The time is finally here! After a four-year wait since the initial announcement, Greta Gerwig’s live-action Barbie movie drops its first official trailer. And since the trailer drops, fans are keen to see what this movie has in stall for them.
Unlike most trailers, the Barbie movie keeps its plot rather secretive. Between the first two trailers, we can see two very different vibes.
“Barbie” – Trailer 1
The first trailer (below) is a dull desert-like environment with a homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey in the background.
The original Barbie in her black and white stripey swimsuit stands amongst a group of little girls holding baby dolls. With a single wink, these little girls start to discard their baby dolls. This signifies a release from the shackles of the dolls – ones that exist only to explain motherhood.
Instead, Barbie represents the education of a fulfilling life as an adult- with the promise of a range of interesting careers. This trailer truly reinforces the positive values that Barbie can bring to young girls.
“Barbie” – Trailer 2
The second trailer (below) doesn’t offer a lot of new information about the narrative either.
However, it shares the whimsical fairytale world that this movie takes place in and its key characters. Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, and Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, are depicted in Barbie’s dreamworld surrounded by their fellow Barbies and Kens. Poking fun at how every doll is marketed as Barbie, she repeats “Hi Barbie!” over and over. In addition, the opening scene portrays Barbie stepping out of her pink high heels to show the classic Barbie doll’s foot shape that we all know and love. Throughout the rest of the film, we hope to see more examples of Gerwig playing upon these classic Barbie concepts using her comedic genius.
The Youtube trailer comments exhibit a fan appreciation for the film to come.
“They’ve given nothing away about the plot and the movie has such immense hype shows how influential Barbie truly is”
Viewers are found discussing the lack of substance in the trailers proving an entertaining movie to come and enjoying the significance of the film in general.
“Before Barbie existed toys that are meant for girls were just baby dolls. This is because girls had the expectation to be mothers… After all Barbie was created to be an adult or a teenager because the creator of Barbie saw her child using her toys as adults that had jobs and named the barbie doll after her daughter… I think it’s quite interesting that a Barbie movie is willing to talk about a little bit of its history.”
A Childhood Hero
Most fans will know of the Barbie media franchise that has been circulating for years. Ranging from “Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses” to “Barbie in the Nutcracker” or “Barbie in Swan Lake” – Barbie fans have watched them all. So why are we getting a live-action Barbie? After being around for almost 65 years, Barbie is a core childhood memory for generations. Who wouldn’t want a modernised version of their favourite childhood character?
What does the popularity of “Barbie” say about our viewing culture?
Whether you view Barbie as oppressive or expressive, you can’t deny the influence she has. Since her first decades in stores, Mattel has made major changes to be more inclusive and highlight the importance of education and personal value. While Barbie has started to stray from the classic skinny, tall and blonde doll with curvier and more diverse dolls, the effects of the original Barbie remain. Mattel attempts at altering the brand perception reflects through the multicultural casting of this movie. If this is done successfully, the Barbie franchise can reinforce the positivity they hope Barbie can bring to others.
“I‘m unironically excited for this film, I LOVE that it’s not taking itself too seriously. Those are my favourite types of comedies, it’s aware of how ridiculous and over the top it is, and it goes for it.”
Will you be watching Barbie this July? I know I will.
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