Hello everyone! I am spread really thin and do not have the bandwidth to read KZfaq comments but wanted to clarify the moving thing since we haven't really talked about this publicly yet. After 3 years of fighting tooth and nail to save our house in TX since the 2021 storm we have accepted that it just isn't going to work and it's time to let go. We were simply never able to financially recover from the storm. We are still carrying heaps of credit card debt from being displaced for 8 months during the rebuild and the interest rate on our HELOC has more than doubled in the last two years. Due to this we haven't had the extra money to get other things on our house fixed. We have single pane aluminum windows from 1975 that provide us with wonderful $600 power bills in the summer. Our pool has a leak in it. Our sprinklers are broken. Insurance and taxes have gone up. We are tired of our lives being defined by our house and the month to month struggle that it's bringing. We love our house, but it's not worth bankruptcy. We've decided the best thing for us is to sell and use the equity to get completely out of debt and start a new life in my hometown of Los Angeles. "Oh nooo LA is so expensive!" You might be saying. That is true, but rent in LA is cheaper than owning our house here and we have more opportunities for contract work there. Plus we can actually attend all the movie premiers we get invited to! I'm also just homesick and Mikey wants a change. He's spent almost his whole life in the neighborhood we live in. We are aiming to have the house sold and the move completed by March which means we will unfortunately be skipping PAX East this year. We want to take the time to thank all of you who have fought with us for this house over the last 3 years. I don't know how we would have accomplished anything without you. And to those of you who fought to save the channel earlier this year when we were behind on all of our bills and thought we needed to re-enter the workforce to survive, we are still in shock from the rally of support you've shown to save the channel. We hope we have provided you with videos that brought you joy and made you feel like this channel was worth saving. We're looking forward to celebrating 10 years with you next June from our new space, debt free!

In an interview Ryan Gosling said the Kens huddle on the beach for warmth at night. I don't know if he was joking or not.

Something these studios are never going to learn is that people like authenticity. Just tell a good emotionally resonant story and people will buy into it.

I think what Mattel doesn't understand is that most people were initially intruiged by Barbie through the fact that it had Greta Gerwig attached, and that's what cemented it: a director with a sense of vision and creative direction, like getting Scorsese to direct and Fast and Furious movie.

Um excuse me. Wishbone taught me to love literature. He is never the wrong lesson. Put some respect on that very good boy.

Ruth may not have been name-checked in the name of the company she was responsible for transforming….but…Greta Gerwig made her, basically, God, in her movie universe!

Yes! You got it! I should have known that you would be the one on KZfaq to understand this movie. Barbie chooses life, with all its suffering and with death. It is essentially a Buddhist movie. She leaves a sheltered life, encounters aging, experiences suffering, meditates in a park, achieves enlightenment and decides that living a human life is worth it, IF we accept all the suffering and death itself, because doing so enables us to live and be happy, u understandi that life is change, and all things are impermanent.

Who's the protagonist? The audience.

I'm more and more considering getting tattooed "Muffled catawampus"...

I think this movie is very similar to Elf. A very naive character goes to the real world and makes us rethink some issues and we have a lot of laughs along the way. A bit overhyped but I enjoyed it.

After hearing so many takes on Barbie that set up 'it's brilliant' and 'it's commercial', it's a relief to hear a nuanced analysis taking the brave stance, 'let me clear that up for you: it's both'.

Not only should Barbie NOT make a sequel (the story is told) but 99% of those Mattel films will fail. I do hope MOTU is given another chance, but if not, that’s okay. Please, Studios learn the lesson Barbie taught us

First it was a joke. Then it first news and images dropped and it was ridiculous. Then the trailers dropped and made people intrigued. Then the marketing machine kicked into high gear and grabbed people's attention. Then the release date with another movie made it this year's biggest meme that everyone wanted to be a part of. Then a good and complex movie that gives a lot of place for interpretation and time to think about it released. Then they made over a billion dollars. The success and the movie itself are not so easy to wrap your head around. This video understands that and I thoroughly appreciate it for that. Also: I love Highway35/Acceleracers. So I'm looking forward to a Hot Wheels movie and I hope it might continue this unfinished story?

I was just thinking about making a comment along the lines of 'this is a lot like the Who's the Boss episode from Community' when Abed Nadir popped up on screen.

