Film Greta Gerwig's BARBIE (Margot Robbie/Ryan Gosling)

[Wibble]

Even my female friends thought it botched the landing.

Even? I'd say most feminists would be either enraged or deeply saddened (or both) by this film.

The whole solving the Kens' patriarch with a return to 100% matriarchy, including the voting disenfranchisement of the Kens, was stunningly idiotic even if they tried to downplay it. The ending

Spoiler

with the meeting with the spirit of the inventor of Barbie and then the final scene where Barbie went to the gynaecologist were in turn muddled to the point of being insulting and stunningly clumsy.

. My wife's review was shorter. A single short sentence "Well that was shit".

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I quite liked it. It was entertaining for nearly the entire duration and the cast were all very good. Gosling was really good and Margon Robbie had the onscreen presence / charisma needed for such a lead role. Also, I haven’t actually seen her in anything before and now get the hype over her looks - she’s absolutely stunning - loved the moment they broke the fourth wall when she was saying I’m not pretty etc

Downsides were the villain - wasted Will Farrell completely and the ending was a bit hammy. I don’t think it was this horrible disaster ala @Wibble above - she went to gynie it’s not an anti women rights thing to go the gynie ffs. It had more to do with the biggest instant evidence of humanity (vs Doll-good).

 

[Wibble]

I quite liked it. It was entertaining for nearly the entire duration and the cast were all very good. Gosling was really good and Margon Robbie had the onscreen presence / charisma needed for such a lead role. Also, I haven’t actually seen her in anything before and now get the hype over her looks - she’s absolutely stunning - loved the moment they broke the fourth wall when she was saying I’m not pretty etc

Downsides were the villain - wasted Will Farrell completely and the ending was a bit hammy. I don’t think it was this horrible disaster ala @Wibble above - she went to gynie it’s not an anti women rights thing to go the gynie ffs. It had more to do with the biggest instant evidence of humanity (vs Doll-good).

You should have heard what my wife thought of it

The very end was just a bit cringeworth. The rest of the last third of the film was the true disaster.

Spoiler

Ken, who did like the matriarcy, discovers patriarch and goes back and imposses it on all, by telling previously independent women what to do, which apparently instantly brainwashed them. Barbie solves it by reimposing total matriarcy again and blah blah blah. The ghost of Barbie's creator appears to say women can be whatever they want (as long as ... children) and Barbie becomes a real girl with a reproductive system.

Oh yes. And the daughter who originally hated Barbie for all the usual/right reasons almost instantly ends up as a Barbie cheerleader wearing pink because .... reason.

Casting was good but it could have been actually clever and subversive (and much funnier) but it was just dumb and dumber still.

 

[HTG]

Even? I'd say most feminists would be either enraged or deeply saddened (or both) by this film.

The whole solving the Kens' patriarch with a return to 100% matriarchy, including the voting disenfranchisement of the Kens, was stunningly idiotic even if they tried to downplay it. The ending

Spoiler

with the meeting with the spirit of the inventor of Barbie and then the final scene where Barbie went to the gynaecologist were in turn muddled to the point of being insulting and stunningly clumsy.

. My wife's review was shorter. A single short sentence "Well that was shit".

I think part of the issue is that you expected a movie about an extremely popular doll to be subversive and some sort of feminist masterpiece. I went in there hoping to get a good laugh and got one.

 

[Wibble]

I think part of the issue is that you expected a movie about an extremely popular doll to be subversive and some sort of feminist masterpiece. I went in there hoping to get a good laugh and got one.

There were a few laughs in the first half but after that not so much.

 

[HTG]

There were a few laughs in the first half but after that not so much.

That’s ok. I just don’t get why someone would expect a movie like this to be subversive and overly clever. It’s an incredibly mainstream movie pondering to a very large audience. It’s the last place I’d expect to see a subversive movie.

 

[Dan_F]

Christ, imagine moaning about a Barbie film because it wasn’t intelligent or feminist enough. It was fun, the acting was good, there was a decent message for all ages.

 

[Vernon Philander]

Why do we need to know it’s was Greta Gerwig’s

 

[HTG]

Why do we need to know it’s was Greta Gerwig’s

Why not? It’s the same with other movie titles on here.

 

[Wibble]

Christ, imagine moaning about a Barbie film because it wasn’t intelligent or feminist enough. It was fun, the acting was good, there was a decent message for all ages.

It wasn't very funny, although tolerably so early on, but not at all later on, and the message was muddled at best for any age viewer.

 

[VorZakone]

Haven't seen it. What was the message then?

 

[Wibble]

That’s ok. I just don’t get why someone would expect a movie like this to be subversive and overly clever. It’s an incredibly mainstream movie pondering to a very large audience. It’s the last place I’d expect to see a subversive movie.

It was sold as such and indeed tried to be that, but then lost the plot in the final third.

 

[Amar__]

Even? I'd say most feminists would be either enraged or deeply saddened (or both) by this film.

