Agree. Even the "Barbie: Life In The Dreamhouse" cartoon at least did the character Midge justice by giving her more of a personality than just being "the pregnant doll", unlike this movie 🤦♀️
The movie briefly showcased a bunch of retired Barbie dolls just to give the audience a little bit of Barbie history. In most cases I think these dolls were retired because they didn't sell well, and with Midge it might have been the parents that didn't want their girls playing with pregnant dolls.
I've already heard a lot about how much this movie got wrong but the horse thing is new and especially odd given how popular horses are with little girls. Barbie Horse toys were some of the best and she had this one computer game that was basically a horse riding simulator that I adored as little horse-obsessed girl. This movie all around feels less like a celebration of Barbie but someone's venting about Barbie and how much they dislike men. And horses.
Ken loved the Patriarchy because he thought it was about horses. When he found out that wasn't true, then he dropped the Patriarchy. The film does not dislike men, it's simply going with the 60 year Barbie history where Kens were always treated poorly compared to the Barbies. Barbies owned everything. And the Kens owned nothing. And that's the way Barbieland has always been.
@@SewTubular To be fair, this film and message would probably stand much better if it weren't for so many recent films with similar messages. When a large group of media forces a narrative, it can grow some dislike, and we've already had years of this.
I mean I’m a man and I really liked it. I feel like it’s pretty true to my interests and how I tend to act. Also the fact that Ken had emotions really felt nice.
The Barbie vs. Ken thing was the one thing I didn't like about the movie. Seriously, how did the Kens take over Barbieland? They built up the Barbies as intelligent and competent, but Ken somehow brainwashed them with solely a caricature of what a patriarchy is. I preferred the funny parts over the attempts at commentary Edit: I feel the need to clarify something based on the replies. I did like the movie. I knew it was a comedy and had a fun time. I specifically disliked the Barbie vs. Ken thing because it took away from the parts of the movie I liked better, like Gloria's bond with her daughter and Barbie asking Mattel why everyone in charge of the Barbie brand is a man. One critique doesn't mean I hate the entire movie
"how did the Kens take over Barbieland?" With force would be the obvious answer and i'd question why did they not, then again the film would reveal an ugly truth about reality.
Im so confused. Was this movie bad overall? Or was it the whole patriarchy concept? Because I see ken's point of being accepted but he kind of overdid it
It's a comedy, you're not supposed to care how they did it. That's not the point. I personally LOVE the Ken and Barbie dynamic in this movie. Before a singke woman could have her own bank account, many of them were seen as accessories. It's a commentary on how when Mattel gave Barbie Ken with his only purpose(initially) being in relation to Barbie they created the same dynamic women were seen as under toxic masculinity.
@@bhavanijayant526 It's not a bad movie by any means. Despite having criticisms, I genuinely enjoyed watching it and don't regret spending money to see it. I just personally wasn't a fan of that specific plot point
The Barbie World is so fun looking. Even the travel montage and musical sequences show off creativity and potential. It's a shame the writing pulls this movie down so hard. If they left the 3rd wave feminism aside, did their research and genuinely tried to make a family-friendly fun Barbie movie, it could've been great.
Sadly they don’t care about that. They care about what makes money. Barbie is a well known brand so people just see the movie for nostalgia. They aren’t thinking about the propaganda involved (they aren’t even aware it’s propaganda).
It is great, but everyone is entitled to resist having fun. Maybe that's why all the culture war youtubers are so unhappy... They constantly have to resist enjoying themselves 😔
Is it just me, or is it really that, lately, when European (white) women are given franchise projects, they consecutively add some Nothing-Burger or separatist messaging while nearly never letting it simply be a good, exciting, unifying story? (I say lately cause 'Jessica Jones' was mostly just fine, and had actual feminism and women's issues, not separatism and whining) Whether being a showrunner, director, lead writer. She-Hulk, Batwoman, Black Widow movie, WW84 (when Patty was announced as having more say over the story), Captain Marvel, Charlie's Angels (2019), now Barbie. Only times I've truly enjoyed something in the past decade directed by a woman is when the woman's a Redhead, Bryce Dallas Howard's episodes of 'The Mandalorian' and 'Boba Fett', I really liked those more than the other episodes. When men mess stories up, I can actually revisit them and have a good time roasting stuff, from Batman & Robin to Catwoman to TransFormers ROTF to Morbius. When Euro-descent women mess stories up, it's so bad it's depressing. 'Birds of Prey and Harley Quinn' and 'Eternals' have issues but I can revisit scenes of their teams interacting and have a good time, they were directed by Asian women. 'The Marvels' has already left a bad taste in other's mouths but, it's one of the more intriguing looking MCU entries as of late to me, it's directed by an African (black) woman. I'm scared for 'Madame Web' *simply* because of the director. Again, may be just me, but a pattern seems to be forming.
@@ljeans531 If theres no fuel for the war...it wouldn't exist. If intentionally DIVISIVE content like this keeps coming out...people will voice their opinions
@@no.1spidey-fan182 This film is the opposite of divisive. It's meant to be on the nose and make you feel a bit uncomfortable about the part men AND women play in upholding toxic masculine values that damage everyone. You see it the way you interpret the world by being chronically online.
Right! I saw it yesterday and expected a lot more because everyone was saying it was so good. But I think the movie was ruined for me because of the marketing that made me feel like I’d already seen the whole movie and also a lot of the stuff that is talked about in the video. It felt very.. empty? No character felt real which I guess is intentional because it’s a barbie movie but it felt like watching cardboard puppets talking to eachother. The visual aesthetics are pleasing and that’s the only good thing I have to say about the movie.
Great movies for kids, but not so much for adults. The Barbie movie is going after a kids/teens/adults audience. In Canada the Barbie movie is rated a plain PG, so kids of any age can see it if their parents are ok with it.
Besides the patriarchy message, Sasha's spiel to Barbie didn't make a lick of sense. There are Barbies with different body types, ethnicities, and professions like president, writer, and engineer.
