Barbie

[Otomofan]

I think the Drinker is one of the good ones. He gives praise where it's due, admits when he's wrong, is willing to give a movie a chance.

I can't stand Doomcock and his imitators. I don't think they even SEE the movies. Their grift is just selling the outrage.

 

[Otomofan]

Drinker did a video a year or two back that was poignant and beautiful. None of the "puking" bits or any of that...just a montage of classic movies and what makes them great, and talking about the qualities they had that modern movies lack. It was really well written and beautifully edited. Worth checking out, but clearly if you already decided you don't like the guy, I doubt you'd watch it.

 

[Rotfish]

Drinker did a video a year or two back that was poignant and beautiful. None of the "puking" bits or any of that...just a montage of classic movies and what makes them great, and talking about the qualities they had that modern movies lack. It was really well written and beautifully edited. Worth checking out, but clearly if you already decided you don't like the guy, I doubt you'd watch it.

I saw that one and true enough, it was one of the hours he was right. He can make compelling content when it comes from a place of passion rather than frustration or neuroticism. I just think his radar is too sensitive. That's what happens when you live in any kind of soup for too long. What no one tells you is you can jump out.

Several years ago, I unfollowed everyone on social media who posted extreme political views of any kind and spent more time engaging with content that inspired me. Art, music, memes, etc. After a while, that's all the algorithm pushed. Don't get me wrong, people are still naive and can be quite stupid in large groups, but I'm not as cynical as I used to be. I no longer see a hellish media landscape where there's no space for folks like me.

Spending less time on the internet was probably the most eye-opening change. Most people in real life aren't preoccupied with this stuff. The few that are -- and are vocal about it -- stick out like sore thumbs.

 

[JacktheRipper]

I could NOT believe the line for this in Westwood last night. Every UCLA sorority girl must have been there in pink taking pictures. And the line snaked all the way down the block. I haven't seen that in years.

Oppenheimer was playing across the street at the Fox Village (which is what I saw). Also a ton of people, theater full... but not like Barbie.

Pictures in the Oppenheimer thread if you want to see...

Wor, Oppenheimer requires some focus. Doesn't matter if it's good or bad, you have to pay attention. Barbie from the get-go sounded like a stupid movie. Don't get me wrong, stupid doesn't mean bad. I think there are more people looking for stupid rather than insighttful. I'm probably never seeing Barbie unless it sneaks up on me. Oppenheimer I'll see, but not right now as my brain has been turned off. Once it gets recharged I'll give it a go.

 

[ShadowX81]

Should I get a TikTok account just because of its popularity?

"Millions of people like it" has nothing to do with the quality of the content. I'll grant that the issues Drinker harps on exist, but not with the frequency or intensity he perceives. He also gravitates towards projects that are more likely to set him off because making videos on them gets views. If that's the content you regularly consume (either as a creator or viewer), sure, you'll probably think it's everywhere. The same problem exists with the other side of the ideological aisle. Live a balanced life, stop spending so much time on the things you hate, and you'll find the world has much more to offer with most folks falling somewhere in between.

If you could make a successful living and make a career making tik tok videos, then yes, you should. And good on you if you could. But you can't, and he can.

And do you even watch his channel? The guy spends just as much time praising the things he likes as he does insulting the things he hates. In fact I believe his last review prior to Barbie was a positive review of Mission Impossible.

If you feel like his negative reviews are more prominent, then maybe its because that the most culturally prominent franchises (Star Wars, MCU, Disney, Indiana Jones, etc) are where the problems that you even admitted exist are most prominent.

Acclaimed' is going to break it's back doing that much heavy lifting. Followers means nothing, I bet Ezra Miller has more followers than he does (don't have Twatter, can't check). And he's broken because every video is about 'the message' and maybe this time he's correct about Barbie, I haven't seen it. He certainly wasn't correct about Prey. But that's just his thing. Some people have 'super easy, barely an inconvenience' and this guy has 'the blue haired people are after us'.

Clearly you've never watched him, because his videos don't have this. At all.

 

[ShadowX81]

I think the Drinker is one of the good ones. He gives praise where it's due, admits when he's wrong, is willing to give a movie a chance.

I can't stand Doomcock and his imitators. I don't think they even SEE the movies. Their grift is just selling the outrage.

Actually I know Doomcock IRL and he is one of the nicest, most genuine people you will ever meet, who would literally give the shirt off his back to a fan if it made them feel better.

A couple weeks ago he literally stopped his livestream (which is his main source of income) just to call a fan on the phone who was having a really tough time.

I really don't like you insulting a person I consider a friend, and calling what you don't like "a grift" just because you don't like what he has to say is one of the most insulting things I've ever seen on this board.

 

[JAWS]

How can you possibly review this movie honestly when "the Message" was overbearingly prominent in this film? The Drinker (like usual) is spot on when it comes to this film. I pretty much loathed it for all of the same reasons he stated in this video. In fact I can't think of a movie ive ever seen that has been so toxic to gender relations. Painting it as a competition that shouldn't exist.

