Barbie Review
7.5/10
I didn’t get on board the Barbie/Oppenheimer hype train. The social media memeification of the films has been a remarkable study in mass marketing. The general perception of what happened is that this all started when Warner Bros and Universal both announced these films would be released on the same weekend. After that, social media grabbed onto this idea that two vastly different films that already had a lot of hype, thanks to their creators Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, would be released at the same time. I don’t think the studios predicted this massive explosion of fanfare would happen. They most likely know that social media is designed to elevate the most extreme reactions, so I bet the extent of their thinking was “Hey, let’s see what how this goes.”
It is refreshing to see people get so excited about films that have nothing to do with superheroes nor are part of a franchise. I think Greta Gerwig is a solid filmmaker, but she hasn’t made anything that has blown me away yet. Ladybird was a decent coming-of-age film and Little Women was a good period piece. While Barbie didn’t impress me as much as it did many others, I still enjoyed the film. It could have easily been a grrrr men are evil narrative. Instead, the film is a clever and campy satire that never takes itself too seriously. When I saw it in a theater there was a palpable buzz of anticipation in the air that I haven’t seen for a long time.
We start off being introduced to Barbieland, thanks to Helen Mirren’s lovely narration. This is a matriarchal society where the men aka the Kens and a single Allen (Michael Cera) are basically accessories for the Barbies. The place is candy-colored and everyone has the same day-to-day routine. It is a Brave New World-esque Utopia where all live in apparent bliss, their needs are taken care of. From an outsider’s perspective, it is clear this is far from an ideal world. Gerwig and Baumbach approach the film’s story in a more nuanced way than I was expecting. It pokes fun at the men and their exaggerated behaviors, but it also pokes fun at the stereotypical behaviors of women too, such as when the Barbie’s talk about Weird Barbie, played brilliantly by Kate McKinnon. She is treated like an outcast because she was played with too aggressively and looks unusual. She doesn’t fit into their beautiful world.
In Barbieland we meet Margot Robbie’s version of Barbie. Her performance is delightful and brings depth to a character that could have been too over the top. She fits the character perfectly. Ryan Gosling steals the show as Ken. He is hilarious and earnest, a difficult balance to strike. He may be goofy, but there is a heartfelt sweetness beneath his macho veneer that makes him endearing. Anyone who has seen The Nice Guys already knows Gosling is fantastic at comedy. Ken bases his entire life on being with Robbie’s Barbie. He doesn’t know who he is without her attention and feels entitled to be with her, even when it’s clear she doesn’t feel the same way about him. This dynamic is played for laughs yet there is a truth to it that some may find uncomfortable to process. There are certainly guys who feel like they deserve a woman’s affection, even when she has no interest in them. It can be an arduous mindset to break free from. You either develop self-awareness and realize you are being an entitled jerk, or you go full incel.
The Kens never learned to be their own person and find what makes them happy. Their happiness has been permanently defined by being tied to Barbies. Her happiness is a day after day, never-ending cycle of pastels and jubilation. This haze is momentarily lifted when Robbie’s Barbie starts to develop an existential crisis. This prompts a journey into the human world with Ken tagging along, much to Barbie’s dismay. These moments are where the film shines brightest. It is smart and goofy with numerous laugh-out-loud moments. It knows how absurd the whole concept is and has a blast poking fun at it while still telling a compelling story of self-discovery.
Ken’s discovery of the male-dominated human world and the patriarchy, while far from subtle, is an amusing way for him to get the wrong idea of how to improve his own life and the lives of the other Kens. What makes these scenes work well is Gosling throwing himself into the role 100%. His Ken is never an evil person, and he clearly doesn’t hate Barbies. He just wants to find a purpose on his aimless path. Margot Robbie’s quest to save Barbieland involves finding a young girl, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and her mother, Gloria (America Ferrera) to figure out their connection to her newfound existential crisis.
Robbie’s journey of self-discovery is sincere and well-developed. We see a true evolution of her character and what it means to be human. There is an especially touching scene involving her brief conversation with an elderly woman in the real world. Her eyes opening to reality and understanding who she truly is are some of the highlights of the film. For the most part, the film achieves a strong tonal balance of being goofy while still maintaining a genuine tale that many people will connect to.
The film does lose momentum for me in the second half. The relationship between Gloria and her daughter Sasha should have been a beating heart in the film. They are an essential part of Barbie’s quest, yet I never got a sense of who they were. They are introduced then abruptly shoehorned into Barbie’s life so the plot can happen. All we really know about Gloria is she loved Barbies as a kid and still draws designs for them in her spare time. She used to have a powerful bond with her daughter that was gradually lost over the years when Sasha became a typical movie teenager, sulky and sarcastic. It’s a well-worn dynamic we’ve seen before. This builds to a speech Gloria gives later in the film about the hardships of being a woman.
I understand why this speech is connecting to so many people. The message it sends is powerful. My problems with it have nothing to do with my gender. My issue with this scene is it feels like a narrative crutch. The film writes itself into a corner and uses this speech as an easy out to solve everything. Gloria and Sasha are far too underdeveloped for this speech to have a profound impact. If the film put more emphasis on their relationship rather than wasting time on unnecessary padding with Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel and his wacky hijinks, then this speech would have been a magnificent moment.
Despite those issues, Barbie is an entertaining ride. Robbie’s and Gosling’s search for meaning is wonderful with multiple hilarious moments throughout. It can be ridiculously on the nose and occasionally preachy, but were you expecting subtlety? The film stumbles in the second half but recovers by the end with a message that women and men can relate to. I just wish the second half were stronger and better developed. Unfortunately, Hollywood is going to learn all the wrong lessons from this film’s success. Mattel has already greenlit multiple films in their new branded universe. Including a Polly Pocket film written and directed by Lena Dunham. I’m pretty sure that’s a violation of the Geneva Convention.
