I Promise, the Last ‘Barbie’ Reaction …

I doubt there will be any additional test-screenings of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” so this should be the final reaction I post of the film before its impending July release.

All I know is that the tide has slightly turned. I’ve been noticing more negative reactions than the initial first screening back in February. That’s not necessarily saying much as these screenings tend to not always be accurate about a film’s quality. Also, critics and audiences don’t always agree.

It’s all relative, really. There’s no way to decipher the quality of this or any other film via test-screenings, but it’s fun to gauge some reactions. The film seems to definitely be ready, according to those who attended the Sunday screenings in Dallas and Los Angeles.

I found this amusing reaction on Reddit from someone who attended this past Sunday’s screening. They saw the cut that was meant for the 15 and older crowd, not the more kid-friendly one.

Regardless, they had such a violent reaction towards it that they decided to break the NDA and vent away.

They screened two cuts that day-- a parents and children one and a late afternoon one for ages 15+. I went to the second with two friends and my girlfriend. We all HATED the movie. A lot of what is said above is actually accurate-- I can't say much obviously, but the film is extraordinarily incompetent from a storytelling and thematic level. I think it was designed to play in that way to evoke a heightened sense of "camp", but NOBODY laughed in my theater. I cannot BELIEVE they even thought this should play to kids. Not because the content is inappropriate, but because the whole movie operates with such an undercooked, uninteresting perspective on gender politics that seems to only play to adults who have spent the past few years fully engrossed in debates on these issues. None of it is clever, none of it is funny, and none of it is insightful. So many narrative choices come out of nowhere, and truly have absolutely zero emotional impact. The Ken musical number was ABYSMAL and went on forever. It was so weird to see something dragged out for so long, making the same joke over and over, playing before an incredibly hyped theater where nobody laughed once. Some of the set designs were cool, but truly this is one of the most depressing experiences I have ever had leaving a movie theater. I've actually felt depressed since seeing it yesterday, and by the film's climax I contemplated walking out of the theater. I might have if I went alone.

I knew it was a bad sign when I was outside the theater and the parents and children were leaving together-- we were all commenting on how it looked like they were walking out of a funeral. Also, when the Barbie logo appeared at the start there was RAPTUROUS applause-- everyone was here to see what they assumed would be the great masterpiece of modern franchise filmmaking. When it ended, there was respectful applause and comments all around me saying "I really liked what it said about being yourself." "I really like the feminist perspective". Nobody thought it was fun but they were clearly in denial of how bad what they just saw was, and I don't think it's possible to give any deeper an assessment of the film than those two quotes. A genuine atrocity, one of the sloppiest and emptiest films I have ever seen.

I’ve noticed, based on these last two reactions I posted, and other people I’ve spoken to, that the film’s progressive themes are layered on a tad too thickly. This is part of the reason why I believe critics might be kind to this film, no matter how messy it turns out to be.

I’m going to try and take a crack at the notable names in the cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, Helen Mirren, Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, America Ferrera, Kingsley Ben-Adir, John Cena …

That’s not even counting the surprise cameos.