Having just watched a woman drag her tween daughter out of the movie, trailed along a bit after by a couple of older sorts, I can tell you this movie is not what some people have envisioned.

It is not a light-hearted children's film. It is PG-13 for a reason and also if you haven't taught your daughter the word "patriarchy" yet, that might be something to cover first.

Second, it's not a paean to the Barbie doll, Barbie collectors, or Mattel as a corporation. Honestly, I'm not sure how they're signed on as producers except perhaps to prove the point that the corporation is all about a cash grab.

(The execs come across as buffoons and their talking points about being there for little girls are definitely shredded in the early encounters. No room to come back.)

So while many went into the theater this weekend expecting a fun movie, not everyone will enjoy the show.

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I personally thought it was ok--not as grand as expected, but I got to the end well enough.

The acting was the fun part, especially Ryan Gosling as the air headed and thwarted Ken--voice of male fragility.

Songs are catchy ear worms. The sets are marvelous pop art pink and scaled to make things look doll-like.

The plot is a weak point, I'll admit, being very simplistic.

Honestly, however, I kind of expected that. (So unlike the women above neither stomped nor snuck out.)

Mainly the message is to crush the patriarchy (ok--but where is Allan's role in this patriarchy and why is a pregnant Midge so looked down on, even now?

And since the ending sees Mattel theoretically still ramping production, what did we actually learn from this messaging anyhow?)

If the pitch was to be a pivot to a modernized Barbie, I'm not sure that marketing campaign did any favors. And if it was that humanism is more important than corporate greed, the associated marketing merch kind of undercut the message, too.

At any rate, the directoral easter eggs kept me going through all of it (call back cinematic opening is just the start) So there's good news and bad news, and maybe it's cost sunk fallacy making me give the film a seven. But I thought it was "OK," so here we are.