Yeah as the vid said, it felt like the movie just shoved in decades-old criticisms of barbie ig to try and show they understand the product. But ignored that the barbie brand has continuously tried to address these criticisms. Even if it was meant to be exaggerated, I just don’t buy any girl in 2023 would actually believe those things abt barbie (and again, bc they made it so exaggerated, it made Sasha wanting to help barbie less believable)
Regarding how this Barbie is stereotypical Barbie and not another Barbie. It would have been a good story that Barbie and Ken are changed by their perception as known by people in the real world, so now Barbie has to go out into the real world to see why she is now acting like she is. Then after Barbie and Ken find out that people's perception affects the Barbie world, people are then tricked into making the Barbie world more like how the Patriarchy is imagined. Then Barbie and Ken have to get the world to change things back, working together to set things right, and with Ken pointing out things like just because he is a man doesn't mean he can take a job as a doctor, but rather that in the "real world" who ever is motivated and committed enough can do whatever they work hard towards. As plenty of people in bad situations have become success, and some sons of the current president have not used their advantages "money and connections" to accomplish things that one wants published. It would work to a mind over matter philosophy. That even as plastic Barbie has more to her that can influence how people are and act, that if recognized could create a more equal world. But we got this movie made by these people instead.
"What's more American than having an embarrassing forebear from Europe?" Um, excuse me, Madame! But my Irish farming ancestors leaving their homeland during a famine (possibly leaving loved ones behind) would not appreciate you comparing them to a non-existant floozy!
Likewise those of us whose families had to flee Eastern Europe because of the 200 years of attacks by Germany and Russia. We still honor their memories and do NOT like these snide comments that keep popping up every couple of years for the last 100.
Hitting the nail so squarely on the head that you can’t see it anymore. An exceedingly sound and unchanging pin on critiquing this movie. Very well done.
I had an idea for an alternative storyline yesterday that Ken is the one that has the existential crisis, realizing that he was only made to be Barbie’s boyfriend and has no intrinsic worth, so Barbie goes on a journey to look for proof that Ken is his own person and has plenty of accomplishments of his own, realizing how much she values him along the way. But there’s no way that would be made these days.
I think the Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse had an episode kinda like that. Where Ken had a cousin or brother who was better than him, and he felt insecure about himself because he thought Barbie wouldn't like him anymore. But Barbie instead tells him that he is the best boyfriend for her. Which is really wholesome.
From what I got from this review, the “social commentary” feels like it was written by someone who sees the world through the lens of bogus social theories and therefore has a very skewed view of reality.
But that's how Barbie viewed the world right back when she was created in 1959. She was a Feminist icon, who worked as a fashion-model, owned her own car and house, and did not live by anyone else's rules. Ken was an add-on. And the film makes it very obvious that Barbieland was a fake perfect world that never changes for the Barbies.
@@nerychristian Correct. Unfortunately, Sew Tubular is either a troll getting paid to defend the movie, or a bot that's literally been programmed to defend the movie. He/she/it is not remotely interested in the truth.
I’m a girl, but I did not relate to a lot of the feelings Sasha’s mom laid out as a universal women’s experience. There were some fun things Ken introduced when he came back from the real world that I thought would be kept once the Barbies took over again, kinda showing that balance is what we truly need. The Kens are wayyy worse off than women in the real world, yet they’re given much less at the end of the movie than we are. Having it alluded to via narration that maybe they’ll be more equal one day is not satisfying. I wish there was some acknowledgment that there are men out there who are not respected just for being men, that some of them do treat women right, and that many of them genuinely work hard to get where they are. It’s weird. I didn’t know how to feel when I left the theater because I had fun but also had many issues with this movie. A lot of people seem to be one way or the other.
I'm also kinda in the middle. I also saw the movie with my mom (who really liked it) but even she said she didn't like the whole "universal women's experience" speech because you could basically do the same thing with men
I'm the same too I didn't hate it thought it could of been way better though. I was thinking it was going to be more campy n fun like other Barbie movies n shows
@@conit4125 That's the problem with modern society. Everyone wants to be a victim. No one wants to accept personal responsibility or admit that both gender face issues, and that we need each other.
@@nerychristian That's not really what she meant. She wasn't trying to invalidate the woman's experience, just saying that many men also suffer under the patriarchy and it's kinda unfair to act otherwise. I guess you can say they tried to show that with Alan, but it wasn't really fleshed out.
You are very lucky and very privilege if you did not relate to the feelings laid as the universal women's experience. I wish we could change places. Instead of diminishing that experience, how about be grateful that you never had those experiences that result in those feelings in the first place. I know you want us to believe Men are Great. All men well White men are respected just for being men. Just because you don't see it. It does not not make it any less true.
It'll be interesting to see how these movies are remembered a few years down the line. Once the hype and "newness" fades... will this Barbie - let alone any of these recent media trends - have more than some micro niche appeal? Will any re-releases make enough "profits" for a mortgage payment? 2025 and beyond will have quite a first half of the decade to look back on.
Unlike The Super Mario Bros Movie, the Barbie film fails at being a silly barebones adventure tale that is really an elongated big budget toy commercial. I get the feeling that the movie was one of those projects in which the makers wrote down 50 different ideas, filmed as many of those ideas as possible, then patchworked the scenes into something that just barely qualifies as a story. For instance, when the Kens are about to go to war, they wonder what they can fight with because guns don't exist in Barbieland/Kendom. However, during the climax sequence, the CEO of Mattel gets shot in the arm. Another example that the phone call that the Mattel CEO received about the popularity of Kendom merchandise in the real world. Tor the majority of the movie, the way time works in Barbieland is pretty much the same as the way time works in The Real World. Ken's takeover had only been a handful of hours in the fantasy realm. How could have their been tons of Kendom merchandise flying off the shelves so swiftly? How could there ever have been Kendom merchandise without the Mattel executives knowledge? There is also Stereotypical Barbie herself. The character says, "When people think of Barbie, that's me." Well, an overwhelming majority of people for several decades think of Barbie being in relationship with Ken based on mutual attraction and appreciation. Therefore, Stereotypical Barbie should be in love with Ken, instead of seeing him as just a friend. Of course, there are many times throughout the movie when characters will say something like "don't worry about it" or "don't think to hard about it," and there are also times when the Narrator gets in on the meta commentary. I think it is fine to have a "Try not to think about it statement" (like in the second Austin Powers movie), but it should only be necessary ONCE! However, the more times a production has to remind the audience to not take things seriously, the worse the production probably is. The problem becomes worse because of the several times the story wants to be taken seriously, like the numerous women's liberation monologs by America Ferrera's character. The story didn't even establish why America Ferrera character and her daughter were at odds or why the daughter is an emo rude mean girl alpha of her high school. That's why the daughter's "face turn" comes out of nowhere. The story doesn't establish what was wrong, so we have no idea why things start going right. Oh well. The Barbie film is on track to make a billion dollars. Therefore, Hollywood, Mattel, and other toy companies will mostly remember the worse lessons by this experience. SAD! PS: The last time I checked, women and girls were very, very, very into horses. VERY! PPS: I don't care that the f-word was bleeped. There was no reason to have that moment in the movie other than for it to be a shocking moment in the movie. That moment was just as bad as Devastator's scrotum as far as I'm concerned.
