Bright, flashy, and over the top – Barbie is making her way to theaters this weekend. Whatever you think the movie is going into it, you’re most likely wrong. The movie is a rare balance of hilarious, social commentary and takes punches at itself while breaking the fourth wall more than one time.
Barbie follows the stereotypical Barbie on an adventure to the real world after her heels fall from their perfect angle and dark thoughts creep into her perfect world. She’s on a journey to find out what is causing her to malfunction – all while Ken stows away in her car while on his unending quest for her affection.
Barbie, of course, is beautiful. Ken, as always is an accessory that Barbie pushes to the side like most kids do while playing with Barbie. And he takes his opportunity to try to change that and his relationship with Barbie for good.
Before she sets off on her journey, Barbie has to seek the counsel of Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) who perfectly uses her quirkiness to embody the character of a doll that has been played with too hard. Perfectly cast in a role that is a bit off the norm, McKinnon will bring back the memories of the doll we all had that ended up with cut hair, shaved heads, or was drawn all over.
Barbie’s Impact
The movie spends a lot on both the positive and negative impacts that Barbie has had on girls throughout the decades. While aspirational at first, Barbie was meant to show girls they could be more than just a mom and could have a career. And while the creator of Barbie at times did regret the impact the doll had on her own life, as well as the impact of the doll’s namesake her daughter Barbara, there’s no knowing if she knew what impact the doll would have on generations of girls.
Yes, Barbie can and does have every job – well over 200 to date. There’s nothing she can’t do, and there are new Barbies being released yearly with new jobs and hobbies. But it’s taken years of pushback for Mattel to introduce more realistic bodies and job options for some Barbie models.
But even with that, Barbie has broken down barriers over the decades. Releasing some of the first Black dolls and other ethnicities along the way. They are an inclusive doll line, and the movie strives to portray that with inclusivity in the cast in gender, identity, and race as well.
Simply put, Barbie has lovers and haters from the different ways she has influenced people’s lives, but the movie actually created a story that will entertain both her lovers and haters at the same time.
An Ode to Barbie
While the story of Barbie is about the lines blurring between the real world and Barbieland, the movie is really an ode to Barbie and her story overall. While she’s been a staple in toy chests around the world since the 1950s, the cultural impact of the doll is huge. The movie takes a more meta approach, with Barbie thinking that her creation has fixed sexism and made the world a much better place for women and girls, only to be faced with the harsh reality of the real world (or some version of it). And while the idea of Barbie is huge, that girls can be anything they want to be – viewers know the reality is that the world often still restricts women and girls in several ways.
But if we push past the feminist aspect or the idea of what Barbie should represent, we see the other parts of Barbie and her story played out on the screen. From a couple of appearances of her creator Ruth Handler (played by Rhea Perlman), telling a bit of why she was created and what she meant to her. The movie also focuses heavily on the iconic iterations of Barbie through the years and her outfits that fans of the doll would still love to collect today.
It even brings in most of the different versions of Barbie and other characters in her world. Of course, there is the stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie), but it includes Doctor Barbie, President Barbie, and even Physicist Barbie. Any movie about Barbie wouldn’t be complete without Ken, and every version of Barbie has her own version of Ken. There is Midge, who 90 kids will remember her release and vaulting happening, and the movie even mentions several times she shouldn’t be there at all. There is a quick appearance of Becky Barbie in her wheelchair, and a lot of time is focused on the one version of Alan (Ken’s Buddy) that was only released in 1964.
But not every character makes a screen appearance. Skipper is mentioned, and her boyfriend (Ken’s younger brother) Kevin is never mentioned. Additionally, Kelly and her friends are completely disregarded in the movie and story. But with a cast as big and varied as the movie already has, it’s easy to see why.
With over-the-top sets of life-sized Barbie Dreamhouses, her own pink convertibles, and other vehicles like planes (with no windows of course) and pools without water – it’s easy to find yourself looking at all of the details of your childhood toys come to life. Mirrors with sticker reflections, showers that only make sound effects, and completely open houses with no doors or windows – it probably will take a second watch to find all of the details hidden throughout the film. But people who love the movie and Barbie will no doubt have a blast watching just to find their favorite toy elements brought to life.
Barbie, with all of its faults, still has a great message at the core. It focuses on the unending demands that women feel today and what patriarchy does to society as a whole. It is heavy-handed, but like most of the movie, subtlety isn’t what the goal is. And really, if you love Barbie or hate her – you’re probably going to enjoy the movie. It is ridiculous at times and will have you shaking your head at the dialogue, the outfits, or the situations. But the movie really is a love story to Barbie and her impact on the world, both positive and negative.
With an early showing starting tomorrow, Barbie is in theaters everywhere. Be sure to check for special events for the release of the movie and enjoy your own Barbie Girl (or guy) moment.
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About Barbie:
From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird”) comes “Barbie,” starring Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie (“Bombshell,” “I, Tonya”) and Ryan Gosling (“La La Land,” “Half Nelson”) as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (“End of Watch,” the “How to Train Your Dragon” films), Kate McKinnon (“Bombshell,” “Yesterday”), Issa Rae (“The Photograph,” “Insecure”), Rhea Perlman (“I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “Matilda”), and Will Ferrell (the “Anchorman” films, “Talladega Nights”). The film also stars Michael Cera (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Juno”), Ariana Greenblatt (“Avengers: Infinity War,” “65”), Ana Cruz Kayne (“Little Women”), Emma Mackey (“Emily,” “Sex Education”), Hari Nef (“Assassination Nation,” “Transparent”), Alexandra Shipp (the “X-Men” films), Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night in Miami,” “Peaky Blinders”), Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Scott Evans (“Grace and Frankie”), Jamie Demetriou (“Cruella”), Connor Swindells (“Sex Education,” “Emma.”), Sharon Rooney (“Dumbo,” “Jerk”), Nicola Coughlan (“Bridgerton,” “Derry Girls”), Ritu Arya (“The Umbrella Academy”), Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen”).
Gerwig directed “Barbie” from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story,” “The Squid and the Whale”), based on Barbie by Mattel. The film’s producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (“Marriage Story,” “Gravity”), Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, with Gerwig, Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.
Gerwig’s creative team behind the camera included Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (“The Irishman,” “Silence,” “Brokeback Mountain”), six-time Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Anna Karenina”), editor Nick Houy (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”), visual effects supervisor Glen Pratt (“Paddington 2,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and music supervisor George Drakoulias (“White Noise,” “Marriage Story”), with music by Oscar winners Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“A Star Is Born”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Heyday Films Production, a LuckyChap Entertainment Production, a NB/GG Pictures Production, a Mattel Production, “Barbie.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters only nationwide on July 21, 2023 and beginning internationally on July 19, 2023.