While the Barbies live an idyllic care free life, the Ken's are essentially slaves without any agency, who only live a life that by the film's own admission, exist solely to be an accessory for Barbie when she is in the mood to humor him. Eventually the Kens take over and the movie gets close to actually realizing the point it should have made when Ken brushes off Barbie using the same words she used on him earlier, and points out that being treated that way doesn't feel fun; but then it instantly brushes this aside.

The Barbie's take over again by preying on the men's insecurities, and relegate the men back to the barely human second-class they had been earlier. They do this by giving a lecture about the difficulties and insecurities associated with being a woman in today's society (which despite largely applying to both sexes are fair enough challenges), while simultaneously preying on similar insecurities of men as deep character flaws that are both laughed at and taken advantage of.

What would have been so wrong with an ending in which both the Barbies and the Kens get to be equal and happy; receiving equal amounts of respect and rights in society?

The movie comes off as a 100 minute bitter rant against men and anything associated with masculinity. If that is really what Feminism is or supposed to be (it isn't), then screw that. It deserves to be pushed back against.

This is what I have read and heard about the film.


What a bait and switch with the trailer that looked like it was harmless fun.

Who is this movie for?
Barbie fans? Everything I’ve read seems like it hates its own product.

Kids??? I heard about the Beach off jokes. Seems a bit much.

Adults? All I keep reading is it’s not very funny and overdoes the “Patriarchy bad” message.

The good reviews I have read just seem to be in line with the films political angle.

I gotta believe word of mouth will kill this film.

FYI - Everyone knows Barbie was created by a woman. She also was in charge of Mattel for like 30 years and Mattel’s board is made up of 11 people. 5 are female.

Why would Mattel ok this

 

[Dave_W]

If you feel like his negative reviews are more prominent, then maybe its because that the most culturally prominent franchises (Star Wars, MCU, Disney, Indiana Jones, etc) are where the problems that you even admitted exist are most prominent.

Seems to me like the more progressive a film may be, he leans into it and makes out like it this brainwashing, blue haired backed propaganda. That's his thing, his trademark and that's fine. But I like my reviews honest and unbiased, not heavily skewed for views if a film happens to have content that can be blown out of proportion and then used against it. That's pandering to a certain demographic who seem to love hearing about how they're the victims of wokeism.

 

[JAWS]

Added more to my last post, sorry.

I get the impression the Kens will eventually do their own thing and it just isn't shown. Who knows, Ken might move to Eternia to hang out with the Masters of the Universe, but at the end of the day it's still a Barbie movie about Barbieworld. That's why I said it's about as even-handed as it can be. There are women out there who can find something to enjoy in 1982's Conan the Barbarian, but I don't expect them to love all the ways women are portrayed and treated in it. At a certain point, you have to accept that the target audience doesn't include everyone.

God you had to go back to the 80s for that example.


I dread what a modern Conan movie would look like now. In fact didn’t Amazon drop a series because of its content.

We got Rings of Poo instead

 

[JAWS]

Seems to me like the more progressive a film may be, he leans into it and makes out like it this brainwashing, blue haired backed propaganda. That's his thing, his trademark and that's fine. But I like my reviews honest and unbiased, not heavily skewed for views if a film happens to have content that can be blown out of proportion and then used against it. That's pandering to a certain demographic who seem to love hearing about how they're the victims of wokeism.

I like my trailers honest… seems this film knew better than to do that

 

[Rotfish]

And do you even watch his channel?

I did years ago. And I liked him, but felt he became too preoccupied with the things he didn't like after a while. Even if some of his points are still salient, I don't see the need to constantly expose myself to negative reviews of bad movies I have no intention of seeing (I've checked out of the mainstream stuff, so SW and MCU are no-go's for me outside of things like Andor). It's just not healthy for me. Maybe he'd stop drinking if he made the same choice.

God you had to go back to the 80s for that example.

Works for my point because '80s action movies are more male-centric than modern ones. I could also talk about how GI Joe movies make half-assed appeals to straight women with shirtless Channing Tatum scenes, but that's really not much of an olive branch. GI Joe is meant mostly for guys and that goes double for something like Arnold's Conan. Same applies to Barbie with women, but I think including Gosling was a far more diplomatic move across the gender aisle and it appears to be paying off.

This movie is about autonomy for everyone, but with a greater focus on women because... Barbie. I mean come on, lads. Let's take a step back and remember what thread we're in.

 

[ShadowX81]

Seems to me like the more progressive a film may be, he leans into it and makes out like it this brainwashing, blue haired backed propaganda. That's his thing, his trademark and that's fine. But I like my reviews honest and unbiased, not heavily skewed for views if a film happens to have content that can be blown out of proportion and then used against it. That's pandering to a certain demographic who seem to love hearing about how they're the victims of wokeism.

