Similarities Across Barbenheimer

It hasn’t been that long since the world experienced the cinematic event coined, Barbenheimer. An event which led to the release of two drastically different features.

The two movies (Barbie & Oppenheimer), wasted no time in winning audiences over. Judging by the massive global box office earnings and critical acclaim both accrued.

However despite being polar opposites in almost every way. Both movies still share similarities that speak to both their surface and subsurface qualities.

Popular Characters

Barbenheimer actually stars Barbie and Robert Oppenheimer. The former, a fashionable female doll and the latter, a World War II nuclear physicist.

Differences are obvious with regards to their qualities. But on the surface, both names are widely recognised either in pop culture or world history.

Betrayals

This point speaks more to a subsurface quality. Which is actually the Barbenheimer movies.

The gist here is both main characters would suffer a form of betrayal from supporting characters within their respective features.

For instance, Barbie upon returning to Barbieland from her first trip to the Real World meets a more masculine version of it. Courtesy of Ken.

In like fashion, Strauss’s vendetta against Oppenheimer causes him to create probably the most unsavoury moment in the life of the physicist.

Who by the way had just helped the allied powers win the war.

Fashion

It would be a remiss not to include the obvious trend that Barbenheimer sparked.

Beginning with Oppenheimer, though more of a biopic, it also doubles as a period piece. And a huge draw in period pieces is how the fashion of a different era creates a contagious feel of nostalgia for older people and wonder for the youngsters.

Same can also be said for Barbie whose blinding use of pink and pink adjacent wardrobe as well production design. Made sure that Barbieland felt like a life-sized dollhouse.

With these points, it then becomes clear. The quality of Barbenheimer is not only polarising but also magnetic. Which is what may have unconsciously sold audiences to having a double feature.

Even though many had obvious favourites.