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The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023)
As gory as it gets. 7.5/10
Dead City follows Maggie and Neegan as they head to New York City to save Hershall, a few years after the events of The Walking Dead finale.
This was the show I was the least excited for out of the 3 that TWD franchise annonces. However, I enjoyed it much more than anticipated it. Other than it being too fast paced for my taste, I think the show did a great job introducing the conflict, and setting up the characters. There were a couple elements that felt incomplete for me, notably with the Croat and his crew, the Marshall's place in the story, and the events between TWD's finale and this series. I suppose we might get more loop holes filled if they make a second season, but for now, it still feels underdeveloped at points.
This series was highly entertaining. The zombies were some of the most terrifying we've seen, and the stakes were high. The zip line element, and zombies falling off of buildings, were brilliant ideas. I loved to hear about what happened in one of the most crowded islands in the world. The enclosure of the location was well played, however I would have loved more NYC destruction of some recognizable attractions. The pacing was quick, but we were revealed clues at a perfect timing. Perhaps 2 or 3 episodes more would have been beneficial to fully develop this season. I don't think multiple seasons/parts was a good strategy, as it truly doesn't need to go further than it is. I got what I wanted out of the 6 episodes we got, and I'm not sure an other season seems enticing enough.
It had been a while that TWD and Fear was kind of stagnant. Each episode felt stretched and far-fetched. It was time for those series to end and have a refresh. Surprisingly, this show succeeded to refresh while still following some of the characters we know and love. Maggie is one of my least favourite character in the franchise, but they still added a twist to her that I quite enjoyed. Neegan and her certainly make an interesting pair of frenemies. I also enjoyed Ginny's part in this series, even if she was annoying at times, as many TWD children are.
Overall, I had a good time, but I hope the next season will be the end, as there's just not much more to tell with this story before it gets redundant.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
A missed opportunity... 5.5/10
This film adaptation follows Alex, the son of the first woman president of the United States, and Henry, the prince of England, in a forbidden romance that will try to make you swoon.
From someone that loves the book, I can't deny that I was disappointed in this adaptation. As much as I'm happy that we are seeing gay romance, I felt like this film was sadly tainted in tokenism. What I mean is that i felt like this film was made to check a box of making LGBTQ content, without checking the boxes of what makes a good movie. The average audience might think that's fine, but for me it's disappointing to see that they barely put any effort to make this a masterpiece.
Cringy dialogue, shallow characters, hallmark worthy music, clunky editing, flat cinematography, wrong choice of costumes, empty ending, lack of story development, and so much more. These elements were all missing, which makes this film seem not genuine in wanting to represent the best gay romance they could make. That extra effort should have been essential, especially because LGBTQ stories have been underrepresented for far too long and deserved to be told with heart. It just doesn't seem genuine to me when the film looks botched.
In my opinion, adaptations should have differences to the book. But in this instance, the changes do not serve anything to make the story more compelling. The removal or minimization of so many characters was a huge mistake. It removed the "found family" element that made this book so good. The film focused so much on Henry and Alex that it ignored the political message. It doesn't give nearly the impact than it could have been and chose the shallow Hallmark like structure instead. It's like the filmmakers didn't want to believe in this story.
I will say that there were some good romance scenes. I was gushing during their first kiss and the museum scene. It was also refreshing to see a coming out story gone well. As much as I was disappointed by the movie, I am happy that they tried and will probably touch many lives. I think many viewers will see themselves in this film, which is the most important part.
The Covenant (2023)
A disappointing delivery to a great story. 5.5/10
Guy Richie's latest film follows a local interpreter and his injured American sergent across the dangerous landscape of Afghan war zone.
There are so many great stories out there, but unfortunately, they are badly told. This film could have been Oscar worthy, but turns out to be rotten bait. Too many films are having this problem nowadays, and it makes me question the impact of streaming services that pull out so much content all the time. Quantity over quality is never good, and this film is the result of that thinking.
It could have been really easy to make this film excellent. When you have a touching story like that, it doesn't take much to make it an emotional masterpiece. But clunky dialogue, stiff acting, and underdeveloped characters ruined it. It sadly failed to make me care for what happened to most of these characters except Ahmed. This story should make me cry! Pull out the violins, and the emotional moments where all is lost!
