‘Barbie’ Review: A Fabulous and Hilarious Battle of the Sexes

When the Barbie movie was announced, it seemed like another corporate cash-grab attempt to bank off of kids’ love for the toy and nostalgia from adults. However, Greta Gerwig’s attachment as a writer and director made the project more intriguing as the auteur would most likely bring something more meaningful to the film. That’s precisely what we got in a surprisingly deep blockbuster that blends incredible production design with a funny and relevant script.

‘Barbie’ dazzles audiences with colorful sets and captivating performances

Barbie opens with Margot Robbie’s stereotypical Barbie waking up in Barbie Land and beginning her day. It’s a blissful society where women control everything, and hold all positions of power. They’re doctors, lawyers, court justices, and presidents. Meanwhile, the Ken’s are there enjoying life where they “beach” all day long. Everything seems fine until Robbie’s Barbie has an existential crisis, and must go to the real world to figure out how to fix everything.

When she and Ryan Gosling’s Ken emerge in the real world, they receive a massive culture shock. The patriarchy is still present and Barbie hasn’t done as much as she thinks she has to empower women. Some women hate her, which is encapsulated in a scene where Robbie is criticized by a group of teenagers. Ken discovers the patriarchy and believes men deserve more than they are given in Barbie land.

Fans expecting a standard Barbie movie get that in its opening 20 minutes. It’s a beautiful pink world brought to life through excellent production design. The sets are bright, colorful, and massive, and Greta’s camerawork makes the world seem like a toy prop set that exists in its own realm. It has a goofy tone as every character smiles while constantly greeting each other, and parties in choreographed dance sequences.

Once we enter the real world, the cartoonish tone still carries over, which may not work for some, but it fits right in with the over-the-top satire Gerwig is aiming for. Robbie and Gosling’s chemistry shines out here but they are both perfect. Robbie’s performance is quite nuanced as she comes to grips with the idea that she isn’t the perfect being she was created to be. Gosling’s comedy chops are on full display as he makes a charming Ken, who is both charismatic and shamelessly overly masculine.

Other performances that shine include Michael Cera’s Allan, Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie, America Ferrera as a mom struggling with her own identity crisis, and Helen Mirren as the narrator, who delivers one of the funniest jokes of the film. Will Ferrell has a significant role as the CEO of Mattel, even though his character feels like an afterthought once the movie goes back to Barbie Land. Still, Ferrell does deliver some comical lines in his signature style.

Sometimes the movie gets too goofy for its own good and some of the jokes fall flat. The Mattel corporation in this are all portrayed like idiots, and sometimes the jokes go too long with no payoff. Additionally, the tone can feel inconsistent, especially when jokes are brought in during some of the film’s more meaningful and intimate moments.

The commentary is powerful but can get overly preachy

It’s easy to praise the performances, cinematography, and production design of this film because it’s fantastic. What will be divisive is the commentary. Barbie is a film with a voice and it speaks on gender dynamics, the roles of women in society, and how men and women influence each other in positive and negative ways.

Once the movie enters the real world, satire and messaging take over. The message can be powerful at times, especially a lengthy monologue delivered by Ferrera about the lived experience of being a woman in a society where the rules are unclear. It has a clear perspective on the patriarchy as it takes over Barbie’s world in an exaggerated manner but still highlights the dangers of this societal hierarchy.

There are those who could find this message overbearing, and at times it is. It’s understood that the patriarchy is harmful but the movie does bash it into viewers’ minds, rather than being subtle about it. Some may disagree with it, but it’s not the film’s job to provide commentary that everyone agrees with. It has its own voice, even if it’s often loud and repetitive at times.

Still, the not-subtle satire works with the tone and world this movie has set up. Nothing is subtle, as the script wants to establish a world where everything is exaggerated and in-your-face. If you’re looking for subtlety in a film with a spontaneous Ken musical number, maybe look elsewhere. Gerwig does an excellent job at creating a blockbuster that not only works for a younger audience but adults as well. The message might be too much at times, but the excellent production, enticing performances, and meta-commentary make up for it in spades.

Final rating: 8.8/10