The whole solving the Kens' patriarch with a return to 100% matriarchy, including the voting disenfranchisement of the Kens, was stunningly idiotic even if they tried to downplay it. The ending

Spoiler

with the meeting with the spirit of the inventor of Barbie and then the final scene where Barbie went to the gynaecologist were in turn muddled to the point of being insulting and stunningly clumsy.

. My wife's review was shorter. A single short sentence "Well that was shit".

Men liked it more for some reason, going to see something you pretend you will like was probably big reason for that.

We have some proofs in this thread, many people were convinced it will be a great movie for a year or so before it came out, so of course they didn't want to change their opinion after watching it. Pretty similar to comic movie threads, even for the worst comic movies you'll see some would say things like:"It was OK, not the best movie I've seen, but it was good fun" - simply because they overhyped long before they've seen it.

Edit: From our movies group I was the only one who wanted to see it. My wife, my brother's wife, and my best mate's wife weren't interested at all. They went to see Oppenheimer last week(we had guests).

 

[glazed]

My wife's review was shorter. A single short sentence "Well that was shit".

It pandered to the dumbest Hollywood idea of feminism so few intelligent women would be impressed by its messaging. It was quite funny taken for what it is if you ignore the culture war society it is marketed to.

 

[Dumbstar]

The daughters forced me to watch it on Cinema Day. I was mildly amused but mostly bored. The real reason I watched until the end was to hear the I'm a Barbie Girl song on 20 cinema speakers. And it never came, apparently because of rights issues. 3/10.

 

[Amar__]

Finally got around to watch it, my wife wanted us to go home after around one hour, and then again when Kens started dancing towards the end. It wasn't slow, but the plot was really shite and it's just an average movie. So many clichés and cheesy lines and obvious jokes, the jokes were on level if someone asked Chuck Lorre to make a feminist parody of Two and a Half men. First hour of the movie apart from first 15ish minutes was decent, but last hour was pretty shite.

Production was nothing special, those posts about shortage of pink colour, etc. was obviously bullshit as many things look to be CGI anyway, and the Barbie world was pretty small. All in all, 5/10 at best, and that's because they included entire Sex Education cast(what's with that?).

Saying that, I am absolutely surprised by lack of praise for Margot Robbie for this movie. For all people who pretend it's a great movie, hardly anyone put any extraordinary praise for Margot who deserved it. After this and Babylon(absolutely ridiculous performance), she is already one of GOAT actresses(including male actors too), IMO. She is absolutely phenomenal, her range of emotions is just ridiculous, her face and smile is something else, and not just from looking pretty point of view. She is just excellent actress. I actually wouldn't mind if she got an Oscar for this movie(I know it's impossible, but anyway).

 

[mu4c_20le]

The most positive reception comes from the 25-34 age demographic. I'd be shocked if anyone over 50 actually enjoyed this.

 

[SalfordRed18]

Finally seen it. Thought it was pretty fecking good.

Was exactly what I thought it would be.

 

[Cascarino]

For all people who pretend it's a great movie

It’s funny you typed that when you made up your mind on the film months before you even went to watch it.

It’s such a weird stance that a certain type of person has when it comes to media. “Well I didn’t like this thing so those people who say they liked it must be pretending to”

Where does it stem from? Solipsism?

 

[tenpoless]

Who is the biggest Ryan Gosling fan on caf?

 

[Amar__]

It’s funny you typed that when you made up your mind on the film months before you even went to watch it.

It’s such a weird stance that a certain type of person has when it comes to media. “Well I didn’t like this thing so those people who say they liked it must be pretending to”

Where does it stem from? Solipsism?

I didn't make my mind, but I expected it to be overrated due to so much hype because I expected nothing story, and I turned out to be right. It was probably even worse story and plot that I expected, which is quite poor for such a writer.

I guess it's easier to find ways to describe other people who didn't like it in this thread than actually to counter argument the things they didn't like, because I haven't read many good arguments why this movie is good. Most of you just liked it without much explanining. At least I explained all the things I liked and disliked about it.

 

[crossy1686]

Watched it with the girlfriend last week, man it's a bad film, like really bad. It's barely funny, tries to be a more adult version of the Lego movie but misses the mark.

Didn't mind the message but the film just wasn't entertaining. Kept waiting for it to get good and it never did.

The girlfriend hated it, to the point the day after she said "Can't believe I watched that last night when I could have wasted 2 hours doing something else, and I can't believe I almost took the kids!"

 

[Cascarino]

I didn't make my mind, but I expected it to be overrated due to so much hype because I expected nothing story, and I turned out to be right. It was probably even worse story and plot that I expected, which is quite poor for such a writer.

I guess it's easier to find ways to describe other people who didn't like it in this thread than actually to counter argument the things they didn't like, because I haven't read many good arguments why this movie is good. Most of you just liked it without much explanining. At least I explained all the things I liked and disliked about it.