The first thing I noticed through the first 5 minutes of this film was the unnatural dialogue. There's nothing that makes me cringe more than that. Ahmed and John share a few good lines of dialogue that redeem some of the writing, but other than that, the conversations were awkward when they shouldn't be. Make them talk about something in their everyday environment, or something they care about. Make them argue, make them laugh, create character tensions. All this helps build characters, but it failed to do so. Once we get to the ambush, it's hard to care for what happens to them. The impact doesn't seem grave enough, because we don't get to know any of them. We needed to feel the stakes of this mission, instead of just going.
Ahmed's journey with John cut too short to my eyes. There were a lot of moments of doubt and danger which were felt, but I wish there was more time to linger and feel Ahmed's pain and resilience. I wish we would have gotten to know more about Ahmed's family, and his time in hiding. Show me how difficult that was, and what he was able to do in those circumstances. Show me how he feels about the hand he was dealt. Family development was also lacking on John's side. The worst part of the film has to be when his wife and children say bye to him as he goes back to Afghanistan. It's like they are ok with it, and don't feel anything much after they've believed for weeks that he was dead. Why is this not a bigger deal for them, and why is it a no brainer for John to come back to Afghanistan to risk his life again?
The film has somewhat of a critical lens on American military, and the lack of concern towards refugees, and their word to protect Afghan locals. Even after everything, Americans still fail to recognize the work of these Afghan loyal interpreters, which was eye opening and not that surprising to see. I wish the film would have pushed this topic further and be harsher on the effects of this ignorance.
Overall, this film was very disappointing, and then more I think about it, the more I dislike it. It had so much potential to be remarkable, which is probably the most frustrating part.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
A fun adventure. 7/10
The recent Dungeons and Dragons movie follows a group of thieves as they try to retrieve a magical horn for the wrong people. This adventure steers the group apart into an unexpected fight to defeat this evil.
What a great time this was!! As a regular player of DnD, this was a blast! It had a lot of hints and Easter eggs to the original game and the ways in which it plays. But even if you know nothing about this game, I'm sure you'd really enjoy this. The movie was well balanced. A good amount of adventure, character growth, actions intrigue, comedy, and heart. It wasn't perfect, but I think they did a great job with this one! I felt like it has been a long time that we haven't had this good of an action adventure.
I love Regé-Jean's character! He is a hilarious version of a dungeon master NPC. The way he spit out the instructions and spoke in this heavily prepared and scripted way was so on point. I wish we would have gotten more development from Doric's character. As a wild shape player in DnD, I was expecting to have a bit more out of her. She seemed to only be cool. As much as a wild shape is broken and OP, she had 0 characterization. I was needing more out of that. I also thought there could have been more work on the VFX, but at the same time, it kind of fit the comedic medieval style.
If the movie would have been a bit more serious, I think this would have been a better film. If you'd had gone in a LOTR kind of style, I think we would have gotten an epic fantasy. Playing DnD is fun and we have a great laugh, but it's more about the epic adventure and the range of character development. I wish we would have gotten more of a hint or a shot of people playing the game. Perhaps someone getting out of character, or something with dices, just to make more of a reference to the actual game instead of the world. But perhaps in a future adaptation of this epic role playing game.
Air (2023)
Disappointing to say the least... 5.5/10
Air is about how Nike managed to make the deal for the Air Jordans. This is how a few businessmen managed to convince the up and coming Micheal Jordan into one of the first successful influencer campaigns.
This movie was mediocre at best. It focuses on the head of the basketball sales at Nike, and how he selects players to wear their shoes. He gets the idea to make a shoe branded for a specific player. This transaction make Nike what it still is today, and made Michael Jordan a name that is remembered beyond basketball. The problem with all this is that for a movie that is so much about branding Micheal Jordan, we have close to no scenes with him.
I don't know about you, but this film kind of gave white saviour vibes. I don't understand the choice behind not putting a face to associate Micheal Jordan to, but I didn't look it up to be fair. I just don't get it. Why not show the face of the brand and make him have a more participatory role. They just made him seem like a careless teenager where his parents make all the decisions for him... felt kind of reductive towards this star player. There was just something off about the way it was told.
The redeeming factor of this film was Viola Davis! She stole the show and was outstanding in this role. Without her, this film would have had an even worse rating. Matt Damon is good, but I Ben Affleck was off... it often gives that effect when an actor is also directing the film.
