No assembly RequireD

Hi Barbie! Hi Barbie! Hi Barbie! Hi Barbie…Hi Ken. Okay now that the introductions are out of the way it is time to enter Barbieland. A magical and extremely pink place where the glorious and skillful Barbies live and feminism is secure and in charge. Just like the real world right? BARBIE is finally here and does it have questions for our world. Taking the internet by storm with leaked set photos, followed by trailers on replay Greta Gerwig’s latest film had giant plastic heels to fill. BARBIE promised it all, a live action comedy spectacle of one of the most infamous toys of all time all led by the spectacular Margot Robbie and an unleashed Ryan Gosling. Excitement abound, the film became an internet trend far beyond comical memes. It will forever be connected as one half of the “Barbenheimer” fiasco (Oppenheimer being the second part for those living under a rock) as well as bringing back a much needed reminder of the wonderful if not always cushioned childhood many of us and especially young girls had. There is nothing controversial about saying while I’m sure there were tons of young boys who played with Barbie (including this critic) the plastic interchangeable doll gave so many young girls joy, inspiration and protection for decades. Many choice career paths from Barbie, dreamed big, rejected societal expectations and even learned to be better and stronger than Barbie. This means that to bring Barbie into a modern 2023 often cynical world means to not just being optimistic Barbie to save the day but rather allow her to become part of it all over again. Things may be unfamiliar and in no way has Barbieland cured the world forever but a Barbie’s job (even the stereotypical ones) is never over. Not when there will always be young girls who need guidance, encouragement and most importantly love and understanding. So strap on your highest of heels, float on down to your pink Malibu Cadillac because BARBIE has officially arrived and yes as the old saying goes, “come on Barbie let’s go party.”

If you’re Greta Gerwig ambition just comes naturally. With that ambition it only makes sense to start your toy line epic with the beginning of time. A time where young girls always had dolls, but dreary dolls they could only be mothers to. And as we learn from a narrator (who may or may not be Helen Mirren) we learn that while being a mother is great it wears thin at times. Thankfully Gerwig introduces us to the moment that changed history. The arrival of Barbie. A monolith Margot Robbie in a black and white swimsuit (designed after the first Barbie doll released). The rejection of the mundane doll can occur and the acceptance of Barbie is in full force. BARBIE in its intro reminds us that Barbie has not only been an inspiration to many “real world” girls it has also allowed the Barbie doll to evolve into prominent roles of society. Doctors, writers even the president are all female leaders. The dolls living in “Barbieland” believe that the success here must mean the success out there. The real world must be run by women and men merely passerby’s doing their best. After all in Barbieland the only males are the assigned to a Barbie Ken who sort of just exists. Ken’s sole purposes are to be there for their Barbie and their happiness. This means that one particular Ken (Ryan Gosling) is not just in love with his Barbie, he needs her at every turn. Ken may be the ultimate himbo but that’s also because this is the world for Barbies. A place to end the night and every night with Girl’s Night. That is after a big blowout party with all the Barbies and Kens performing choreograph dance routines. It all seems too easy of a world. So why is Stereotypical Barbie (Robbie) thinking of death and falling over her now flat feet. Well in one of the several clever meta expansions of the Barbie lore, Barbie’s handler or owner must be having issues herself in the real world. So obviously Barbie must adventure out to the real world to find this misguided girl and get her and Barbie’s own life back in order. Gerwig and her script co-written by her real life husband Noah Baumbach have fun playing with the Barbie merchandise but this initial setup feels all too much like that, just a set up. It’s humor while enjoyable feels directed at internet meme pages and fan accounts. Maybe it’s because it has better tricks saved for later or maybe it’s just as fun as it can be there is an overarching feelings of product pushing while we know the hard hitting emotional core is lurking behind the corner. Margot as Barbie is charming as always and she holds that curiosity against naivety well. But you’re waiting for that to be fully unleashed. Gosling on the other hand is ready to ham it up from the first moment which includes banter against a rival Ken (Simu Liu) and continuous ignorance of his own best friend Allan (a hysterical Michael Cera). On a technical level however Barbieland and the entire movie is gorgeous with extravagant costume work from Jacqueline Duran. Costumes that reflect decades long history of Barbie. To add to that Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is as bright as it gets. The beginning moments of Barbie don’t just remind us how fun it was to play with our dolls, but how that fun gets to be alive again for our adult selves.

