_Barbie_ reels you in with its silly humor and fantastical ideas. The war of Kens during the last half hour of the film is an all-timer because a battle full of handsome maneuvers, like showing off their naked chest and manly noogies, turns into a full on dance off between Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu. But the second half of the film leaves a thought-provoking message in your brain regarding both men and women. The Kens gaining respect little by little mirrors how women eventually earned their rights to be respected individuals — after being considered as only being useful in the kitchen or for making babies — except with the gender roles reversed and nude blobs instead of genitalia. **Full review:** https://bit.ly/beachoff

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I took my daughter along to see this, naively expecting light, family friendly fun and well, its not. Not even a little. The kindest way I can describe this monstrosity is mean spirited, misandry. The message is simply not one I want my child taking on board. My daughter wanted to leave before I'd even suggested it, so we did and had a better time doing something else together. In summary, in my opinion, nasty and spiteful. Hollywood deserves its declining viewership, if this is all it has left to offer.

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FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-greta-gerwigs-barbie-is-both-hilarious-thought-provoking/ "Barbie is hilariously meta, containing spectacularly funny musical numbers, and an efficient tonal balance between over-the-top comedy and rich, thought-provoking social commentary. Inevitable awards are on the way for the brightly colored production design, costumes, and makeup. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's narrative unapologetically tackles quite serious topics, from sociopolitical matters like patriarchy and sexual harassment to questions about existential crises, personal identity, self-love, and, of course, the roles of women and men in today's society. Margot Robbie was destined to play Barbie just as Ryan Gosling was born with Kenergy in his veins. Absolutely fantastic, as are the rest of the Barbies and Kens. A must-see in a packed theater!" Rating: A-

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