The doll we all grew up with, the movies we grew up watching, the multi-million dollar franchise, Barbie. Director Greta Gerwig took the beloved character to a whole new universe with the Oscar-nominated movie, taking over theatres all over the globe. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the movie was all anybody spoke about for the entire summer.
From wardrobe to soundtrack, the Barbie fiesta did not end with the movie. Social media was flooded with conversations of the feminist attempt, but it left us wondering, did it really work?
WAS BARBIE OVERRATED?
It’s only natural with any big project that there be speculations of its importance. The Little Women director collaborated with American actress and producer Margot Robbie to bring the doll to life, and that she did. The movie’s feminist take left some viewers feeling inspired and empowered, and others feeling rather offended. The reaction we found most interesting, though, was that some viewers felt the movie was a bit overdone, claiming it ‘tried too hard.’
In the age of girl power and pink being the new blue, audiences are no longer simply grateful for powerful female representation but are looking for more. At certain points, it felt like we were being spoonfed the moral, as though it were being spelled out. It almost missed the part where it allowed the audience to reach the conclusion themselves.
In a sense, the movie also felt like a commercial take on female empowerment. It’s important to ask, when does it become a performance of sorts?
IT’S IMPORTANT TO SAY IT STILL
That being said, didn’t Barbie still stir up an important conversation, simple as it was? While we can say that the movie’s take on the story was rather obvious, we cannot deny that it struck some of the audience the right way, leaving them questioning and, at some level, offended.
If the film leaves half of the theater bewildered, then it must’ve done something right. We can’t say that Barbie didn’t do what it set out to do, and for that alone, it deserves the praise.
OUR FAVORITE BITS
THE SOUNDTRACK
Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For was an undeniable part of the Barbie experience. The artist brought a heartfelt piano track to the movie, perfectly encompassing the character’s crossroad moment. The track is a masterfully produced and written piece, some would even say it was the highlight of the movie.
BRINGING BARBIE BACK
Robbie’s stellar wardrobe was one of the most talked about aspects of the movie, kickstarting the age-old Barbiecore trend. Robbie’s iconic recreations of the original Barbie doll’s looks throughout the movie were a masterclass in styling.
WALKING INTO BARBIELAND
The set brought forth a vibrant landscape of pink brilliance, leaving audiences feeling like they were on the inside of Barbie’s playhouse.
So what do you think? Was Barbie overrated?