24:31 beyblade is a funny example considering theres an entire anime franchise still going to this day already anyways

I mean Disney had a whole series out of Pirates of the Caribbean, so ride cinema is a thing they clearly can do with the right project.

Thank You for all the joy!

I am broke for now but man oh man as soon as I am paid, I am coming after that Last Night in Soho video. I am the hardest Edgar fan. And a massive Movies with Mikey fan.

You've a great vibe. Your videos are nice.

I'm at the point of rewatching the Last Night in Soho because it's been a long time and I can't wait to see what I've missed... Also, Abed Nadir and Dario Argento (music to my ears) in the same video? Is this a crossov- don't.

amazing critique. thank you. i've liked and subscribed.

Just hearing you say Murder By Death makes me want to hear your thoughts on it, since I feel like you've seen at least Columbo, if not (sigh) Charlie Chan. And Poirot of course.

this question is exactly why i've always said that i would have liked this movie 100x more if it was Barbie 2. you've done it again, mikey.

...I mean Beyblades was already an anime, hell I could see an anime beyblades movie.

YES, MY FAVOURITE MOVIE. CHANNEL WITH ONE INCREDIBLE MOVIE

Without having watched a second of this, I'm so glad that Mikey as addressed this nagging thought I've had since the first time I watched this film. No one has quite the same eloquence. much love from the internet!

“Nobody knows what they’re doing” will never not be true! How do the people with all the money keep making the same dumb choices???

Rewatched because this is a great essay, and also to say that the Last Night and Soho video is so fuckin good.

I thought we already got a Hot Wheels movie: it's called Speed Racer (2008).

I too look forward to dissertations/analyses on this. I still think aboutit months later. Im a suker for pinnoccio stories

Good take on the story; but I saw Barbie and the girl having the same arc. Barbie going from a idealized to realistic outlook, while the girl went from the opposite worldview to a more caring, easy going, and realistic worldview. They both grew up; and found out how complex, and interesting, more neutral emotions can be.

I wish the song by Pink Don't Let Me Get Me played on the cars radio as they entered the real world

god that intro just fuckin SCHLAPS every single time I was waiting for this one omg

Honestly to me the barbie movie is basically the lego movie. Its about a toy thats based on the creativity of the user turned into a movie to celebrate the creativity and try to understand human issues that people deal with everyday that come from playing with that toy. For the lego movie it was about the joy of creation and thinking out side the box with a small detour into the world often stiffling creation for corperate greed. With barbie its more about how the patriarchy can hurt us all and how putting yourself into a box and labeling your self can be harmful. Like they kinda take the same idea and go in wildly different directions.

I just wanted to buy some stuff from the store to support you but the international shipping costs are insanely expensive. I went for a but-did-you-know shirt and a no-one-knows-what-they're-doing pin and shipping is as much as the merch itself which I find hard for me to justify. So I wanted to ask, are there other fans from Germany who would like to order some stuff so maybe we could get it together and save on shipping?

Half of the things you named that are in production have either already had films made or had a cartoon. So them deciding to do it again isn't that weird.

Rumattel works

Best movie theater moment ever is when the lady at the end swears. All the moms in my theater gasped and got pissed lmao

Wasn't Nebula half as expensive just last year? Why the 100% increase?

This movie is like iron man's condemnation of the war profiteers Its meaning and impact will be lessened and the company will try desperatly to fit the sucess in their box

I don't think it's a huge kick in the nuts that Mattel are suddenly producing every product movie under the sun. They're EXTREMELY unlikely to ever do well so it's just that joy of watching a big corpo cannibalise itself with greed while not understanding what made the one hit it got popular in the first place. Disney can product liquid shit and still pull people in because it's a hollywood name, Mattel are a known brand, but I doubt anyone is gonna actually take something like 'Uno movie' seriously to an extent it'll ever pull in the big bucks. Barbie was an experience that drew people like me to the cinema for the first time in years. I know a lotta folk are the same. Mattel's other concepts just aren't gonna drag people outta their houses, and aren't enough to get people into streaming either.

