Skip to main content

Barbie (2023)

 



Barbie is a live-action comedy about the titular doll from the United States. 

Greta Gerwig is a well-known Oscar-nominated female director. She directed and wrote Barbie, Lady Bird, and Little Women. There is nothing wrong with the direction of the film, the writing on the other hand has a few issues. Let's get the big issues out of the way because don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the film. There is a lot of post-civil rights feminism in the writing. As the writer she blames the patriarchy but really the rant she wrote was really just pointing out social expectations. There certainly were moments where my eyes had to roll. Especially when the tween in the film spoke like an early twenties diversity major. 

Margot Robbie plays stereotypical Barbie and not the original Barbie. She is great and the film oddly has a lot of emotion for her to work with. The scenes Greta wrote for her were generally great. She has stellar comedic timing as well. Look forward to the next Ocean's Eleven film starring Robbie.

Ryan Gosling has plenty of Travolta moments. He sings, he dances, he cracks a joke, and plays a very dumb and emotional Ken. Ken doesn't have a place in Barbie Land and sort of plays the villain for a while. Some of the best scenes were at his expense. He also has the best musical number that I would love to see performed live at the Oscars this year.

There are other actors in the film but none of them really bring too much to the film other than Kate McKinnon and Will Ferrell. I left the film having enjoyed the experience. Sure there are some cringe moments but the comedy outweighs the preachy moments. It's not for everyone but I'll recommend it. Result: B+

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nobody 2 (2025)

Nobody 2 comes with a change in creative leadership, as Timo Tjahjanto takes over directing duties from Ilya Naishuller . The difference is noticeable, with the sequel lacking the same energy and spark that made the first film stand out. The script, written by Aaron Rabin , suffers from uneven pacing and tonal issues. While he avoids some of the pitfalls that bogged down his work on Marvel’s Secret Invasion , his late-game writing choices undercut the story’s tension and credibility. Bob Odenkirk once again commits to his role, doing the best he can with a weaker script. His physicality and dry delivery still make him a compelling lead, but the film doesn’t give him much new ground to cover. You'll remember Bob from Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad . Connie Nielsen is underwritten, with her character lacking individuality or meaningful development. She feels more like a placeholder than a partner to Odenkirk’s character, which is disappointing given her talent. You'll r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Americana (2025)

Americana (2025) is written and directed by Tony Tost , best known for his work on Longmire . His approach here focuses more on character work than plot, with the script itself being serviceable but not remarkable. Still, it provides a strong platform for the cast to showcase their abilities. Sydney Sweeney delivers an impressive performance as a waitress with a stutter, bringing nuance and empathy to a role that could have easily felt one-note. It’s one of her more grounded performances and a highlight of the film. You'll remember Syd from her American Eagle commercial. Halsey is nearly unrecognizable in her role, playing with a fierceness that stands out and proves her versatility outside of music. Her presence commands attention whenever she’s on screen. I was first introduced to her from MGK 's music video Forget Me Too. Eric Dane takes on a villain role and succeeds at being thoroughly hate-able, leaning into his darker side effectively. His work gives the film muc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Escape Room (2019)

Escape Room  is presented as a Saw-like game of puzzle solving or your life ends. This time around they remove the gore to get a PG-13 rating and a January release. Adam Robitel is best known as the director of Insidious: The Last Key. Which I 'saw' and meh'd about last year. He also did Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension which I haven't seen. I stopped watching the Paranormal movies after The Marked Ones. There are some camera/direction problems nothing an average movie-goer would notice. Taylor Russell plays the main character Zoey. Don't take any offense, but she has a really hard time going full Aspergers, but once she turns Lara Croft she does a decent job. She also did the over-looked Lost in Space TV series which I still need to watch. I want to see Deborah Ann Woll in more movies after seeing her in this. She was a shining star in this film. She plays a former military survivor with a lot of baggage. You'll remember her as Karen Page from ...
Post a Comment
Read more