This post is part 3 of the barbenhimer double feature review.
Please see post:
https://lemmy.world/post/1887202
&
https://lemmy.world/post/2099301
Barbie review:
This movie isn't hard to review. Its enjoyable to watch, funny for all ages. Just the right amount of meta and it ends on a nice warm message.
It does get a little long near the end. And if you can't sit through "woke" movies you're gonna have a bad time. But it is funny and weird and if you ever played with a Barbie you should def watch it. Especially if your a person with some old Barbie's you held on too.
Spoilerzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I really enjoyed it and i might watch it again . It highlighted all kinds weird discontinued barbies and kens. Like Alan. Lmao.
There's lotz of easter eggs and one liners me and my friends have been saying all day:
"These mojo dojo casa houses are flying off the shelves!"
"Yo let me get a brewsky beer!"
" just tell him you've never seen the god father "
"if you wanna beach him off, you gotta beach me off first"
And of course it has a really nice positive message for the viewer. Which make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
The film actively engages with some of the more problematic things about Barbie. like Barbie's race and the negative impacts that Barbie has had on young women.
It also does a good job dealing with how Barbie and Ken are not romantically involved.
I really liked Kens' journey. In the Beggining He defines himself as an accessory to Barbie while actively seeking a relationship with her. One Barbie is obviously not interested in. The film takes time to breakdown this behavoir and show a positive way out for Ken. One that is based in personal growth.
Its a wacky movie, and im reading into it. You don't have to do that. It is easy to enjoy.
Theres a lot more to mention but ill leave that to y'all.
Go check it out!
Would recommend to a friend!
Not sure if sarcasm...
I did get a feeling of an over-simplified explanation of misogynist attitudes, and how they arise... but I think that mostly comes from the fact that at its core the movie is a comedy. It doesn't necessarily need to explain every aspect of every concept in the movie, especially when they're not part of the core messaging. That being the nature of how women are treated in our world, and how they are used. Both in messaging and action.
The hand-waving of the Ken-on-Ken war, and how the women triumphed by the absence of men felt a bit empty... but it also exemplifies it's opposite (in the real world) where women have historically been kept out of high level decision making. It's also over-shadowed by Barbie's realization that she can't live in that simplified world anymore. Where problems can be solved by a musical number.