining the production, which required a months-long commitment, in London, starting in late March 2022. (SNL that season taped into late May, while Yang’s live-action commitments also include Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.)

Like Yang, Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) and Ben Platt (The Politician) also had a “Ken do!” attitude but were waylaid by the COVID-dictated lockdown in London, Barbie casting director Allison Jones explained to Vanity Fair.

“They were, I’m not kidding, really bummed they couldn’t do it,” Jones said.

Similarly, Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) was in queue to play Barbieland’s Allan, but had to cede said role.

“Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I can’t do Allan,’” Jones related. In his place, Michael Cera (Arrested Development) slipped into the comedic role.

Edited July 26, 2023 by tv echo

[Browncoat]

I saw Barbie last night, and loved (almost) every minute of it, starting with the homage to 2001.  That sequence, with the giant original Barbie just slayed me.  That, along with Helen Mirren's narration were just so completely unexpected, and awesome.

I thought the movie as a whole was campy, and fun, but also had a great message for everyone -- we should all be treated equally and with respect.  Neither the matriarchy nor the patriarchy worked very well.  I do still wonder where the Kens live.

The parts that fell flat for me were the parts that involved the suits from Mattel.  I guess Barbie being at Mattel headquarters (the mothership!) was the best way to initially introduce Ruth, but I didn't really need the whole car chase part.

The last line was perfect.

[oliviabenson]

https://nypost.com/2023/07/26/ken-has-a-last-name-barbie-fans-shocked-by-dolls-full-moniker/amp/

[Laura Holt]

[Trini]

Greta Gerwig and editor Nick Houy discuss editing Barbie in this podcast interview; there are also quotes in the linked article.

excerpt:

Quote

Houy agreed that the main challenge of editing “Barbie” was providing clarity over the course of a number of turns across the film — some of which hinge on expressive internal realizations of Barbie confronting the reality of women in the real world and some of which hinge on the Matchbox Twenty song “Push.”   

 

[Spartan Girl]

Finally saw it tonight and I freaking loved it. Greta DID NOT come to play.

Helen Mirren was so savage as the narrator.

I genuinely felt bad for Barbie when Sasha basically ripped her a new one. She never had anything but the best intentions for girls, and to see that they turned on her like that…Margot sold that hurt. Also points for her pointing on that she couldn’t be a literal fascist (people use that term way too much these days).

On 7/26/2023 at 11:14 AM, Browncoat said:

I thought the movie as a whole was campy, and fun, but also had a great message for everyone -- we should all be treated equally and with respect.  Neither the matriarchy nor the patriarchy worked very well.  I do still wonder where the Kens live.

This.

Screw whoever said Ryan was too old, he’s still as hot as ever! I was worried about them making Ken the bad guy, but they managed to pull it off. He wasn’t evil, just someone that got corrupted by the ideas of patriarchy. I mean, he was literally created only to be Barbie’s boyfriend—and Barbie didn’t really need (or want) a boyfriend. So you gotta feel for him there. While the Kens were far from oppressed and weren’t initially resentful of the Barbies, it’s easy to understand why the idea of having power instead of just being “there” was so tempting. And in the end it still didn’t make him all that happy. Even when he threw the “girls night” speech back in Barbie’s face, you could tell he didn’t really enjoy it.

The “Just Ken” dance-off was EVERYTHING.

Loved how the Barbies outsmarted the Kens, complete with President Barbie’s Mattel-censored “motherfuckers.” Of course they forgave them and gave them a meaningless government job. Hey, they just tried to brainwash and overthrow them, so trust has to be built back before they can have an equal power. Although they still have it better than women in the real world…

And while some people thought it was unfair that Barbie apologized to Ken and she didn’t get one from him, the best apology is changed behavior. He listens to her, takes her advice on finding his own identity without her, and lets her go. That’s more meaningful than just an “I’m sorry.”

I’m going to be the oddball and say the Mattel part was not unnecessary. Gloria worked there and that’s how she found Barbie. Also Will and the other guys were so delightfully stupid. Especially when they went to Barbie-Land. Say what you want about the CEO he wasn’t going to do Kendom even if it was selling!