So obviously the idea of Mattel making movies out of like……everything they own is nauseating……BUT…..I cannot be the only one who wouldnt STRIVE to be first in line for a Wishbone movie

I understand why this movie decided not to, and I am trying to roll with it, but I am still wistful and a bit upset that most or all of the Barbies weren't played by Margot Robbie. I was craving the surreal absurdity of a world populated with xeroxed copies of the same person over and over. And, personally, I think it enhances the Pinocchio themes when one unique version of an otherwise identical character finds her personhood. It was kind of just...weird that the various Kens and Barbies acted like they weren't their own people and "just" another Barbie or Ken when they were all clearly unique already? Why was Allen special in this context? It brought me out of it a bit.

Absolutely spectacular piece Mikey! Wishing all the luck with the move!!!

"Barbie" is probably one of the most thought-provoking movies of the year. How? What is the sheer power of marketing and FOMO? Were there different voice-overs and stories? If this isn't "insanely stupid", why? 1bill means people saw this more than once voluntarily? Why?

What about an emoji movie? Or a Garbage Pail Kid movie? Nah, those are terrible ideas! What could I be thinking?

Thinkin reeeeeal hard about that lifelong Nebula membership

YES MIKEY fill me with film analysis I'm here for this!

Commenting to please the algorithm

It's not as good as 'Babylon' though. x

Is it weird that while I watched this movie in theatres, I was thinking that it's a cross between the Lego Movie and Fight Club?

😎🙏💯

i haven't seen the flash. not going to.

See you on Nebula!

It's funny how for me the Roblox oof is now just Tommy Tallarico sucking.

Disney somehow already made a successful film out of a Disneyland ride in fact its already been franchised , then run dry of any and all potential, interest, commercialism , and then pulizerjzed again ruthlessly to get any last drop from jt before dumping it in a nearby gutter This being pirates of the Caribbean based on the Disney ride.. pirates of the Caribbean so we have an idea of the buisness model when something like this or barbie takes off

I hate KZfaq so much. I love this channel and I love the videos here but for some reason one day youtube though "no I wont share anything from this channel to you anyome now you will hace to look for specific video essays that yoy rememeber seeing to find the channel again" like wtf. This is why people have stats with only 17% of people are subscribed to their channel. Becaus I am subscribed and this chanell juat dissapeared from my feed completly

Can't help but notice that He-Man wasn't in that list. Just cartoon for now I suppose. Bummer

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO is amazing!

Algorithm

You missed a trick for part 3. Kensumerism

I like to use your videos as a trailer to get my friends to watch a movie with me.

haven't watched this yet cuz I still haven't seen the movie but the thumbnail made me laugh out loud. I'm an old timey dad EDIT: I am still liking the video despite saving it for after I see the movie. I'm putting my faith in Mikey and assuming he doesn't say anything racist in it

i loveeee movies with mikey ohhh i love it ohh yeah babey this is the good stuf ohhh yeah

Banger as per usual.

I mean, the Hot Wheels movie can work but only if instead of propper sound effects for the cars, it's just voice-actors making all the sounds, instead

Sure, but I’m first in line for that Viewmaster movie.

Mikey likey Barbie, consequently crafts crucial criticism into powerful prose poem, making mockery of most mainstream movie mutterings. Future Pulitzer: plausible prediction.

Thank you, Mikey! 🌺

I primarily watch movies and videos to escape reality and distract my brain from itself. But I also try to improve my skills as a creator for both my KZfaq channels. I feel good about my film dissection until I watch a Mikey breakdown of a movie and then feel completely inadequate. You make me love the movies I love even more, Mikey! What a master you are. Thankfully, I've been a Nebula subscriber for a long time because I can't wait to watch your breakdown of Last Night in Soho - a movie I've rewatched several times. A year ago, my wife and I sold all our stuff, gave up our San Francisco apartment, and have been traveling the world. It's weird not having a home base, but at least we did it on purpose. Best wishes on your move. May you land in a place that allows you to create in peace, because we all need you to keep making your amazing videos. Cheers!

I can't be the only one. I'm having a rough day and the arrival of this video is a real boost. Thanks.