The worse part of the film has to be the camera work. I hate shots that are slightly out of focus. On a big screen, you can't hide that. The shift focus from character to characters was jittery and that takes you right out of the film (notably in the bar scene). The depth of field was too narrow for the comedians. It didn't give them enough range to act, so when they would slightly move forwards or backwards, it would loose focus. Also most conversations had close up shots that were way too close. It was uncomfortable and unnecessary.
This was all sorts of wrong. The story is a classic business like intrigue, but it's missing heart, and good technique.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Better than expected! 7/10
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is inspired by the notorious Nintendo video games. Mario and his brother Luigi just started a plumbing business in New York, where they accidentally find an entrance to a secret realm while on the job. The way to this strange place unfortunately separated them and puts Luigi in great danger. Mario and Peach collaborate on this quest to defeat Bowser and save his brother.
This was surprisingly great! I went to see this on opening weekend and the cinema was PACKED. It's good to see movie theatres running again, and getting that feedback from the audience.
The animation style was impeccable. There were no uncanny moments that got me out of the film. The nods to the games were so good. I especially enjoyed the rainbow railway scene. As a player of the Mario games since its beginning, it was great to see how well they adapted elements from all of the games. It was cleaver, with some witty comedy, and entertaining story.
Some people have critiqued this as a kids movie. I don't see anything wrong about a kids film, but I hate to see that used with a negative connotation. I think this movie is pleasurable for all audiences, especially if you like video games. Sure, the dialogue is easy to understand and the narrative is straightforward, but I wouldn't categorize it as only being for kids. Actually, I think it was more targeted towards people of my generation, that have loved and enjoyed these games. It was carefully crafted from a fan to a fan.
My main issue with the film was its quick and tidy ending. It didn't leave any room for interpretation, or an opening to something else. Everyone was happy and the end. It made this otherwise great movie fall flat. I'm sure there could have been a better way than to wrap this up in 5 minutes.
But overall, this was a great time and I'd recommend it if you are into Nintendo games, or animation films in general. And you got to love the troll song "Peaches" and the fun voice acting. I also got to applaud the modern twist on Princess Peach. If you haven't seen it yet, It's a beauty!
Aftersun (2022)
An outstanding debut. 7.5/10
Aftersun follows a depressed father and his 11 year old daughter on their final trip together.
This was almost a masterpiece. I'm still shocked that this was the director's first feature film. It is so intricate and pays attention to the tiniest details. It took me a while to know what to rate it. I was conflicted by my bored experience of watching it, over my long reflection of the film that continued on for days after viewing. Upon further thought, I understood what I actually experienced. It wasn't merely showing the boring moments of a trip, but one that was replayed in the mind of an adult. It questions the experience of her 11 year old self, and how her adult self interprets these moments.
I just wish we would have played more with unreliable memory, and the frustration of it. While we go back and forth between what was filmed during the trip, her 11 year old experience, and the way she remembers/imagines it, it's hard to know what is truth. It's a confusing experience for viewers and I wish we could have grasped a bit more clarity (but at the same time, maybe that was the point).
I think this was an impactful portrait of depression and hiding behind a mask to please the ones around you. I loved to hear glimpses of his story that made his mask come off just a little. Those moments seem trivial when he explains it to a young teenager, but become much more real and terrifying when these conversations are in front of a camera or an adult. But these final moments with her father must play back in her mind over and over again because she is trying to find clues and answers to his unhappiness. This might become more clear as she gets older, but is her mind playing her tricks to believe this narrative?
Either way, I wish we would have had more scenes with adult Sophie, and a clearer picture to what happened with her father. Of course we can assume due to what we see, but I feel like I needed that confirmation.
The acting, cinematography, and beautifully crafted story should all be reasons you should give this movie a chance.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
A Bridgerton show is always a good time. 7/10
Queen Charlotte is a Netflix spin off based on the Bridgerton series. It takes place before the events of the series we love, and follows the romance story of the queen and the mysterious king.
As someone that loves the book series, and really enjoyed binging the show, I had to watch this! At first, I was disappointed that we were getting a spin off instead of season 3, but I was pleasantly surprised.
This series focuses on the events that led to the black community's inclusion in the court of England. It addresses racism in a way that was ignored in Bridgerton. The Bridgerton show lives in a fantasy of what life could have been like if we put our differences aside. It brings everyone together in this beautiful diverse ensemble. Seeing bi-racial love celebrated on such a widespread show is so important. There is a lack representation in diverse love stories, and it's refreshing to see it in a period piece, despite how it ignores the flaws of our history. Queen Charlotte offers an explanation to how this fantasy was put in place and the discriminatory hurdles they had to go through.
