Unpopular Opinions

[kiddo82]

1 minute ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I still can't get over Mary in the alternate universe.  Original Recipe Mary is vivacious, kind, and has perfect vision.  Alternate Mary is a stereotypical bookish spinster.  

 

With glasses! 

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

With glasses! 

And she, gasp, went to college without George there to court and marry her.  Mary has at least a bachelor's degree if not a masters if she's the town librarian.

[Browncoat]

22 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

it takes effort for me to wrap my head around the notion of small towns as self contained entities where it takes a day trip just to eat at a different restaurant or something.  

It was a good hour drive for us to eat at pretty much any restaurant.  We didn't even get McDonald's until I was about 16.  I think we got Pizza Hut when I was around 12 or 13 -- and we got a Pizza Inn, too!.  There was one fancy restaurant, but most people cooked.  It's less bad now, but people still will drive an hour for a good sit-down meal.

I had to go to college to find my people. and I made sure to choose one that was far away, and that no one from my high school considered.

[kiddo82]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

And she, gasp, went to college without George there to court and marry her.  Mary has at least a bachelor's degree if not a masters if she's the town librarian.

Yeah but she's not hot anymore.

[Ohiopirate02]

29 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

Yeah but she's not hot anymore.

Which begs the question, is she not hot because she went to college or did she go to college because she's not hot?  

I did read somewhere that the Alt. Mary segment was reworked after some test screenings.  The original script had Mary unhappily married to a unfaithful Sam, but the test audiences didn't like the idea that Mary was romantically linked to someone other than George.  

[kiddo82]

14 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Which begs the question, is she not hot because she went to college or did she go to college because she's not hot?  

I did read somewhere that the Alt. Mary segment was reworked after some test screenings.  The original script had Mary unhappily married to a unfaithful Sam, but the test audiences didn't like the idea that Mary was romantically linked to someone other than George.  

I'm head canoning that since she never had George to be hot for she was doomed to have no other prospects so she figured she'd go to college and eff around and get a masters.  As you do.  I don't know how knowing George would have saved her eyesight though.  Maybe it's just from all those years burying herself in books and straining her eyes because without George Bailey she wouldn't have had a reason for a social life?

And at least that Sam universe makes a lot more narrative sense.

Edited August 26, 2023 by kiddo82

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

I'm head canoning that since she never had George to be hot for she was doomed to have no other prospects so she figured she'd go to college and eff around and get a masters.  As you do.  I don't know how knowing George would have saved her eyesight though.  Maybe it's just from all those years burying herself in books and straining her eyes because without George Bailey she wouldn't have had a reason for a social life?

And at least that Sam universe makes a lot more narrative sense.

I still need something else to tie Mary's personality change into the existence of George Bailey.  Make the little boy who almost died due to the pharmacist's mistake be her brother or have Mary be the daughter of the pharmacist or George's brother does something to help Mary and her family as children.  Just something to show why Mary grew up different because Alt. Mary has some underlying trauma with no textual basis.

[kiddo82]

Not hot people have a lot of trauma.  Not that I would know anything about that. 

Jokes aside, I agree.  Everything else ties together but there is no significant reason why Mary, who never met a man who never even existed, would have become so miserable when there is nothing to suggest that's a possible outcome in the main movie universe.  

Edited August 26, 2023 by kiddo82

[Wiendish Fitch]

FYI, here's the topic forum for It's a Wonderful Life to sing its praises or gripe about its flaws. 

[andromeda331]

On 8/25/2023 at 9:17 AM, Ohiopirate02 said:

I also just hate how so many movies make it seem like the small town is inherently better than the big city.  I watched a bit of Sweet Home Alabama last night, and good lord does that movie unfairly demonize NYC while propping up the small town with a dash of Lost Cause Apologia.  Heaven forbid a young woman want to attempt to make something out of her life besides a home and children.  

So do I. Sweet Home Alabama is a great example we are never once shown until the end of the movie that Melanie wants or has even missed life in Alabama. She's had zero interest, never mentioned it and spends most of her time there trying to get the divorce papers signed so she can go back to New York. Why does she want to live there? She built a career she loved in New York, she loved her life in New York and liked or loved a guy enough to get engaged. If they sprinkled in signs throughout the story it would make since. But they never do. We're never given any sign that she doesn't want her life in New York. Until suddenly she doesn't and wants her soon to be ex hubby who's been a jerk to her the entire time. 

