Barbie is undoubtedly the most buzzed-about movie of the summer — maybe even the whole year. But there’s still a lot we won't know about the movie until it hits theaters on Friday — including whether it's appropriate for kids.
Barbie dolls are toys for children, of course, but this movie — which has earned a PG-13 rating, may not be. Here’s what you need to know before deciding to take your kids to see the Barbie movie, based on what we know so far.
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It's Barbie's world, and we're just living in it.
Barbie, directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll, looks like a kid’s Barbie dream come true.
Everything that we’ve seen is bright, pink, and happy. Barbie and all of her friends are singing and dancing around in her bubblegum colored Dreamhouse. She gets to drive around in her pink convertible and there are seemingly endless parties. And of course, there's Ken.
But despite the fluffy, shiny pink-ness of everything, the film still deals with some topics that might be too mature for the youngest of Barbie owners.
Warning: minor spoilers ahead for the sake of decision-making.
There are specific reasons for the PG-13 rating.
The film is rated PG-13 for "suggestive references and brief language." All reviews state that there is only one instance of sweary language: a moment where the "m-f" word is uttered. The swear word is bleeped out, but any kid who has ever heard the phrase before will know exactly what it is.
According to Nerdist: "Despite living in a world built by imagination and not knowing what sex is, Ken and Barbie know they don’t have human genitalia. A character makes direct reference to each of their missing private parts." They say it’s done in a matter-of-fact, humorous kind of way, with nothing explicit.
If you’re worrying about nudity (every kid strips their Barbie's clothes off at some point), fear not. The Kens are sometimes shirtless, or wear their shirts open, but that’s all. It’s no worse than going to the beach or pool.
People reports that there is "mild, cartoony violence," and that a battle between the Kens contains "weaponizing inflatable pool toys and aggressively dancing."
'Barbie' does have some themes that aren't little kid friendly.
None of the reviews so far are explicitly stating exactly what the film is about, and the vagueness can be confusing for those who want to see it with their kids.
"We invent things like dolls to explain to ourselves what it means to be human … Part of me wondered if there was a way that we could allow the doll to also have that humanity," the director told People.
"Do you guys ever think about dying?" Barbie asks her friends, as seen in the trailer. They’re in the middle of an epic dance party, and the record scratch heard is what everyone is thinking. Is the Barbie movie going to get deep?
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Yes, 'Barbie' gets deep.
It’s her existential crisis that drives the action of the movie. Nerdist states that the film "explicitly deals with depression, the patriarchy, gender roles in society, and other deep, meaningful ideas" that are likely intended for an older audience.
But that’s not all it does. It its review, Common Sense Media suggests the film: "Promotes the idea that feminism is inclusive of all women — and that being a woman is complicated and sometimes messy." It also claims that the movie emphasizes the "importance of finding out who you are separately from your relationships with other people."
There is also praise for the number of role models Barbie contains. Barbie herself is "curious, empathetic, brave, and kind" and "realizes that she doesn't have to be 'perfect' to have value." And even though Ken starts out "shallow," even he has character development by the end of the film.
So, should you take your kids or not?
There is a lot of positive buzz for the Barbie movie, and it seems like there are a lot of good reasons for it. But it also sounds like it’s not really a movie that was made explicitly for kids.
"I think Gerwig has included all this maturer content knowing that a large portion of the audience will be millennials and members of Generation Z — people who grew up with Barbie during the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s — looking for that nostalgia but also to be entertained," Danny Brogan, executive editor for Common Sense Media told Yahoo!
Based on its strong feminist messaging and understanding of modern issues like patriarchal society and capitalism, Barbie could definitely end up being a bit boring for kids under the age of 10. Even kids between 10 and 12 could find it a little over their heads.
If you have an older tween or younger teen who is really into the themes of the film, then you should take them. But if not, it might be better to make it a grown-ups' night out instead.
