What’s wrong with that? We have so many movies specifically catering to male sensibilities and fantasies.
Film Greta Gerwig's BARBIE (Margot Robbie/Ryan Gosling)
- Thread starter Salt Bailly
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
MI is pretty much what you described in the first line.
Yeah, but Tom Cruise is jumping from a cliff with his bike, what's better than that? Possibly vin Diesel jumping with a car from aeroplane, but that's about it.
I dunno, now I've had a few days to process it my over arching opinion is that it wasn't clever enough. Maybe I had too high an expectation as I think GGs other works are brilliant but this has fallen a bit flat for me. Not funny enough as a straight comedy, not clever enough as a satire
Clearly influenced by Mattel IMHO no matter how much those involved have played that aspect down. It's perfectly fine teen fare but not much more than that
This is the reason I'm asking, I'm genuinely intrigued as to why adults want to watch it.
I'm not belittling anyone or trying to be high and mighty, I'm just asking a question.
For me it seems like it's a kids film with a few adult jokes thrown in, so I find it fascinating that so many adults seem to be flocking to watch it.
The margins between kids and adult films have always been blurred though. From movies like ET or Star Wars right the way through to the more recent torrent of Marvel shite.
I love it for its theme and target audience but I have to say the marketing for both this and Oppenheimer was very off-putting for me and seeing the whole Barbenheimer social media fad overhyping them to no end. There are new categories for "Barbie" in clothing stores for example. I get the marketing gig and all but as much as I was anticipating both these movies it feels like they tried to milk it far too much. I really tried to go into Oppenheimer with a fresh mind and will try to do the same with this.
I strongly disagree and the bolded bit is just disingenuous, but the Mattel part is interesting - I felt the film completely deconstructed the concept/idea of Barbie in a brutal way, and I was surprised that it got Mattel's validation. It doesn't glorify the doll particularly, it glorifies women first and foremost. It was probably the least subtle of GG's films (least subtle, but not necessarily least clever, in my mind), but it worked quite well. I also found it extremely funny with regards to comedy, but humour is very subjective so...
But to the point of my post that you're responding to, whatever you thought of Barbie ultimately, it absolutely was trying harder at saying something than MI, which has absolutely nothing to say (and which is absolutely fine too).
You didn't answer my question, in response to your previous post - do you know about the director, Greta Gerwig or the co-writer, Noah Baumbach? Have you seen any of their previous stuff?
There you go, one of my friends wants to see Barbie!
Don't cancel me Redcafe!I can only assume its “AI be baaad” commentary was too sophisticated and subtle for you.
So what's the message of the movie then?
There you go, one of my friends wants to see Barbie!
yeah, damnit, i just provided you with an alibi (well, not really an alibi but the pleasure is mine, bud!)Saw it last night with the missus. It's okay to good, I would say. Robbie and Gosling are both very good in it, set design and costume are great. First half of the movie is better than the second. Now to convince her to see Openheimer tonight.
No, I know very little about the director and co writer.
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Personally I like the art style and am very curious to see how they meshed real world with fantasy, toy-like world (as they appear to have basically just re-created the entire Barbie universe with all its quirks). Having Margot Robbie (
) and Gosling in lead roles also indicates that besides interesting art style there's going to be some genuine quality, comedy pieces I've seen have been genuinely funny and it's been getting very positive reviews across the board.I actually love the idea of re-visiting the world of toys I grew up with. Obviously Barbie was never my thing personally but the world around me when I was a kid was full of them. I enjoyed Lego movie a lot and wish they'd made more of them, I'd love a Hot Wheels / Matchbox movie as well. There's some charming novelty in watching the toys you know come to life.
You’re asking why someone would watch a movie that doesn’t exist.
It’s not a kids movie. At all.
I haven't watched this, but as far as I can tell the synopsis is: Women rule Barbie world and this is amazing. At some point, Barbie goes to the real world and here there is equality which is terrible and all men are inherently bad. Barbie goes back to her own world again where men have taken over because the strong and empowered women just let them, but then the women take over again and the moral of the story is: equality bad. Women in charge good.
Hopefully it's funny or something at least.
Hopefully it's funny or something at least.
It's just simply not a kid's film. The animated Barbie films are, I assume, kids films with plots aimed at kids. This is a satire primarily marketed at adults who grew up playing with Barbies. Tonewise, it's closer to being Stepford Wives than it is to being a Disney cartoon.
I just found that everytime they made a pertinent point they undercut it somewhat. For me the biggest issue with the film is the portayl as all the men as either lovable idiots (the kens) or bumbling idiots (Mattel) and as a result any criticism of their toxicity or history is downgraded. The films final flourish basically said don't worry about men keeping you down because they're easily distracted with sports which as a silly joke in a straight comedy is fair enough but as something making a genuine comment on the issues women face is imo a misstep. For all the man battering the film does I actually think they all come out of it unscathed cuz they're made adorable in spite of their issues
The wife really enjoyed it but it didn't work for me
Well that's certainly the take being pushed by the usual internet incels with poor media literacy.
I see, what's the real story then?
Watch it and see for yourself.
