Barbie it’s finally here after fueling anticipation for a while. With many films comes a comparison to other films, often in the same genre or with the same cast. But Barbie surprisingly has a lot in common with the 2022 movie.
by Greta Gerwig Barbie it is already taking over the world. With its source material bringing the nostalgia factor while staying strong in terms of story and characters, there’s a lot to love. The film follows the titular doll as she realizes her perfect plastic life is not what it seems and goes on an adventure into the human world. Barbie’s self-awareness gives the whole film an interesting meta-narrative and satirical vibe. So naturally, people have compared it to a similar type The LEGO Movie. Both are based on beloved toys and share that meta tone. However, Barbie has a lot more in common with the Oscars Everything Everywhere At Once.
EEAAO’s Evelyn and Barbie are similar characters
Barbie AND Everything Everywhere At Once have protagonists who share some obvious similarities while still being different. For starters, Barbie AND EEAAO‘s Evelyn are strong female actors who have supporting male characters, which in itself is a significant subversion of the conservative tropes of male and female lead films throughout the years.
In addition, they are both framed as people who have no purpose; they are just sailing through life. Neither lady is interested in being the hero of the story, they just want to do their own thing. While being ordinary doesn’t necessarily mean one for the role, it actually makes Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn Wang the perfect heroes, especially given their determination to solve the big problems they’re facing.
Everything Everywhere All the Time and Barbie Have Similar Themes and Plot Structures
both Barbie AND Everything Everywhere At Once also share a similar theme. Since every main character has that inner self-awareness and conflict, it’s fair to say that the films deal with existentialism. The main characters go through the beginnings of their stories questioning their places in the universe, having a bit of an existential crisis. They question what everything means in their individual worlds. A good part of their journeys through the movies involve finding or creating their own meaning. Barbie AND Everything Everywhere At Once also have a rather happy ending, as their conflicts come to an end and they end up coming to terms with the villains of their story. This ending is unsurprising and fairly generic for light-hearted movies, but it’s just another thing to tie the two together. In the stories, the main villains, like EEAAOJobu Tupaki, they are not really villains. Instead, they are a character creation villain. With that said, it’s easier for both women to resolve those conflicts with some self-reflection and forgiveness.
While the plots are extremely different, the structure of Everything Everywhere At Once AND Barbie are quite similar. Both begin with the main character having said existential crisis, questioning their life and environment. Then they go on their journeys of discovery and saving their world from whatever villain or issue has caused those conflicts. For example, in Barbieshe heads out into the human world to help realize that imperfection isn’t a bad thing, which pits her against the creator of Barbieland and the perfect stigma attached to the Barbie brand in general.
