Barbie

Heaps of creative ideas and social commentary that after half an hour feels like out of a machine-gun, and the rest of the running time is just recycled. Moreover, Barbie is too shrill and dramatically inconsistent. After an hour, I wished it would end. The acting is unsurprisingly good, at times funnily accurate in reflecting the problems of contemporary society, but I don't quite get the commercial success and worldwide hype around Barbie. (12/02/2023)

My daughter recently told me she was absolutely pink with joy that I took her to the playground. That phrase kept coming back to me as I watched this film, because it is essentially about the loss of joy, but pretends to be about something else. It's not grim philosophy, but a terribly simple and basic petty battle of the sexes. The sequence of sketches and funny scenes works well, including the great cast. The finale, however, is all about the fact that from a certain point onwards, the pink joy disappears and I'll have to watch it live, unable to do anything about it. (08/05/2023)

The exploration of the real world by people coming from Barbie Land is stimulating and original and hints at the promise of a clever, fresh and original satire reflecting the pseudo-problems of contemporary (western) society. But the potential inherent in that is cut dead by the subsequent “gender conflict” and its childish resolution to which the film resorts. And that’s a shame. Even the balance of entertainment for children and adults doesn’t work here, since the movie is not for kids at all. But let’s be glad that audiences are returning in large numbers to cinemas now that the pandemic is over. Barbie deserves thanks for that. And special praise goes to the originator of the brilliant “Barbenheimer” marketing concept, though the hardworking crew around Tom Cruise didn’t deserve to have M:I-7 overshadowed. (08/16/2023)

The Barbie movie stands out with a unique touch, thanks to its clever screenplay that humorously critiques contemporary society. It mocks and criticizes, trying to be oh-so-clever, but ultimately, it doesn’t reveal anything groundbreaking. Without Ken, it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. Margot Robbie as Barbie is fine, but Ryan Gosling steals the show. He completely lets loose and makes the film. You probably need to have a real fondness for Barbie to truly appreciate this film. It's a bit too colorful and kitschy for my taste, though I do appreciate the director's creativity and boldness. Not everyone in Hollywood has the guts to pull off something this zany. (12/16/2023)

Everyone is unique, and the movie version of Barbie is by far the most. For some time I didn't know if all the components could fit together, and truth be told, I doubted whether they actually could fit in at least some way. But the plan worked out, and the combination of satire, musical, family drama, commentary, and the craziest comedy can work as a summer spectacle and as a topic for endless conversation. And it doesn't matter that it's drenched in three layers of pink absurdity. (08/13/2023)