Edited July 28, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[tv echo]

‘Barbie’ Kenergizes Past $500M Worldwide Box Office; ‘Oppenheimer’ Eyes $300M Global Through Friday
By Nancy Tartaglione   July 27, 2023
https://deadline.com/2023/07/barbie-oppenheimer-box-office-1235448805/ 

Quote

THURSDAY UPDATE: Barbenheimer is the gift that keeps on giving. The Kenergy is so high on Warner Bros’ Barbie that it spiked by 3% at the international box office on Wednesday versus Tuesday and added $32.7M in 69 markets. That brings the global running cume on the Greta Gerwig pic to a fantastic $528.6M, including $291.4M from  overseas. This is all after only one week of release. 
*  *  *
Notably, Barbie is now tracking ahead of the Top 5 WB regional comps in Latin America, including Joker (+84%), Batman V Superman (+51%), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (+56%), Aquaman (+133%) and Justice League (+65%).

In the UK, where the cume through Wednesday is $40.2M, Barbie’s first week is currently the 2nd biggest for a WB film ever, just behind Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Mexico grossed $2.3M on Wednesday, just a 19% drop from Tuesday, for a $31.4M running cume. Brazil is at $25.2M through Wednesday after adding $2.1M yesterday, just a 4% dip from the previous day. Australia has grossed $18.9M to date, and China is now at $15.9M, defying expectations with a 10% drop from Tuesday.  

Other notable markets include France with $15.1M so far, and Spain with $13.3M to date and on par with Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as 10% ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water and 19% above The Super Mario Bros Movie at same point in time. Italy had the best Wednesday for a WB film ever with $2M for a running cume of $14.4M.

Mattel Execs on Next Hollywood Moves: ‘Barney,’ ‘Polly Pocket’ and ‘Barbie’ Sequels (EXCLUSIVE)
By Elizabeth Wagmeister    July 26, 2023
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/barbie-sequel-mattel-films-barney-hot-wheels-1235680302/ 

Quote

In 2018, after a tumultuous period of declining toy sales, Mattel brought in a new CEO, businessman Ynon Kreiz, who had a vision to turn the storied toy company into an IP-driven machine, essentially creating a Mattel cinematic universe. Now, with the immense success of “Barbie,” the path is clear for Mattel to make whatever they want — and they already have a ton of projects in the works with A-list partners attached.
*  * *
Of course, the door is also wide open for “Barbie” sequels. Director Greta Gerwig has said that she’s not thinking about a follow-up at this time, saying, “At this moment, it’s all I’ve got.” But after the Margot Robbie-starring hot pink fantasia has grossed an astonishing $380 million worldwide in its first five days in theaters, it’s a safe bet that Mattel and Warner Bros. will want more.

Speaking to Variety about their IP strategy just days before “Barbie” was released, Mattel executives were hopeful to open up an entire “Barbie” world of sequels.

“Barbie, as a brand, has many different iterations. The product lines of Barbie is a very broad brand. In addition to the main Barbie figure, she has family, she has a lot of elements around in her universe,” Kreiz told Variety. “It’s a very rich universe… It’s a very broad and very elastic brand, in terms of opportunities.”

Edited July 28, 2023 by tv echo

[Ohiopirate02]

Finally got around to seeing this, and it was everything I hoped--Peaches and Cream Barbie, the correct Mr. Darcy used during the Depressed Barbie montage, Earring Magic Ken makes an appearance sans cockring pendant, Growing Up Skipper (how was that ever put into production), Allan was perfect, so was John Cena's wig, and Sugar Daddy Ken?!?

I'm going to need Barbara's pink Birkenstocks.  

[kiddo82]

22 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Finally got around to seeing this, and it was everything I hoped--Peaches and Cream Barbie

When I was little we used to have all these Rankin and Bass Christmas specials taped off of network TV onto a VHS.  Commercials and all.  I watched that tape so many times I will have the Peaches and Cream Barbie commercial burned into my memory for all time.  "What a dream!  All peaches and creeeeeam!"

[Ohiopirate02]

22 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

When I was little we used to have all these Rankin and Bass Christmas specials taped off of network TV onto a VHS.  Commercials and all.  I watched that tape so many times I will have the Peaches and Cream Barbie commercial burned into my memory for all time.  "What a dream!  All peaches and creeeeeam!"

She was my absolute favorite Barbie as a child.  Her and Day to Night Barbie with her business suit that turned into a dress.  

[JAYJAY1979]

Saw the movie late last night and it was adorable.  I don't think it was anti male at all despite giving off that impression.

Barbie land was run by women and it was just as toxic as a society run by men..proving power corrupts and that checks and balances are needed in order to run an effective society.  And that's a society where men and women work together, respect one another, and are equal.

