Shakira is sounding off on the "Barbie" movie -- saying that its message of ultra-feminism and female empowerment is misguided ... and comes at the expense of men.

The singer talked to Allure about the flick ... and she was brutally honest about how she and her kids -- two boys, specifically -- felt about it ... and despite the overwhelming praise the movie got last year, Shakira says she and her brood weren't all that impressed.

Shakira says ... "My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent."

She goes on ... "I'm raising two boys. I want ‘em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women. I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide."

Shakira adds, "I believe in giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity. I think that men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well."

Finally, she says... "We complement each other, and that complement should not be lost."

Definitely a hot take from Shakira here -- who seems to be echoing some conservative talking points that have been espoused about "Barbie" for several months now. Here, it would appear she's somewhat conservative herself ... at least on this particular issue, anyway.

We're sure this will cause some chatter ... Shakira's a big deal, and her opinion matters.