The blockbuster Barbie movie will be out in UAE cinemas tomorrow, August 10 — and several residents could barely wait to dress up in pink and watch the iconic doll come to life. However, it has been confirmed that the film is rated 15+ in the country as opposed to the global rating of PG-13.

The online booking system at Vox Cinemas has put up a notification that no one under the age of 15 years of age will be admitted into the hall while booking tickets for the movie.

A similar alert also pops up on Reel Cinema's app when booking tickets:

This means residents will not be able to take young children for the runaway hit that has already crossed $1 billion at the global box office.

Mixed reaction

One mother, Mehnaz, said she was not surprised that the movie got a 15+ rating, adding that it wasn’t going to change her plans.

“I was planning on watching it with my sisters,” she said. “My teen and pre-teen daughters wanted to watch it but it is not a kids' movie, so I was not planning on taking them. Now, I have a good reason not to,” she said.

Another parent, Shiyaz, said his daughter had plans to watch the movie, but he understood why the decision had been made.

"From what I have heard, the themes addressed in the film were not very child-friendly, so I was hesitant about letting my daughter watch it," he said. "However, my daughter was really excited to watch it with her friends. She had an outfit planned; she had bought a special shade of nail polish to wear and even a pair of shoes. She is going to be unhappy, but that is the rule of the land and to be honest, I am a bit relieved that I don't have to be the bad cop," he said.

Some, however, have reacted with disappointment. Dubai resident Alaa had planned to watch the movie with her eight-year-old daughter and 12-year-old niece. “We had planned to dress up in pink to go watch the movie,” she said. “So, when we heard that the movie was 15+, the girls were absolutely heartbroken. They are both huge Barbie fans. I think I might just take them to the mall and maybe have a spa day to take their minds off the movie.”

Early start

Several residents have booked their tickets early to watch the first show in the country. In some locations, the shows start as early as 10am on Thursday. Many theatres have several sold-out shows while the remaining slots are filling up fast.

The movie, directed by Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig based on the iconic doll, was released on July 9 worldwide. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles, the story revolved around the existential crisis Barbie faces when she steps out of her seemingly perfect world.

 

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