The first episode is swoon worthy. You fall in love with the characters and are hooked right from the start. The intrigue continues on into something we rarely see on screen. The representation of mental health, and the innovation of neuro medicine is captivating. From someone that has studied psychology, it was fascinating to see the primitive methods applied on such important figures. Overall, I think they did an excellent job with the characterization of King George and Queen Charlotte, and how their challenges play out.
I loved Lady Danbury's story, and the struggles of Violet's "garden". They go through women's issues that must have been going on then, just as much as they are going on today. They are very relatable and I loved to get to know them more.
My only "ikk" is that the show felt kind of empty at times. It lacked some meaning and ambiguity. I wish we had more reason for compassion of older Charlotte. Perhaps a longer show would have been beneficial. But overall, it was a fun and quick watch.
Beef (2023)
One of a kind. 7.5/
Beef starts off with a road rage argument between two people that live completely different realities, yet live the same kind of life frustrations.
This show was surprising. People were raving about it, so I had to give it a try. The first 3 episodes are very engaging. You discover the lives of Danny and Amy, and how much they contrast from one another, yet they always seek to escalate their rage to one another. The disparity between the seemingly "perfect" life of Amy, and the chaotic life of Danny makes an interesting case study. Even if they have different life situations, they envy what the other has. They fill each other's void through anger, and it is entertaining to watch.
But once the show keeps escalating through the 4th till 7th episode, it becomes hard to watch. The amount of hate that comes out of them is sad to watch. At some point, I was asking myself why I was still watching. There are better ways to express anger and sometimes it went too far.
And then we get to the last 3 episodes where things go beyond the limit. As much as it's disturbing, there's something compelling about it. They are the victims of their own selves and they are trying to find people to blame to make life a bit more bearable.
The last episode really comes through by ending off in a poetic way. It blurs the lines of reality, and presents beautiful visual metaphors. I think a lot of people will relate to this show. It reminded me a lot of the movie Parasite (2019), and how it contrasted different social classes and the rage/fear that they have against one another. I also enjoyed the Asian first or second generation immigrant representation, and how that shaped the conflict that they both live with.
Overall, it was a great show. The acting stood out and was beyond compelling. It lost me at times where it would hold so much anger, but I get the general arc of the story, and it stayed with me. If you're in the right headspace for it, I'd definitely recommend you give it a try and check it out on Netflix.
Rye Lane (2023)
A strange rom com that magically happens to work. 7.5/10
Rye Lane is about a young man that is still hung up on his past relationship that ended 3 months ago after he learned that she was cheating on him with one of his friends. He is still processing this breakup as he accidently runs into Yas at an art gallery. She feels bad for his sadness, so she gives him a day they won't ever forget.
This was an unexpected movie. I quite liked it. The colours were so vibrant and I really enjoyed the stylistic approach of the fish eye lens. A lot of people didn't like the look of this film, but I think the lens worked with the themes of the film. Their crazy day makes sense when we are following the characters. They go on a bunch of adventures that seem so unlikely, but they just work. Sometimes life is like that. We have these strange days that seem to be normal when we live them but when we try to explain them, it sounds crazy. Following Dom and Yas, it just makes sense. But when they explain their day to Yas's ex boyfriend, he thinks that they are crazy and that what leads them to these events make no sense. I think the lens work is a reflection of the uncanny moments of life that seem unlikely and strange, but somehow still happen. The fish eye lens for me represents the outsider perspective on a otherwise normal situation.
I loved the bold colours. It brightened up the gray themes of the film. The lack of confidence, the helplessness of being at the bottom of the ladder when you have big dreams, and the fear of failure are themes that are so well done. The conversations in this film are outstanding. There's some great dialogue that was performed exquisitely by David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah. I loved to follow along this romance and to have that (literal) full circle moment at the end. It was refreshing to see so much style represented in a rom com. There's also such a lack of black representation in romance films, so it was nice to see this for once. I hope to see more of that in the future.
The Last Thing He Told Me (2023)
A forgettable thriller. 6/10
The show follows Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey as they are searching for her husband that has suddenly disappeared.
It's not that the show was bad, but it wasn't particularly memorable. The first 3 episodes are slow and kind of boring. The stepdaughter is on another level of mean, and Hannah has no idea how to manage this teenage girl. Then we have two episodes that are good, and the last ones that were such disappointing reveals. I suppose that I came out of it thinking "that's it?! Really?"
