The 90’s saw cinema rise to great peaks, the 00’s saw CGI enter new realms, the 10’s saw franchises and studio’s release incredible pieces, but following on from that we’re seeing a meteoric rise in only the type of cinematic masterpieces that have little to no originality, the novelty of Marvel movies has well and truly worn off. But, in some sort of rare coincidence we’ve been blessed by the dual release of two epic movies: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie adaptation and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

BARBENHEIMER

I think the term Barbenheimer is a clever and funny way to describe these two films which couldn’t be more different in terms of tone, subject matter, and target audience. Barbie is a bright, pink, and fluffy film about a fashion doll, while Oppenheimer is a dark, serious, and thought-provoking film about the development of the atomic bomb.

The term Barbenheimer captures the juxtaposition of these two films perfectly. It’s a portmanteau of the two titles, but it also sounds like a made-up word that could be the name of a new species of alien or a type of magical creature. It’s a word that makes you think, “What on earth is that?”, and then you start to laugh when you realise what it means. I think the term Barbenheimer has caught on because it’s so funny and unexpected. It’s a perfect example of how the internet can take something ordinary and turn it into something hilarious. I’m glad that the term Barbenheimer has become a part of the cultural lexicon, and I’m sure it will be used to describe the two films for years to come.

The only other hope is that the success of these two movies combined, with Barbie just setting a billion dollar return and Greta being the first female director to achieve this milestone, both keeping their part ownership of the new term individually. Whether it’s the incredible feats of cinematography in Oppenheimer, pushing boundaries with IMAX, and the fresh style of bringing a world-renowned toy brand into life in Barbie. Both story telling in their own right, but originality is key – originality is the key.

FLOP CINEMA

The rise of cinematically disappointing movies has been ever more present, most recently with Marvel titles The Flash as well as Morbius or long-delayed X-Men movie The New Mutants. The most common factor for these is down to their story-line being convoluted – with some probable issues being around production and/or release during COVID lockdowns – however, some could say that these movies are deep in their lore or universe, the understanding of which depends on the other movies in the franchise perhaps. Then it doesn’t take much to look back a bit and remember some more recent convoluted, confusing or just plain crap releases:

Cats (2019). This musical adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage show was a critical and commercial disaster. With a reported budget of $95 million, it only grossed $75.5 million worldwide. The film’s poor performance has been attributed to its uncanny CGI, its lack of coherence, and its release during the holiday season.

Fantastic Four (2015). This reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise was a critical and commercial disappointment. With a reported budget of $120 million, it only grossed $168 million worldwide. The film’s poor performance has been attributed to its negative reviews, its lack of originality, and its release during the summer blockbuster season.

The Legend of Zorro (2005). This sequel to the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro was a critical and commercial disappointment. With a reported budget of $100 million, it only grossed $94 million worldwide. The film’s poor performance has been attributed to its unoriginal storyline, its lack of action, and its release during a crowded summer blockbuster season.

These are just a few examples of movies that have flopped due to their poor unoriginal storyline. It’s worth noting that not all reboots are failures. Some reboots, such as The Dark Knight (2008) and Jurassic World (2015), have been critical and commercial successes. It’s important to note that there are many factors that can contribute to a film’s success or failure, including the quality of the film itself, the marketing campaign, and the timing of the release. However, a poor unoriginal storyline is often a key factor in a film’s failure.

To wrap up on a positive, may the continuing success of two original movies be an inspiration to continue making more. To celebrate the Barbie and Oppenheimer movies, the term has been immortalised in GoKatMe style with a Barbenheimer t-shirt: