Hey there, fellow movie friends and casual viewers alike! 🍿🎬 If you've missed out on my Instagram highlights, worry not, because I have a lot to say about this anticipated double movie summer release. here to spill the beans on this must-watch movie. So, get comfy, and let's dive into my take on all things BARBENHEIMER. 🌟

🚨 SPOILERS AHEAD 🚨

 

BARBIE

Pros (with some Cons):

Barbie was GOOD, but it could have been GREAT. I really loved the production and hype put out by Warner Bros. but the story just fell flat - and that’s my main complaint. But without story, a lot of it doesn't make sense.

America’s monolog was great. But they completely ignored the mother-daughter relationship they had going for the girl. The daugther calls Barbie a fascist one moment and then is all happy the next, like WHY? I also was disappointed in the Barbie-connected-to-her-human development, that could have been good but it just got ignored and I think it was a missed relationship arc.

I love Gosling, but Ken character was needy and JUST wanted to be appreciated and he didnt actually understand “patriarchy,” and it was a real cop out to make the Barbies subject themselves back to how the patriarchy was just to overpower the Kens. It was cringe and didn’t work for me.

The Ken war was great. I actually loved the Ken dance number 😎

I thought the campy self-references where funny, but it got a little tiring. Where’s the change? Matel says “oh we don’t have any women on the board!” Why not promote America’s character? 🤔 Show us a world we hope to have, Hollywood!

I consider myself a feminist, but I felt like the movie went too hard and might have just pissed off men all together. Where was the collaboration? Why can’t a Barbie world show a world where men, women, and people just get along? Why does one gender have to rule over the other out of spite?

Cons:

I didn’t like the ending, it felt out of place. I didnt get all emotional when Barbie talked to Ruth because the story hadn't been building to this. Also a ghost woman in a room was random, and like why is she in a room…in a box…not free…as a woman? And why did Barbie all of a sudden want to live in the real world? So many movies have done the “explore a new world” well, like Enchanted and even Life Size, and Wizard of Oz. The characters had a goal and transformation and built up to their decision. This Barbie did not. Or it just didn’t make sense.

I think movies have proven that even with a mega IP (intellectual property) like Barbie, you can actually make a good movie with good story. Like Nolan’s Dark Knight, Batman CAN be cool and sell LOTS OF TOYS but it can ALSO have great STORY. This was a miss for story for me. And I left feeling empty.

Overall Barbie:

Production & advertising ⭐️10/5 - excellent (costumes, acting, set design)

Story ⭐️2/5 - bad

Dance numbers ⭐️5/5 - very good

 

OPPENHEIMER

This film was great! It had really sound foundation in history to pull from so there was already a built in spine & character arc for Oppie (aka Oppenheimer).

Pros:

Good story.

Loved the cinematography. B&W for Strauss and Color for Oppie’s point of view was gorgeous and balanced. The movie did a fantastic job showing the cerebral guilt and anxiety Oppie had throught the project. And I honestly loved that it didn’t show any of the gore and after math of the bomb. It would have been overdone and if you wanna see horror and gore, go watch Chernobyl on HBO. This was a physcilogical journey and Nolan does a great job.

Ohh that music score was great, sad to see it wasn’t Hanz Zimmer, but Göransson honored Nolan’s style of storytelling and it fit with the film.

Cons:

This movie was LONG, (not Irishman long, but close) and I read somewhere that towards the end it got a little “indulgent” in the interrogation room and I agree. Like did we really need to hear ALL the testimonies? I get it.

I love Florence Pugh, and I don’t mind nudity in films. But I felt like it was used for statement value, she’s the mistress (maybe of many) of Oppie. I respect her too much as an actress and wasn’t a fan she was the only one with nude scenes. Personal opinion.

Music is loud, as expected in Nolan movies. Some people might not like that, so be prepared 😂 🔊

Overall - Oppenheimer:

Story: ⭐️4/5

Good, Mostly just depressing, but not profound

Production: ⭐️5/5

Advertising: ⭐️3/5 totally riding on the coattails of Barbie ngl

 

So the winner is...

Oppenheimer!

 

Oppenheimer was the better movie, but Barbenheimer will be a cultural moment for film history.

For my film curios: I watched this helpful video about why Barbenheimer was a thing! Super informative!

Let me know if y’all like movie reviews but I’m a movie person. Back to regular programming! ✌🏻