That "patchwork" theory isn't too far off, as RU-vidrs like Doomcock (whom was right about some rumors heard and things he predicted) say there are rumors that this is actually how most modern movies are made, make tons of alternative scenes, film them, then chose the best ones that get the best reaction from test audiences. The process is called "scrapbooking," and it is why so many modern movies (especially Disney & MCU ones) have continuity errors, twists with no buildup, and just bad, algorithmic, randomized, writing. It really does feel like they scrapbook scenes together.
@@beauwalker9820 I am familiar with Doomcock, the future ruler of Earth. I was not aware of the scrapbook term for modern filmmaking. (I know what actual scrapbooking is of course.) Thanks for the info. Without respect, we reject.
They could have given both Barbie and Ken existential crisis and journey, yet still make them loving and supporting towards each other. Instead they broke them up, hell Barbie didn’t even care about him 🤦♀️
I agree. It also made me uncomfortable because if she isn’t romantically interested in him, why is she leading him to believe that he is her boyfriend? That makes her an unlikable character. And how the Kens were perfectly OK with the Barbies waiting on them hand and foot, (although I admit, a lot of it might’ve just been, they were sore from being treated terribly before) and desiring no strings attached sex, it made it hard to like Ken either.
It was really odd that Barbieland supposedly follows Barbie lore perfectly….except for the fact that Barbie and Ken are a happy, healthy couple? Barbie was so mean to him it was sad, even if she’s just acting out because she’s “existential”, all the other Barbies acted just as disinterested. I know plenty of little girls who play out happy relationships, which is no way problematic, making it your sole purpose would be but I guess the writers don’t know the difference.
@@Vibe_Master_007+ You're not making any sense here. people are taking a stereotype of a character, who falls into a existential crisis and never had any interest in accessible stock figure that believes he's the boyfriend way too seriously.
As someone with sisters and, by proxy, grew up with both the Mattel Animated movies and LitDH, I can say that by these videos alone, LitDH did literally everything better.
It was a very fun movie, but man. You're 10000% correct. I left the movie feeling like That was fun, but something just felt wrong. And everything you said summed it up perfectly.
Like that feeling after you wake up with no memories morning after your date and you think you feel fine when you should in fact go for a rape kit exam.
Me and my mom watched this movie and we walked out of it, horrified. Like, what was the moral lesson? Swap Patriarchy with Matriarchy? The Ken’s weren’t recognized as their own thing and are still treated as less than. Worse even, the Barbies failed to empathize with the Kens’ plight. And I also hated how we’re supposed to not feel bad for Ken for being literally ignored the entire time by his girlfriend? My mom was especially mad because she wanted him to at least get a kiss on the cheek 😂 But it’s also unrealistic because a lot of people who play with dolls make their Ken and Barbie BE in a relationship and smash kiss each other. The movie was so focused on their annoying message they ruined their movie
You guys don't even know what a matriarchy is lol. There's no such thing in Barbieland, Kens are not explored or mistreated & it's refreshing to finally have a movie where the woman and the guy don't end up in a romantic relationship.
@@analuizadefigueiredosouza7851 thats not even REMOTELY refreshing. Your world view is miniscule if you think this is new or refreshing💀. And of ALL the characters to NOT put together...Barbie and Ken!? Who are literally MADE for each other!?😭🤦♂️
This movie completely missed the mark by illustrating that neither extreme societal structure works. Therefore, working together and seeing the best that each have to offer each other, while recognizing their individual struggles. That, would have been a far better movie. Elevator pitch: Skipper, of all the Barbie sisters, is experiencing existentialism and explores the world outside of Barbieland. Enter, Barbie and Ken, who have to offer Skipper context of what life is like as an adult. While balancing the values of equality and achievement that they have instilled in her.
I agree this is why we criticize woke handling of projects because they have the shallow understanding of the stuff they are tackling and often want a pat on the back for thinking they are the first to bring this up when many others have already done it. My idea of an ideal Barbie movie would be about Barbie against the cynics of the world that thinks just because a woman is pink and feminine it means she's shallow. And also Ken as well goes up against stereotypes that he has no power and has no job and he's just a trophy husband. And most of all show Ken and Barbie as a power couple against the real world who take down real ones. And I am going to be honest the modern Western thing being portrayed as a patriarchy is really inane. It's more like male dominated but women are a vocal demographic with rights and things that weren't imagined centuries ago. Saying we are a patriarchy is an example of first world activism by people who have a persecution complex.
God forbid a film that (should be) for children have a protagonist who is both likable and a positive role model. Toy Story 3 was a better Barbie movie.
If they really wanted to show how it’s a patriarchy, then wouldn’t Ken be able to do literally anything in the real world? Like, wouldn’t he be able to do whatever he wanted and get away with it? 😂
But that's true in the real world for human men. The Patriarchy only helps some men in the real world, and with Ken he found that the Patriarchy was potent in Barbieland because everything in Barbieland is fake. But the Kens also find out that in Barbieland Patriarchy can be destroyed just as fast as it was built up.
