Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
“Barbie” was my most anticipated movie of this year. I am a massive fan of director and writer Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote this movie with her husband, Noah Baumbach. I have also enjoyed the films that actress Margot Robbie has produced under her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. Not to mention that I loved playing with Barbies as a kid. I had high expectations for this film due to the talent involved, and I’m glad to report that “Barbie” is a super fun film.
Barbie (Margot Robbie) has a perfect day every day. However, she begins to malfunction in Barblieland by going through an existential crisis. She must go into the real world to restore her perfect life. Ken (Ryan Gosling) joins Barbie in her journey but finds that he quite likes the real world, where men are typically the ones in charge.
Robbie is fantastic as “Stereotypical” Barbie. Not only does she look the part of Barbie, but she also brings vulnerability to her in her crisis. She questions her identity and purpose. She does not know where she belongs amongst the humans in the real world and then questions if she still belongs as a Barbie once she returns to Barbieland. Her arc in the film is satisfactory and well-thought-out.
Gosling is very dedicated in his performance as Ken. He is a total scene stealer and a delight to see on-screen. His comedic timing is exemplary. Since Ken is usually pushed to the background, he has no sense of self-worth and does not know who he is without Barbie.
Some other highlight performances are America Ferrera as Gloria and Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ken. Unfortunately, the other Barbies and Kens did not have much to do, but Ben-Adir was great as Gosling’s Ken shadow. It really added to the film’s humor, though his character has little to do. Ferrara also brings some relatability as Gloria, a frazzled mother, and woman in the workplace. She gets a scene-stealing moment when she speaks about the contradicting societal ideals of being a woman.
The production design and costuming are breathtaking and, overall, just top-notch. I was really impressed with Barbieland, which feels immersive and imaginative. So many little details had me reminiscing about playing with Barbies as a kid.
However, many themes and concepts are tackled in this film, such as feminism, patriarchy, consumerism, capitalism, humanity, etc. The film touches on all these topics on a surface level but does not dive as deep as I hoped into these themes. The Barbie doll is a complex figure in American culture. She is an inspiration to some and an unrealistic ideal to others. I think it’s great that the film addresses that, but I wish it were a bit more centralized with its themes. Although, I admit that expecting a deep “Barbie” film is silly. Especially since “Barbie” is much deeper than most toy-related films. It is more profound than the entire “Transformers” live-action franchise.
I also didn’t care much about the Mattel executives that were portrayed. Will Ferrell is funny as the CEO of the gigantic toy company, but he is more of a throwaway character. I liked the commentary that many men run a female-centric toy line, boasting about female empowerment for profit. However, the film also forgets about them, so they could have cut this plot point.
Though I think that “Barbie” tries to do too much, the script is very clever. The performances are a highlight, and the direction feels confident in Gerwig’s hands. “Barbie” is an intelligent, creative, and unique blockbuster demonstrating the merits of creative freedom and great talent behind a film. However, it is my least favorite film thus far from Gerwig because “Barbie” is out there, while “Ladybird” and “Little Women” are a lot more grounded.
Available on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD October 17th
