Margot Robbie’s Barbie gets sexually harassed in new trailer
The philosophical Barbie trailer also teases new music from Dua Lipa and Nicki Minaj
Film News Barbie
In Barbie world, yesterday, today, tomorrow, “and every day from now until forever” is the best day ever. The faux sun rises and falls over a pink plastic dreamland, and Barbie (Margot Robbie) and her friends enjoy dance parties and floating gracefully off roofs. But there comes a time when one must know the truth about the universe. No, really, Barbie has to know the truth about the universe. Kate McKinnon’s messed-up Barbie doesn’t give her much of a choice in the trailer for the new film, which debuts July 21.
Problem is, the truth of the universe is a lot less easily digestible than the perfectly orderly Barbie world. In the real world, Barbie gets slapped on the ass by a leering skater. In the real world, Ken (Ryan Gosling) engages with casual misogyny, believing he can perform an appendectomy just because he’s a man and dismissing the female doctor who tells him otherwise. (Doesn’t Ken live in a matriarchal society? Does Ken get red pilled in this movie?!) In the real world, Barbie is confronted with complicated philosophical concepts: “Humans only have one ending. Ideas live forever,” she’s told.
None of this is a particular surprise when the Barbie script is coming from the twisted minds of Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. Gerwig, who also directs, wrote an “abstract poem” as part of her pitch for the film that “shares some similarities with the Apostles’ Creed,” and points out that Ken was created to “burnish Barbie’s position in our eyes and in the world,” which is “the opposite of the creation myth in Genesis.” She told Vogue Barbie’s character arc—thinking about death, getting flat feet, leaving to discover the truth of the universe—was inspired by the parenting book Reviving Ophelia: “How is this journey the same thing that a teenage girl feels? All of a sudden, she thinks, Oh, I’m not good enough.”
But of course, the new trailer is not all serious theory and the depressing realities of sexual harassment. There are also colorful costumes, playful set designs, and a gaggle of gorgeous, enthusiastic Barbies. Plus, there’s a first taste of Dua Lipa’s new track from the newly-announced, Mark Ronson-produced soundtrack for the film. (The pop star will also appear on screen as Mermaid Barbie.) And if you listen closely, you’ll hear a teaser of Nicki Minaj’s contribution to the soundtrack, which seemingly samples Aqua’s classic “Barbie Girl.”
“If this got out, it could mean extremely weird things for our world,” Will Ferrell’s manic Mattel CEO says in the trailer. That might be a good summation of the Barbie movie phenomenon as a whole!
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Maybe Ken stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night?
“Gerwig, who also directs, wrote an “abstract poem” as part of her pitch for the film that “shares some similarities with the Apostles’ Creed,” and points out that Ken was created to “burnish Barbie’s position in our eyes and in the world,” which is “the opposite of the creation myth in Genesis.””Wow does that sound like the biggest pile of pretentious crap.As for the trailer. Like everything around this movie, I just do not get the appeal. Nothing about this feels interesting or new. Toy comes to life and meets it makers. Bright color worlds. Possible LGTBQ+ jokes that may not age well in a few years. All seems like we have seen this sorta thing before
I’m trying to imagine what The Barbie Creed might be.
Tits out, toes down, and cinch the waist?
Million Dollar Baby, innit?
“Possible LGTBQ+ jokes that may not age well in a few years”Oh good lord, it’s just a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun. Just because it’s not your cup of tea doesn’t make it “problematic”. Unclench, enjoy life a bit.
A lot of jokes are pretty of their time and don’t age well.
Except fart jokes. They are timeless.
I feel like the outcome here is binary. It will succeed in being clever and subversive, or just fucking suck.
Gerwig, who also directs, wrote an “abstract poem” as part of her pitch for the film that “shares some similarities with the Apostles’ Creed”I read that as “Assassin’s Creed” for a moment and was deeply confused/intrigued.
I read it as Apollo Creed and it made even more sense
Ah, the Creed Crossover Cinematic Paradigm, or CCCP: Apollo Creed caught in a fight between the Assassins and the Apostles. I’d watch that movie.
What if the soundtrack was by Creed?
Don’t ruin it.
My wife doesn’t follow entertainment news at all, but she’s closely following news about the Barbie movie. She didn’t have a Barbie when she was a kid and has no particular interest in Margot Robbie, but she really likes the idea that Greta Gerwig is making a gay-looking comedy with Ryan Gosling. Very few movies are marketed directly to women in their 30s, and most of those are romantic comedies. Also, be careful complaining that everything in a movie has been done before – the MCU fans might get offended.
Doesn’t follow entertainment news. Does follow Barbie movie. This tracks. See, it’s because I don’t expect the Barbie movie to be remotely entertaining.
There is literally already a Disney TV movie on this concept.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-Size
Wow does that sound like the biggest pile of pretentious crap.How so? By that definition anyone describing their inspirations for a film “sound like the biggest pile of pretentious crap.” Have you even watched Gerwig’s work before?
We would have accepted “On Brand,” in other words?
buddy it’s a cute colorful movie for kids. it’s not rocket science. they’re not putting their eggs in the over-40 online commentariat crowd.