[scarynikki12]

26 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

So do I. Sweet Home Alabama is a great example we are never once shown until the end of the movie that Melanie wants or has even missed life in Alabama. She's had zero interest, never mentioned it and spends most of her time there trying to get the divorce papers signed so she can go back to New York. Why does she want to live there? She built a career she loved in New York, she loved her life in New York and liked or loved a guy enough to get engaged. If they sprinkled in signs throughout the story it would make since. But they never do. We're never given any sign that she doesn't want her life in New York. Until suddenly she doesn't and wants her soon to be ex hubby who's been a jerk to her the entire time. 

The movie's end credits show Jake moving to New York with her so her whole "this fits too" and showing love for her small town was more about accepting her family and (gag) love for her husband than actually moving back. 

[Ohiopirate02]

12 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

The movie's end credits show Jake moving to New York with her so her whole "this fits too" and showing love for her small town was more about accepting her family and (gag) love for her husband than actually moving back. 

The husband who knew where she was and never could bring himself to visit while also refusing to divorce her.  This is one of the rom-coms where I think the couple won't make it six months.  Both Melanie and Jake have established lives in their chosen communities, I fail to see where they can compromise on this.  She can't grow her career in Alabama, and I can't see Jake becoming a New Yorker nor basing his art there.  

[Browncoat]

12 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The husband who knew where she was and never could bring himself to visit

Because he was trying to make something of himself.  He said so.  And it's possible that they'll spend time both places -- winters in Alabama are warmer than winters in New York. 

I can't believe I'm defending the movie.  It's so problematic!

[scarynikki12]

Just now, Ohiopirate02 said:

The husband who knew where she was and never could bring himself to visit while also refusing to divorce her.  This is one of the rom-coms where I think the couple won't make it six months.  Both Melanie and Jake have established lives in their chosen communities, I fail to see where they can compromise on this.  She can't grow her career in Alabama, and I can't see Jake becoming a New Yorker nor basing his art there.  

Absolutely. The rules of rom-coms mean they lived happily ever after but the rules of logic say following through on the divorce is more likely than not. They didn't know each other as adults at all and were relying entirely on sexual attraction and whatever positive childhood memories existed. We can only hope they realize their incompatibility together and manage to calmly divorce rather than the years long fight they're more likely to have. 

As for Jake, I can see him selling his business and finding something in New York rather than run it remotely. What that something is I don't know because he wasn't really shown to have any actual interests in the movie beyond fighting with Melanie but I guess that makes him a blank slate in a good way. Maybe Melanie's so successful he becomes a house husband and takes care of their kids and dogs?

[Bastet]

I've only ever seen it on TV, which didn't include the credits scene of him moving to NY with her rather than her moving back to Alabama, so I was glad to learn that at least, but her dumping a great guy for that jerk still makes zero sense.  They were teenagers, she got knocked up, they got married, she had a miscarriage, they quickly realized they didn't actually want to be married now that they didn't "have to" be, she left town and made a great life and career for herself in NY.

Her making peace with where she grew up and reconnecting with her family and friends was nice, and that should have been the story -- that she's now comfortable sharing that with Andrew, and they get married in her hometown before heading back to NYC.  The Jake thing makes zero sense, and they don't even try to explain her change of heart, just have her suddenly ditch Andrew at the altar and go after him.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 7/12/2023 at 10:27 AM, Spartan Girl said:

Good to hear. Never planned on watching it anyway because 1) I don’t like those movies and 2) I hate Hayley Atwell, but I had a feeling the hype is overblown just like with stupid Top Gun Maverick.

Top Gun Maverick was awful.  Like watching a video game for two hours.

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 minute ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Top Gun Maverick was awful.  Like watching a video game for two hours.

My husband watched it with a friend yesterday, and he said that Maverick is the biggest Gary Stu ever (sounded to me like it's even worse than in the first movie). From the way he described it to me, Top Gun: Maverick sounds like it was adapted from a fanfic Tom Cruise wrote. 

Note to all screenwriters: It's fine- nay, crucial-for protagonists to be wrong once in a while. Characters who are always right are insufferably boring. 