Why would I give a counter argument? If someone says they don’t like a film then that’s up to them, I’m just pointing out how silly the pretending comment was

 

[Amar__]

Why would I give a counter argument? If someone says they don’t like a film then that’s up to them, I’m just pointing out how silly the pretending comment was

Not more silly than some here saying it's a great movie.

 

[Cascarino]

Not more silly than some here saying it's a great movie.

I mean, obviously it’s a lot more stupid than that. You have some people who liked a movie you didn’t, and the outcome you arrive at isn’t that of the billions of people on this planet some have a different taste in film to you, it’s that everyone is pretending to like the fecking Barbie film, on a football forum.

 

[Amar__]

I mean, obviously it’s a lot more stupid than that. You have some people who liked a movie you didn’t, and the outcome you arrive at isn’t that of the billions of people on this planet some have a different taste in film to you, it’s that everyone is pretending to like the fecking Barbie film, on a football forum.

Liking a movie and pretending it's a great movie are two completely different things. I said people pretended it's a great movie, not that they just liked it. I don't think it's a great movie, but you could say I liked it, same as I like majority of films I watch, but not neccesarily think they are great.

 

[roseguy64]

Liking a movie and pretending it's a great movie are two completely different things. I said people pretended it's a great movie, not that they just liked it. I don't think it's a great movie, but you could say I liked it, same as I like majority of films I watch, but not neccesarily think they are great.

Oh brother

 

[Andersons Dietician]

First half was quite sketchy but by the end I quite enjoyed it. Gosling and Margot were good, actually Gosling probably saved it for me was however a bit stereotypical but then I guess that was kind of the point.

 

[esmufc07]

What a sack of wank.

 

[Ish]

What a sack of wank.

 

[Redplane]

I watched it.
I'm not going to pretend like I'm the judge of what a good movie is. Having said that - it was very disappointing to me. Good actors of course and I don't want to take anything away from their performance. Other than that though it didn't resonate with me and I thought the plot was a little jumbled. Now, having said that - I realize I'm probably not the target audience though the point about male dominated society was well taken.

I mostly like Will Ferrell btw and I get the casting choice, but I got too much Lego Movie vibes from the character he played. Might have been more impactful with someone who is a bit more greasy to send the message.

My wife on the other hand thought it was great. Which is good enough for me.

 

[Rado_N]

I’ve decided I need a mojo dojo casa house.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Quite looking forward to getting to watch it again at some point, and I figured the bluray would be an easy Xmas gift for my wife, but they're not releasing it until 31st December. That seems like a boneheaded decision. Releasing in time for Xmas would be easy money.

 

[SalfordRed18]

Quite looking forward to getting to watch it again at some point, and I figured the bluray would be an easy Xmas gift for my wife, but they're not releasing it until 31st December. That seems like a boneheaded decision. Releasing in time for Xmas would be easy money.

That seems stupid.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

I mean, obviously it’s a lot more stupid than that. You have some people who liked a movie you didn’t, and the outcome you arrive at isn’t that of the billions of people on this planet some have a different taste in film to you, it’s that everyone is pretending to like the fecking Barbie film, on a football forum.

Amar's posts in this thread have been consistently ridiculous from the get go, he was lecturing people about their opinion of the film before even seeing it, and getting angry that some people could love it. The irony of him criticizing people who "had decided beforehand it was great" is absolutely delicious, though.

At the very least, he's been consistent in here.

 

[Amar__]

Amar's posts in this thread have been consistently ridiculous from the get go, he was lecturing people about their opinion of the film before even seeing it, and getting angry that some people could love it. The irony of him criticizing people who "had decided beforehand it was great" is absolutely delicious, though.

At the very least, he's been consistent in here.

You mean opnion of the people who haven't seen the film and made a hype/opinion how it will be great and have a message. Oh the irony.

Still waiting for explanation of that great message that movie sent.

 

[Unam333]

Finally watched it and the first part of the movie was surprisingly funny and enjoyable. The second part was quite bad and tedious and nothing like the first part.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were ok as Barbie and Ken, but nothing extraordinary.

6.5 out of 10

 

[Sweet Square]

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[Jericholyte2]

You mean opnion of the people who haven't seen the film and made a hype/opinion how it will be great and have a message. Oh the irony.

Still waiting for explanation of that great message that movie sent.

As someone who loves the film (although the final third is too soft for me) and who’s seen it a few times now, I don’t think it’s necessarily a message movie, more of a protest movie.

It protests the arbitrary ‘roles’ given to women in society, by also showing the mirrored reality of the ‘Ken’s’ in Barbie World. Kens are simply hot bodies accessories with subservient roles in the society, and when Ken realises this he tries to fight ‘the power’.

For me this is a protest against ANY form of arbitrary hierarchy that isn’t meritocratic, whilst giving the real word example of women and the hypocrisy they face when they try to break gender norms (from America Ferrera’s great monologue).

 

[roseguy64]

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It's a bit better in context I think.