Is it? The trailers do not seem to be targeting kids as much as 30 somethings. The trailer before this had an extended “beat off” joke. I think if this was be presented as a kids movies I’d be far less “meh” about it. This feels like those late 90s sitcom remakes that we’re all about being ironic about how silly they were. This feels like the Brady Bunch movie to me
it’s a barbie movie, it’s for kids. it sounds like you don’t like the marketing, which is fair! but i’d reckon the average dreamsworks/illumination movie has more obscene jokes than this movie will have. it’s pulling from story tropes we have seen before…but i highly doubt the average 12 year old girl knows anything about a 30 year old movie based on a 60 year old tv show. that’s who this is for, and they spend money.obviously it’s trying to do what a good kids movie does and appeal to adults, too.
IDK. I sort of feel like I’m going to like this. I also think my 21-year-old Margot Robbie super-fan daughter is going to love it. I think we will enjoy it together.The good news is that no one (other than critics) will be forced to watch it, as is the case with pretty much all movies and TV shows.
person taking their art seriously = pretentiousdang.
*scribbles notes* Nilus… only… likes… things… never… seen… before. Got it! *picks up phone* Get me a movie written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Ike Barinholtz. It needs to be a horror-romance-black-comedy that’s exactly two hours and nine minutes, all the other actors must be from either West Covina or Zimbabwe, and there should be a mid-credits musical number where Emily Blunt sings about the Avengers Initiative.
Let me know when it comes out. I’ll rent an entire theater to watch it
You’d be surprised how your average normie will watch and find this movie funny and entertaining. Its how and why movies like this, Transformers, etc, etc, keep getting made no matter how bad.
I’ve noticed that “normie” is the kind of insult you use when you feel a crushing sense of embarrassment at yourself and your own hobbies. It’s okay. This is part of the growing up process. You will eventually realize you don’t have to enjoy the same things other people do and your hobbies are still valid, and maybe it wouldn’t have worked out with that girl who wouldn’t date you back in high school. Give yourself a couple more years and be gentle with your younger self who’s being stupid now, because older you will know better by then.
Usually the fictional character enters the real world and brings their innocence with them. But in this one Barbie is leaving the fictional world because she’s already losing that innocence and starting to ponder her own mortality. I don’t recall seeing that kind of twist on the concept before. Closest I can think of is Roger Rabbit learning about Dip.
I’ll give you that. It may be a new twist
Wait, new Tame Impala song?
Middle aged Barbie makes more sense for a woman with 500 jobs and 200 degrees. She’s experienced and in control of her life, but not some pushover kid. I like that she doesn’t mess around and Ken is the himbo. This movie actually looks funny.
So you are saying she’s either so hot she’s twice boiling (or maybe not hot enough if the degrees are fahrenheit)
But only half as hot as Juvenile (with or without the Z at the end).
Even for you, Frank, that’s a bit of a reach.
Rankine, obviously.
500 jobs and 200 degrees. She’s experienced and in control of her life,The first part contradicts the second part.
I still don’t know what to make of this movie, but it’s a big swing and I have to respect that.I have to be honest though—I’m a little disappointed with the “Barbie in the real world” angle. I feel like that ground is well trod with the likes of Enchanted, The Brady Bunch Movie, Last Action Hero, etc.
A pivot from the idealistic toy world to a harsh real world ruled by Will Ferrell just sounds like a Lego Movie clone.
I think Greta and Noah are both smart enough to know that the template of sorta is out there, so I’m really hoping they’re saving the angle they’re taking in the matter is something they’re not pushing to the forefront of the marketing. I hope.Anyway, they both have my respect and I’ve seen all of Gerwig’s films in the theater (and most of Noah’s) and I’m happy to pay for another. If it’s a miss — well, almost all artists have some duds in their careers.
those movies are between 16 and 30 years old, there’s a whole new generation for whom this is a new idea.
What’s the big swing? Huge stars, a huge brand, a big silly comedy? Seems like Box office gold, Jerry.
Yeah, Hollywood normally never repeats itself.
I imagine there is a very small subset of humans for whom this film is what they have always been waiting for.May God have mercy on their souls.
So, is this in the LEGO Movie universe, or is Will Ferrell’s character somehow not the same person?Anyway, some of the gags landed for me pretty damn well, but mostly the Ryan Gosling ones. The mugshot is pretty great, though I don’t think he’d have been arrested, and doubt she’d have been, either.
Only amusing part of this trailer was Ken ripping on the broad for not being a real Dr.
Crap Will Ferrell 🤮
Well she shouldn’t have dressed like that.
Eat farts.
Looks fun.
So far, the trailers have depicted the film as just an aggregation of the cheapest, easiest jokes any intern could some up with if asked to do a winkingly subversive deconstruction of the Barbie brand. There’s room for something more here, but I haven’t seen it; certainly none of the philosophical effort that Gerwig claims to have put into worldbuilding appears in what we’ve been shown on screen so far.
So, The Matrix, but without any fighting, and just dancing?