Barbie may have started as a simple toy in 1959, but she quickly branched out into a plethora of careers. Doctor, airline pilot, painter: Barbie’s done it all. But while numerous film franchises have entered the world of Barbie, the doll herself has thus far been relegated to direct to video and streaming features, starting with Barbie in the Nutcracker in 2001 and all the way through Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure earlier this year.
But with the release of 2023’s Barbie, the multifaceted woman finally gets to the big screen, thanks to director Greta Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach have crafted a meta-textual story in which Robbie and Gosling play just one of many Barbies and Kens, among luminaries such as Issa Rae (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocolypse), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion), and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Robbie and Gosling’s Barbie and Ken also go on an adventure in the real world, which brings them to Mattel executives played by America Ferrera and Will Ferrell. Other stars include Saturday Night Live vet Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie and Micahel Cera as the affable doll Allan.
While all of Barbie’s previous films have come and gone with little attention from anyone outside the target demographic, the upcoming feature film has been one of the most anticipated of the year. The movie finally comes to theaters after an extended production period that began in 2009. Over the years, a number of high-profile creatives have been attached to the movie, including writer Diablo Cody and comedian Amy Schumer.
But it wasn’t until Gerwig came on board that serious buzz started to build. In addition to an impressive career as an actor in films such as Francis Ha, Gerwig has established herself as an exciting new director, having helmed favorites such as Lady Bird and the most recent adaptation of Little Women. By the time the marketing team started releasing cheeky character posters of the various characters, the internet was filled with excitement, especially in relation to the possibility of a strange double bill with that other July 21 release, Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer.
Reactions to even the film’s first trailers have been surprising, with social media users making memes identifying themselves as different types of Kens and Barbies or reframing shots of Robbie and Gosling in a police lineup. Of course, the internet can make jokes about even the dumbest movie, but is Barbie as much fun as the conversation around it has been? The first reactions from critics usually give us an idea of what to expect, and they seem to be largely positive, with people praising Robbie as the emotional center of the movie, while Gosling’s performance as Ken appears to be a tour de force.
You can take a look at what people have been saying about Barbie after their preview screenings below.
I can’t officially quit Twitter before telling you all that #Barbie is currently my favorite film of the year. Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I’m dead serious!
— Jamie Jirak (@JamieCinematics) July 10, 2023
#Barbie caught me off guard & I mean that in the best way possible. It’s funny, bombastic, & very smart. Greta Gerwig aims for the fences & hits a home-run. Margot Robbie’s performance is great & @RyanGosling & @SimuLiu are pure entertainment! The whole cast is brilliant! pic.twitter.com/oXH965aUIF
— Joseph Deckelmeier (@joedeckelmeier) July 10, 2023
I have seen #Barbie! The craftsmanship is incredible. In particular the costume & production design includes next-level work that heavily contributes to creating the feeling that these truly are Barbies, their dream houses, and their worlds come to life.
As for the story, that’s… pic.twitter.com/97r3sSodcw
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 10, 2023
#BarbieTheMovie is witty, heartfelt, and downright fun at times. Ryan Gosling is a scene stealer delivering most of the laughs while Margot Robbie’s heartfelt performance will tug at your heartstrings. While I enjoyed most of the film the screenplay feels bloated at times pic.twitter.com/lepggZKZIX
— Sharronda Williams (@payorwait) July 10, 2023
#Barbie is perfection. Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play. 🎀
— Katcy Stephan (@katcystephan) July 10, 2023
Further BARBIE thoughts to come but the number one is I can’t believe Greta Gerwig got away with it! (said admiringly)
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) July 10, 2023
The way BARBIE completely lives up to the hype! A rich tapestry of camp, tantalizing visuals and emotional sincerity. Offering the grand comment on society that a woman’s everyday life is a gendered battlefield. Gosling as Ken is sublime and instantly ICONIC. In Gerwig we TRUST🤌 pic.twitter.com/qCPuA3Afxo
— ty (@DennisDuganFan) July 10, 2023
#Barbie is a cinematic triumph. Gerwig is at the top of her game here, she’s crafted a film that’s not only gorgeous to look at, but poignant, clever and hilarious. Margot Robbie delivers an endearing and memorable performance, though it’s Gosling who stole every scene he was in pic.twitter.com/IU9ZrbKlnq
— Jack (@JStepback) July 10, 2023
#Barbie REVIEW: Heartfelt & hilarious! Margot Robbie’s crown jewel performance (Oscars here we come). It’s super fun, endearing & magical with a 3rd act that’ll beach you off. This isn’t just another comedy, it’s Greta Gerwig’s BEST movie ever!! A fitting end setting what’s next pic.twitter.com/qXPM8gSiqs
— Atom (@theatomreview) July 10, 2023
#Barbie is a triumph. A pitch-perfect script backed by great performances — particularly from Ryan Gosling — turns what could be a simple studio comedy into a sharp commentary on our society that makes its nuance palatable for those that may not take it at face value. GG is 3/3. pic.twitter.com/MIVRtkmtbd
— Eze (@EzeBaum) July 10, 2023
Barbie comes to the theaters on July 21, 2023.
The post First Barbie Reactions Pour In appeared first on Den of Geek.
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