>>31987Ok, so I love the opening with the cool props and how artificial and plastic-y everything is. I appreciate films that fully dedicate themselves to their theme, reminds me a lot of how Lego movie fully utilized its tie in. It's like an extended version of the Aqua music video and I wish the movie spent more time in it. I know California was included to give a contrast to the colorful world, but still.
Agree that the writing is way too on the nose for my taste, it basically says its thesis statement for the audience at the beginning, but then keeps repeating it the entire time. Might be a fun on to script doctor for since the feminism angle is the clear message to do with a Barbie movie but this film handled it clunkily.
It's unfunny and a bit crass. I wish it was a family movie since the worst bits are full-on sex jokes that I don't think have place in a movie based on a toy for kids. My little sister actually loves the dolls and we were planning to see it as a family but when the rating was announced we gave that up.
I also think its other form of self-deprecating humor is unfortunate, it follows that trait of being way too self aware about its brand and reputation, going so far as to cast Mattel as the villain but it's hard to give that any bite when Mattel's logo flashes in the opening. I also think most of the self-critique is pretty shallow, I wish Barbie wasn't constantly being put down for her hyper femineity because I think it'd be a more well rounded film is she expanded her definition of what in means to be a woman. I like the message that a doll doesn't fix sexism, but maybe Barbie could have also shown that she normalizes things, but realizes that she can't fix it herself and needs doers as well.
The movie tries a lot of different angles like the mother-daughter relationship and the whole Ken thing, but it makes the movie a bit unfocused. I would have again removed most of the real world and made the movie more allegoric and found an in-Barbieland reason to have Ken and Barbie fight.
The two leads are charismatic both Barbie and Ken nail the campy atmosphere the film lends itself to.
6/10 I have more thoughts, but this post is long enough.