Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Films

Related: TV discussion forum.

Original poster

Barbie!

310 replies

Prrambulate · 18/07/2023 10:06

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.

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 22/07/2023 16:30

Yes, as soon as she talked to the old lady at the bus stop, I knew something about Barbies deepest desires. It was such a small, but critical scene.

Ponderingwindow · 22/07/2023 16:35

I suppose you could watch the movie and feel like it wasn’t enough, it didn’t do enough, it didn’t say enough, but the fact that it did what it did was just so wonderful. I can’t imagine coming out of that theater not feeling uplifted.

I’ve also really got to give credit to Ryan gosling. His role could have been a giant cringe-fest. A different actor could have made it painful to watch. I’m still not quite sure how he found the balance to make it work.

NoSunNoSun · 22/07/2023 16:55

I watched it this afternoon with my adult DS, we both really enjoyed it. I don’t think it’s a good film for young DC.
Ryan Gosling was really god.

Sadilicious · 22/07/2023 17:23

DH and I went today and both really enjoyed it. It looked amazing, MR is so beautiful and I thought she gave a very subtle and nuanced performance. RG was brilliant. I thought that the Alan character was a bit wasted, and I found the whole part at the end with Carla from Cheers was a bit long and faffy.
I found it really moving actually, especially when they first encountered the patriarchy, (no spoilers but roller skates were involved) and then when America made her speech.
I don't think it was flawless, but I thought the cast were wonderful as were the sets, and I loved it. My DD fifteen, is going with her mates, will be interested to hear her take.

BotterMon · 22/07/2023 17:31

Adult DD asked me to with her and thought she was joking - she wasn't. Have read up on it and with all these comments am now actually looking forward to seeing it.

Apparently people are seeing Oppenheimer first and then onto Barbie on the same day. Day of two halves!

Quisisana · 22/07/2023 17:32

I went with teenager dd and she loved it. I quite liked it but I wish it had been funnier. Some of the jokes fell a bit flat. I don't think the Will Ferrell character worked at all.

FionnulaTheCooler · 22/07/2023 17:59

We went to see it today. I enjoyed it, I did think of the feminism board on here when the Will Ferrell character is going on about how much he loves women, he's even made the bathrooms at Mattel HQ gender neutral. Definitely not a children's film though, the under 10s in the cinema were getting bored and squirmy halfway through and a couple of parents with them took them out early.

ThePatriarchyIsNotAboutHorses · 22/07/2023 18:52

It was not what I expected it to be and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Ponderingwindow · 22/07/2023 19:03

I think the Will Ferrell character only exists to hide the real story in the previews and during the beginning of the movie. He serves his purpose as a red herring.

JudyGemstone · 22/07/2023 19:14

The first act was funny, the second and third not so much but my 16 year old daughter and I both really enjoyed it.

Agree Ryan G was amazing, what a role to pull off!

I don’t mind Will Ferrell but I’ve seen him do the same character better in other things.

Thought it was a bit random how 2 of the actors from sex education were in it!

SmugglersHaunt · 22/07/2023 20:28

Just saw it. It was like being lectured for two hours with some dance routines thrown in. Why didn’t they just make a film that was fun and made sense?

3luckystars · 22/07/2023 20:31

I feel the same.

Dulra · 22/07/2023 20:37

Saw it today with my 3 daughters (11, 13, 15). My 11 year is a massive Barbie fan the only one of my three girls that was and still plays with Barbie's and all her accessories (crap). My girls loved it although I think some of it went over my 11 year olds head. Cinema was packed and everyone wearing pink which was great fun.

I feel a bit like a previous poster in that it felt like it was hammering the message into us a bit too much. Yes it was funny in parts and Ryan Gosling was brilliant but it got a bit tedious and dragged a bit. If it was 30 min shorter it would have been a way better movie.

bluestarthread · 22/07/2023 20:48

My DD17 saw Barbie with friends yesterday and came out almost crying with rage about it! She despised the fact that in this ‘perfect world’ view of women the only person she felt was akin to her was weird Barbie who was ostracised and made to live apart from everyone else. She hated the stereotypes of male and female roles where someone could be a physicist but also had to look girly. Why can’t anyone dress how they like and not be forced to wear certain clothes, have their hair a certain way in order to be accepted.
Her friends apparently loved it.
maybe I’m guilty for not giving her a Barbie as a kid (I never had one either) and we’re not into makeup and pink. Off to see Oppenheimer with her tomorrow, maybe that’s more our film.