I agree with you It does glorify Ruth Handler and Mattel Neither were feminist or really changed women's rights It was there to sell toys and make money. Barbie better not get film awards
I’m generally not a fan of live action adaptations, but when I saw all the excitement around the Barbie movie, I thought I should give it a chance. Through a more hopeful lense, it seemed reminiscent of Elf and Enchanted; I was hoping it would develop with that kind of energy and whimsy throughout, with a lesson of optimism and realism, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Hopefully, the set could be used in such a way in the future or at least to tour or something.
Fun Fact: Most of money are direct from US more than Oppenheimer. So in Domestic where Barbie got lot of money by precentage but in international it Oppenheimer who reign it They are both double feature and successfully anyway
Really hope it doesn’t encourage Mattel to not give a rat’s ass about the writing of their films such as the upcoming Thomas movie (which I pray revives and breathes new life into Awdry’s creation, showing off the love letter the franchise was to the railways of the UK and it’s locomotives).
my first reaction after exiting the cinema was a rejection of me being offended from all of ken's "masculine interests" jokes. I thought "alright, I am not a target audience so I should not be offended". we need more projects based around genuine humanity and existentialism rather than social messages
That's why films like Puss in Boots 2 have left such an effect with audiences. It doesn't play the politics game. It has a classic message that stands the test of time.
Everywhere I go I see people praising this movie as a huge success and a masterpiece, but after Little Mermiad lied about box office and Sound of Freedom being called problematic, I learned to NEVER trust media again
There is also a movie about Barbie going to a rock camp (Rock n' Royals). And some animated Barbie movies have rock songs as their background music like The Three Musketeers.
I hated the movie. I liked Ken's backstory more than Barbie's story. You are right, they made Barbie mean and I hated they named her sterotype. It just seems like everyone missed the point of Barbie. She was a character of her own. You weren't supposed to see yourself in her but be insprired by her accomplishments in careers and become a nice and supportive woman/girl. I grew up with Barbie, even watched the movies as I grew older and I have a few collector dolls so, yeah, I'm a big fan of Barbie. Such a shame. They should have just made a regular, story driven story. Like the Lego movie. I would have liked a Barbie and Ken power couple movie. But nope. It just HAD to be political. Thank you for the review!
I like how the old Barbie movies have their own distinct personalities and stories. They could've named Barbie "Malibu", and maybe add some iconic characters like Preminger as the big villain, Bibble as the animal whatever thing creature sidekick, and add all her siblings and Raquelle, Nikki and Theresa.
also, if how the little girls play with their dolls affect the dolls in the Barbie world, shouldn't there be a Ken and Barbie who are in love and dating/married? I know for a fact that there are little girls who dream of getting married, having a fancy wedding, and who want to find their one true love, so some of these girls would make the Ken's and Barbie's go on dates, get married, and do romantic things. But cause feminist believe that women don't need men and romance is bad, that didn't happen
Look back, at like, the Brady Bunch movie, a movie literally about a family from the 70's, and their 70's beliefs. And how positive they are, and then, they have to deal with the real world, and it's their old school beliefs that actually save the day. Sure, they learn a little bit from the 'modern day' but the modern day didn't completely ruin them.
One of the best reviews I've seen on this topic so far. I highly appreciate the calm, collected way all the points are presented-which isn't to say that I don't enjoy a good, cathartic rant every now and then. It's almost shocking how off-brand this whole movie is. When I was a kid, I really looked up to characters like Barbie and Belle, not because of their appearance, but because of their strength of character through their cultivated sense of compassion-because kindness to everyone isn't something that automatically comes easily, but a quality that must be painstakingly nourished over time. Their movies inspired me to be like that, I _wanted_ to be like that. There's just something so powerful about being able to talk people down from turbulent behavior by showing them a bit of empathy, care, and love. I think that's what this film lacks concerning Barbie's character, and why I find it so off-putting, propaganda aside. It's a pile of cynical garbage when the IP has never been about dragging jaded adult opinions into the forefront.
10/10 review, said everything I felt! It’s a shame to me that any valid criticism towards this movie gets immediately labeled as “misogyny” or excused with “it’s a comedy” and “it’s feminist, therefore it’s good” or my least favorite- “it made billions, so shut up”. Very mature and nuanced, guys… At least it reminded me how great “Life in the dreamhouse” was.
this movie is weird, i had to redo this comment three times because i'm not that sure of what i can take out of this movie, it's poorly written but when it's nonsensical and whimsical is fun to watch, but the message is so poorly implemented that it might not even be there, i don't think is a "woke" movie but it is a sad attempt to express Hollywood privilege class think about the world and tries so hard to sell the idea of "woman are being oppressed" without showing exactly why that ironically sell the oposite by showing the Kens are emasculated and oppressed, it's somewhat hilarious actually.
Seriously between the "men can do anything they want without consequence!" and the "women are brainwashed so easily" thing, I refuse to believe this movie was written by someone who has ever interacted with anyone in their entire life
The Barbies were un-brainwashed just as fast. And Barbieland is a fake perfect world for the Barbies, so it does not compare well to the real world. And in the end Barbie chooses to live in the real world and become human.
@@splitfries69 It hasn't made a billion yet and popular things aren't necessarily good. People are allowed to have opinions about this stupid movie. How much is Mattel paying you to write these asinine comments?
I've not watched the movie but I'm really confused about the complete opposing viewpoints that some reviewers have. Like I've never seen such a divide between generally reputable reviews. Some people say it's a 10/10 and the message is really profound whereas other people, like J, say the message is very confused/muddled and it's mostly just a corporate cash grab... So can you pls lmk how the subtle messages were delivered and then like my reply so I can get a notification? I'm genuinely asking bc reviews for this movie are incredibly mixed and I want a less biased opinion...
@@kingacrisiusIn my opinion, the movie has so many mixed messages in it that you can basically see whatever you want in it. Is it a satire? Could be. Is it feminist? Yes. Is it anti-men? There’s reasons to believe so. Is it pro men? There’s also reasons to believe so. There’s definitely messaging in it, but what the message is I couldn’t tell you definitively. I mean, I could based off of cast interviews. But I couldn’t just based off the movie. So yeah, horrible writing is really the main cause of all the controversy in my opinion.