You hit the nail on the head with the "where do the Kens live?" section. Ken isn't meant to be an essential part of playing with Barbie dolls, playing with Barbie is. So Barbieland is just a direct reflection of this: the Barbies think the Kens are cool to have around, but they aren't necessary to their society. (Meanwhile the patriarchal Kendom has the Kens in power, but the Barbies are seen as NECESSARY to have around as their "long-term, long-distance, low-commitment, casual girlfriends" to affirm their masculinity.) The film does at times lean into the chilling implications of this hyper-literalized world, like when Stereotypical Barbie doesn't have an answer for where the Kens live, or at the end when President Barbie denies the Kens any representation in the Supreme Court, then the narrator is like, "Well maybe one day they'll have as much power as women in the real world. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" Barbieland is meant to fully embody female empowerment and progressive ideas of womanhood packaged in a diverse array of dolls - ironically (and troublingly) brought to us by a company led entirely by men. There's not much room for any meaningful change in the end, but at the same time the film IS very aware of this, it simply takes it with a lighthearted "it is what it is" tone which I think some viewers are either upset by or take for granted when discussing the film. However, when Stereotypical Barbie gets a taste of "Real World" human womanhood, there's really no going back to being JUST an "idea of womanhood". Margot's Barbie, for better and for worse, transcends the plastic reality of Barbieland for something more complex, messier, scarier, but ultimately more fulfilling. As Gloria says, "That's life, it's all change." 💖

If you asked me to name a musical I hate Oklahoma is the answer I'd give..... I'm not sure I even remember anything about it..... Beyond it was like the platonic ideal of everything I hated about musicals when I was a kid. Like all that comes to mind when I try to remember it is empty staging... The colors of sunset... And a pressure headache from boredom.

WE ARE SEX-BOB-OMB, AND WERE HERE TO MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT DEATH AND GET SAD AND STUFF!

Ken was always an accessory for Barbie and never had a house, car or anything.

.

The main character is literally me

How does a movie only make $313 internationally? Things have changed a lot since the 80s.

Hollywood excecutives keep looking for the formula to have a succesfull movie without putting in the effort. They don't understand that putting the effort IS the formula

I just said out loud to myself: "Man I love this guy. Best video essays ever." Thought you should know. Keep making Joy!!

... are we going to get Deep Dive back? Sorry. That was very selfish. Hearing the chaos that has occurred regarding your house is heartbreaking. Hopefully renting will be kinder to y'all and you find new family in LA.

I love your videos so much, but we all KNOW a beyblade movie would BANG. How dare you.

🌍🌎🌏

Look I think UNO could be better attempted into a video game where and 4 other players play it and have fun conversations like it's Poker.

"A home run that may eventually come to rest... on Saturn." Bravo, sir. Great video.

There's characters in Barbie?

We already have Uno the Movie. It's the let's play by Achievement Hunters lol

ken was the best part of the movie

:)

another answer to the "who's the protagonist" question: It's an ensemble film.

Someone help! It’s been years of these vids… I’ve looked it up multiple times… WHAT. IS. A. CATAWUMPUS!?!? In the context he uses it. Muffled catawaumpus. What does that mean!? What is it Halp!

I'll immediately head over to Nebula😀

Idk I didnt think the movie was really about politics. I read it more as a vehicle to drive the plot and create conflict. It didn't focus on those aspects really at all, but instead focused on the human moments. Barbie telling the old lady you're beautiful and thinking about death, kens feelings of inadequacy and chaffing about being more of an accessory than human being to the woman he loved, the daughter realizing the world is more complicated than what reddit say and that she should go easier on her mom and her mom giving the speech which didn't resonate with me cause you know, penis, but felt genuine and human. Be kinder to each other and yourself is what I got from it.

It’s Barbie. Barbie is the main character.

Something struck me... You couldn't do this sort of deconstructionist take on a "boy toy." The outrage would be deafening. Imagine a GI Joe movie as a dark meditation on the pointlessness of cyclic unresolved wars, or commentary on how pop culture constantly normalizes violence-based problem-solving. A great enraged cry would arise like none heard since The Last Jedi!

Am impressed that Barbie manage to stay on both side of the horse shoe theory. Its both woke leftist and based right at the same time, and that is honestly quite impressive. Who would think that the two sides of the divided political would meet over a movie about a doll?

This guy needs sleep.

Barbie land would be a mirror of the real world. If ninety percent of the barbies were completely unwanted and discarded and only the top 10% of barbies controlled The interest in attention of all of the kens

Gonna scrape together the $300 this month for a lifetime Nebula membership.

You need to put good people in the right places to make good movies even with stupid premises they can make it happen.