Barbie vs Oppenheimer

Barbie vs. Oppenheimer

Welcome to WatchMojo, and in this installment of verses, we’re pitting “Barbie” against “Oppenheimer.”

Both of these cinematic events are priority viewing, but which July 21st release reigns supreme? It’s time for the ultimate showdown of counterprogramming! This is our deep dive into “Barbenheimer or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombshell.”

Which movie are you seeing first? Let us know in the comments.

Round 1: The Cast

Margot Robbie couldn’t be more perfectly cast as Barbie, authentically portraying a seemingly stereotypical doll brimming with layers of humanity. Ryan Gosling is equally well-suited for the clueless Ken, making the character lovable even at his lowest. Living up to the mentality that Barbie can be anything, their world is populated with A-list talent, including Issa Rae’s President Barbie, Alexandra Shipp’s Writer Barbie, and Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie. We have to roll out the pink carpet for the “real world” cast too. Will Ferrell brings his signature energy to the Mattel CEO and America Ferrera delivers the monologue of a lifetime as Gloria. Plus, Helen Mirren as the narrator? You spoil us, movie!


Cillian Murphy has been an underappreciated actor for far too long. In that sense, he’s the ideal candidate to play J. Robert Oppenheimer, who flew under the radar until getting involved in the Manhattan Project. Murphy’s nuanced performance is one for the ages, but he’s not alone. Robert Downey Jr. gives his most transformative performance in years as the intensely bitter Lewis Strauss. The cast is a who’s who of Oscar winners like Matton Damon, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh, as well as character actors like David Krumholtz, Benny Safdie, and Tom Conti. Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh also command the screen as the two loves of Oppenheimer’s life.


We’d love to give both of these casts a SAG Award. The “Barbie” ensemble exuberates with comedic flare while “Oppenheimer” engulfs the screen with powerhouse performances. There are no small roles in either film, but if we’re honing in on the lead roles, we’re giving a slight edge to “Oppenheimer” for Murphy’s career-best work. After being underrated for so long, he’s finally front and center. Point, “Oppenheimer.”

Barbie: 0 / Oppenheimer 1

Round 2: Production Values

Imagine Palm Springs crossed with the Barbie aisle of Toys“R” Us. Then you’d get Barbieland, a paradise draped in such childlike wonder that it drove Greta Gerwig to tears when she first stepped on set. Sarah Greenwood’s attention to detail amounts to a revelation of production design, creating a living, breathing world comprised of plastic and pink. Speaking of which, the film reportedly caused an international shortage of pink paint. The backgrounds replicate the feel of a soundstage Technicolor musical. It’s artificial, but we want to escape this dreamland - if only to raid Barbie’s wardrobe. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran has topped herself.


A master of practical filmmaking, Christopher Nolan cut no corners in recreating the Manhattan Project. While various interior scenes were filmed at the actual Los Alamos, the exteriors were made from the ground up with the 21,000-acre Ghost Ranch in New Mexico providing a seamless backdrop. Nolan also shot at the White Sands Proving Ground where the Trinity nuclear test was conducted, although the 100-foot steel tower had to be made from scratch. Just as Ruth De Jong’s sets are practical, so is the key explosion set piece, which is awe-inspiring and horrifying all at once. Exquisitely shot and scored, “Oppenheimer” is an all-around immersive experience.


“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” feel like throwbacks to a golden age when filmmakers weren’t afraid to build physical set pieces. As engaging as “Oppenheimer’s” period production values are, “Barbie” transports us to another world, which is why we go to the movies. “Barbie” takes this sound.

Barbie: 1 / Oppenheimer 1

Round 3: Direction

Whether she’s putting a fresh spin on the coming-of-age genre or reinventing classic literature for a new generation, you should never doubt Greta Gerwig. Regardless, when it was announced that this auteur was making a “Barbie” movie, we were overcome with a mix of confusion and excitement. It turned out to be another brilliant career move, however. Gerwig possesses the wit and self-aware edge to paint a portrait of “Barbie” that can appeal to all generations. Just as integral, Gerwig brings an emotional pull to the story that encompasses Barbie’s past, present, and future in the zeitgeist, showing how the character reflects society and how we reflect upon her.