@@kingacrisius I think the best way I can clarify its diverse feedback is poor execution truthfully. It is funny and I don't personally find nice messages with a comedic tone. However, the ending of the movie was pretty vague for barbieland being better suited for Kens and should have been shown better, but if they truly didn't change then Barbie would have stayed in barbieland and the kens would be forever nice guys. Barbie saw beauty in the real world and decided to go there with all its problems. Ken didn't actually apologize to barbie either, she apologized and encouraged him to find his own. I think it would have been better if they went stronger with barbieland should be equal footing rather than saying kens all the power women have the real world. But the message was there to reject these extreme versions of toxic masculinity and toxic feminity of hating other women and hating men at least. I also appreciated the mother plotline.
The problem is that we give these directors and screenwriters too much credit. The reason this movie has so many mixed messages is not because the director or writers wanted to show different perspectives. But because they are just shitty writers who can't keep their thoughts straight, and constantly contradict themselves.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie was the small interaction with Barbie and the old lady at the bus stop. Of course, it’s the only real positive interaction she has in the real world. I didn’t understand why she wanted to become real anyway. I think if the film did more to highlight the beauty of the real world to contrast the ugly, it would’ve felt much more natural. I wanted to like this movie more than I did, but the message gets in the way of the narrative so much that it kneecaps it 30 minutes before the finish line.
I hate being right too. I wish people would keep politics and social justice out of movies that are supposed to be fun. Also, I wish they made Barbie IN CHARACTER.
Were you really expecting her to be like those crappy CGI 2000's movies? Social issues and fear will always be present in media, they always have been and always will be.
@@chrizeeey SOCIAL ISSUES ARE EVER PRESENT IN MEDIA, THOUGH SOME IS MORE DIRECT THAN OTHERS, BECAUSE THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CLIMATE CHANGES THE WAY WE VIEW AND PICTURE ENTERTAINING STORIES!!! (Loud enough? :D)
@@Irreverent_Radiationthe 2000s cgi movies actually showed equality and never put down anyone for their gender and had good morals, unlike this. They're also extremely beloved and timeless. Also, not every film or piece of media needs to tackle social issues, by your logic mario needed to tackle the issues Italian immigrants face in a film about a plumber who fights a turtle dragon-thing for a star.
I think my favorite review of this movie came from two guys joking that the woke messaging fails so badly it actually argues why a patriarchy is better than a matriarchy 😂 Pretty much under the old regime, the Barbies had vapid, shallow ambitions that they just kind of went with. No big thoughts beyond the next party and material things. The Kens were background props with no sense of purpose that crushed them so much that any speck of attention was the whole world to them, but they couldn’t actually do anything to change or improve their situation. Then the Ken-dom comes and while the Kens are in charge, they actually aren’t that rude to the Barbies. They hang out, get stuff done, and make sure the Barbies are having a good time. Meanwhile, the Barbies are also enjoying helping the Kens out, not worrying about as much stuff, and just feeling more happy and complete with someone that also appreciates them. A vote is then going to be called to decide if that society should stay and everyone is pretty okay with that. Bonus points that the Kens take over so quickly despite the Barbies being “so smart” 😂 Then out of the darkness, a crazy Barbie convinces the other Barbies through brainwashing that life under Kens are terrible. To secure their old ways back, they use their feminine charms to pit the Kens against each other, even though they aren’t sure why they want to change things back anyway. Cut scene to Ken leaving the messed up Barbie land, the Barbies and Kens back to their empty days, and main Barbie seeing a gynecologist. That view is why I see a lot of people liking Ken and I can kind of get behind it 😂
Yeah while I was watching the movie, I decided pretty early on that the Barbies were actually the villains all along, and I think looking at it that way definitely made the movie slightly better for me. I also know that’s not what they were going for, which is funny as hell to me
The main Barbie sees a gynecologist to make it obvious to the film audience that Barbie has now become a human, and left the fake Barbieland behind forever. She even changes her name to Barbara.
I watched the movie the day it came out, on my birthday. To see that it wasn't the all fun schenigans with Barbie and Ken was disappointing. But seeing people defend it as if it did something special was worse. Man
BARBIE directed by Greta Gerwig is "special" just like TRIUMPH OF THE WILL directed by Leni Riefenstahl. The latter is a NAZI movie. The former is a FEMINAZI movie.
I was disappointed too. I was expecting this movie would be a fun and goofy that doesn't take itself seriously but when I watched it, I saw that it had feminist themes(which involves stating that the real world is controlled by men, women can't get jobs in high positions, women are constantly sexually harassed, men are stupid, and other stupid stuff). I couldn't even watch the whole thing. I'm also disappointed that there's no romance in the film. I'm a woman and I like romance and Ken and Barbie are suppose to be a couple. It's stupid that they don't become a couple. The best thing this movie did was lead to the parody song "I'm just Pete". What's worse is that anyone who criticizes this film is treated like an idiot who doesn't understand the "deep beautiful message" and how "hilarious" it is. I should've just watched some of the animated Barbie films cause I heard that both adults and kids can enjoy them.
@Strawberrybby132And no one's fighting for women's rights in the countries that still need them. Nah, they'd rather attack countries where women have all the rights of men and a number of privileges.
@Strawberrybby132 If they would focus on real issues, no one would mind. But no, they focus on their own made up patriachy stuff. But then I guess the real issues would make them look REEEEEEacist since those are happening *gasp* in non-white countries.
@@sorengrace4127 Please, they only changed their minds after they got a feminist rant that in no way should have related to them and their experiences. Movie says their brainwashing was "undone" but honestly felt like more overt brainwashing than anything.
What i wanted: A fun and cute movie where Barbie and Ken goes on adventures; exploring a planet and meeting aliens or a castle under the sea full of mermaids. It can represent a creative kid playing with his toys like in the first Lego movie 😀 What i got: Ken was jealous of Barbie and took control of the land plus the family who accompagny Barbie was not interresting. The mother was too positive and a bit annoying, her daughter was always negative and boring. I didn't like them. I was so dissapointed after i saw it. Visually it's amazing, the costumes and backgrounds in barbieland are fantastic and colorful. The story was soooo boring. I rolled my eyes after Ken go to the '' real world '' then changed everything in his. That was not fun to see and not funny either 😐
This why I am never watching a movie trailer again because the trailer doesn't show what I expect in the movie so yeah I am never watching movie trailers again next time I just watch the movie without watching the trailer and that is it trailers just brainwash us
@@o222pthis person is just sharing their opinion about the movie being boring and you reply with something so passive aggressive that I could see the aura of passive aggressiveness oozing out of my phone.
