Barbie’s a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, but when her perfect life is interupted by uncontrollably intrusive concerns about her own mortality, Barbie—with Ken in tow—must travel to the real world, where they discover that the world of the humans is rife with problems, and when they finally return to Barbieland, they bring those problems back with them.
Based on the famous Mattel doll created by Ruth Handler in 1959, Barbie is a phenomenal movie. Phenomenal. It’s a gorgeous film, brimming with infectious energy, often hilarious, often laugh-out-loud funny, technically incredible, and filled to the brim with little details; it somehow manages to walk the line between escapist fun and razor-edged social commentary, all while acknowledging both the good and the bad realities of the Barbie legacy in the real world.
And all with a knowing wink too?
Incredible.
To be such a beautiful film, to be such a smart film, to be such a clear-eyed and sharply barbed commentary on society, all told through such an innocuous toy, and to be so flat-out entertaining the entire time?
Amazing.
The Oscars are nothing but a big load of crap, nothing but a gaudy and gross spectacle of wealth held just a few meager steps from massive encampments of unhoused people, a popularity contest headed up by out-of-touch old farts, more concerned with the Box Office returns than any artistic merit, and all for the industry equivalent of the American Association of Dentists handing out the Best Dentist of the Year award.
BUT…
There’s just no denying their importance within the industry as far as the flow of money to projects is concerned, just like there’s no denying that Barbie is far and away the number one grossing film at the domestic Box Office in 2023. So, should Barbie wins some Oscars, they will be well-deserved, and should it not win in any of the categories for which it was nominated, it will have been absolutely robbed.
Because it’s a great movie.
Greta Gerwig is a writer/director whose past work is something that I’ve occasionally enjoyed, but have mostly just passed over. That’s the past. Barbie is an all-timer, a true cinema classic that will stay relevant and will be revisited for many years to come. It is a true classic. From the inspired 2001 homage, through its stunning sets and fantastic costumes, to the amazing song and dance numbers, its uproarious comedy—including a skewering and totally on-point joke about the joke that it is the SnyderCult—all in a story of basic human truths, all the way up to it’s very last moment… Incredible. This is mind blowing to me. We’re talking about a movie about Barbie here.
And it’s incredible.
The story goes like this… Barbie is the most popular Barbie of all the Barbies in Barbieland, and she is living her best life, sure in the knowledge that she and her fellow Barbies have solved all the problems facing feminism in the Real World, all through the power of their inspirational examples. She is having the best day, every day… until the day she begins to have a bit of an existential crisis. Also, her heels are touching the ground. Upon consulting an extremely reliable expert, she discovers that these new developments are linked to the feelings that are being experienced by the little girl who is playing with her. In order to fix this, and to close the rift that has opened between Barbieland and the Real World, she must travel to the human world, and find that girl. Ken tags along. Once there, Barbie discovers the truth about the Real World, and the “little girl” who is playing with her. Meanwhile, Ken discovers the patriarchy. Bringing these truths back to Barbieland causes the Real world to bleed over into that perfect world, threatening its entire existence. Similar to films like The Lego Movie, Barbie is about how everything has its season, as well as the power of positive change, it’s about having the courage to find your true self, and then having the strength not just to embrace that truth, but to live it, and to face the coming uncertainty without fear.
Margot Robbie is absolutely brilliant here, balancing satire and sincerity with an aplomb that makes it all look easy, she’s a true talent, but Ryan Gosling is a scene-stealer, absolutely reveling in Ken’s himbo doofusdom. Also, love America Ferrera. Superstore is an underappreciated sitcom in that it’s funny, with a great cast, while being pro-worker, pro-union, and anti-ICE. I loved her there, and I loved seeing her here. I also really liked Ariana Greenblatt, previously known as Lil’ Gamorra and Lil’ Ahsoka, she was great here too. In fact, all the myriad Barbies and myriad Kens were great. It’s all great. Gerwig takes some big swings here, and she connects, knocking it out of the park.
The simple truth is… the Barbie Movie is an all-around fantastic film.
I’ve heard a few people say that they felt like the big third act speech was too “on-the-nose” and a “momentum killer” and I couldn’t disagree with that more strenuously. In fact, having been born and raised in the whitest of White America, in the middlest of Midwest Middle America, in the smallest of small towns, while currently living through both Trumpism and COVID denialism, when I hear someone say something like this now, in this kind of context, all I hear is someone who is uncomfortable with a truth that is being spoken plainly, most likely due to the fear that they might have to confront their own complicity.
You can hem and haw about that all you want, but there’s really only one answer…
Anyway, definitely check this film out. Big thumbs up. Go. Enjoy.
But be sure to listen.
we howled. The fact that song is real is exactly why this movie's theme is so important!
Weird Barbie constantly in the splits was genius. We all had a Weird Barbie!