In 1959, American businesswoman Ruth Handler created Barbie, a doll made for little girls based on Germany’s Bild Lilli. Ruth’s husband Elliot co-founded the toy company Mattel, so she brought the doll to him, and the rest is history. Since its inception, Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls and just as many accessories, clothes, vehicles, etc. In 2009, Mattel announced that Universal would work on a live-action movie, but nothing came of it. Sony Pictures was brought on to produce in 2014, with Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway both in talks to star. Unfortunately, numerous delays led to Mattel reacquiring the rights and partnering with Warner Bros, leading to Margot Robbie being cast. Also serving as a producer, Robbie hired Greta Gerwig to direct, who agreed if her partner Noah Baumbach co-wrote. Following a few reshoots, Barbie finally hit the silver screen in July 2023.
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Synopsis
Life in Barbieland is splendid as Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives her days with her fellow Barbies and Ken (Ryan Gosling). However, things turn sour when Barbie starts asking about death, her routine is thrown off, and her feet go flat. She consults Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) for help, and Weird Barbie suggests she find the child playing with her. With Ken stowing away in her car, Barbie travels to Venice Beach, where they almost immediately get arrested. While Barbie looks for her owner, Ken wanders off and learns about the patriarchy, leaving Barbie to spread the word. Elsewhere, Barbie and Ken’s antics get the attention of Mattel’s CEO (Will Ferrell), who’s determined to bring them in. Soon, Barbie finds her owner, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), who drops some harsh truths on her, making her question her existence. Things only worsen once Barbie sees what Ken has done to their home.
Review
To get this out of the way, Barbie is a feminist “take down the patriarchy” movie through and through. I’m not here to discuss gender politics, societal roles, or anything like that, so I’m not getting into that. As to the movie itself, I think there’s a lot to like about it, from the performances to the directing. First, I can’t think of anyone other than Margot Robbie playing a live-action Barbie, and she nails it. Not only does she look and fit the part, but she has a great character arc as her worldview expands. Ryan Gosling steals the show as Ken and shows off his comedic talent through his back-and-forths with Robbie. He’s hilarious when he’s just Ken and even funnier once he brings the patriarchy back to Barbieland. Also, Michael Cera is memorable as the even more forgotten Alan, somehow more pathetic than Ken.
The production design for Barbieland is a sight to behold, feeling like a dollhouse come to life. It reminds me of the neighborhood from Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, looking so idyllic that it’s almost creepy. It’s a great contrast to the mundanity of Los Angeles, though I almost wish more time was spent in Barbieland. While some jokes land, quite a few miss the mark and go overboard explaining the joke. Sometimes, it feels like the filmmakers interrupt the movie to preach about gender equality and women’s rights. Also, so many characters are packed in that it can be overwhelming, especially when most have the same name. At slightly under two hours long, there isn’t a ton of padding, and it moves at a decent pace. Overall, Barbie has some good qualities, but some material might be somewhat offputting for certain audience members.
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