Barbie (DVD)

Like many others, I gained interest in the movie after reading critics reviews, but I had a hard time imagining what could be the plot line. What was also interesting was how the movie would handle the intellectual property that is Barbie, especially given how protective Mattel is over its brand - they declined the original Toy Story and only after they saw how well Pixar handled the movie did they allow Barbie in Toy Story 2 and SPOILERS Barbie was not portrayed poorly in the Toy Story franchise. In addition, there was the "Barbie Girl" lawsuit. The movie was also produced by Universal Studios and set for theatrical release which means it isn't a movie only designed for marketing purposes like the cartoons from the 1980s and 1990s.I'll avoid spoilers in this review, but if you really want to avoid spoilers, I would avoid the trailers which I felt took away some of the fun parts in the movie. There were other scenes that were enjoyable and cute. Some parts of the movie were predictable to me, though my husband disagreed and I got my "I told you so" moment. The trailers I saw did not include some of the main points in the movie and it was kind of a surprise, though looking back at how the Barbie IP was treated in the past, it is kind of a "yeah, that makes sense" feel. I would also avoid going through the Barbie section at a store or online because you will see the characters from the show if you really want to avoid spoilers.The parts I really liked were the nostalgia feels and the monologue by America Ferrera and it's touching to see how she has grown and then I realize, oh how I have grown too since she is only a few years younger than me and I've seen her "grow up" on the screen. I also liked the latter part of the movie, because it was funny how the setting changed.Some parts of the movie I may have been having more fun than deserved. I recently watched The Menu and those laughs were much more spontaneous. In this movie, I wanted to have a good time, so I was more generous with my feels and lowered my threshold to be entertained. Barbieland is much brighter and fun-looking compared to the real world. And yet the movie has its serious moments.I come from a conservative background so I can understand how some families may be sensitive over some topics. There is some reference to body parts, and I asked my husband if this was a movie for kids - and he said no. And we laughed it off, but I probably would not want to watch this with a younger audience and have to explain things to them. Regarding sexuality, I think this movie is actually pretty good for a younger audience, because it avoids topics related to sex and focuses more on innocence - there is one scene where Ken asks if he can come in for the night and that's basically it. There is sexual harassment depicted - but it is portrayed negatively. There are instances of drinking alcohol which is portrayed negatively...hopefully.Overall, although I could easily predict how things would end, it was the journey that was less predictable. The parts that were not predictable were enjoyable and I've already recommended the film to friends and family.Two other movies I watched recently were the Little Mermaid and I would rate this movie higher than that. I also recently watched The Menu which is a comedy horror film and I rate that higher than this.

Hi Barbie! The incredible feat of making my childhood obsession with Barbie feel like a positive thing again, rather than a negative influence I'm supposed to regret. Barbie's script has been flipped, and in the most celebratory, fun way no one ever could have expected.For so long, Barbie has been portrayed as the embodiment of everything wrong with the world for women. We were supposed to think of her as a villainous presence, a menace that planted a poisoned seed in our childhoods.That's not how Little Me felt when I looked at Barbie.I wasn't thinking about how I couldn't measure up to her, or her measurements.No way! I got to be her, inhabit her, and she was me -- my avatar, an extension of myself, a 3D object that acted in my place in a safe, controlled environment. I was Barbie and Barbie was me.She never made me feel like I didn't want to be me. On the contrary, she was comforting if something/someone had made me feel bad. Even the big stuff. Or if something had made me feel 'less than.' She was where I turned and she made me feel better. Or let me act out the ways I was feeling. She had no down side.I never wanted her boobs anyway. I thought they looked painful. And her tiny waist just looked weird and physically deformed. Not like a body I should want. (Magazines did that. Thanks, Vogue.)What Greta has done is take all those feelings of love I always felt, and removed the shame from having loved her. Barbie is not the embodiment of everything wrong in the world for women. She actually evolved right alongside women, changing with the times. Barbie looked at her omnipresence in young girls' lives during a crucial developmental stage and saw how important it was/is that she be a role model. Though it took way too long to become representative of all skin colors, Barbie is now that today.This film is a comedy and I cried. Multiple times. I cried happy tears, and amazed tears. Tears of honest to God gratitude. Because I had been transported back into Little Me and felt immersed in the wonder of the Barbie world, feeling once again how happy it had always made me deep down and in a significant way. Feeling it again, not just looking back on it and remembering it. That feeling hit me in the gut, and I got teary.But I ugly cried (like, paused it and let the floodgates open) when I realized that I'd never before experienced feeling quite this seen. Simultaneously discovering new ways she had been significant to me that I'd never thought about. I felt like Little Greta and Little Me grew up together, she just got me. So well. This movie knew me. It understood me. Seriously, when people talk about "feeling seen" this is the definition of that feeling. To be seen at a fundamental level, living inside my brain, defining who I am today and what Little Me thought about what the future could be -- not just for all women, but specifically for Big Me. And Little Me. I cried.Side note: I love the portrayal of Hasbro. It was a genius move in a film that had already wayyyy surpassed genius before Hasbro steps into the picture. It was like getting more touchdowns than you actually need. It takes awesome to wicked awesome.

Me and my daughter loved this movie