‘Barbenheimer’
(I Can’t Draw / 2023)
The release of "Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in theaters on July 21 grabbed the media’s attention and had people debating about which one was worth watching. The name “Barbenheimer” was coined after popular comparisons of the two movies sparked online. Was this the biggest movie rivalry of the summer?
Starring Margot Robbie as Barbie, and Ryan Gosling as Ken, “Barbie” starts off like a typical “Barbie” movie, with everything seeming to be perfect and never changing. However, when disaster strikes in Barbie World, Barbie goes to the real world to resolve these issues. During the movie, real-life topics such as gender roles and identity are shown, in both Barbie and Ken, as they are both trying to find their place in the world. Many people on social media found this movie to be empowering and uplifting for women.
“This movie made me feel very lucky being a girl,” Riverside High School junior Zuri Walton said. “Surrounded by women in the movie theater who come from different backgrounds, we’ve all had universal experiences that helped me feel less alone.”
In movie theaters across the U.S., there was a sense of companionship among women as the movie brought them together, some even getting emotional.
“Margot and Ryan have worked together before, which is why I feel like they made the perfect Ken and Barbie,” Walton added. “The chemistry was just there, and it was so fun watching them together.”
The movie gained popularity very quickly, even before its release, earning over $1 billion at the global box office. The movie’s soundtrack is also very popular, as it took over the charts this summer. The album includes features from artists such as Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Charli XCX, Ryan Gosling, and many more. Many people around the world went to see the movie, dressed up in their Barbie and Ken attire, and some even dressed up as Barbies and Kens.
“Oppenheimer”, on the other hand, is a biopic and focuses on a historical event. Starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the movie sheds light on Oppenheimer’s involvement in the Manhattan Project, during which he created two atomic bombs used in the Second World War. The film portrays the entire process from start to finish, while also including aspects of his personal life, such as troubled friendships and romances, and dealing with controversy.
“A drama about genius, hubris, and error, both individual and collective, it brilliantly charts the turbulent life of the American theoretical physicist,” film critic Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote.
Written and directed by popular director Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” gained him even more respect and recognition. Many people loved this film, as it earned about $851 million at the box office at the time of writing.
“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” don’t seem to have very much in common, however, they were the main talk of the summer. “Barbie” is more of a fairy-tale world turned reality movie, while “Oppenheimer” is based on a real person and real-life events. Furthermore, the viewer’s opinion of a movie stems from their personal preferences and beliefs. Many preferred one over the other, but some enjoyed both. As for which one is worth watching, go to your local movie theater and decide for yourself.