Summary

Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" film is a feminist satire that humorously critiques societal norms while celebrating inclusivity and self-discovery.

Abstract

"Barbie," directed by Greta Gerwig, is lauded for its clever marketing strategy and its ability to appeal to both fans and critics of the iconic doll. The film opens with a parody of "2001: A Space Odyssey," setting the stage for a narrative that explores feminism and equal rights through the lens of Barbie's world. Margot Robbie stars as Barbie, who experiences an existential crisis and ventures into the real world with Ryan Gosling's Ken to understand her existence. The movie is praised for its witty screenplay, which addresses the complex history of Barbie and satirizes contemporary societal issues, including gender politics. While the film is fun and absurd, it also prompts viewers to reflect on the contradictory expectations placed on women. The cast, including notable performances by Robbie, Gosling, and a range of cameos, brings depth to the story, which, while not as emotionally impactful as some of its influences, still manages to deliver entertaining and thought-provoking content.

Opinions

The marketing team behind "Barbie" is commended for engaging both cineastes and the general public with clever promotional tactics, including the "Barbenheimer" social media trend.
The film's opening, which parodies "2001: A Space Odyssey," is seen as a humorous and effective way to introduce the movie's themes.
"Barbie" is recognized for its inclusive representation of various Barbie and Ken characters, reflecting Mattel's efforts to diversify their product line.
The screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach is highlighted for its humor and its handling of the cultural impact of Barbie, including past criticisms regarding body image.
The film's satire extends to current societal issues and the patriarchy, with some right-wing commentators criticizing it as anti-men, while others find the humor in these critiques.
The performances of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are particularly noted for their excellence, with Gosling's Ken having a significant character arc.
The self-awareness and meta humor in the film are appreciated, with references to past Barbie products adding to the comedy.
While the film is enjoyable and has its strengths, it is not considered as emotionally resonant as some of its cinematic influences, and it has moments that could be tighter.
The soundtrack is seen as an additional highlight, contributing to the film's overall appeal.
The film is recommended for those with nostalgia for Barbie, as well as those who may have mixed feelings about the doll's cultural significance.

Film Review — Barbie

Greta Gerwig’s feminist celebration and satire of Mattel’s iconic doll is a lot of fun.

I give top marks to the marketing people behind the promotion of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Not only did they position this as a feminist fable for people who both love and hate Barbie, but they also won over dyed-in-the-wool cineastes like yours truly with a hilarious teaser parodying the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. That’s before I even mention the whole “Barbenheimer” thing on social media (I get into it here, if you’re interested).

The 2001 scene — hilariously narrated by Helen Mirren — opens Barbie, as it is explained that up to a certain point, little girls only played with baby dolls. But then, with the monolith-like arrival of Barbie, girls dispensed with their baby toys. Thus, as Mirren says: “Thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved.”

Afterwards, we’re introduced to “Stereotypical Barbie” (Margot Robbie, whose immaculate casting is even the punchline of a perfectly timed meta joke). She exists in Barbieland, a dazzlingly bright, profoundly pink, retina-scorching matriarchal utopia alongside various other Barbies. These include President Barbie, Supreme Court Barbie, Astronaut Barbie, Nobel Prize-winning author Barbie, and so on. Barbieland is multi-racial, multi-sized, and multi-abled, reflecting Mattel’s later efforts to make their famous creation more inclusive.

There are also several Kens, including one played by Ryan Gosling, whose job is “Beach” (but he can’t surf, be a lifeguard, or do anything actually useful). He only has a good day if Barbie talks to him. Gosling’s Ken has something of a rivalry with another Ken played by Simu Liu. There’s also a one-off male doll called Allan (Michael Cera), who is perpetually ignored.

Stereotypical Barbie (hereinafter simply referred to as Barbie) is having an existential crisis. She starts thinking about cellulite and death, and — shock, horror! — her heels are now touching the ground. Disturbed at this chain of events, she seeks help from “Weird Barbie” (Kate McKinnon), who was “played with too hard” by her human counterpart in the real world. The weird metaphysics of this are “explained” in the film, so I shan’t get into that here. Just go with it.

Anyway, Weird Barbie tells Barbie she must seek out whoever is playing with her in the real world to get to the bottom of her problems. Gosling’s Ken decides to tag along, and thus begins a fish-out-of-water comedy that recalls Disney’s Enchanted. I was also heavily reminded of The Lego Movie, another toy-inspired meta-film that managed to do something subversive, satirical, and poignant rather than only exist as a vehicle for selling toys.

There are plenty of giggles in Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay, which wisely embraces the complex, warts-and-all history of Barbie, including the claims that it gave girls unrealistic body expectations. The film goes beyond this to satirise several hot topics in America today (the inclusion of Supreme Court Barbie is no accident). It also wittily exposes the contradictory cultural expectations (specifically in Western society) that women deal with daily. I’ll leave further comment on this subject to those who can unpack it from authoritative experience, except to say that I think Gerwig does rather well in getting the audience to at least think about gender politics a bit more deeply.

All that said, the tone is consistently fun, frequently absurd, and yes, men and the patriarchy are the subject of many jokes. Some right-wingers in America have taken offence at this, condemning the film as anti-men. Personally, I found it hilarious, especially when Ken gets the idea that the patriarchy means men and horses run the world.

Robbie and Gosling are both excellent, and Ken’s character arc is as interesting as that of Barbie. Elsewhere in the cast, we get Will Ferrell as the Mattel CEO; a role that echoes his performance in The Lego Movie. Then there’s teenager Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), who berates Barbie for setting back feminism 50 years, calling her a fascist in a very Gen-Z sort of way, and her mother Gloria (America Ferrara). Both become entangled in the narrative in ways I won’t spoil. There are also some fun cameos among the Kens, including future Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa and John Cena. Finally, Rhea Perlman has a poignant role as Barbie creator Ruth Handler.

In lesser hands, the self-aware elements could have become annoying, but many of the meta gags land brilliantly. For instance, the inclusion of Earring Magic Ken, Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken, and a Barbie with inflatable breasts (yes, these were all real lines, apparently, prior to their discontinuation following customer complaints). A “commercial break” in the middle of the film for an equally absurd Barbie variant had me laughing my head off. Mattel has obviously learned the lesson of The Lego Movie, namely that poking fun at the product and celebrating failed toys as well as successful ones will sell a whole load more toys. But I digress.

There are flaws. It’s a bit baggy in places, nor is it as emotionally resonant as some of the films that are a clear influence (The Wizard of Oz, The Truman Show, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Singin’ in the Rain, and A Matter of Life and Death, for instance). However, for the most part, Barbie delivers solid if not necessarily groundbreaking entertainment. The toe-tapping tracks on its sugar rush bubble-gum pop soundtrack are an added bonus (for me, at least).

I should say this isn’t primarily aimed at children but at nostalgic adults. Therefore, if you loved Barbie as a child, even if you now feel conflicted about the cultural baggage, you’ll definitely want to see this. If you hate Barbie, or are indifferent (like me), it’s still worth a look for the zany comedy and Ken’s ridiculous musical numbers. In final analysis, I don’t think Barbie is quite the masterpiece some have claimed it to be, but I had a lot of fun with it.

(Originally published at Simon Dillon Books.)

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