I think it’s stupid how Barbie is claiming to be run by patriarchy when every authority figure is a WOMAN. Not just that, but when the Kens just want to recognized for their individuality, it’s somehow an issue. Barbie is out of touch with reality.
nope, she is pretty much in touch with how feminists feel the world is and or should be, and it perfectly shows the ignorance for the pains men face without actually showing the worst things about being a man in the current world, it's honestly spot on in that regard
jesus christ, can you guys try to not be so pathetic and cringey? the movie said that both patriarchy and matriarchy are flawed, you would know that if you saw the movie.
Barbieland was always a Matriarchy, except for the one day where Ken changed everything, and then Barbie changes it back to being a fake perfect matriarchy.
@Doms561 because equal rights dont happen at all once, just like in the real world. The kens gained more rights and are on their way to equality but it will take time and effort to achieve, again, just like the real world.
A lot of adults simply assume what barbie is and what she does to "poor little girls". But in fact, no little girl sees barbie's plastic body and suddenly decides that this is what she needs to become. When I was 4, I decided I'm going to be a "big, round dad" - because my dad was a couch potato who liked books and I was his little copy. Meanwhile, barbie was just one of the shapes my dolls came in. I also had an old porcelain doll, a huge baby doll, a cute fabric doll with noodle limbs, etc. I also did not care whether it was a "real" barbie, a knockoff or a different doll entirely. It's almost like the toxic image of a woman's body (and consumerism) came from the adults and media around us, and not the doll itself.
YES just YES! this was 100% exactly how i responded to this movie!!!! and im like the only one in my circle who could see the flaws. its unreal how obvious these issues with the film were and how soooo many people are being like "no you're just a woman hater" like WUUUT!?!?!?!?!
Horses are one of the most popular boarding on stereotypical interests of little girls. Not just Barbie, but ALL doll lines for girls have an equestrian or cowgirl playset not to forget films, tv, and video games (I played Horsez a lot). If they were going for toxic masculinity, why not a bull?
i was so disappointed with the mc being a “stereotypical barbie”, there wasn’t even an actual doll released with the name. they could’ve just turned her into a totally hair barbie or a peaches n cream barbie or even the og barbie that was released from 1959. and mind u she was prob the only blonde barbie seen on the barbie cast, the “stereotypical” barbie. sure, barbie had been released in various hair colors and skin tones for the past decades, with the first black barbie being released in 1980, but blonde hair and blue eyes is basically her spitting image. also, like u said, i didn’t like how the kens were basically jobless. if there is a doctor barbie, why wasn’t there a doctor ken? barbie was pretty much accompanied by a ken or some of her sisters or friends whenever a career doll of her was released back in the day, the 80s and 90s to be exact
yeah what the hell? thats like if emmet from the lego movie was called "generic construction worker" rather than "lego construction worker", yes the man upstairs call him generic but thats his perspective of him, a lego executive if you ask, not his oficial name to be ashame of.
This movie really didn't get the brand at all. It got a pinch of the line accurate, but not enough. It was dishonest, also manipulative AS HECK. Stick with Lego Movie, it's respectful and heartfelt.
The thing about both of those movies is that: Barbie actually had some pretty funny jokes(especially the one about "Zack Snyder's Justice League) + nostalgia that pretty much carried most of the movie. As for Frozen, the main reason for its success is due to its catchy songs (like "Let It Go" and "Do You Want To Build A Snowman"). Both films utilized these in order to make up for their not so great storytelling.
While I felt "Frozen" wasn't that horrible, I do agree. Especially considering the source material it was an insult for Hans Christian Andersen who wrote it. Naming the villian Hans. Like, seriously? But now that you mention it... it makes a lot of sense (and it doesn't). Because I never got the hype for this movie either. Now I'm a little relieved because I always felt maybe something is wrong with me for not liking it :D.
Warner Bros. is still sulking about being forced by (mostly male) fans to release the Snyder Cut and have the world see how bad WB's version of "Justice League" is by comparison.
wasn't gonna see the movie but it's so interesting to see an educated barbie review as opposed to the usual based v feminist reviews. I didn't think it was gonna be good, it doesn't seem good, but pointless hate or support of it is tiring.
Well, given the amount of retardation rampant and tons of emotional immaturity these days, being based and being educated go hand-in-hand. What do you think?
The movie treats compassion, empathy and love like garbage. While pushes the worst message like self-importance, narcissism and dominance as positive motives that girls and women should strive for.
I liked the movies... But I walked out and everyone else had a great time except me. To the point I shocked my family saying it was ok. Specifically the horse thing. I don't like horses. Never have. Never will like them. But Barbie has always had horses and several doll lines about them. Why just make it a guy thing? Idk. I had other problems but overall... I liked it. It's all I can possibly say.
What annoyed me the most was how this movie has double-standards, like the Barbies get what they wanted by tricking the Kens into fighting each other and then vote for changing things back to the way they were without them, they denied them the right of voting for a decision that would affect the world they live in and the Barbies are still portrayed and the good ones there? If the Kens did it they would be extremely angry at them, and also when Will Ferrell says they don´t care about Ken because "he was never as successful as Barbie" but then his house becomes a huge success and the guy still wants to get it axed because he said "he didn´t become a CEO for the money, he did it to make little girls´ dreams come true" or something (this probably wasn´t the exact quote, I watched the movie last week) because "their morals come first" but then Gloria has this idea of an "ordinary Barbie" (which I don´t even know how it could work) and then Will Ferrell´s character says he didn´t like it but he changes his mind the moment he hears that this idea is being successful, so when Ken is doing great by doing something different they don´t care and axe him because "they have principles" but when it´s Barbie they bend their "principles" to support her
Barbie has been "ordinary Barbie" for the past ten plus years. Unless the film takes place in 2010, I don't know how they thought that concept was revolutionary.
