The main trailer for the “Barbie” movie is taking the internet by storm
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has been the talk of the town since its inception. With everyone knowing who (and what) Barbie is, people from all generations can relate to and get excited about this live-action film. So you can only imagine the absolute chaos that occurred last week when the main trailer for the Barbie movie dropped. If we’re being honest, the world of pop culture just hasn’t been the same since! So, in an attempt to learn more about the movie of the year, here’s a breakdown of everything the trailer tells us about the Barbie movie so far.
Fever-dream-like visuals
Visually speaking, this movie is definitely one big fever dream. Just like the teaser trailer released in December (which was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey), the official trailer follows suit and offers a visual trip like no other. Filled with maximalist patterns straight out of the Barbie universe we know and love, every frame draws you deeper into the story and, suddenly, the organized chaos feels like a norm we ought to live in.
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Satirical symbolisms on girlhood
As if the opening scene with pink stilettos wasn’t enough to imply the epic girlhood montage that is this movie, the trailer does wonders in drilling in just how much more satire we’re supposed to expect. Accompanying the fever-dream visuals of the Barbie world is its excessive use of pink in every imaginable shade, plastic doll house structures, all things shiny and sparkly, and hair that is never out of place—all characteristic of an exaggerated visual of girlhood we all grew up fantasizing about. Of course, all of this is intentional. With what seems like a story centered on breaking down what it means to be a girl in the “real world,” these visuals play a key element in building up contrast that's needed to emphasize how different our dreams of girlhood are to what reality actually is. As soul-crushing as it sounds, Barbie is about to inevitably watch her worldview crumble, and we can’t wait to see how more of this plays out in the movie itself!
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Existential crises…a lot of it
Oh no! Mortality and flat feet! Barbie’s worst enemies come to life all in the first few seconds of the movie trailer. It’s a funny premise when you think about it logically, but somehow, it just works in the Barbie world. (I mean, have you ever seen a flat-footed Barbie doll?) So for what it’s worth, we’re all hands on deck with the existential crisis Barbie suddenly faces in this new chapter of her life, and alongside her is everyone’s favorite, Ken, who is also having an existential crisis of his own. Faced with being “just Ken,” is he really okay? We won't know know until we watch the movie.
i fear barbie (2023) will be too good pic.twitter.com/Xh0BMz1CEw
— tumblr dot com the website and app (@tumblr) May 26, 2023
Humor for every generation
Speaking of Ken, if you caught on to the joke of him asking if he could come over to Barbie’s house for a “sleepover,” then you’re old enough to understand other innuendoes in childhood cartoons. This kind of humor perfectly suits the target audience of this movie: a generation who overlooked dirty cartoon jokes and enjoyed them for a completely different reason. However, it remains relevant for the next generation of kids who will never understand the jokes until time passes. It’s humor like this that makes the movie iconic in its own way and a cult classic in the making.
Nostalgia to the core
With so many characters in one frame, it’ll take a couple of watches to actually appreciate every single detail put into the costume design. Fans of Mattel know that many bits of the movie pay homage to vintage Barbies through its parallelisms in outfits and iconic accessories. Take the rollerskating scene for example; the vibrant pink and neon yellow patterns take after the Hot Skatin’ Barbie doll from the 90s, adding to the nostalgia of many Mllennials and Boomers who saw this in toy stores growing up.
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The Barbie movie is going to be one hell of a trip down memory lane for many, and a cultural deep dive on Barbie for the younger audience out there.
Whether you grew up as a Barbie girl, boy or someone in between, simply knew or witnessed Barbie from afar, this movie is something you wouldn’t want to miss! Mark your calendars for July 21.
Words Vanessa Tiong
Art Alexandra Lara