I finished this show two or three weeks ago (I'm late in my review posting), and i already don't fully remember the twist... i don't know if it was the story, as the book is quite successful, but the show was missing something for me. Perhaps a show format was a mistake in this case. It dragged on the story for too long, and there was a lack of displaying details. I understand the difficult task of wanting to adapt a book into an audiovisual format, and to want as many elements of the books as possible, but that's the thing about adaptations. They are made to adapt and change the story to fit the different medium. I think this show could have been a movie, and it probably would have been a better adaptation, as we didn't need that much filler to tell this story. As for the acting, it was good actors, but no outstanding performance.
If you like an afternoon slow thriller that you don't fully need to pay attention to, sure watch it. But there are so many other shows out there that are worth more your time than this. But you won't get anything more than an okay experience watching this. I usually love Apple TV shows, but this one was a bit of a let down.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
My top movie of the year so far. 8.5/10.
This second film of the Spiderverse series goes deeper into the multiverse. We meet new characters, and follow Miles's growth after a year of being Spider-Man.
I'll start this off by stating that I don't love superheroe movies. This is an exception, but it still gave me disappointing villains. For me, Spot and Miguel were missing a lot of depth. Spot was more a comic relief kind of villain, and Miguel is just an annoying conservative Spider-Man. For me, a good villain has excellent motives, that makes you question if he's the villain after all. In this case, I found them both to be surface level, similarly to the first film.
With that being said, I absolutely loved Miles in this film. His teenage angst, his struggle for living a double life, and the loneliness he feels after loosing his friends, are just on point. Gwen is similarly excellently built. The watercolour scenes in her universe gave me chills, and the dispute she has with her father is relatable and heart wrenching. I loved to see more depth in these stories, and the strong metaphors of teenage experience. The mask is another way to represent hiding your identity, and the exclusion is another to represent racism. The correlation between these deeper themes are what makes me want to see this movie over and over again. It has so much emotional depth that anyone can relate to.
The animation is even better than the first one if you can believe that. The first one is amazing and revolutionary, but this one is even more beautiful. The variety of so many new Spider-Man's allowed for a wide range of styles. I think this diversity of styles is what makes this film so strong. Shoutout to the Lego scene made by a 14 year old! That's incredible. And shoutout to the Hobie Brown character, and it's unique quality. The film style will go down in history.
I haven't been too impressed by movies overall in this first half of the year, but this one is very memorable. I'm not sure if it will keep the spot of my favourite this year, but it's definitely up there.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
I enjoyed this a lot more than anticipated. 7.5/10
No Hard Feelings is a quirky rom com where the rich helicopter parents of a young adult man, hire an older woman to seduce their son and get him out of his shell.
This film shares the untold story of the awkward and anxious boy that prefers to play video games in their parent's basement over experiencing life. We rarely get this point of view, and it was a fun time! First of all, the actor that plays Percy (Andrew Feldman) was excellent for his first feature film role. Acting alongside the icon that is Jennifer Lawrence is not an easy task, and he did a great job. I truly believe that Jennifer Lawrence should keep doing comedies. She has the trick for delivering snappy dialogue, and has a talent for amplifying the comedy with her non verbal language. That scene on the beach is iconic, among so many moments that will make this film memorable.
The chemistry between these two was one point. With such an age gap, it must have been awkward, but they did a great job. The way they made this awkward story work is a hard task to achieve. This film could have easily been cringy and a huge red flag. But the way they bring the absurd suggestion of the parents asking this middle aged woman to sleep with their son, is just a well placed satire to the rich helicopter parents of our time. I really enjoyed the depth of the friendship between Maddie and Percy. We rarely get a good movie about friendship without it becoming boring.
I wish we would have had a bit more time on the ending, and what it took to let go of the things that held them back in the past. I know their friendship is what changed them, but I feel like it could have been explored a bit more.
Oppenheimer (2023)
If it weren't for the theatrical experience, I'm not sure I would rate this so high. 8/10
Oppenheimer is a uniquely told biopic about the man and team that created the nuclear bomb.