From superhero blockbusters to mind-bending original concepts, Christopher Nolan is a director who keeps us coming back to the theaters. “Oppenheimer” is in the spirit of his past works, yet not quite like anything else in his filmography. Where “Dunkirk” was perhaps his most visually-driven film, “Oppenheimer” may be the most dialogue-heavy. Even when the characters are standing in a room discussing complicated science and politics, though, we sense the weight of every word and the urgency revolving around them. Even at its most intimate, the film feels epic on a technical and thematic scale. What’s going in inside our protagonist’s head is just as gripping as the external endeavor of crafting the atomic bomb.


In an age where so many big studio directors find themselves at the mercy of executives who want to play it safe, Gerwig and Nolan are among the few remaining artists seeing their ambitious visions through. Both have undone themselves, but Nolan is at his directorial apex with “Oppenheimer.” Nolan accomplishes what few filmmakers have, not only making us feel the gravitas of the explosion, but making the people surrounding it every bit as engrossing. “Oppenheimer” blows up this round.

Barbie: 1 / Oppenheimer 2

Round 4: Philosophical Depth

Barbie and existential crisis might seem like an odd fit. After seeing Gerwig’s take on this IP, though, you’ll never be able to separate the two. “Barbie” isn’t just a movie about feminism. It’s about individuality and what it means to be human. Some see Barbie as an empowering figure while others argue that she’s perpetuated ideas designed to set society back. Neither is wrong per se, but neither is a definitive definition of Barbie either. As much as people want to put Barbie into one box, she can’t be contained. Barbie has evolved beyond even what her creator ever envisioned, mirroring the journey we all experience from childhood to adulthood.

To some, Oppenheimer is an American hero who ended World War II. Others argue that Oppenheimer ended one conflict only to create another tragedy. Even this film’s portrayal of Oppenheimer is torn on his own legacy, which is what makes him such a fascinating figure. Despite the wartime backdrop, Nolan cleverly shows next to no combat in his film. The real war here is the one brewing inside Oppenheimer as he comes to terms with his creation - and whether he should be celebrated or punished for it. As talky as the script is, Murphy brings out most of Oppenheimer’s depth through subtle gestures. There’s so much happening inside, but he resists unleashing the atomic torment.


The search for one’s identity and the fear of nuclear warfare are both relevant topics, making for two captivating character studies. However, Barbie’s philosophical journey is one that can resonate with everyone in the audience. If you weren’t thinking about life, death, and our very existence going into the theater, all of the above will be on your mind walking out. It might sound strange, but the deepest film of 2023 centers on a doll. It’s all tied up now.

Barbie: 2 / Oppenheimer 2

Round 5: Reception

With a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the coveted Must-See label on Metacritic, “Barbie” is a critical darling. At the box office, the film has attracted the most promising presales since “Avatar: The Way of Water.” (xref) With the average Barbie doll standing 11½ inches tall, don’t be surprised if she finds herself on the shelf with a 13½-inch gold man named Oscar. It wouldn’t be Mattel’s first Best Picture nominee, having produced 1972’s “Sounder.” In addition to technical categories, we could see “Barbie” receiving nominations for a couple of performances, as well as Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay. It may not be a “traditional” Oscar movie, but neither was “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”


While both films have enthralled critics, the reviews for “Oppenheimer” are slightly more glowing. At the box office, “Oppenheimer” isn’t expected to make as much as “Barbie,” but both should benefit from being an unofficial double feature. (xref) In terms of awards, “Oppenheimer” is the more “traditional” player, but it’s by no means undeserving of such recognition. We can see a future where Murphy gets his first Oscar nomination, Downey Jr. wins his first Oscar, and “Oppenheimer” dominates the tech categories. When it comes to Nolan and the Oscars, it feels like we always get our hopes up. However, this might be the best shot he’s ever had at an overdue Best Director win.


Honestly, it’s unfair to compare these two great films. Both can appeal to different audiences in different ways. Yet, both are bold artistic achievements about the human condition that define why we love cinema. It’s still apples and oranges, but when all is said and done, we think “Oppenheimer” will leave a slightly bigger dent in the moviegoing pantheon. “Oppenheimer” is our ultimate winner, but remember, there’s no “Barbenheimer” without “Barbie” either. Tune in next time when we pit “Mamma Mia!” against “The Dark Knight,” aka “The Dark Mamma!”


Barbie: 2 / Oppenheimer 3