What I most loved about the movie is that the two leads didn't end up together,  the both set out to get an identity that's more than just a Barbie or a Ken. 

A lesson to all of us to be ourselves and not follow the group think mentality of our world and Barbieland.

[Cress]

On 7/28/2023 at 8:41 AM, tv echo said:

“Barbie, as a brand, has many different iterations. The product lines of Barbie is a very broad brand. In addition to the main Barbie figure, she has family, she has a lot of elements around in her universe,” Kreiz told Variety. “It’s a very rich universe… It’s a very broad and very elastic brand, in terms of opportunities.”

Sounds like they're going to try to make a Skipper or Stacey movie. I think a Barbie sequel could just take place in Barbieland and focus on President Barbie or one of the other Barbies, since Stereotypical Barbie left for the Real World. Maybe pregnant Midge could give birth? Maybe more about Weird Barbie now that she's in charge of Sanitation?

[Spartan Girl]

44 minutes ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

Barbie land was run by women and it was just as toxic as a society run by men..proving power corrupts and that checks and balances are needed in order to run an effective society.  And that's a society where men and women work together, respect one another, and are equal.

Well, to be fair, the Barbies never mistreated or controlled the Kens in any way, they just didn’t really think about them at all. That’s not right either, of course, but you have to admit that the Barbies were better at running things. 

[JAYJAY1979]

13 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Well, to be fair, the Barbies never mistreated or controlled the Kens in any way, they just didn’t really think about them at all. That’s not right either, of course, but you have to admit that the Barbies were better at running things. 

No, I don't think they were better at running things.  It looked and felt like watching Stepford Wives where everyone thought and felt the same thing...and daring to think for yourself like Margot's Barbie will result in you becoming human.

It's interesting that she opts to stay in the real world vs staying in the  Stepford esque world of Barbieland.

And never thinking of the Ken's, and taking them for granted is a classic example of mistreating someone.  And when the Ken's stand up for themselves, the Barbies use manipulation to control them.

So no...they didn't run things any better 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Well, to be fair, the Barbies never mistreated or controlled the Kens in any way, they just didn’t really think about them at all. That’s not right either, of course, but you have to admit that the Barbies were better at running things. 

I saw someone point out that the Kens problem while the Barbies were in charge were mostly self-inflicted. The Barbies formed a sisterhood while the Kens viewed each other as rivals rather than creating their own brotherhood. 

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I saw someone point out that the Kens problem while the Barbies were in charge were mostly self-inflicted. The Barbies formed a sisterhood while the Kens viewed each other as rivals rather than creating their own brotherhood. 

Exactly. It wasn’t until the “Just Ken” number that they realized they had the same insecurities and started bonding. When Ken lamented how stupid he looked, the Kens immediately jumped to assure him that they didn’t think so. That was the start of a healthier supporting system than bonding over dudebro culture—which Ken later admitted he didn’t care for all that much anyway.

3 hours ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

And never thinking of the Ken's, and taking them for granted is a classic example of mistreating someone.  And when the Ken's stand up for themselves, the Barbies use manipulation to control them.

 

Taking someone for granted is a bit more nuanced than outright abuse or mistreatment. And the Barbies never manipulated the Kens until AFTER patriarchy was brought in and they had to come up with a plan to stop them.

I’m not sure when you mean by the Kens “standing up for themselves”. If you mean when they brainwashed** the Barbies and took over, that was an extreme reaction. Are you referring to the beginning when Ken asked Barbie if he could stay over and she turned him down? Sure, her “I don’t want you here, it’s girls night” was a little rude, but even though he was hurt and disappointed, he acquiesced. And she did apologize for that in the end.

**To be clear, I don’t think Ken intentionally brainwashed the Barbies, all he says he did was explain patriarchy to all of them and they all changed, just like how Gloria’s big speech changed them back. Kind of like a WandaVision situation.

[RealHousewife]

I loved the movie. It was a stunning movie first of all. Margot is one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen, then all the other pretty people, cute outfits, all the pink, a really pretty film.

I did really like the message as well. America Ferrara's speech was awesome. 

I thought both Margot and Ryan did great jobs with their roles. Big fan of both of their acting. 

I can see the comparison between Barbie and Legally Blonde. Both can be dismissed as cutesy fluff at first, but both feature talented actors and great stories.