@@psychotophatcat True, it started with A Fashion Fairytale which was the first Barbie movie that had her as a real person (a Hollywood star that played the characters in the movies we know) with Ken by her side being her best friend and boyfriend, he was a sweet himbo there but he knew when to take things seriously and there were a few more movies featuring Barbie and her sisters in their world, they were so wholesome
Thank you for the best review on this film. Honestly everyone who was turning against the main character Barbie is clearly saying they hate being stereotypical. And the fact that in the end when she hears that she could "die" as a human, she was smiling? I mean it would mean she would live but...does that mean this idea of her should die? And she should be happy? Without her, the other Barbies actually wouldn't have infiltrated the Kens actually. And the main unused people like the Mattel men group and even the teenage daughter. Like that girl was a bully; why did she had to be cruel to a pretty girl? Not to mentioned Barbie had appeared adult to her, she shouldn't have thought "oh I can take her done with words." She could have had better character growth and should have apologized to Barbie. Furthermore, I hated what stereotypical Barbie said, "I don't love Ken." Like what will this mean now? A breakup with Barbie and Ken. (Kemit and Miss Piggy already done that) Maybe this generation can live independently, but they shouldn't doubt all love is a downfall. And finally, your point on how Barbie should be herself, bring kindness and all, I say if she wanted to come to the real world, then I say she should of kept her name Barbie. Not to represent the doll, but who Barbie can be. Even if it's just her, than that's the point. Having a kind Barbie like her in the real world would of been perfect.
My sister and I found it so strange that this movie starred Stereotypical Barbie-“when you think of barbie, that’s me!”-when I’m pretty sure most ppl think of barbie as actually being in a romantic relationship w/ Ken. Or at least being his best friend. And if barbieland is influenced by the ppl playing w/ the dolls then that should definitely be the case. We couldn’t figure out why the writers decided to have the barbies not actually be the kens’ girlfriends other than “they’re girlbosses and girlbosses don’t need no man :) duh” Like, lovers’ quarrels exist. Between this and all the other discrepancies in the vid, I rlly did not feel like the filmmakers rlly understood Barbie (beyond reading a couple things online maybe)
The reason why Barbie isn't kind and caring in the movie and is instead a matriarchal monster that mistreats men is because the people who made this movie don't have a kind bone in their entire body, just like most people in Hollywood.
Come on, you dont know what you're talking about. She didnt value Ken at first and then by the end she apologizes to him for it because she realized she was wrong.
@@minatorres5261 No? She told him he's not an accessory and doesnt have to live just for her, he is enough on his own and should learn to live just for himself. He ends the movie happy and confident as his own man who's off to find his own purpose, "He is Kenough".
@@arobin6695 So what about land owner rights? Job rights? Voting rights? Were they granted any of that immediately without the vague promise that they might get it "eventually" as more rights reach women in the "Real World", or was being more "happy and confident as his own man" the only happy ending here?
To me, the movie is alright as it may be considered as a guilty pleasure in a few years. I very much love BarbieLand since it reminds me of Life in the Dreamhouse and how sometimes girls roleplay with dolls. In retrospect, the real-world segment became a showcase of the many criticisms that the doll-line receives (that being the mother and daughter duo) and what people think Barbie is; Although I do like the elderly woman scene scene (to me) shows Barbie's kind and caring nature. I do love Ken in the movie although I wish the people handling the movie could've made him have that naïve nature towards his findings in the real world. Your comment about Ken going to the real world to apply for the job he attempted would be good and, ideally, Barbie could've become a fashionista when she went to the real world as a means to have her ideas live forever and inspire others. It's honestly weird that the Barbies are weirded out by some of the Kens and how the Kens overran the Barbies when they have the upper hand by intelligence and careers. It's also weird that Sasha immediately has a change of heart instead of steady progress on learning about the connection her mother and Barbie have as it's flat-out reflected by her drawings and thoughts. I wish they could've took their time on balancing the attributes on who Barbie really is and what people think of Barbie, possibly by subverting of those criticisms, it could have gone a bit better beforehand.
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This one was just kinda disappointing tbh. I was mostly just hoping for a nice, family-friendly movie, only to be met with whatever this was. And to think, the Mario Movie could very well have ended up in a similar fashion if Nintendo didn’t hover, and even then they didn’t completely prevent it.
There was a 90s Super Mario Bros movie that was complete trash, and it took them 30 years to get most of it right, so maybe you’ll get a decent Barbie movie in 2053. Then again, I expect Mattel to try to put out a bunch more movies just like this one and to crash and burn hard, so…
@@bunnywithakeyboard7628 I mean, if this one is any indicator, they'll be able to make bank so long as they hide the politics from the marketing, unfortunately. But yeah, the 1993 live-action Mario Movie was trash, but at least that movie wasn't bogged down by politics. The 2023 film did get most things right, but there was still some blatant Western influence that I didn't care for.
Imagine if when barbie left barbie land and ran into ruth handler the message would be to be yourself and not trying to be exactly like the other Barbies? Barbie would then break down like she did to the other humans and then Ruth would tell her a story about a woman who tried way to hard to be like others to the point she tried to copy them, Then Ruth would tell her that woman was her This would have been a way better message showing Barbie that being a woman isnt about being perfect or in charge all of the time, Then she'd say something like "thats what it means to be human" and then Barbie staying in the real world would make way more sense Of course this version would definitely not happen because companies with be companies but for something as big as the original Barbie being a copy would make for a way more interesting story! With the whole conflict between the patriarchy and matriarchy what if Barbie just snapped and realizes how crazy all of that is so instead of being so worried about having power or not having power, she'd work for scratch to get there I guess this could never happen though because the "Be yourself" message is apart of another mattel property... monster high 😅
That is the Problem with modern HOLLYWOOD. Its all about the message. Yes, they have a big Hit with this BARBIE-film, but longterm it will not help the Franchise. They didnt get what this Franchise is about. Same with other Franchises. They just using them and made them into whatever they think is the better version of it.
The reason why Lego movies theme works is because the message nothing has to be done a certain way is something that relates to Lego. WTH does barbie have to do with sexism and feminism.