BARBIE knows what it wants to say about today’s troubles and while it eventually finds itself out in the real world with Barbie and a tagalong Ken it’s here with that setup finds its way to pay off. It isn’t a major spoil to say that the real world feminism isn’t as accepted as it is in Barbieland. In fact it’s down right rejected. Fish out of water stories are nothing new but it’s humorous and clearly upsetting to see Barbie be exposed to male ogling, unwanted gestures and much worse. The humor itself comes less from the harassment but the darkly comical way Ken learns who really runs the world. It is as hysterical as it is painful to see dimwitted Ken be sucked into the real world patriarchy that he quickly becomes enthralled with. Learning how to interrupt women when they are speaking, ignoring their questions and even more so being mesmerized by world leaders that decomposed any form of female progress. It’s an all too real look at not just male toxicity and destruction but even deeper an examination of how easy it is for even the purest of young boys to get swept away by inhumane ideologies. Gerwig and Baumbach aren’t asking what came first the patriarchy or the egg but rather showing much like Barbie boys have been playing with their own (this time devious) toys since the dawn of time.

Even with the re-education of Ken there’s still that pesky problem of an existential crisis Barbie is having and the child she can save. This issue isn’t easy though when Barbie realizes her owner is all black wearing teenager named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) who would rather spend her time reminding Barbie she sets women back than ever play with her again. Sasha’s mother Gloria (America Ferrera) is an employee at Mattel (the real life company who manufactures Barbie) but longs for the days where she and Sasha would play together with Barbie. Gloria quickly moves in to become the heart of the film feeling like a representation of many of BARBIE’s audience that wishes life’s problems could go away with a Barbie playtime session. Ferrera herself is more than up for the task bringing such charm and quite funny moments to the film that is needed for Barbie and the film as a whole to feel light and needed. Gloria is not just a mother lost to societal expectation she is those in desperate need of a break and a time in Barbieland no matter how much or a fantasy it really is.

It is here in the review where this Barbie (I mean critic) must put a halt on things. BARBIE as a movie has more tricks up its sleeve then it’s colorful trailers, promotional material and filmmakers want to let on. This isn’t to say the film takes a turn nobody could predict, (the seeds were planted throughout) but it would be wrong (and poor writing) to go any further into detail of what happens next. Instead bring to attention the welcomed second half that feels less of a payoff and more the film that Gerwig set out to tell. Yes Gosling’s Ken gets the amount of screen time that could argue second lead and the film becomes one of the year’s funniest but even more so it draws several thin lines of how in Gerwig’s eyes true feminism can come about. There must be an equality throughout but that can only exists with both parties feeling heard and respected while never reducing the other. The film throws everything out you and you’ll be surprised to hear references from all basement dweller walks of life. But the film also struggles to bring its titular character back into the forefront at times. Robbie’s performance is so needed that the film while entertaining still feels at a standstill when guided in other directions. It also doesn’t help that the subplots of a mother daughter relationship is halted until a late to the game (but extraordinary) monologue. But nonetheless the film juggles Barbie’s feelings of doubt and fears with such care that it continues to feel refreshing when its focus comes back onto her. Barbie’s choices become all too real even in a pink world where everything comes naturally. Once we feel pain, love, sorrow and so much more in real time it’s impossible to look back. They may be the film’s strongest intentions even if short handed. It is certainly exciting to see all the adventures and slapstick moments that BARBIE offers but its core feelings hit harder than expected but all in the best way. Does it come at the sacrifice of other characters and subplots? Most certainly but when Robbie delivers Gerwig’s delicate words it’s hard to be mad.

BARBIE much like its inspired doll requires repeat play dates. Here is a film not just full of “did you catch that reference” (for better or worse) but rather gigantic life affirming moments that cut through all the glamour and seek real connection. Here are the times we must learn to sit back and just feel. Feel as humans, feel for ourselves as well as our mothers, daughters and all the women who fight every day to not just feel like a product. To remind ourselves not just what it means to be alive but to choose if we want to endure all of it. Barbie may have protected women for years but as owners they protected her as well. But if Gerwig is telling her audience anything maybe it is that now is the time to just close your eyes and feel. Now go live your life far and beyond any dream house.

B+

BARBIE is now playing in theaters everywhere.