Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling), who are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land, full of other Kens and Barbies. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
This film has been a long time coming and has probably been one of the most hyped films in recent years ever since the film was announced with the extremely talented Greta Gerwig attached to direct and the even more talented Margot Robbie cast to play the titular character. Even before the film’s arrival in theaters the pop culture impact this film was having on audiences was already off the charts, and I don’t think anyone was expecting to get as deeply invested as they have been. Whether it was the nostalgia for the brand, the stacked cast, the trailers, or the hilarious rivalry it has had with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, I don’t think it can be denied that this film had lots of pre-release buzz from so many people, even those may have not played with a single Barbie doll in their lifetime.
But now that the film has finally been released did it truly live up to the hype that was built around it? After seeing it myself I can confirm without a doubt that it not only lived up to the hype but also exceeded it. Greta Gerwig once again has struck gold in her fourth outing as a director, delivering an extremely ambitious yet incredible adaptation of the famous doll brand in her own unique vision. What could have easily been some corporate cash grab instead turned out to be a passionate and beautifully made film that will amaze a lot of people, even those with no past attachments to Barbie. This is easily one of the craziest films I’ve seen this year that went in such an unpredictable direction and was packed with so much brilliant humor, touching the heart and so many layers of meta-commentary that tackle many things in the best way possible.
Greta Gerwig truly created a film that takes audiences on a unique journey that works not only because of the amazing world she created through fantastic direction, writing, and elaborate set pieces but also her perfectly chosen cast. There are a lot of big names and faces involved in this film. In fact, there are too many to go over all of them individually but I can say that every single one of the cast members involved had their time to shine and were truly committed to their respective parts. You truly can tell everyone involved was having the time of their lives in this toy box come to life.
But even in a massive cast there are some major standouts, with the first among them obviously being Margot Robbie as the leading Barbie or “Stereotypical Barbie” as she is called in the film. Margot Robbie brings in her full range and talent as an actress as we see her Barbie go on a very special journey that contains both comedic gold and surprising heart that honestly hit me in ways that I didn’t expect but loved regardless. I’m sure everyone was expecting Robbie to be perfect in this role when she was first cast but I don’t think anyone is ready to see just how perfect she is playing this role, as well as finding her extremely relatable in a certain way.
Many would also expect her the biggest shining star in the film but another performance ends up truly rivaling her throughout the whole thing, and that is Ryan Gosling as Ken. When this man is committed to the part he is truly committed to the part, as shown with some of his past roles, but his work in this film is unlike anything we have ever seen him do before. Gosling may be 42 years old but he radiates god-like energy in this film, with his performance showcasing fantastic physical and emotional range that will blow away everyone who doubted his casting. He is hilarious beyond belief and the journey of Ken is just as wild as Robbie’s Barbie but for different reasons that are guaranteed to make many people bust a gut. Ryan Gosling truly had the time of his life with this role, being able to let loose and showcase a vast array of talents that many may not know he had, including a surprising amount of singing that really will shock people for how good he is at it.
A lot of the supporting Barbies and Kens really stood out too, with some brilliant performances from Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and many others who offered very energetic displays of their talents in this crazy world and story.
Then you also have some really surprising powerhouse performances like America Ferrera as Gloria, Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, and Michael Cera as Allan who stole the show with their performances and greatly written characters. And I also have to give huge praise to both Helen Mirren as the narrator and Rhea Perlman, in her role that I won’t disclose, for adding more layers to this film in huge ways.
Now with a massive cast, there is the risk of underutilizing certain cast members and I felt there were two that ended up being underutilized, which were Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha and Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel. Both deliver great and dedicated performances that fit their roles and stories, but I couldn’t help but feel they were maybe not used enough as they could have been, given how much talent both are capable of. They were by no means wasted just a tad underutilized and overshadowed by everyone else involved.
From start to end this film is a wild ride that takes completely unexpected directions at every turn and I absolutely loved it for that. Just when you think this film is going a certain way it completely surprises you, making for a film that breaks every stereotypical trope in the books. It certainly has some influences from other films, the biggest among them being The Truman Show, but the film manages to take much more original routes than expected and I am majorly happy with that.
On top of that, this is an extremely meta-as-hell film that only provides endless amounts of fun nods to the Barbie brand, but it also provides a lot of commentary on various subjects such as existentialism, identity, and the concept of the lines of reality and fantasy blurring together. A lot of the subjects are tackled in a funny and satirical fashion but I will say there were some really great messages they did push across in this film, like how changes and imperfections are not always a bad thing in life even if they might be terrifying.
Many people are going to be taking something different from this film but something that I implore people to do when they see it is to not take any of the satire seriously. I have already seen so many idiots looking at some of the satirized subjects in this film and already trying to make ridiculous controversies of it. Don’t be like those people. Be sensible and don’t take it so seriously.
When comes to technical elements including sets, dance numbers, effects, and cinematography this might be one of the most elaborate and beautifully crafted films in terms of visuals and production. Barbie Land looks and sounds exactly like the brand, right down to the tiniest plastic details all popping with a gorgeous array of colors that coat every building, object, and clothes on screen. Pink is the more dominant color of this land as expected and it’s all used perfectly for some of the complex practical sets.
I was surprised to not only see amazing amounts of practical effects and sets used in this film but also surprising uses of 2D animation, giving the film a unique charm. The way Barbie Land looks practically reminds me a lot of The Wizard of Oz in terms of production quality, but obviously with more modern tech and a higher budget. I also love the fact that there’s a stark contrast between Barbie Land and the real world visually, further emphasizing the themes of the film, and a lot of it is shown through excellent use of colors, editing, and cinematography that go off the chain. There were also moments I felt the film dives into some Wes Anderson territory with some of its transitions that I thought were absolutely hilarious and pleasing to the eyes.
As for the music of this film, this is where things can get mixed for some. The soundtrack created by multiple famous artists for me personally is an absolute banger that features a variety of music genres that I can see people really groove with. I can’t say all the songs will be a hit for everyone as it comes down to personal taste. However, I think everyone is guaranteed to love Ken’s song. As for the score composed by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, I will admit I found myself not remembering it as much compared to the songs by various artists. There are some parts where there are emotional moments that I do remember the score and remember it being really good but that was it. But this is only a minor nitpick and in no way does it drag down how absolutely incredible the film is as a whole.
This is a film that is meant for a wide audience and many will find themselves coming out with very different takeaways. It’s been the most talked about film before its release and it’s definitely going to be the most talked about film after its release for probably a long time. For me, I was glad to be able to experience this film as it truly is one hell of an experience that I absolutely loved from start to end and I believe everyone should give it a go, regardless if you have any attachment to Barbie or not. This is a gem of a film worth seeing on the big screen. I’m going to give Barbie an A+ = 98.
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