With all of the media coverage, like TikTok trends, surrounding the Barbie movie, the film became the talk of the summer. Everyone was excited to go see it, causing the tickets to sell out instantly when the movie first came out. And although many people enjoyed the new Barbie movie, I highly disagree with them. My family and I planned a night to go see the movie together, and we were super excited to see what the hype was about with this movie. In the end, I wanted to like the movie so badly because my friends, family, and social media were talking about Barbie as if it were the best movie to come out. But honestly, it was too long to be so bad, and even my step-sister fell asleep half an hour into the movie, which really says something.
Although I did not like the movie, I can say the actors fit their roles really well. Margot Robbie, the head star, was the perfect match to play the role of Barbie, from her blonde hair down to her arched foot. I can’t picture any other actor who could fit the role as well as she did. Margot Robbie’s acting is good in general, and she has had a lot of experience in so many roles, from a psycho in the Suicide Squad to a pretty Barbie who wouldn’t harm a fly. Ryan Gosling plays the role of Ken in this movie. Personally, I don’t see the hype around him, but he did his job and popped back out in this hit movie, even after not filming since La La Land in 2016. His fans are happy that he got back out there to be the doll every little girl knows and loves. The actor that surprised me the most was Ariana Greenblatt. I watched her in Stuck in the Middle when I was little, and to see her grow up in this movie is crazy to me. It almost makes me feel old, and I’m still so young.
When the film started, my initial reaction was, ‘What the heck is this?’ The Barbies think they are doing normal activities like taking a shower, drinking, and eating. The scene where they drink with nothing coming out was kind of unsettling and stuck out. Although I think the film wasn’t good, I did laugh at their jokes and the arguing that happened in the movie. When I was going into the Barbie movie, I thought it was going to be about little girls playing with dolls and how it helps spark their imagination when they are little, but that wasn’t the case. The film overall was pretty corny with all the dancing and singing, but it gave a couple of messages throughout the film which were interesting to see play out, even if Ken was being annoying. The message that stuck out to me the most was feminism. In the movie, Sasha’s mom said, “It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.” This irritated me extra, as Barbie was beating herself up because a guy basically told her that she wasn’t good enough.
Overall, if you like singing, dancing, and corny fun, then I recommend watching it. If you don’t like any of that, then save your money. People can agree to disagree with me, and honestly, it’s not the worst movie I’ve seen; but it was 2 hours that I could have saved by not watching it.
