Movie Review: Barbie

Nihilistic, Sophomoric, Feminist Revenge Fantasy

Overall Rating: 1.75/5.0

”You can either be weird and ugly or you can be brainwashed.” - key line from the movie

Some books and movies I approach with trepidation and go in not expecting quality but rather to learn what cultural phenomenon they represent. So it was with the new movie Barbie whose backstory needs no explanation. It is hard to make an analogy between the movie and any book I have read by people with similar worldviews. This is because, unlike social justice academics who take themselves very seriously and are almost entirely devoid of humor, this movie does attempt to make a strange, even if ultimately unsuccessful, attempt at humor.

The humor, unfortunately, ends up only being sophomoric, however. It is a “humor” where you consider yourself above everything and just want to mock and get revenge on it all. In Barbie-World, men will be treated as they now treat women! See how they like that! Ken will be left out in the cold pining over Barbie but will just have to learn to find an existence without her! That’s the message you sent us before patriarchy, so take that!

The directors, realizing, consequently, that they have no genuine insights to offer, not even well presented but hackneyed negative dialectics, then end up deliberately mocking even themselves in the hope that the lack of any positive message to deliver will escape the audience’s notice.

Although sophomoric is the best description of the movie, no literal sophomore would command such a budget. This allows for the movie’s one redeeming feature: it is visually stunning. At the same time, however, the budget and correct worldview mean the movie knows it can get away with anything. It shows this off even to the point where it is so over the top to mock its audience for allowing it to get away with anything, as exemplified when Barbie admits that she is a fascist. 

Given all this, plus my low rating, it might seem like I would think the movie is a waste of time. On the contrary, however, I actually recommend seeing it for the cultural phenomenon it represents. If you watch it and can find any meaning, let me know since I could find none.