In the beginning, there was Barbie.” This doll has made her comeback by becoming one of the most popular movies this year and has been received with both praise and criticism. With a fantastic cast, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the Barbie movie was destined to be a hit since its creation.

Making 155 million dollars just on opening night and 1 billon dollars recently at the box office, Barbie captured the attention of the world. The movie, spanning one hour and fifty four minutes, is packed with comical jokes, jaw dropping drama, and several scenes that highlight feminism and women empowerment, which has come with varied responses. Some viewers loved the message, saying that after watching the movie in the theater they left feeling empowered and proud to be a woman. When asked about her opinion towards the movie, Senior Inaaya Saeed said, “Personally, I absolutely loved the Barbie movie. It was so fun to watch with my friends, even though I cried at the end.”

However, there are also many viewers who disliked the movie. People expected the film to be more lighthearted and fun because Barbie is something people have known for their whole life as an escape from reality. By involving emotional scenes about the difficulty of our world, the Barbie movie is breaking down the typical Barbie fantasy that people imagine when they see the doll. Additionally, some critics say that the movie overused the topic of feminism, and other themes or messages would have added more impact to the movie. For example, in a review by the New York Post, Johnny Oleksinski wrote, “The spat underlines the filmmakers’ delusion that this ‘Barbie’ is something more than just another ploy to sell merchandise.”

Love it or hate it, the release of the Barbie has brought back the trend of going back to the movie theater. In our time, watching a movie is as easy as going on any app such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video, but the impact the Barbie movie has had on movie theaters cannot be ignored. This movie has not only helped the American economy, but has created a impact on our society for years to come.