Spoiler alert: “Barbie” is the movie of the summer.
From a catchy soundtrack to light hearted-humor, eye-catching choreography and deep messages about inclusivity and womanhood, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie became a fan favorite the moment it hit theaters on July 21.
Warner Bros. Pictures reports that during opening weekend, Barbie hit the half-billion dollar mark, raking up a total of $528.6 million within the first three days. The film marks the largest openings for director Gerwig and lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
According to BBC, on Aug. 6, the film officially hit ”Barbillion” – a total of $1.03 billion profit within the first 17 days, making Gerwig the first female solo director to pass the billion-dollar mark.
Put simply, the movie was a success.
Julie Brown, a junior studying social work, said that the movie was not only funny but also profound.
“I feel like it was very just insightful, like what it is to be human,” said Brown.
Brown notes light-hearted moments within the film such as the song and performance, “I’m Just Ken,” by Ryan Gosling. She also resonated with heartfelt moments like when Gloria played by America Ferrera gives an empowering and relatable speech about womanhood.
Similarly, Max Kornblut, a junior studying media arts production and history felt the movie had a multitude of themes including motherhood, a patriarchal society, community and empowerment. His favorite scene was a montage of emotional home movies shown toward the end.
“I think the movie just covers a lot of bases emotionally,” said Kornblut, who saw the movie twice. “I'd say go in expecting to have a good time, but just understand that the movie is not just a comedy 24/7.”
Just like Kornblut said, Gerwig maintained a balance of comedy and fun, while addressing harsh realities – which is why the movie quickly became controversial online.
While movie-goers like Kornblut and Brown enjoyed the film, others hated it.
Out of nearly 12,000 Google ratings, there were thousands of 5-star reviews met with just as many, if not more, 1-star reviews.
One Google reviewer describes the film as, “A Soul-Destroying, Men-Hating Female Empowering Movie.” Another says the movie “poses itself as a “family-friendly film” then proceeds to shove the political agenda into the face of you and your loved ones.”
Brown said she thinks older generations or more conservative viewers may have disagreed with the themes portrayed in the movie, but she also feels like these individuals could learn lessons from the film in a palatable way.
“I feel like older people or more right-leaning people might be like, ‘this was completely political- they took the complete cuteness idea of Barbie and just destroyed it,’” said Brown.
Brown noted the importance of having an open mind while watching the film.
“Just be open to it and what they're trying to explain,” said Brown. “Just be open to learn.”