[EtheltoTillie]

7 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

My husband watched it with a friend yesterday, and he said that Maverick is the biggest Gary Stu ever (sounded to me like it's even worse than in the first movie). From the way he described it to me, Top Gun: Maverick sounds like it was adapted from a fanfic Tom Cruise wrote. 

Note to all screenwriters: It's fine- nay, crucial-for protagonists to be wrong once in a while. Characters who are always right are insufferably boring. 

Gary Stu!  ha ha I just learned a new slang phrase.   I couldn't  pay enough attention to the movie to think about the characters.  So much dang flying. 

I feel for the future of the human race when I realize just how popular Top Gun Maverick was.  I even know intelligent people who liked it.  But it also has that worldwide following.  Oh, well.  I realize there are also many other things to make me feel for the future of the human race. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Spartan Girl]

15 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Because he was trying to make something of himself.  He said so.  And it's possible that they'll spend time both places -- winters in Alabama are warmer than winters in New York. 

I can't believe I'm defending the movie.  It's so problematic!

Just because he was “making something of himself” didn’t mean he couldn’t do more to reach out to her (or you know APOLOGIZE for the way he treated her) instead of just passively aggressively keep sending back the divorce papers.

So glad to hear Maverick was a piece of crap despite all the hype. I love you guys.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Just now, Spartan Girl said:

So glad to hear Maverick was a piece of crap despite all the hype. I love you guys.

Happy to make your day!

[EtheltoTillie]

Ditto

 

[Shannon L.]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I feel for the future of the human race when I realize just how popular Top Gun Maverick was.  I even know intelligent people who liked it. 

Well, there's liking it, then there's nominating it for Best Picture.  I liked it (but, not as much as the first), but it was overblown in regards to the hype and all the nominations, except the technical ones. Those I agreed with because the flight sequences on the big screen were spectacular.  But, like @EtheltoTillie said, it was like watching a video game for two hours.  It was nothing more than a good, summer, popcorn flick.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Shannon L.

[Fool to cry]

Besides the flying sequences, a lot of the success is that men in their 50s can live vicariously through Cruise and be like "I'm still cool and relevant, I'll show these young punks I'm better than them and also I get to be with Jennifer Connelly!"

 

[Bastet]

10 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

So glad to hear Maverick was a piece of crap despite all the hype.

It was better than I expected, but certainly not deserving of an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, or Screenplay since the script was absolutely terrible.  Laughably so; none of the characters other than Maverick were developed, the exposition was clunky (and repetitive -- they explained the entire mission twice!), the dialogue was ham-fisted.  Visual effects, sure; while not my jam, story wise, I cannot deny the artistry and technical achievement there.  It had some fun callbacks to the original, and the scene between Maverick and Iceman was nice.  As a stand-alone film, it's nothing noteworthy.  As a sequel to a film I've never, ever been able to figure out why I enjoy since it's military propaganda, which I loathe, it was okay.  But embracing and pushing this film as something more than what it is was a gross agenda.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Bastet

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I cannot deny the artistry and technical achievement there.  

I'm absolutely willing to believe the visual effects are out of this world, but here's the thing: if visuals are all a movie has going for it, it's like a blind date who's super hot, but has nothing in the way of a personality. After a half hour you're going to be bored silly, and looking for the nearest exit.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Wiendish Fitch

[DoctorAtomic]

How hot we talking though? I could go longer than a half hour. 

[kiddo82]

I don't think it's that surprising that Top Gun Maverick got nominated for best picture especially considering it got 6 Oscar nominations in total.  (I don't think anyone could argue the tech nominations although I'm sure some have a bone to pick with the screenplay one.)  It's not much different than something like Dune being a technical juggernaut just one year prior.  (and who's adapted screenplay nomination is also inexplicable to me.)  Its path might even be more comparable to Ford v Ferrari.

Editing, one of the awards for which Maverick was nominated, might be one of the biggest crossover categories between the undercard and best picture.  Since the 82nd Awards (2010) when the field first expanded from 5 nominees to as many as ten (I think now we're up to a flat ten no matter what), only 5 times has a movie gotten an editing nom without a best picture nom.  In fact, if you only count Maverick's non best picture noms (5) and compare that to the other movies since 2010 that got at least 5 without best pictute (by my count there are 7 but there could be more), Star Wars The Force Awakens was the only movie to get at least 5 nominations including editing but not best picture.  That's the outlier.  Maverick itself might be a lightweight, but the best picture nomination is not unprecedented.  

