Barbie Movie Review

July 21st, 2023 will no doubt go down as one of the most important dates in cinema history. Not only were two of the most highly anticipated movies of the year released, but also they were critical and commercial successes. One was Oppenheimer, and the other was Barbie. The latter directed by Greta Gerwig is a campy and honest look at the iconic doll and her complicated legacy.

Barbie follows the titular character (played by Margot Robbie) and her kinda boyfriend Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) as they go on a journey of self-discovery after she has an existential crisis.  

One of the things that I’ve noticed and that not many people have talked about is how the film has the same vibe of a Golden Age movie musical. It’s campy in how colorful it is and fully committed to its premise, no matter how self-aware it is. The sets in Barbieland are designed like Barbie’s dream homes. Even the title character has a water slide. On top of that, they are actual physical sets and not computer generated. They look so fake in the best way possible. Even the waves at the beach are fake, which makes the scene in which Ken tries to surf funnier. This is only one way that the people who worked on this flick demonstrated their love and understanding of the concept.

This self awareness is also extended to the music and the performances. “Pink” by Lizzo starts off the movie as Barbie wakes up and goes about her morning in the most imaginary-like ways. Its lyrics describe how pink, perfect, and fabulous the titular doll is (yes, I am aware of the sexual harassment allegations that Lizzo is currently facing, but she is the perfect artist to say those things about Barbie), and it’s accompanied by shots of Barbie doing the things that the song lists. That and its pessimistic version “Pink (Bad Day)” almost have a literal video vibe. For those who don’t know, those were ones in which people would change the lyrics to various tunes in order to describe what’s going on in the music video. Along with the homage to “2001: A Space Odyssey,” this perfectly sets the campy tone of the movie.

Also, I loved how the movie uses the wonderful “Levitating” knockoff “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. It plays during the choreographed dance scene (yes, the flick acknowledges this) at Barbie’s Dream House. The song talks about dancing while looking gorgeous despite going through some possible struggles. This fits Barbie’s state of mind as Margot Robbie struts around like she owns the entire place, which makes the memed line, “Do you ever think about dying?” out of place. Afterwards, Barbie brushes off that statement even though it’s clear that she is disturbed by that through Robbie’s performance.

With all of the bright and silly songs that are wonderfully performed, there is one that will definitely punch people in the gut. That ditty is the ballad “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. It comes at the climax, in which Barbie and her creator have a conversation. The former wants to know what it means to be human, so the latter shows what it’s all about. That song soundtracks the sequence, and I’m not going to lie, but I got sort of emotional. In addition, it’s all the more impactful because “What Was I Made For?” sounds differently from the other tunes.

Many of the actors did a fantastic job because they completely understood and loved the concept that Gerwig and husband Noah Baumbach wrote. Even Helen Mirren is having fun narrating the story and providing cheeky commentary on the side. But of course, I have to single out some who were the best. One of them is Margot Robbie. Robbie embodies the Barbie that everybody is familiar with for good or for worse. She is funny, for she takes herself so seriously. An example of this is when Barbie and Ken arrive in Venice Beach, she gets hit on by a lot of dudes. Some male construction workers cat-call her, which results in her explaining that those are sexual innuendos and openly declaring that she doesn’t have a vagina. Even the low point that Barbie has once Ken took over Barbieland (and naming Kendom) is hilarious and sad at the same time as she falls down and rolls over like a plastic doll (yes, I am aware that Barbie is a plastic doll). 

The other person who did an excellent job is Ryan Gosling. His Ken is someone who at first defines himself through his relationship with Barbie. Then, when he and Barbie go into the real world, he discovers that men basically rule it. As a result, he tries to get a job by telling people that he is a man. Even though that doesn’t work, he brings patriarchy to Barbieland and turns it upside down. While Ken becomes an antagonist force, viewers completely understand his intentions through Gosling’s thoughtful performance and commitment to playing a character whose main thoughts are beach, Barbie, and horses. Speaking of devotion, I have to discuss the song he sings called “I’m Just Ken.” Gosling sells that tune about being not good enough hard. He does this not only emotionally, but also vocally. When I was watching that sequence, I wondered where Gosling was when he was in La La Land – an actual movie musical. It’s almost as if he received more training as a vocalist, became more confident in his singing, or both. Either way, it’s wonderful to hear him sing while dancing and “fighting” with the other Kens.

Finally, I have to discuss the crux of Barbie: its commentary of the doll’s complicated legacy. Throughout the film, the Barbies, especially the stereotypical one, are seen as either empowering or detrimental to a girl’s or woman’s self-esteem depending on who the person is. Sasha (played by Ariana Greenblatt)  – the tween – hates Barbie because how much the latter makes women feel bad about themselves. Yet, her mom Gloria (played by America Ferrera) plays with Barbie (and thus responsible for putting thoughts about death into the doll’s head) to remind herself of better days while working as a secretary for the male-run company Mattel. This adds plenty of layers to the overall legacy. On top of that, Barbie spends the beginning of the movie not fully aware of Ken’s needs. It’s only after Ken takes over Barbieland that she realizes that she didn’t value him in a way that she should have. Hence, the movie is really commenting on how men and women should work together to make a better place and how one shouldn’t have to be defined by another. After all, Barbie says, “It’s Barbie, AND it’s Ken.”

Overall, Barbie the movie is excellent in many ways. It’s fun and campy in a way that feels like one is playing with a Barbie while watching it. It also can be serious at times, which makes the film surprisingly impactful. Although I’m sure that everybody and their mom has seen it already, I would still recommend it to anybody to watch it, especially with their mother. This flick deserves all the praise and hype it got.

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