Cari Alexander

Barbie was only okay. I think it bit off more than it could chew in an hour and forty-five minutes. It had things worth saying, but I thought it was uneven and frantic. The costumes were amazing, the set was thrilling, the opening sequences were really fun, and Margot Robbie was a great choice, but it didn’t hit for me. Will Ferrell’s role was dull and a waste of his talent. Rhea Perlman was great, but what a bunch of gobbledygook. The message of patriarchy vs. feminism was heavy-handed and not well done. The Barbies “strategy” to re-gain their control painted them in a negative light. It didn’t feel satisfying. If it was a commentary on historic manipulation by men of women and getting some turnabout, okay, but it also tried to say that we’re all unique and valuable. So which is it? Equality or control? It couldn’t decide. It wasn’t fair to men and it wasn’t the best depiction of women. I’m a feminist and it was just not great.