That's fair enough - it was a genuine question, because knowing a bit more about them provides some context as to the curiosity around this film. Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbauch often work together (co-write films together) and like to make films with a feminist subtext, with strong empowered women starring in them. GG's take on Little Women for example was really good (and I didn't particularly think I'd enjoy it).
Therefore, with that in mind, you can maybe understand a little bit more why people would be curious about the take of a notorious feminist director on Barbie.
I also want to add a disclaimer here - GG shouldn't be reduced to being a "feminist director", she also happens to make really good movies full stop.
That is... so wide of the mark, it's impressive.
Just with regards to the bold, I think it can go beyond that. While I agree to a degree with some of the points raised by Red Aaron below, I do think it's a film guys can appreciate and can maybe raise a couple of question marks with regards to women and their perception by society. It's not done with much subtlety, and incels and the likes are gonna be massively triggered by it, but if you go in with an open mind, I think it can work.
Yeah I do take those points, but I think the lack of complexity was to an extent voluntary, in that the film wasn't subtle, but then again neither is patriarchy in general. Does it really need to be subtle? It's a little bit slapstick in some of its film dynamics, but it works quite well imo. There's tons of clever, subtle, feminist discourse in cinema out there, I don't think this is particularly trying to be that - and that's ok.
Totally agree.
This is why we don’t get any good comedies anymore. Everyone either wants superhero films or dark / serious Netflix dramas.
I’d love for a revitalisation of silliness - for example what Jim Carey gave us during his hugely successful steak from Ace Ventura to Bruce Almighty (too sanitised compared to his best work - just used as bookend)
Just found out my daughter and ex are going to see this so I think I'm ok now mate, very noble of you. From this moment on I will, stfu and see it when I see it....
Hmm. You could argue we are getting a wave of superhero movies for that reason. Certainly that's one of the reasons why I enjoy them, because I liked the comics as a kid.
Agree though, why should you have to stop enjoying things at certain stages of your life?
The Ken stuff is a joke at Mattel's expense more than anything else. Ken is treated like an accessory in the film because that's what he was created to be by Mattel, a "hunky" boyfriend for Barbie and nothing more. The character is literally introduced with a line saying that he only feels valued when Barbie looks at him, which is a reference to the fact that Ken, like a car or a house, is an optional extra to Barbie which only exists in relation to her. Literally the whole thing is a comment on Mattel making these dolls without thinking they'd become a cultural institution and make girls think about womenhood in a certain way, and the various hamfisted ways they tried to make them more aspirational and representative (whilst still making a bunch of money).
It's not like it's subtle subtext or a new concept, it's just a more sophisticated twist on the thing in Toy Story where various toys display unhappiness with being an older, less technological advanced or less popular brand of toy, not getting played with enough, not being able to live up to their billing etc.
It's not like it's subtle subtext or a new concept, it's just a more sophisticated twist on the thing in Toy Story where various toys display unhappiness with being an older, less technological advanced or less popular brand of toy, not getting played with enough, not being able to live up to their billing etc.
WOKE!
To be honest it was a very organic thing.
Blade Runner sigma memes have been trending for a while now and the ridiculous pink outfits were prime meme material. Every Nolan movie generates insane hype anyway, pair that with same release date and how polar opposite the movies are and you have a recipe for an internet sensation.
I doubt either could have predicted it will create viral internet memes.
It was later on the respective marketing departments realised they need to jump on the bandwagon. You can hardly blame them, it would be daft not to.
No definitely not blaming them they are doing their job and I do understand how it came about with the memes, just me personally not being a fan of the overhyping. Because if not for the same release date, I don't see either movie as one that engineers such huge anticipation. Even for a Nolan movie I don't think Dunkirk or Tenet had this much hype (might be wrong there).
Genuinely curious as to what you've seen to make you think that's what the synopsis of the Barbie film is.
Agreed for future, as you were so close to getting caFcelled! Bloody hell....
I was initially curious about the same thing, but then I remembered that once every couple of years there is always some sort of **** phenomenon that takes over, gets hugely overrated and sends everyone into some sort of tizzy. It becomes a cultural event, more than just a movie or show. People go as whole social groups, get clubs and watch parties going etc. Basically people lose their minds and say there has never been anything like it, it’s a revelation. Then a few years later one looks back, watched it again, and wonders how the feck there was such a massive fuss. It’s the Hamilton syndrome.
See above. Anyone and everyone. While initially I think it was women and their coerced partners, I think it’s taken on such a huge cultural identity, that you’re almost going to be seen as some sort of mentalist if you haven’t seen it. Like you are missing out on the event of the decade. Again, the Hamilton syndrome.
I’m too old to get bothered by any of this any more. If my 8 year old wants to see it, I’ll take her. Otherwise this is a wait for streaming affair.
It's the age of social media, I really doubt it would get much views if it isn't overhyped as much before it even came out.
I think we got similar with Suicide squad, but at least this looks better than Suicide squad, at least in terms of it's own genre.
Have you seen Hamilton? Because it’s properly brilliant.
Also… this is not a film for your 8 year old daughter.
Yeah, that's an interesting take.
The film does seem to be everywhere, considering I'm not on social media I still cannot read/browse something online or in a paper without some reference to the damn film.
I can't say I have any interest in ever watching it, and I don't feel like I'm missing out.
$337m worldwide already 