Nousername94 · 22/07/2023 21:14

bluestarthread · 22/07/2023 20:48

My DD17 saw Barbie with friends yesterday and came out almost crying with rage about it! She despised the fact that in this ‘perfect world’ view of women the only person she felt was akin to her was weird Barbie who was ostracised and made to live apart from everyone else. She hated the stereotypes of male and female roles where someone could be a physicist but also had to look girly. Why can’t anyone dress how they like and not be forced to wear certain clothes, have their hair a certain way in order to be accepted.
Her friends apparently loved it.
maybe I’m guilty for not giving her a Barbie as a kid (I never had one either) and we’re not into makeup and pink. Off to see Oppenheimer with her tomorrow, maybe that’s more our film.

Oppenheimer is amazing!

TheHorneSection · 22/07/2023 21:15

JudyGemstone · 22/07/2023 19:14

The first act was funny, the second and third not so much but my 16 year old daughter and I both really enjoyed it.

Agree Ryan G was amazing, what a role to pull off!

I don’t mind Will Ferrell but I’ve seen him do the same character better in other things.

Thought it was a bit random how 2 of the actors from sex education were in it!

There’s actually three actors - Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells and Ncuti Gatwa. But yes, random!

Jigslaw · 22/07/2023 21:17

bluestarthread · 22/07/2023 20:48

My DD17 saw Barbie with friends yesterday and came out almost crying with rage about it! She despised the fact that in this ‘perfect world’ view of women the only person she felt was akin to her was weird Barbie who was ostracised and made to live apart from everyone else. She hated the stereotypes of male and female roles where someone could be a physicist but also had to look girly. Why can’t anyone dress how they like and not be forced to wear certain clothes, have their hair a certain way in order to be accepted.
Her friends apparently loved it.
maybe I’m guilty for not giving her a Barbie as a kid (I never had one either) and we’re not into makeup and pink. Off to see Oppenheimer with her tomorrow, maybe that’s more our film.

"Crying with rage" for seeing a film about Barbie because it had Barbies in it. I actually like that Barbie says fuck yeah you can do x job and it's fine to have blonde hair and dress like this, there's a lot of judgement in some STEM sectors towards women who like to wear make up, have their hair coloured and wear clothes they like.

MindPalace · 22/07/2023 21:23

Was looking forward to it but was disappointed. We all found it dull, boring and disjointed, with unclear messaging. Nothing was quite funny enough, the songs were not quite catchy enough and the character development not quite clear enough to make the plot line make sense. Didn’t laugh and certainly didn’t cry (when did people cry??) I think it had potential but could have been much, much better.

GallaBru · 22/07/2023 21:33

DD12 loved it. DD14 (asd and prefers young aimed things) managed to get through but probably didn’t understand it

I thought it was ok. It’s not the wow I thought it would be but it was worth a watch. without the man wearing no socks or shoes next to me

Original poster
Prrambulate · 22/07/2023 21:34

It was good, but overall a tad underwhelming? Some of the jokes were good, other didn't land. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, and I wish it focused less on the men.

On a separate note: I don't like how the build up to the movie was basically 'look at how sweet and gorgeous Margot Robbie is in all her pretty outfits' vs. 'look at how talented and funny and Oscar-worthy Ryan Gosling is'. The fact that it had to be marketed that way by Warner Brothers to get a huge global reception is a sign of sexism still in play, however progressive the movie's message.

OP posts:
chopc · 22/07/2023 21:55

I didn't get it - so Barbie are empowered women. Ken was just ... Ken. Then Ken decided to take over. Barbie took the power back. And? What was the underlying meaning or goal or message movie was conveying?

themoorfairy · 22/07/2023 21:57

I loved it! I cried! I thought it was surprisingly moving.

Ponderingwindow · 22/07/2023 22:01

bluestarthread · 22/07/2023 20:48

My DD17 saw Barbie with friends yesterday and came out almost crying with rage about it! She despised the fact that in this ‘perfect world’ view of women the only person she felt was akin to her was weird Barbie who was ostracised and made to live apart from everyone else. She hated the stereotypes of male and female roles where someone could be a physicist but also had to look girly. Why can’t anyone dress how they like and not be forced to wear certain clothes, have their hair a certain way in order to be accepted.
Her friends apparently loved it.
maybe I’m guilty for not giving her a Barbie as a kid (I never had one either) and we’re not into makeup and pink. Off to see Oppenheimer with her tomorrow, maybe that’s more our film.

Are you sure your dd actually went to see the movie? Did she maybe go do something else and tell you she went to see Barbie?

tapdancingmum · 22/07/2023 22:11

We (me and 2 Dd's 26 & 22) went yesterday for the first showing. As it was before most of the schools had broken up it was really busy. We loved it - it was laugh out loud, sad, happy and uplifting all at the same time. The last line was hilarious!

We also know one of the Barbies and one of the dancers, so it was great looking out for them.

I want to see it again 😀

Usernameunknownfornow · 22/07/2023 22:17

This makes me feel happy knowing I only have boys my 14 year old cousin and me went to watch it on Friday and I fell asleep lol and she said I didn't miss anything that's how bad she thought it was, plus someone next to me stank like bio