What's interesting is that the members of each branch nominate their own.  So only the editors nominate the editing category, the actors nominate the acting category, etc.  Everyone nominates best picture.  Since the acting branch is the largest body of the academy you'd think that would boost movies that get multiple acting noms.  But that didn't help movies like Foxcatcher and Ma Rainey(2 acting noms each/5 total) or Carol (2 acting noms/6 total.)  No BP nom for any of those.  But also no editing nominations either, which again, seems to be the key statistic.

Edited August 30, 2023 by kiddo82

[proserpina65]

On 8/29/2023 at 8:10 PM, kiddo82 said:

I don't think it's that surprising that Top Gun Maverick got nominated for best picture especially considering it got 6 Oscar nominations in total. 

I don't think it's surprising, necessarily, just disappointing in that I like to believe that Best Picture nominees have something going for them besides visuals and sound.  (I know that isn't how it works, but in a perfect world . . . sigh.)  The writing nomination was ridiculous, as the screenplay was one of the weakest things about the film.

[kiddo82]

8 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't think it's surprising, necessarily, just disappointing in that I like to believe that Best Picture nominees have something going for them besides visuals and sound.  (I know that isn't how it works, but in a perfect world . . . sigh.)  The writing nomination was ridiculous, as the screenplay was one of the weakest things about the film.

I mean, frankly, one could argue that Fabelmans had nothing at all going for it and that still go nominated.  I joke.  Kind of.  I'm still mad that I wasted time on that movie.  And in the interest of parity, I loved Banshees but I know there are those who would argue that that had nothing going for it either.  I do feel you on the Maverick screenplay though.  Yeesh.

Prior to 2010, I don't think Top Gun Maverick gets a best picture nomination.  We can squabble all day long about which specific movies deserve that honor or don't, but I do like that we are in a time where different types of movies are getting in.  I like a good thinking man's movie as much as the next person but I also believe it's okay to have a movie get in primarily because of tech, especially one that is watchable and that people enjoyed, over something akin to a perfunctory neo-Merchant-Ivory film.  I thought Dune was boring AF but even I couldn't deny that it was a technically superior movie to a lot of its competition and it earned its place on the list.  I actually talked myself into rooting for it because at the end of the day I thought it had just as much if not more going for it than any other nominee.  That, and Drive My Car was never going to win anyway.

It's weird because I don't want to die on the hill specifically defending Top Gun Maverick's best picture nomination but I guess I am willing to go down fighting for its right to be nominated.  I *will* die on the hill that the Fabelmans was awful.  And for good measure The Irishman can catch some of my strays too.

Edited September 1, 2023 by kiddo82

[PepSinger]

I think it’s funny that in Sweet Home Alabama Patrick Dempsey’s character is the one who gets dumped. Had the movie been made five years later, that wouldn’t have been the case.

[andromeda331]

15 hours ago, PerformingArtist said:

I think it’s funny that in Sweet Home Alabama Patrick Dempsey’s character is the one who gets dumped. Had the movie been made five years later, that wouldn’t have been the case.

I was surprised during the movie he got dumped. His character was so great throught the movie. Starting with that perfect proposal. He's cute, he's nice, he's great and treated Melanie well. There's nothing about the ex that made him worth ditching him for.

[Bastet]

15 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I was surprised during the movie he got dumped. His character was so great throught the movie. Starting with that perfect proposal. He's cute, he's nice, he's great and treated Melanie well. There's nothing about the ex that made him worth ditching him for.

Right?!  Andrew is a great guy.  He likes, loves, and respects her (as she does him), he's proud of her career success and encourages her, he tells his mother to knock it off when she's being a jerk about Melanie, and when he finds out Mel's been lying to him about her background this entire time, he storms off, but then comes to her parents' house and introduces himself to them as her fiancé, if she'll still have him, and tells her he doesn't care about her past, just their future, and when she asks to move the wedding to her hometown, he agrees. 

