HOLLYWOOD—Are you ready to wear your pink dress? The film “Barbie” was released on July 21 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It’s a summer fun-time must see, for all ages. Pink bubbles of compassion, seriousness and joy. A spectacular masterpiece. The film delves into why Barbie, has the ideal imaginations of women across every spectrum. This comedy shows a humanitarian nature and a certain playfulness.
It brings to life the beloved doll in a delightful and empowering animated adventure that enchants audiences of all ages. It captures Barbie’s world, lifestyle, and friends. Very ingenious and sincere. All the cardboard-ness and hard plastic grounds why the fantasies it evokes are so poignant and real. Sure the props are a bit fluffy, however it does not define Barbie. Then there is Ken. What can I say about Ken? Ryan Gosling unrequited hokeyness is so apropos. A bit of a cut-up, however he makes us laugh with him.
So we have the writing dialogue by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, it is served deliciously pink with absolutely no apologies. It is a rainbow cornucopia full of explosive and thrilling musical numbers. Characters are fun with quippy animations. A fun, safe fiesta. How about children? Kids will enjoy it like a circus or a parade full of floats that keep them very interested. It’s a dream, just like little girls growing up, the greatness of Barbie inspires girls.Perfect casting of one of my favorite actresses, Margot Robbie shines. She is outstanding in her performance and her Barbie is pure finesse. Her core gives absolute meaning and believability to the film. Amazing performance by Margot!
‘Barbenheimer’ by the way is the internet sensation that began circulating on social media before the release of these two blockbusters. Barbie and Oppenheimer were both released on July 21. “Barbie” soared to $337 million worldwide and “Oppenheimer” jumped to $174.2 million, over the weekend, with numbers rising. The numbers keep on growing, both are extremely successful. Marketing genius. They both came at a time when cinemas are struggling as they lose out to competition from streaming. Some theaters were actually sold out. Mattel saw shares climb roughly 1.5 percent in early trading on July 24, while Warner Bros. Discovery stock rose in the premarket but dropped 2 percent at the open. Comcast, the parent company of Universal, was up 1 percent. More than 7.8 million moviegoers hit AMC theaters over the weekend.
According to published reports, box office analytics said that “Barbenheimer” pulled in 18.5 million patrons. With “Barbie” accounting for 12.8 million patrons, while “Oppenheimer” was 5.8 million. Barbie appealed more to women than men, while “Oppenheimer” was 58 percent male versus 42 percent female. The box-office is not out of the woods yet, since the double strike in Hollywood casts a shadow on the future.
SAG-AFTRA- the union that represents an estimated 160,000 actors, recording artists, announcers and other media professionals all over the world-joined writers on the picket lines last week after the guild failed to negotiate a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which bargains on behalf of studios including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Apple and NBC Universal.
If it is a long strike it would hit movie theaters very hard. On July 25, Bryan Cranston, the “Breaking Bad” star, addressed Disney boss Bob Iger during a passionate strike speech. The star-studded rally held in Times Square, New York showed a solidarity 12 days into the actors strike. They all took turns giving fiery speeches on a stage in the heart of Time Square, while tourists gawked and passing trucks honked in support. Studios should take notice, it seems they mean business.
Rose’s Scoop: Dwayne Johnson contributed a historic donation to Sag-Aftra Foundation Relief Fund, if others join forces, it could be an issue for studios.
