Your guide to the 2023 'Barbie' movie starring Margot Robbie. This “Barbie” is ready to rule the summer. Mattel's iconic plastic doll is stepping out of the Dreamhouse and onto the big screen for her first live-action movie, after dozens of direct-to-video animated films.
But is the new Barbie movie fun for all ages? Sure, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are the picture of playtime wholesomeness in the trailers and the red carpet. However, the latest from writer/director Greta Gerwig is rated PG-13.
Who is playing Barbie in the upcoming Barbie movie?
Barbie is Gerwig's latest directorial endeavor, which she wrote alongside her partner, Noah Baumbach. Margot Robbie stars as Barbie—or, at least, one of the Barbies—and Ryan Gosling and his cursed platinum blonde hair will take on Ken.)
Award-winning actress and LGBTQ advocate Laverne Cox has become the first transgender person to have a Barbie doll modeled after her, Mattel unveiled this week.
While Barbie's motto is you can be anything, Gerwig's movie maintains that “anything” doesn't reach outside the gender binary. Director Greta Gerwig's 2023 Barbie may have good intentions when it comes to inclusivity, but it fails to push the boundaries when it comes to gender binary and LGBTQ+ characters.
While the film does not dive into trans identity, Barbie still manages to touch upon LGBTQ+ issues without naming them as such. In fact, the film features several openly LGBTQ+ actors, like Hari Nef, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, and Scott Evans.
The movie received its PG-13 rating because of “suggestive references” and “brief language.” Some parents may not be ready or comfortable to discuss the more advanced plot lines while others may simply just know if their child is or is not ready to be introduced to mature topics.
Some kids may lose interest in dolls around the age of 5 or 6, while others may continue to play with them into their pre-teen years. There really isn't a "magic age" at which all children suddenly stop playing with dolls - it varies from child to child.
Because they are too old for that? As experts would tell you, there is no age limit for dolls. It may seem unusual in this day and age, but several 12-year-olds still play with dolls. And in a world where the internet is widespread, this may be a good thing.
As a lot of people told the mother that it's not necessarily unsuitable for younger children but would probably be uninteresting to them. But, as it is PG-13 you can still bring children to see the Barbie movie as long as they have a parent with them.
Summary. The Barbie movie features various types of Barbies and surprises, including discontinued Mattel dolls like Hannah Khalique-Brown's character. Growing Up Skipper, played by Hannah Khalique-Brown, is a unique doll that grows breasts, and her inclusion in the movie leaves an impression on audiences.
The Margot Robbie film is a satire on the Barbie doll product of toy maker Mattel and also a comment on gender conditioning. With all the hype around the Barbie movie and the positive reviews for the film, from the trailer, we know that it is not a movie made for kids. Barbie is a satire made for adults.
We already know that Mattel is not opposed to playing with gender, having launched a “Gender Neutral Doll” in 2019, or to uplifting trans people, having made a Laverne Cox barbie doll in 2022.
“Pregnant Barbie” is actually Margaret Hadley Sherwood, or Midge, as her friends call her. Midge was created to be a less glam, more relatable Barbie, per Buzzfeed News. The doll was launched in 1963 as Barbie's bestie.
Mattel, the toy giant best known for its hyper-feminine Barbie dolls, has launched a line of gender-inclusive dolls – a move welcomed by trans rights campaigners.
Is it ok for boys to play with dolls? Experts agree that doll play is as helpful for boys, as it is for girls as they too need to develop the same emotional skills as girls and often are deprived of that sort of emotional exploration.
Nicole Dubuc (pictured) and Michael Vogel came up with introducing lesbian characters through Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty. "The Last Crusade" received recognition for being the first Friendship Is Magic episode to feature homosexual characters: Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty are lesbians.
Sugar Daddy Ken is a satirical knock-off doll that made a cameo in the movie Barbie, poking fun at the legacy of the iconic doll. The doll was originally released in 2009 as a special edition for adult collectors but was quickly discontinued due to controversy.
Ken's publicist was quoted as saying “She's done fashion, entertainment, and many careers and Ken has been there for her. And now they feel it's time to spend some quality time - apart.” By 2011 the pair had reunited just in time for Valentine's Day (and for their appearance in Toy Story 3).
In the film, Issa Rae, a Black actor who is known for her entrepreneurial endeavors, plays President Barbie, a role that has yet to be occupied by a woman in the real world.
Weird Barbie, portrayed by Kate McKinnon, is seen as a shaman figure and the keeper of everyone's hidden weirdness, bringing an asymmetrical and messed up side to Barbie's perfect image.
