Barbie: Movie Review

I was skeptical about seeing the Barbie movie because I was afraid it would have a lot of political connotations within it. I had heard some reviews from prominent people in the media to criticize it for that reason. My expectations going in were low; however, now that I have seen it, I think that those people who reacted negatively to it need to chill out! It’s a live-action movie based on a toy. It is a comedy, people. I went with my best friend because we both knew that our husbands would NEVER go see this movie. We had a blast! Some audience members were dressed to the hilt in shades of pink to make it fun. If you grew up playing with Barbie dolls, it’s a no-brainer to go see this movie.

You will see some familiar faces in this movie, but first and foremost, the movie is narrated by Helen Mirrin. Every once in a while, she will interject some humorous narration throughout the course of the movie. Margot Robbie plays the stereotypical Barbie who lives in Barbieland in her Dream House. She deserves some distinction because all the other females in Barbieland are named Barbie. Ryan Gosling is Ken; however, all the male characters in Barbieland are known as Ken, so Gosling’s Ken is known as Beach Ken. America Ferrerra is Gloria, a Mattel employee in the Real World. Rhea Perlman has a small role as the creator of Barbie and cofounder of Mattel. Will Ferrell is the CEO of Mattel in the Real World. Kate McKinnon of Saturday Night Live fame plays the role of Wierd Barbie who is an outcast in Barbieland. A host of others comprise the cast which are too many to mention here.

The plot begins in Barbieland where stereotypical Barbie lives in her Dream House and everything is pink. All the Barbies live in Barbieland and hold prominent professional positions in their society. All the Ken’s spend their time at the beach. Beach Ken has a crush on stereotypical Barbie, but Barbie isn’t interested in Beach Ken. The night after a dance party, Barbie wakes up and everything she does is not normal. She consults with the other Barbies who advise her to see Weird Barbie to help her with her affliction of normality. Weird Barbie advises her to travel to the Real World to seek out the child who is playing with her because that child is having some issues of her own that have transferred to Stereotypical Barbie. Barbie hops into her pink convertible car and heads out of Barbieland only to find that Beach Ken is hiding in the back seat. On the journey they go. They arrive at Venice Beach and locate the Mattel headquarters where the Mattel CEO who tries to capture Barbie and Ken. The rest of the film shows what happens to Barbie and Ken on their adventure in the real world and how they resolve stereotypical Barbie’s existential crisis.

Mattel signed an agreement with Universal to make the Barbie movie in 2009. When production never started, Mattel went to Sony Pictures in 2014 to resurrect the idea. In 2015, the writing of the screenplay began. As with most movies, a lot of drama happens behind the scenes. Amy Schumer signed on to star in the movie and write the script, but she left the project over creative differences. Then, Anne Hathaway was considered to play Barbie with Alethea Jones directing. The Sony Pictures option on the movie expired, which meant that Anne Hathaway would no longer star in the film. Warner Brothers picked up the option for the film and brought Margo Robbie to the table. Greta Gerwig signed on to direct the film in 2021. The move addresses feminism in Barbie, but also how society places pressure on women in regards to beauty and perfection; however, throughout the movie, the controversy is addressed to all women with a theme of ” be yourself and know that is enough.” The rest of the cast was hired in 2021, including Ryan Gosling who would play Ken. The film has grossed $1.05 billion dollars since its release in July 2023, making it the second-highest-grossing film of the year.

Barbie is a fun movie. When you see it, remember that it is all fun. Forget about feminism and political correctness and just have a good time. It’s a comedy, so enjoy it and laugh at all the antics. When I went with my bestie, we saw many people dressed in pink for the occasion. I give this one a 4 out of 5 stars.