Breaking the Mould: What critics are saying about the upcoming Barbie | cinema | entertainment

“Life in Plastic is great,” according to the many critics who praised the Barbie movie.

The highly publicized movie – starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling – It opened on Friday, in competition with Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”..

the gate empire “Barbie is painfully funny,” said the newspaper The Independent He described it as “euphoric from minute to minute”.

But the British newspaper Daily Mail opined that the film is “uneven and disjointed”, W.J times He noted that it is “nice, but not very deep”.

Robbie plays the famous doll in the movie Greta Gerwig, in collaboration with toy manufacturer Mattel.

“Amazing” movie

In a five-star review, Clarice Loughrey The IndependentHe wrote, “Barbie is one of the most innovative, sophisticated and fascinating mainstream films of recent years, a testament to what can be achieved even in the depths of capitalism.

“While it’s impossible for any movie studio to be truly disruptive, especially when consumer culture knows mindfulness is good for business,”Barbie accomplishes so much more than you ever imagined possible.“.

Robbie Colin The telegraphand also gave it a positive review, giving it four stars and calling it a movie “Extremely weird, conceptually slippery, and often laugh out loud”.

It gives me unexpected pleasure to report that while Greta Gerwig is primarily a summertime adventure comedy based on a Barbie playset, It is a far cry from the blunt money machine many of us fear it is.“, books.

The satirical angle — which is sure to reach older viewers a lot better than teens — is peppered with levity and mischief (there are jokes that gleefully poke fun at some of the male communities on the internet).

For her part, Sarah Fine The Independent She was not satisfied with the film’s representation of men. books: “It’s fiercely anti-male, and it’s an extension of all the feminism on TikTok. He paints any form of masculinity – beyond that – as poisonous and predatory“.

“Every male character is either an idiot, a tyrant, or a somewhat pathetic, sad loser. If the roles were reversed and a male director made a movie about how all women are neurotic, hysterical, self-serving witches, they would level accusations — quite rightly — of being deeply offensive and sexist.”

He concluded, “It is uneven and disjointed, the plot makes no sense, and the influence of corporate America weighs heavily on it.”

comic interpretations

Peter Bradshaw of guardianAlso gave a lukewarm review, awarding the film three stars.

suggested it “Barbie” is “a bona fide movie, but it’s also self-conscious” that is “very funny at times, but can sometimes feel daunting and disheartening”.as if the impulse to be comic could only be sly and cynical.

He added, “This movie might be a giant two-hour commercial for a product, but no more than a Lego movie; however, Barbie doesn’t go for the jugular comedy in such a light way.”

Other reviewers have been more positive. David Fair of the magazine Rolling stonessaid that “Barbie” could be “the most subversive movie of the 21st century”, while Alex Flood noted that the script “has unexpected nuances”.

The premiere of “Barbie” was in the UK last Wednesday, in what was One of the last events before the Hollywood Actors Union announced the start of an indefinite strike.

Beth Webb of empireIn Exclaim!, Robbie and Gosling praised the role of Barbie and Ken in his four-star review.

“Robbie – who’s pulled off everything since playing Harley Quinn – is funny, but the most compelling scene-stealer is Mr. Fragility Blonde.“, He said.

“Gosling sinks his heart into the insecure mind of Ken, who turns from a Barbie accessory to the classic image of patriarchy. Every muscle she flexes, every flick of her hair, every pluck on her guitar string is perfect. There are moments when she leaves you breathless.”

There was also praise for the director, from Devan Coggan of Entertainment WeeklyTo which he said: “Don’t doubt Gerwig.”

“The Oscar-nominated director has created a fierce, funny and deeply feminist adventure that will make you laugh and cry.Even if you are made of plastic.

Lovea Jyarky Hollywood Reporter He indicated his dissent, saying, “No matter how clever Barbie Gerwig is, there is a darkness over the whole process.”

“The director manages to make her mark effectively and distill deeper themes from a stark setting, but the sacrifices for the story are clear. The film’s tangled politics, along with its steady emotional decline, are signs that Barbie ultimately serves the brand.”

“life in plastic”

Other reviews focused on various criticisms, such as Valerie Complex of Delivery timewhich calls “Barbie” an “imperfect movie”.

“He stumbles a bit dealing with his non-white characters. They’re mostly just a gimmick of the Barbie and Ken stereotypes,” he said.

“There’s a 95-minute movie here, but you’re filled with music and dance scenes that are nothing more than filler.“.

Johnny Oleksinski New York Post He even called “Barbie” a “total disappointment.”

“The packaging of Barbie is much more fun than the boring toy in the box,” he said. I’m about to paraphrase Aqua’s song: Life in plastic isn’t great (Life in plastic isn’t great.)

The tone of the film received criticism from the magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek time: “It’s a very comfortable movie with itself. Barbie never makes us forget how smart she is, every second is stressful.

Peter Debruge of diverseShe concluded: “Barbie” provides positive examples of female potential for generations to come.

“In the meantime, it gives us permission to take on what Barbie stands for by showing a sense of humor in the face of the brand’s past missteps, unlike what you might expect from a commercial feature film for toys.” (YO)