@Doms561 Sorry to say that today when people talk about feminism, we are talking more about the 3rd/4th wave. That's why anti-feminism is such a huge topic online, with anti-SJW, anti-woke, etc. It's not a bunch of sexists saying women need to stop working, stop voting, find a husband and get back in the kitchen. It's people tired of this hyper-woke female-empowerment that's causing more division and hurt than anything. Hence, all the anti-feminist women you'll find today, myself included. That being said, since feminism has so many meanings/connotations now, the same can be said for anti-feminism too and labels in general are a mess. Comes down to what you feel comfortable with, of course. That being said, I agree that Barbie WAS the good kind of feminist before this movie. Literally had the mantra of "Girls can do anything" and promoting every lucrative career under the sun with the different outfits and playsets. She was only seen as less-so recently because, I guess, how dare she be pink and girly?? Which more echoes my thoughts as a tomboyish child rejecting pink frills than anything about what I would say as a statement of what women should or shouldn't be as an adult.
It's interesting, in Netflix's documentary "The toys that made us" there is part that a man was part of the creation of Barbie. He earned a percentage of the profit as royalties. When Barbie got massive, Handler and Mattel wanted him gone. Because that contract was "eating up" their profits, a lawsuit did undo the contract. When I saw Handler's character, just bursted out into laughs.
I'm from Ghana and most of the dolls we get here are second hand. The first and only time I got a semi new doll(as in she had all her clothes, shoes, and parts intact and looking brand new, but just came without proper packaging) was when I was about 11 and it was a Midge doll. I loved her so much, but I'm guessing why it looked so new was because people in the west didn't like her.
The film is PG-13, it's not aimed at kids. Also, innuendo in family entertainment is as old as family entertainment and it always goes over kids heads. Let go of your pearls, prude.
I'm so happy to see a few female channels able to objectively discuss this movie and debunk ideas brought up in it, like the history of dolls and the portayal of "real" history in Barbieland just with the genders reversed. If the latter were true, Kens at least would have the Barbies drooling and fighting over them and would have had the respect of being seen as gentle and kind and good (not to mention the respect given to mothers). I've seen multiple people defend it as something that promotes gender equality and isn't about women being better than men. The reason I don't believe this is because Greta Gerwig has not talked about it in this way in interviews. She has said it's feminist and humanist, but she seemed so nervous and unable to articulate what it's supposed to be about when, if the moral is supposed to be about gender equality, then she could just say that. The Kens storyline implies that it's possible for the oppressed to take too much power and insist that things must go only their way, which is an interesting light to shine on feminism. But she doesn't say those things because I think she herself doesn't know if she wants the movie to be about actual equality or grrrl power.
I personally liked the movie, but to me nothing would be better than the Barbie animated movies...I didn't mind the meta humor, I actually found ut funny unlike other meta humor movies... But it annoys me more the movie is well, as some have said more about the criticism of Barbie rather than Barbie herself...Barbie is a great character to me at least, and it does make me sas how her view is mostly negative...when rewatching the Barbie movies has inspired me to get back into ballet
I think that "stereotypical barbie" (margot robbies barbie) was supposed to be everything as in everything that all the barbies in barbie land are conjoined into one person, why I think this is because in the barbie webshow barbie has literally had every career possible. the issue I have is that the concept of that wasn't executed well or elaborated on in the movie.
Because they don't want to accept what the movie literally tells them directly. I got the impression (watching several such reviews) that they combined their worldview with individual elements of the "Barbie" and made a judgment on this basis, without taking into account the context. That's why they decided that it was a movie about Ken, because they were able to get used to him and his attitudes.
My problem is that even if it's a satire that in itself would be wrong because they shouldn't use Barbie as a plattform for this. Because it kind of nullifies everything about what Barbie stands for. Plus it seems like they only used it as they please because they tried to hide this fact with their marketing. To me it didn't really feel like Barbie (except for the set, whch like you said was amazigly done). But other than that they could have used any other doll brand with the same result. This movie wasn't really what I had hoped for and I don't get the hype for it. I'd rather stick to the (early) Barbie animated movies. Its still about girlpower but without tearing others down. That's the reason I couldn't really enjoy it. And Barbie wanting to become human seemed so odd to me. They didn't even establish it. Also there were definitely a lot of Barbies with horses and equipment. I remember having some of them. I wasn't really crazy about horses but I still enjoyed Barbie (and Ken) even taking up an interest like that. Later they even made an animated movie. So the joke about Ken discovering horses and making them part of it didn't make sense to me. Also they movie lacked princess Barbies and prince Ken. And they didn't even include Theresa (who is her best friend) or other dolls. I've heard they want to make it a cinematic Barbie Universe (that's probably the end of the animated movies :( ). Honestly? This could have been the perfect opportunity to include the one they already have (like Barbie being an actress in all of her movies but then being a doll). But after the movie I really hope it won't be the case and that they never even dare to try making some of these animated movies into live action films. Because honestly even if this movie would have been great in itself it's a disgrace for Barbie (but of course that's just my personal opinion and I know I'm the minority).
I think what makes it worse is the fact that Mattel and the film makers know that Barbie is a toy brand. Meaning that children are the ones who are most interested in Barbie. Yet they didn't make this movie with a positive story for kids to see. Instead they fill it with woke propaganda and bad messages about the genders. This to me shows me that I should never support Mattel again. If the film maker wanted to make a movie about feminism, she could have created an original doll.
It was unintentionally anti-feminist which makes it hilarious. All it took for strong intelligent independent women to be lured over to "the Patriarchy™" was for Ken to just show up again. And they were happier afterwards, until they had to be deprogrammed by the victim speech. And Barbie - who experienced nothing but hardship in the real world, doesn't hesitate to choose The Patriarchy™ at the drop of a dime at the end. It makes me think that all these impressionable young women in society are just choosing to identify with feminism because it sounds cool rather than understanding or resonating with the ideology.
Its sad to have all this be the case and WB thought The Flash would be their biggest hit and its strangely the opposite for them. But this is more about the marketing being so spectacular and as you said this was about the Concept than the Character.
Folks who used to like movies like The Flash now know that such movies hold no value or entertainment for them. By contrast, Barbie was to a brand new audience, who is only finding out this lesson.
