Barbie Movie Review (Spoiler Free)
A clever, two-hour commercial, with witty, outrageous humour & a message that subverts expectations. Barbie is for both, those who love her & those who hate her.
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy
Director: Greta Gerwig
Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell & Rhea Perlman.
Run Time: 114 min.
US Release: 21 July 2023
UK Release: 21 July 2023
German Release: 20 July 2023
Well, this was an utter surprise! Never in my life would I have thought that I’d enjoy a flick, based on Mattel’s most prominent fashion doll. In fact, I am pretty much the opposite of this production’s target audience. Yet, here we are… left speechless at the fact that I exited the theatre with a big fat smile on my face. Don’t get me wrong, Barbie does stumble a couple of times throughout its runtime, however, it does excel at what it does right. So, throw on your neon-yellow polyethylene rollerblades, as we glide into the glorious sunset of my review…
Stereotypical Barbie and Beach Ken need to leave Barbieland on a journey of self-discovery, after the former suffers an existential crisis, questioning her whole world.
After more than a dozen computer-animated streaming, plus direct-to-video movies, the creation of a live-action Barbie motion picture had been announced back in 2009. Ironically, Universal Pictures was set to produce. Development began then in 2014 after Sony Studios obtained the rights from Universal. Writers joined, writers left, with actresses Amy Schumer, as well as Anne Hathaway having been attached to the project to play the famous doll. In late 2018, the rights transferred to Warner, who hired Robbie as the titular character, just like Greta Gerwig as director/co-writer, together with Noah Baumbach.
After more than a dozen computer-animated streaming, plus direct-to-video movies, the creation of a live-action Barbie motion picture had been announced back in 2009. Ironically, Universal Pictures was set to produce. Development began then in 2014 after Sony Studios obtained the rights from Universal. Writers joined, writers left, with actresses Amy Schumer, as well as Anne Hathaway having been attached to the project to play the famous doll. In late 2018, the rights transferred to Warner, who hired Robbie as the titular character, just like Greta Gerwig as director/co-writer, together with Noah Baumbach.
Baumbach and Gerwig conceptualised a smart screenplay that jokingly disrespects the intellectual property it is based on, as well as its creators. Right from the get-go, viewers are confronted with a scene, mirroring that of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The slight difference is, instead of apes taking power over nature, it is young girls who smash their baby-dolls rejecting the patriarchy plus motherhood, embracing commercialism that comes packaged as feminism. It is that snarky, dark comedy that drives the plot.
Nonetheless, behind all these layers of meta satire, lies a deeper message. Yes, it uses a deliberate, on-the-nose, approach concerning the topic of patriarchy, but the true meaning is revealed by the end when Barbie comes to understand that the matriarchy itself is no better. This is reflected when audiences are first introduced to Barbieland, a seeming utopia run by different Barbies, but in truth, it is the opposite of the “real world”, with all Kens being treated second class. It is a strong statement about finding a middle ground!
While those lessons are important, the overall premise is not as profound as it makes it out to be, especially considering the emotionally plumb ending. Then there is the fact that it is not a film for kids! A lot of the subjects are adult themed, which will go right over the heads of younger viewers. As such, it is a little bewildering who the true target audience is.
As with Oppenheimer, this movie has an ensemble of various well-known actors, most of whom are playing numerous variations of Barbies or Kens. All gave fun, quirky renditions of their respective roles.
Margot Robbie, portraying Stereotypical Barbie, is brilliant. Her character is going through a sudden existential crisis, as emotions are reflected back at her, by the “real-world” person playing with her. Her character is thrown into a fish-out-of-water scenario, as she travels to the real world, believing that her toy brand solved all women’s problems. Robbie manages to pack intelligence, ignorance, confidence and vulnerability into one character.
Ryan Gosling, who plays Beach Ken, stole the complete show! His version of Ken defines his existence around the amount of attention he obtains from Barbie. He is yearning for acknowledgement, to make him feel worthy. Gosling manages to depict that pain, in a hilariously naive, nearly childish-like portrayal, while never losing his magnetic charisma.
America Ferrera is terrific as Gloria, a Mattel employee who is going through a midlife crisis herself, feeling lonely as her daughter, portrayed by Ariana Greenblatt, is going through her rebellious teenage years.
Finally, Will Ferrell portrays the CEO of Mattel, playing his usual over-the-top self. I usually am a fan of his comedic style, though in this production it felt forced. Michael Cera, on the other hand, as the only Allan doll, is deliciously hilarious.
The cinematographic style is unique. It is vibrant, exploding with different shades of pink, baby blues plus neon hues. It includes montages, pays homage to blockbusters like The Matrix using slow-motion sequences, and illustrates a double world, through the use of different lenses and filters.
The colourful production design, with its jaw-dropping set pieces, is among the best part of the film. The life-size “dreamhouse” has a surreal, theatrical aesthetic. The costume designs are perfect replicas of various existing outfits for the plastic dolls.
The soundtrack, composed by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, is energetically engaging, including fun musical segments that contain great, satirical singalongs.
Verdict: This is Greta Gerwig's most generic picture, but her unique voice still shines through. Yes, it definitely does have its fair share of problems, most stemming from the script. While the story does contain an intelligent approach to roast its IP, capitalism and the current gender disputes, through the use of self-aware comedy, it is nowhere as emotionally deep as it intends to be. That said, it is exceptionally efficient at what it does right! The premise feels fresh, enveloping an original concept around the baseline of an idea that we already saw in flicks like The Lego Movie. It is absurdly funny, different and holds an important message. The acting is great, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling give brilliant renditions of their respective roles, with the latter stealing the spotlight! Most impressive is the distinctive cinematography, the editing, just like the colourful production design. All in all, Barbie is a fun experience that feels like a blend of Toy Story and Pinocchio, sprinkled with a pinch of dark humour plus pink glitter. I’ll give it an 8.5 out of 10.
So, what about you? Are you a fan of Mattel’s fashion doll? Did you like this live-action adaptation? Or was it completely different from what you expected? Leave a comment to let me know, & as always thank you for reading!