He's great throughout the movie.  Jake is a jerk throughout the movie.  Her declaring she's loved Jake all along is just ridiculous. 

[PepSinger]

17 hours ago, Bastet said:

He's great throughout the movie.  Jake is a jerk throughout the movie.  Her declaring she's loved Jake all along is just ridiculous. 

It’s just down right bad writing.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Re: Sweet Home Alabama

My #1 criteria for hating a movie is if I'm rooting against the people and/or events the story wants me to root for. 

If I'm pulling for the other man/woman, any antagonistic characters (the social worker, detective, etc.), unwanted event, or even (God forbid) the villain, then the movies fails my personal test miserably.

China Seas? Rosalind Russell's character was 1000 times the woman Jean Harlow's was, and Clark Gable was stupid for dumping her. FAIL.

The Hannah Montana Movie? I don't see a problem with a shopping mall being built. FAIL.

Lost in Translation? Hell, if I were married to someone as dull and solipsistic as Bob or Charlotte, I'd cheat on them, too. FAIL.

[Spartan Girl]

Here’s an UO I don’t think is addressed enough: happy couples are NOT boring!

A rom com or any movie for that matter does not need to create pointless drama for a couple just to do the “will they/won’t they” crap. So circling back to Sweet Home  Alabama, I’d take a happy functional romance with a supportive guy over a dysfunctional one that clearly didn’t work the first time around! Stop trying to redo Pride and Prejudice, the only reason that story worked was because Mr. Darcy owned up to being a jackass and apologized, which is more than I can say for Jake!

Edited September 8, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[Wiendish Fitch]

3 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Here’s an UO I don’t think is addressed enough: happy couples are NOT boring!

A resounding, deafening THANK YOU!!!!

Hell, look at the Thin Man movies! Or any version of Tarzan! There are plenty of others!

Thinking of Sweet Home Alabama and China Seas, if you're going to have the tension stem from our protagonist realizing their true feelings for someone else, you have to give us a good, compelling, believable reason why they would choose one over the other! It can't just be because the plot demands it, or because the leads are popular! Considering that Patrick Dempsey and Rosalind Russell's characters are, in fact, wonderful, and the people they get dumped for are demonstrably not... well, can you blame this particular viewer for feeling frustrated?!

[scarynikki12]

40 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Stop trying to redo Pride and Prejudice, the only reason that story worked was because Mr. Darcy owned up to being a jackass and apologized

He also jumped to find and help Lydia when she ran off with Wickham. And also helped put Jane and Bingley back together. By proving his devotion to Lizzie’s family, when he previously sneered at/about them, he showed how good a man he was and how he was able to change.

[Apathy]

On 9/7/2023 at 2:38 AM, andromeda331 said:

I was surprised during the movie he got dumped. His character was so great throught the movie. Starting with that perfect proposal. He's cute, he's nice, he's great and treated Melanie well. There's nothing about the ex that made him worth ditching him for.

Replace the name Melanie with Allie and that's exactly how I feel about Lon from The Notebook (except for the part about being surprised, I didn't need to read the book to know where that was going). Sure, Noah and Allie have great chemistry (and old!Noah and Allie are cute) but they're also, to quote the Honest Trailers guy, "a couple so indecisive, you wonder why they even bother trying." And I think that's putting it lightly.

[kathyk24]

9 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Here’s an UO I don’t think is addressed enough: happy couples are NOT boring!

A rom com or any movie for that matter does not need to create pointless drama for a couple just to do the “will they/won’t they” crap. So circling back to Sweet Home  Alabama, I’d take a happy functional romance with a supportive guy over a dysfunctional one that clearly didn’t work the first time around! Stop trying to redo Pride and Prejudice, the only reason that story worked was because Mr. Darcy owned up to being a jackass and apologized, which is more than I can say for Jake!

This applies to couples on television as well.  I gave up watching soap operas because couples I liked were always breaking up,

[andromeda331]

10 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

He also jumped to find and help Lydia when she ran off with Wickham. And also helped put Jane and Bingley back together. By proving his devotion to Lizzie’s family, when he previously sneered at/about them, he showed how good a man he was and how he was able to change.

