By: Madison Rohn, Editor
Cover Image received from syfy.com
This summer, I participated in the historical event that will go on to define 2023: Barbenheimer!
Following the trends, I went with my friends and siblings to see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer back-to-back on the same day. Both movies were different from my go-to genres of science fiction and fantasy (The Lord of the Rings movies are my favorite), so I was excited to try something new.
We started at ten in the morning and went on the day after the movies premiered, so the theater was crowded and the busiest I had seen since COVID-19. I loved seeing all the people who were dressed up, especially all the pink or sparkly Barbie-inspired outfits. Since we were going to be at the theater for five hours, I stocked up on snacks.
Up first was Oppenheimer. The three-hour-long historical drama looked stunning on the big screen. I was fascinated by the use of practical effects and use of music to convey the building tension as the movie went on. But what stood out the most to me was the acting. The movie was full of amazing performances that elevated the whole movie. Especially since the film was dialogue-heavy, the delivery of the lines was crucial for the film to make an impact.
I will admit that I had trouble following the film at the beginning when it kept jumping between the three different time periods, and I think the nudity was unnecessary to the plot. Otherwise, I enjoyed watching Oppenheimer. I originally wouldn’t have picked it for myself, but I’m glad I saw it. When the movie ended, I had to sit and process what I had just seen, and I appreciate movies that make you think like that.
My sister, however, used the first two hours of the movie to take a long nap.
After Oppenheimer, we went straight into Barbie. The vibe of the theater was completely different with a lot of pink! The movie theater even had a pink cardboard car for moviegoers to take pictures in. I loved the humor in the movie and how the movie depicted Barbie Land with all the bright sets and costumes. It was like seeing my childhood come to life. My favorite part was the “I’m Just Ken” song and dance sequence, which is still stuck in my head two months later.
However, I felt the movie focused a lot on preaching its message instead of being more subdued, for better or worse. I liked the emotional ending and that the movie was different from what I expected. I even went back and saw it again with more friends a couple of weeks later.
Although it was a long day, I enjoyed seeing both movies. Barbie and Oppenheimer were opposites of each other in almost every way, which is what made the Barbenheimer experience so fun! However, I don’t plan on sitting in a movie theater for five hours again!
