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 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.

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 had great expectations for the Barbie movie, mainly because of the writers (Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach) and the stellar cast with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling leading the way. Unfortunately I found myself disappointed, bored and shocked by some messages the movie tries to convey.

Starting with what I liked, the performances were great and in particular Ryan Gosling was spectacular with a wide range of emotions and a lot of humor displayed. Also the design of the sets was inspired with a lot of references to the Barbie world and the style was unique and recognisable. Finally some jokes landed pretty well and the movie (in the first half) is pretty funny. And the positives end here.

Unfortunately the negatives are much more important. Sorted in a order of increasing gravity: * some plot lines are bad and are closed so quickly that it would have been better not to include them in the first place. In particular I am referring to the mother/daughter one and the one about Mattel. Furthermore, the Mattel one is also a bit strange since it is useful to criticise however uses feminism to make money, while being a movie that does exactly that.

* the film becomes boring in the second half. This is due to a systematic shift in tone and style since if in the first part the satire is sharp and elegant and leads to numerous bittersweet laughs, in the second half instead the movie becomes full of exposition. There are a lot of scenes where things are directly explained to the viewer (clearly considered a bit stupid) and there are some too long monologues that are both cringe and painfully written. This is a pity because some ideas explored in the second half are interesting, but due to this shift "Barbie" becomes so boring to enjoy them.

* the messages: I found some messages the movie is trying to convey pretty baffling. First of all the film is not about parity, but rather about gender fight and I don't think this is the correct idea to give to younger viewers. I want that children/young adults get that as a society we want equal rights and opportunities, not to fight to be the dominant genere. This is also true because of the fact that there's no a single positive male figure throughout the movie because they are all treated like enemies or like total idiots. On the other side the Barbies are perfect entities. In a certain way it seemed "Birds of Prey" where the situation was exactly the same but in that case there weren't two of the biggest writer in Hollywood behind. Not to mention the totally worst thing that is how the Barbie solve the main conflict: instead of using intelligence they use seduction. This is so wrong because in a movie that wants to be empowering, women are depicted as better suited in seducing instead of thinking. All of these ruin other good ideas like for instance the inversion of the point of view that is useful to explain to men what women in our society has to live every day. That was pretty interesting but it gets lost between what mentioned before.

In conclusion, I was very disappointed by the "Barbie" movie because I actually had high hopes knowing that it could have been a fun movie with positive messages, but it was the total opposite. I've seen it with both females and males and the reactions were generally mixed and no gender pattern was evidenced in terms of appreciating it or not. However the great merit that I have to give credit to the movie is that it triggers a discussion capable of actually enrich people through sharing of experiences. And so, even if I didn't like it I'd suggest you to watch "Barbie" and discuss of it with your families and friends!

The big summer blockbuster of 2023 is a wonderful visual spectacle with a great deal of creative physical comedy, centered in and around the universe of Barbie, Mattel's historic toy doll. Unfortunately, the film tries to be and do much more than what the filmmakers ultimately are able to control and reel in. That a movie about Barbie would be guilty of Americanization is no surprise, and in many ways more than befitting, but the Americanization here isn't just about the history of the toy itself and all its cultural impacts - Barbie also views everything through the eyes of Hollywood anno 2023 - which arguably is a very particular and perhaps not that representative outlook. Instead of utilizing the fine foundation laid in the film's first third, director and co-writer Greta Gervig (Lady Bird, Little Women) gets herself lost in a trite, divisive and most likely futile battle of the sexes, which will leave youths - and perhaps particularly Europeans - feeling confused and conflicted. The filmmakers' supposed toying with stereotypes ultimately becomes more of a playing into them, especially towards the end when Gerwig staggers along desperately looking for closure and something meaningful to say. Alas, Barbie has ended up as a rather sad symptom of our times, when it could have been the wonderfully funny piece of femininity-appraising escapism it started out as. There are nonetheless several highlights here, such as the delightfully absurd opening sequence (a fine nod to Kubrick's 2001), the initial introduction of Barbie and Ken's days in Barbieland, and - of course - their first encounter with the real world.