And he did all of that not to get Lizzie. In fact he made everyone promise not to tell anyone. Lizzie only found out because Lydia can't keep a secret. In almost every movie it would be done just to get the girl or guy back. Not Darcy, he had no hope or reason to believe Lizzie would ever change her mind about him but he still did all of that anyways. It showed that he really did change. He did it for Lizzie but not to get her back. It's only until Lady Catherine tells him about her visit with Lizzie that made him think there was hope. 

[Spartan Girl]

One more thing about Sweet Home Alabama: for all the crap Melanie got for not visiting her parents for all those years, they never went to visit her, even though she sent them airline tickets repeatedly. It’s like she said, they went out of their way to visit every Civil War battlefield, but didn’t feel like making one trip to New York to see their only daughter? Talk about skewed priorities…

The movie was trying make Melanie the bad guy for supposedly being ashamed of her roots, but from everything I saw, it didn’t look like her so-called friends and family (other than Bobby Ray) were worth keeping in her life to begin with, especially when they clearly favored Jake over her.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 minute ago, Spartan Girl said:

One more thing about Sweet Home Alabama: for all the crap Melanie got for not visiting her parents for all those years, they never went to visit her, even though she sent them airline tickets repeatedly. It’s like she said, they went out of their way to visit every Civil War battlefield, but didn’t feel like making one trip to New York to see their only daughter? Talk about skewed priorities…

I saw Sweet Home Alabama once. Once was too much.

[Spartan Girl]

1 minute ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I saw Sweet Home Alabama once. Once was too much.

Yeah well, E! and Freeform lately have the bad habit of playing certain movies every fucking week. Switch it up, networks!

Edited September 10, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[JustHereForFood]

We tend to feel sorry for all these perfectly fine disposable love interests that end up left behing at the end of the rom-com in favor of the "true love", but from another perspective, they might be lucky they got away when they did. 

Hey, maybe in this era of spin-offs and sequels, why doesn't someone make a movie about two of such characters getting together? Like a variant of the trope when a character starts the movie finding their partner cheating, except here we already know the characters and the cheating (at least emotionally) partner's story.

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

We tend to feel sorry for all these perfectly fine disposable love interests that end up left behing at the end of the rom-com in favor of the "true love", but from another perspective, they might be lucky they got away when they did. 

Hey, maybe in this era of spin-offs and sequels, why doesn't someone make a movie about two of such characters getting together? Like a variant of the trope when a character starts the movie finding their partner cheating, except here we already know the characters and the cheating (at least emotionally) partner's story.

That would be fun to watch.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Maybe Andrew from Sweet Home Alabama and Sybil from China Seas can meet via some wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey thing, fall in love, and have amazing time traveling adventures together (I'd watch the hell out of that).

[EtheltoTillie]

Barbie was not all that great.  Not really as hilariously funny as everyone said.  The production design and costumes are amazing.  The acting is good.  As a vintage movie buff, I appreciated the movie references.  But it was too preachy and obvious.  This is exactly what I expected from seeing the trailers and reading about it, which is why I didn't rush to see it in theaters.  I waited to stream it at home.  I watched with three other people who shared this opinion. 

[jah1986]

6 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Barbie was not all that great.  Not really as hilariously funny as everyone said.  The production design and costumes are amazing.  The acting is good.  As a vintage movie buff, I appreciated the movie references.  But it was too preachy and obvious.  This is exactly what I expected from seeing the trailers and reading about it, which is why I didn't rush to see it in theaters.  I waited to stream it at home.  I watched with three other people who shared this opinion. 

I agree with almost your entire post. I didn't find it too preachy but I did fail to see how this was one of the highest grossing movies for WB. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, and thought it was just a fun, silly, entertaining movie. But I did walk away a little disappointed. I was glad I waited to stream it rather than see it in theaters.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I finally saw Barbie a week or two ago, and you know what? You know something? Y'ALL WANNA READ MY SCORCHING HOT TAKE ON IT??!?! 

Here we go!!

Barbie was...

Fine.

That's it. I thought it was fine. Not the worst, not the best, a decent, not particularly special way to spend 2 hours. The morals and themes were heavy-handed, but not offensively so. I adored the real sets (ah, man, real sets!), and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Honestly, my biggest takeaway was that I wanna get me some pink Birkenstocks.

 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

Where is Barbie streaming?