Barbie

8.5/10 While i'm not so sure at first, the movie kept getting even more fun, entertaining, and definitely better, also surprisingly deal with a legit serious stuff, Barbie is a weirdly fun movie that fills with this very interesting concept, definitely the first time that's ever done, Greta Gerwig has created this whole new style of filmmaking specifically for Barbie, from the intentionally weird yet creative editing, some awkward and cringe scene, i found the comedy so funny instead of cringe, Barbie is one of the most original movie of the year and also one of the most original movie i've seen in a while, we all know Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is gonna carry the movie and they are, but Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, and the whole rest of the cast were also great and entertaining, the soundtrack was just great, except Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice "Barbie World" song that are just absolutely terrible, but Billie Eilish "What Was I Made For?" tune that kept haunting in the background until it finally get the perfect scene to played it was really the best thing because that song was just beautiful and emotional, anyway, Barbie is a lot of fun, while there is still some noticeable flawed, most of them i found it funny, entertaining, colourful, creative, and fun, pure fun, it's something that i probably will love it even more the second time i see it, but as of right now, Barbie was a good time, definitely recommended and with this movie somehow it's actually possible to have a live-action Barbie movie, all you need to have is a good writer, good director, and good cast, and they delivers mostly.

I was honestly doubting this movie at first, but surprisingly I find myself really liking it quite a lot.

Set in the colorful Barbie Land, stereotypical Barbie lives a perfect life every single day. One day, she shows signs of being...a human. She decides to go to the Real World to find the cure in order to make herself perfect again.

Barbie is a fun movie that has surprisingly plenty of heartwarming moments and good messages to offer. The set designs are eye-catching and on point as well. Both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling nailed their parts, but it is Gosling who mostly shines.

Something I'm pretty sure of is this movie getting nominated for the Oscars, most likely for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and probably Best Song for Billie Eilish. That song is beautiful and it's stuck in my head right now.

I got free tickets for a preview and to be honest I was more than a little embarrassed to go. I did not tell a soul. As a cool middle aged gentleman if word got out this could have really affected my street cred.

Anyway, I embraced the journey and I'm glad that I did. Here is my review written as a pretentious critic that I aspire to be in my next life:

In Greta Gerwig's latest directorial venture, "Barbie," the esteemed filmmaker takes on the monumental task of unravelling the enigma that is Barbie, the iconic doll that has fascinated and polarized society for decades.

With Margot Robbie as the eponymous character and Ryan Gosling as Ken, Gerwig's live-action rendition delves into the complex world of Barbie, attempting to extract deeper meaning from this cultural phenomenon.

Gerwig masterfully navigates the treacherous waters of branded material, infusing the narrative with a blend of adventure, comedy, fantasy, and romance. The result is a thought-provoking exploration of Barbie's role as a feminist symbol, challenging societal perceptions of femininity and girlhood.

Can a doll with impossibly perfect features and a smile of perpetual happiness truly embody feminist ideals?

Gerwig compels the audience to contemplate this question, weaving it throughout the fabric of the film.

In reality Margot Robbie dominated the film as expected and has developed into a true cinematic icon. The flm was fun and far above my expectations hence I'm giving it an 8 and boasting I watched Barbie.

Honestly, not too sure what my partner and I were expecting, but we figured it would be a fun, empowering, and sweet movie.

Instead, we got a preachy, confused, mess that oscillated between comedy and social commentary in a wildly jarring way.

Unfortunately, I think the writers took the opportunity to project their feelings onto the audience. The message seems dated and naive. At best it's a bit of an eye roll, at worst it's an attempt to shame young girls into a self defeating thought process.

Acting, sound track, set design, and some bits of comedy were really good, and there is some genuine cinema in there.

Before I start this review, let me start by saying that I used to be a staunch feminist. I'm certain that once upon a time, this film would have been right up my alley. I would have been nodding along with America Ferrera's infamous 30-min monologue in the second act (was it thirty minutes? It felt like thirty minutes). I would have been cheering when the women finally wrested back power. I would have been disgusted at the instatement of the patriarchy in Barbieland.

Now, this sort of narrative tires me, especially when it's so cringy and on the nose. I was expecting true woman power out of this film - a glorification of all that it means to be a woman, especially since Barbie has always been the epitome of femininity. Instead, we have the same repackaged message that being a woman is a torturous, inferior experience, and that you must escape it at all costs. We have the same narrative that men are literal trash and that they will succumb to their basest instincts at first chance.

Really, we have the same old, same old: "Women can do it all" - we cannot - "Women don't need men" - yes, we do - "Men are asinine, useless, selfish, and egoistic" - sure, like all women are, if we're making generalizations - "Loving others by serving them is demeaning" - serving others is the ultimate form of love and should be uplifted, appreciated, and glorified. Instead, this film shows women in maid costumes to make the point that serving others is h0rribl3!!!11!

We were supposed to get a visceral reaction to this image of women as maids - and I did, because it was so artless, cringy, and reductive - and make the connection that the patriarchy enslaves us. What the patriarchy does is simply split labor. Men outside the home, women within. Is that inherently bad? Or does it simply make sense based on men's and women's distinct strengths, at least historically? We must question. You will likely have a different answer than I.

I liked some of the messages at the beginning, namely that women are so often subject to impostor syndrome. That was beautiful, but then later on the film takes it upon itself to trample men to "uplift" women. I did not feel uplifted. I felt betrayed and pandered to, except I was the wrong crowd. It ignores the hardships of being the dominant sex: Being expected achieve, perform, earn more, lead, provide, protect, wear an emotionless facade. In some respects, women have it easier than men.

When America Ferrera, whom I just want say I adore, was doing her monologue on how it sucks to be a woman due to what's expected of us, all I could think was, "Yes. There are certain expected behaviors of both women and men. It's called basic public decency and decorum."

For instance, men are expected to be dominant and aggressive, but not so aggressive as to be frightening. Men are expected to hide their emotions, but not be emotionless brutes. If we started on this route, we could pick apart just about anything.

This sort of monotone, flat representation of our complex human experience works well to get a crowd fired up, but it's ultimately reductivist. I walked away feeling like the director thought I was stupid.

What I did like was the aesthetic, the much more subtle commentary on American consumerism, and the representation of teenagers are oversensitive militants. That's it.