{"id":156627,"date":"2023-04-28T23:36:08","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T23:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=156627"},"modified":"2023-05-01T18:09:20","modified_gmt":"2023-05-01T18:09:20","slug":"barbie-film-explores-existential-crises-and-mattels-control-over-barbie-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/art-and-culture\/film-and-tv\/barbie-film-explores-existential-crises-and-mattels-control-over-barbie-land\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Barbie’ Film Explores Existential Crises and Mattel’s Control Over Barbie Land"},"content":{"rendered":" \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
This summer, Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated film ‘Barbie’ is set to captivate audiences with Margot Robbie starring as the iconic doll.<\/span><\/p>\n The movie, featuring a vivid technicolor palette and numerous dance sequences, offers a fresh take on the classic character. In a new teaser premiered at CinemaCon, viewers get a glimpse of Robbie’s Barbie struggling with the concept of death, taking a cold shower, and even suffering the flattening of her permanently arched feet.<\/span><\/p>\n Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ presents a world filled with color and whimsy while still tackling complex themes. Barbie Land, a fantastical realm where toys come to life, is explored in depth, revealing the challenges faced by its inhabitants.<\/span><\/p>\n The film delves into the complex emotions and decisions that the dolls confront, giving audiences a fresh perspective on the iconic characters.<\/span><\/p>\n Kate McKinnon portrays Weird Barbie, an ’80s-inspired version of the doll who lives in a peculiar house and “smells like basement.” Initially chaotic, Weird Barbie becomes a guru for Robbie’s Barbie, presenting her with a choice: continue on the path of the high heel or embrace the way of the Birkenstock, which ultimately sends her into the real world.<\/span><\/p>\n Robbie’s Barbie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, challenging the norms of Barbie Land and finding her own path.<\/span><\/p>\n As she navigates the real world, she encounters various obstacles and forms new connections, ultimately learning about herself and what it means to be alive.<\/span><\/p>\n The new teaser provides more context for Barbie’s real-world escapades, revealing that Mattel, led by Will Ferrell, wants to prevent all toys from leaving Barbie Land.<\/span><\/p>\n The toy company demonstrates its seriousness by arresting Barbie shortly after she enters the real world.<\/span><\/p>\n The film touches on themes of existential malaise, aggressive policing, and the lack of worker’s rights in Barbie Land.<\/span><\/p>\n The movie, featuring a vivid technicolor palette and numerous dance sequences, offers a fresh take on the classic character. In a new teaser premiered at CinemaCon, viewers get a glimpse of Robbie’s Barbie struggling with the concept of death, taking a cold shower, and even suffering the flattening of her permanently arched feet.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>\r\n\r\n Ryan Gosling plays Ken in the movie, and he spoke about discovering his ‘Kenergy’ during a CinemaCon panel.<\/span><\/p>\n He admitted to initially doubting his ability to portray Ken but credited Robbie and Gerwig for helping him find the character within himself.<\/span><\/p>\n Gosling described the transformative experience of preparing for the role, which included bleaching his hair, shaving his legs, and wearing custom pink outfits.<\/span><\/p>\n Director Greta Gerwig revealed that Technicolor musicals significantly influenced her vision for ‘Barbie.’<\/span><\/p>\n The production’s vibrant colors attracted the attention of people from nearby film sets who wanted to see what was happening.<\/span><\/p>\n Margot Robbie mentioned that walking onto the ‘Barbie’ set was like receiving a “dopamine hit.”<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the film features an ensemble cast including Kate McKinnon, John Cena, and Will Ferrell.<\/span><\/p>\n Greta Gerwig, known for her critically acclaimed films ‘Lady Bird’ and ‘Little Women,’ directs the movie, infusing it with her unique vision and distinctive storytelling style.<\/span><\/p>\n As the release date of ‘Barbie’ approaches, fans eagerly await the opportunity to experience this fresh take on the iconic characters.<\/span><\/p>\n The film promises to deliver not only a visually stunning spectacle but also a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges faced by the dolls in Barbie Land.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":156628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3384],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film-and-tv"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156627"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A Unique Interpretation of Barbie Land<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Weird Barbie Offers Spiritual Guidance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A Journey of Self-Discovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Mattel’s Opposition to Barbie’s Real-World Adventure<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Ryan Gosling as Ken: Finding his ‘Kenergy’<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Technicolor Musicals Influence ‘Barbie’<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A Star-Studded Cast and Crew<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Anticipation Builds for the Summer Release<\/strong><\/h2>\n