The San Diego press screening of Barbie was packed with women in pink, some carrying alcoholic libations, and all ready to embrace the weird and wonderful live-action movie about one of the most popular dolls in history. The crowd was primed for this big, beautiful, pinktastic Barbie tale, signaling their embrace of what ultimately proved to be a sublime, exquisite examination of sexism by clapping the moment the film’s title appeared on the screen.
The screening’s audience demographics were perfect. If this group appreciated the film, then Barbie nailed the landing. Based on the laughter at all the right moments, co-writer and director Greta Gerwig delivered a film that lived up to the months of pre-release hype.
Everyone knows Barbie. Mattel’s iconic creation debuted in 1959, and generations of kids have grown up playing with the plastic 11.5” tall standard Barbie or one of the 175 different versions. Barbie has dipped her perky plastic toes into 250 careers, including doctor, firefighter, CEO, journalist, and robotics engineer. And Barbie’s Miss Astronaut costume arrived 13 years before NASA opened the program to females.
Not every model of Barbie made it into the feature film, and a Weird Barbie (as played by the brilliant Kate McKinnon) doesn’t actually exist – or at least not on purpose. Thousands of unintentionally weird Barbies have come into being as the result of creative playing/abuse by their owners. But in Barbie, it’s Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) that’s front and center.
Barbie reigns over Barbieland, a perfect land drenched in pink and populated by perfect people. Barbie rules dictate that Barbieland occupants don’t climb stairs, they fly. They don’t consume food or drink, which is a good thing since Barbieland’s refrigerators contain fake food. The showers? Also, fake. But the smiles and waves exchanged as Barbie greets the other occupants of Barbieland – other Barbies, multiple Kens, one pregnant Midge, and the very lonely Allan – appear genuine enough.
Life in Barbieland is fantastic until one fateful day when there’s a glitch in Stereotypical Barbie’s world. Rather than wake up with a smile, Stereotypical Barbie begins to think about death while rocking a disgusting case of halitosis. But the coup de grace is a case of flat-footedness. Barbies simply do NOT walk around flat-footed.
Barbie’s closest Barbie friends suggest Weird Barbie might have the answer to what’s turned Stereotypical Barbie into Atypical Barbie.
Weird Barbie believes Barbie’s having an existential crisis caused by a rift that’s been opened between Barbieland and the Real World. To put things right, Barbie needs to travel to Los Angeles and find the girl who’s playing with the doll version of herself.
Now, Barbies, the one and only Midge, and Allan aren’t the only occupants of Barbieland. There are Kens aplenty, and Lifeguard Ken (Ryan Gosling) is their unofficial leader. Ken, who insists he’s not a lifeguard and that his job is simply “beach,” has a massive crush on Stereotypical Barbie. He’s also got a major rival in the form of Ken (Simu Liu), a penchant for showing off, and the inability to comprehend why Barbie constantly rejects his attention. When Stereotypical Barbie is forced to leave Barbieland to seek answers, Ken follows like a happy puppy dog ready to do whatever Barbie commands.
Once the action shifts to California, the story expands as Barbie’s rosy-pink-colored glasses are ripped off, and she’s exposed to the truth. The foundation her cheery plastic life’s built on shatters and her sense of self is destroyed. Meanwhile, Ken’s mind is blown when he learns all about “the patriarchy.”
It’s a Barbie World and Margot Robbie is Queen
Margot Robbie delivers one of the best performances of her career. From her perfect Barbie feet to Barbie’s heartbreaking transformation from pert and perky to the depths of despair, Robbie’s performance is magnetic and true. True? Strange as it seems, Robbie infuses her character with such humanity that it’s possible to forget this is all based on a billionaire-dollar Mattel toy.
And I’m calling it now. Ryan Gosling is going to be busy this coming awards season – if the SAG-AFTRA strike is over by then. Gosling totally embraced the male himbo role to such a degree that it’s impossible to picture anyone else capturing such Kenergy. Ken’s just a guy who’s in love with a girl and does everything in his limited power to make a connection. He’s earnest to a fault, and any day that Barbie smiles at him is a perfect day. Gosling brings a wide-eyed innocence to the part, and while his Ken might not capture Barbie’s heart, Gosling certainly captures the audience’s.
The entire ensemble – including standouts America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, and Kate McKinnon – fully commit to this hilarious and surprisingly poignant story. And Michael Cera deserves special mention for nailing the role of Allan, a dude who’s barely acknowledged by the Kens but turns out to be more complex than meets the eye.
You don’t have to love Barbie to love Barbie. Three-time Oscar nominee Gerwig (directing and original screenplay nominations for Lady Bird, adapted screenplay for Little Women) accomplishes the near impossible by using the most unlikely figure to take on important social issues. Co-writers Gerwig and Noah Baumbach deliver biting satire, taking a hot pink poker to sexism while never abandoning the comedy.
Barbie’s a glorious pink explosion of humor and heart, with Margot Robbie as the film’s pitch-perfect soul.
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language
Running Time: 1 hour 54 minutes
Release Date: July 21, 2023
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