Starting with the positives: Cilian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. Need to get an Oscar nomination for these performances. The sound, score and cinematography are impeccable. The detonation scene will go down in history for one of the greatest scenes ever, and Nolan deserves the nomination for that alone. I have never felt more thrilled and captivated than in this scene. The silence in the filled theatre gave me chills. The theatre experience is a must to fully enjoy this film. I don't think it would give the same effect watching it at home.
The film was very timely considering our current political climat on AI and the impact of technology on humanity. I enjoyed the criticism of the American Nationalism, and the way they portrayed Oppenheimer's gilt. That scene in the auditorium with the people loudly stomping their feet was a masterpiece. I just wish the film was more like that than the rest of this mess.
The film starts off strong with the characterization of Oppenheimer by showcasing his obsession with physics. They introduce these complex topics easily enough for the audience, but I'll need a 2nd watch to understand all the political parts. However, the first act's editing is a bit clunky. The scenes are cut too short, and it makes it difficult to follow the story, and care for the characters. New faces would constantly appear, and it would get confusing to understand their purpose to the narrative. This gets me to Florence Pugh which was critically underused. Her character was underdeveloped, and I would personally have cut her out of the film to leave more space for Emily Blunt's character. We get that one scene towards the end with her that was good, but it was hard to care since we barely got to know her. The film barely passes the Bechdall test, and leaves a lot to be desired from the female characters that all fell flat. It bewilders me to see how we got to know so little of the characters in a 3+ hour film.
Focusing on communism and the courtroom drama was important for the story, but there was too much of it. I don't see how Robert Downey Jr's character was so present. I don't think he should have been a focus, even if I think it was an excellent performance. It left me wanting more on the critique of this invention, and the impact it had on the characters. I think archival footage of Hiroshima would have pertinent, in addition to scenes that speculated more on the character's feelings towards the ethics of this bomb.
The final scene is what makes this film so haunting. The decision to add Einstein and to bring back this critical dialogue scene is probably why so many love this film. It leaves you with this twisted feeling, and somewhat of an open ending that is meant to spark discussion. Overall, there are some excellent moments in this film, but it sadly doesn't take the spot of my favourite Nolan film.
Barbie (2023)
I didn't get what I came here to see, but I still had a blast the whole way through. 7.5/10
Barbie sets herself to go to the real world to solve her flat feet and cellulite by connecting with the girl that played with her.
Entering Barbieland is breathtaking. It's built exactly like a child's imagination with incredible set designs and quirky mechanics. The first thirty minutes are fun and filled with music and bright colours. The dance sequences brings me back to my childhood where I would create these kinds of scenes with my toys. I wish we could have stayed in this wonderland a bit longer before we had to get to the real world.
Ryan Gossling stole the show. I don't remember the last time I laughed so much. It was iconic how Gerwig reversed the narrative and made Ken into the typical representation of women in film. The film is so clever and is clearly made by someone that is a student of film. With references of Space Odessey, the Matrix, The Truman Show, The Wizard of Oz, and hundreds of others, it made the film have that much more depth.
I feel like the plot could have been rearranged a bit. The quests Barbie is supposed to solve seems irrelevant to me. It offers comic relief, but I believe it would have been more pertinent to have her explore the real world to see how Barbies "saved" us. The mom and daughter character are useless to the narrative. Other than having 0 personality or depth, we never got to understand their tension or learn their drives. They could have been better written, or removed all together. The monologue sequence was a mistake. Show me how women live in this world instead of telling me. It sounded too preachy for me, despite me being a feminist. If we would have spent less time on the mother and daughter, and more on giving concrete examples of women's pressure, it would have been a stronger film.
The story and characterization is also lacking at Mattel. We never get a conclusion to why Mattel went back to Barbieland. The story felt incomplete, and perhaps overly cut due to corporate producers. This brings me to argue that we didn't receive the movie that was intended by the director. Although it being a critique on our society and the impossible standards for women, it could have been pushed even further. Perhaps the large presence of corporate players like Mattel and Chevrolet hindered the extent of the satire. I was expecting a Kubrick kind of satire, and as much as we did get some of that, more subtle satire could have been beneficial. I have full confidence in Gerwig's skills which is why I'd be curious to see a directors cut. Let's petition for it!
The ending was also disappointing for me. I felt like I was watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 for no apparent reason. Perhaps they didn't really know where to go with the story and I'm shocked they chose that. I liked that we got to meet the creator of Barbie, but there was something missing for me. Overall, this was a fun time. I think most audiences will enjoy this despite having some plot holes. I look forward to watching it again in the future.