Barbie and Oppenheimer were both well-praised and hyped movies that were released this summer. The movies dueled one another at the box office, as they were released on the same day in the United States. This is a very uncommon thing for movies, because usually when rivaling another big movie, the sales decrease. Fortunately for Directors Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig, this was not the case for these two movies. Barbie did end up doing better at the box office than Oppenheimer, and here is why.
Barbie’s film had a wider range in audience. It was able to cater to young children but also had deeper themes that made the plot interesting to an older viewer. Oppenheimer did not have a similar effect. UofD student, Ben Gustke stated, “my grandma and my little sister both went to see the movie, and my grandma barely gets out of the house.”. The movie was obviously catered to an older audience and is not a movie a child should be seeing. Barbie was able to please a wider range of audience, therefore leading to more sales.
Another reason Barbie was more successful was because it was more engaging. Barbie was able to get through the story faster, while also not rushing the plot. Oppenheimer was not able to do this. It stretched out to three hours long and was hard to sit through. The movie felt like a drag, and it became hard to pay attention as the movie slowly progressed. Barbie was able to advance and finish the story in an hour and fifty minutes. Andrew Hale said, “Oppenheimer was a complete snooze fest. I could not stand being in the theatre that long.”. That is the ideal movie length because I am still able to get my money’s worth in length, but I don’t feel trapped in the theatre. Barbie’s excellent pacing is another factor in why it did better at the box office.
Barbie was also better because of the first-world problems and themes it uncovered. Barbie is relatable to men and women all over the world. Oppenheimer could not have had that same effect. Your average person is not helping develop an atomic bomb that is going to kill thousands of people. It just isn’t a relatable issue to the average viewer. The theme of women having to be perfect in a world run by men is a constant struggle in daily life. Barbie was amazing at connecting societal problems to the film, unlike Oppenheimer.
These are just a few reasons why Barbie is a better movie than Oppenheimer, but there is clear evidence of why it did significantly better at the box office. Oppenheimer just wasn’t able to pace the movie, connect current real-world themes, or engage itself with a wide range audience, like Barbie could. Some may argue that the cinematography of Oppenheimer was clearly better, but a good-looking picture is not able to grasp my attention like a thriller, as Barbie could. Barbie was far superior in many aspects that are far more important than cinematography. Barbie was the better movie and that was proven through the box office sales.
