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Review

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"Barbie" (2023) directed by Greta Gerwig is a feel good happy go lucky adventure based on the Mattel toy company's popular Barbie dolls. It is also the first female directed film to earn a billion dollars.

Barbie (Margot Robbie) & Ken (Ryan Gosling) live in the perfect fairytale world of Barbieland, where everything is pink and wonderful all the time. Barbie begins to randomly acquire some imperfections, gaining flat feet, some cellulite on her skin, and some thoughts of death and mortality. This freaks her out, and she goes to one of the outcast Barbie's for advice, who tells her that she needs to go to the real world and discover who is playing with her doll and try to make them feel better and treat the doll more "normally." Ken comes along with Barbie to the real world and discovers the patriarchy, which he brings back to Barbieland and converts to Kendom.

Barbie is a super dumb movie, just so we're clear, and while one of the initial messages was that women can be both logical and emotional at the same time, let's be clear here, this movie is not logical one single bit and it is extremely emotional start to finish. But despite the stupidity, it's a really fun time that thoroughly entertains. I highly recommend not taking the film itself or it's political opinions even half-way seriously, as that will ruin the experience for you and also make no sense as far as messages to "take home" with you. This film should be enjoyed as a simple and fluffy upbeat adventure with some funny adult humor and nothing more, do not take it as a serious political piece or statement, please.

Barbie features enthusiastic perfectly casted actors and extremely colorful and vibrant environments. The film is one of a kind in it's high quality and well executed set designs and color palette. There were plenty of funny jokes and scenes, and while it was a fast paced film, I appreciated that it did still take a moment or two to slow down and attempt to say something proper. Where the movie loses me is it's contradictory messaging, overly preachy / feminist propaganda, and beyond illogical storyboard.

I may look like a hater in that last paragraph but I'm actually not I promise you. It's an extremely fun and quirky comedy film with a great cast and an amazing location; but it just can't be ranked too highly since I felt it was too preachy and hypocritical and contradictory in it's message.

#rainynights #movies #barbie