Hype levels are at maximum for Barbie. Greta Gerwig’s hugely anticipated toy adaptation boasts Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, has had a perfectly pitched (and very pink-hued) marketing campaign and seems to have threaded the needle of making a Barbie movie that appeals to a much wider audience than young girls.
But, at least in the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification (aka the BBFC) may have tossed a spanner in the works. They’ve rated Barbie as a 12A, which is defined as movies “suitable for children aged 12 and over. However, people younger than 12 may see a 12A so long as they are accompanied by an adult.”
Barbie dolls are marketed to children aged 5-11, so this rating may result in some very unhappy young girls with strict parents who baulk at the rating.
The BBFC describes the movie as:
“Barbie and Ken leave Barbieland and venture to California where they encounter the realities of being human in this lighthearted US comedy. It explores themes of gender roles and patriarchy through a satirical lens.”
They follow that up with specific ratings for content, some of which may raise an eyebrow:
Image via BBFC
We’re darkly curious about how much sex, sexual violence, and threat there really is in a Barbie movie. Mattel is notoriously strict about what can be done with the Barbie license, though it seems Gerwig has really managed to push the envelope on what Barbie can do.
The Barbie review embargo lifts on July 13, so we should have a better idea of what’s in the movie then. Until that time we can only imagine what’s in this movie that’s warranted this rating…
Barbie hits theaters on July 21.