Barbie!

[Prrambulate]

Who’s watching this? I think it’s going to have a massive opening week in the UK.

I’m so intrigued. At once a very subversive film, penned by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach; on another level, a film so heavily marketed that it seems to have entered the cultural mainstream. I wonder how it will straddle those tensions.

My wife watched it the otherday. Didnt like it and said it was anti-men.

Perimenopausal Barbie is my vibe. Would definitely buy. In real life men would be calling her Karen though.

She missed the entire point then. 🙄

Enlighten me

I didn't think it was anti men, and neither did my 17 year old son. The main message we got was that it's not about men over women or women over men but about everyone getting opportunities.

Yes, it was about how it feels to be a woman - such assaying for example that some men leer at and catcall women isn't anti-men, surely?

The point was that the patriarchy makes everyone miserable, including men.

The Kens might’ve enjoyed easy breezy bro-world on the surface but on an existential level we are all happier if we are a free to follow who we are rather than narrowly defined gender stereotypes.

Ken didn’t enjoy the patriarchy when he knew ‘it wasn’t as much to do with horses’ as he thought it was… The joke was on patriarchal ideology, not men per se.

Have you seen it yourself? Whatsoever you think?

It's really not anti men. It pokes fun at the patriarchy.

What do you think?

I've just been and it was nice to see the cinema quite full. It had lots of little jokes, was visually great and I enjoyed spotting all the British actors, but I found the overarching plot a bit boring.

No I havent seen it

Well, I recommend it and then you will be able to make up your own mind.

I watched it today. I wanted to enjoy it - big fan of Margot Robbie, but meh. Whilst the underlying themes of the film are important there was no subtlety, if there was a ladybird guide to gender relations this was it. Whilst I enjoyed some of the sets, comedy etc I thought the film lacked pace and tempo, I started to get bored, very bored during the last half hour.

I really didn’t enjoy it.
Too long, kept labouring points, confused story line. I just wanted it to end. I actually looked this thread up to see if it was just me that didn’t like it.

The two other women I went with loved it and were crying. Apparently it was very clever. So I kept my thoughts to myself…

I loved Oppenheimer! Thought that would be too long, but didn’t notice the time at all

I felt the same - watched Oppenheimer and didn't even notice the time as I was so engrossed in the film and was surprised when it ended as it didn't feel like we'd been there 3 hrs (my knees definitely knew we'd been there 3hrs when I tried to stand up though! 😂); meanwhile in Barbie I found myself checking my watch a couple of times as two hours felt like forever and it just seemed to be dragging on.

I absolutely loved Oppenheimer and am considering going back for a second viewing despite its length. Highly recommend the Storyville documentary on him on BBC IPlayer.

Thought Barbie was funny in parts but overall, pretty lame and silly.

I had no inclination to see that film before my wife gave her opinion on it.

Nothings changed

And yet here you are “discussing” it on a predominantly female forum.

I'm just sharing the opinion that my wife gave.

Not sure why that that's a problem on a "predominantly female forum"

Because you' don't have the inclination to see it, but you do to state that it's rubbish because somebody else says so, which is your only contribution to the discussion.

I am just suggesting you make up your own mind.

Some people like it, and some really didn't and that's fine.

Other than being releases on the same weekend, the comparisons to Oppenheimer should end there.

I've been to see both and found both engaging for different reasons.

For me, Barbie was a fun day out with my 15 year old dd. Neither of us had any expectations of what Barbie would be about other it wasn't a live action Barbie film aimed at those still playing with Barbie.

I should really go on the Oppenheimer thread to give my 2ps worth there, but since we're talking about that too. It was a very different experience, as I went with dh for an evening viewing. It's one of those films I need to watch again, not because I didn't get it but I fell asleep in the last 30 minutes! In my defence, it was close to 11pm. I wish I had seen Emily Blunt's part play out more which I guess was the bit I missed!

I never said it was rubbish lol

No, fine.

But you're still sharing a negative view based on what someone else said rather than offering your own insights about a film you have no inclination to watch.

You seem rather defensive.

Ok

As soon as I saw Oppenheimer I wanted to watch it again