And why does a film need to have a progressive message at all? Why can't they just be fun and organically written? The reasons why films didn't get this much blowback decades ago, even though they do have elements which would be described as part of "The message" today (Marion Ravenwood, Leia, and Sarah Connor all being strong willed as well as physically strong) is because they were written that way as an organic service to the story rather than to fit in a box by a studio mandated set of "rules" for gender relations (which does exist) that govern how characters have to act in order to serve a particular set of values. It seems like as much as people like us may complain about these transparently present message, we get complained about just as much for noticing it.

 

[Wor-Gar]

If its Barbie that brings people back to the theater... I say so be it.

It was so FUN to be out in the streets on a warm summer night, light still in the sky at twilight, throngs of people having a ball, so eager to see a movie. A movie!

I won't see Barbie.... but I love that its bringing people back.





I just hope this doesn't usher in a long list of "toy" movies for the next 3-4 years.

 

[a-dev]

I must admit I still like Drinker, when he gets really vitriolic as he did with this Barbie review, I find it quite entertaining. He might be right about this film, I haven't (and may never) seen it.
It disappoints me when Drinker associates with certain other youtubers in those groupchats - people who don't have half his wit and intelligence and at least one who I think actually is a misogynist prick and just shields himself with other people's better arguments.

But yeah, Rotfish, you raise a valid point

He also gravitates towards projects that are more likely to set him off because making videos on them gets views. If that's the content you regularly consume (either as a creator or viewer), sure, you'll probably think it's everywhere

By rights most men will have no interest whatsoever in seeing a Barbie film or Snow White or The Little Mermaid. But these youtube guys specifically seek it out knowing exactly what they're going to say about it in advance.

And as for the movies Drinker praises - it's usually quite predictable what those will be, movies you expect he would like because 98% of men like them. He did recommend one female-led movie, this one

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15325794/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_fall
albeit he did lace his review with what some would consider, erm, toxic 'male-perspective' comments on the women. I would have to admit guilt aswell. I too have red blood.

 

[Dave_W]

And why does a film need to have a progressive message at all?

And why can't it?

 

[Dave_W]

By rights most men will have no interest whatsoever in seeing a Barbie film or Snow White or The Little Mermaid. But these youtube guys specifically seek it out knowing exactly what they're going to say about it in advance.

And this is why I don't watch any of his 'reviews' He probably loves films being 'woke' so he can play up to it and get the views from the outrage **** addicts.

 

[ShadowX81]

And this is why I don't watch any of his 'reviews' He probably loves films being 'woke' so he can play up to it and get the views from the outrage **** addicts.

For someone who doesn't watch his reviews, you seem to have alot of incorrect things to say about them.

And why can't it?

It of course it allowed to. Why are we not allowed to then disapprove and complain about it without being accused of creating "outrage ****" and "grifters"?

The difference between your reviews of The Critical Drinkers videos and my reviews of Barbie is atleast I've actually take the time to watch Barbie and base what I think on what is actually in the movie.

Wheras you admittedly have never seen his reviews, but think that this makes you qualified to critique both his content, and personally insult him and his viewers.

 

[Dave_W]

For someone who doesn't watch his reviews, you seem to have alot of incorrect things to say about them.

Doesn't watch anymore. I completely turned off after the 3rd review went the same way. Complaining about women and what they did, how the men aren't competent enough, 'the message' blah blah blah and I'd seen those films and thought every single one of those points was stretched so damn thin, I was wondering if we'd seen the same films. From that point on I put him in the same bin as Geeks and Gamers, The Quartering and RK Outpost. Rage bait losers who will **** on anything remotely progressive (hell not even that progressive, just not full of macho BS) for views.

 

[ShadowX81]

Doesn't watch anymore. I completely turned off after the 3rd review went the same way. Complaining about women and what they did, how the men aren't competent enough, 'the message' blah blah blah and I'd seen those films and thought every single one of those points was stretched so damn thin, I was wondering if we'd seen the same films. From that point on I put him in the same bin as Geeks and Gamers, The Quartering and RK Outpost. Rage bait losers who will **** on anything remotely progressive (hell not even that progressive, just not full of macho BS) for views.

So you both critique people for being "rage bait losers", and then personally insult him and his viewers. And you aren't a "rage bait loser" how exactly? Him and I hate a movie. You hate people that have done nothing wrong except for disliking a movie. Seems to me that the only toxic and hate filled person here is you.

 

[Dave_W]

So you both critique people for being "rage bait losers", and then personally insult him and his viewers. And you aren't a "rage bait loser" how exactly? Him and I hate a movie. You hate people that have done nothing wrong except for disliking a movie. Seems to me that the only toxic and hate filled person here is you.

I don't have 1.7 million Youtube followers who watch me go "Look at the competant woman in this film. What a bunch of horse ****!" But I come along and go..."bit of a ****" and suddenly I'm hate filled? Amazing how the guy with more online clout is the victim and little old me on a forum is this evil blue haired anarchist destroying our society. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!