I have been anticipating the Barbie Movie ever since I saw the first trailer. How could you not?
I mean I guess I could understand how you wouldn’t. It is a Mattel product getting a movie and in the land of IP every single piece is getting mined, so I get it if you did not think this was for you and kinda forgot about it.
But then Christopher Nolan decided he was going to throw out his new film, against his old studio, a little film called Oppenheimer, against his former studio in WB, and you know what Barbie decided to say fuck it and go all-in! The marketing campaign has been spectacular, roping in Xennials like me but also those crotchety old GenX-ers who have decided to burn our world to a crisp and the younger Gen Z and whatever the fuck is after Gen Z.
I never played with a Barbie, but my sister did, so I am aware of the world of Barbie. You can have all of the information in the world about Barbie, or none at all, and enjoy this movie.
I should pause here to say that I have not yet mentioned the director and co-writer of the film, Greta Gerwig. Gerwig is fucking phenomenal. Full stop. As an actor, writer, or director, she has never missed. Her partner Noah Baumbach is okay too, but this movie radiates the energy of what Gerwig can do when she is given the keys to the “Barbie” car. And holy fuck did she manifest her vision.
I’m also remiss in not already mentioning Margot Robbie who should absolutely win an Oscar for her performance as “Stereotypical Barbie”. HOLY FUCK! (Shia Lebouf standing clapping gif here) Imagine your role is Barbie and then you give it all of the empathy, all of the sadness, all of the gravitas it deserves, while also still being one of the hottest people on the planet, which is pointed out in the movie, and you just act the fuck out of everyone? Amazing.
We can talk about Ken (and Ryan Gosling who deserve an Oscar nod), but the less said the better.
I cried at least four times during this movie and I will admit, I am a crier at films, but I did not expect that ratio. I laughed way more than I cried.
Honestly, this is a perfect movie! Fight me Ken Fight Me!