Barbie: Spoiler-free Review

Barbie can be anything. Mattel launched the "We Girls Can Do Anything!" campaign in 1985, and the rest was history. We've seen Barbie as an astronaut, a doctor, the president, a mother, a surfer, ...I can go on forever. No matter what, there is a picture perfect Barbie to compliment you. But it's not as simple for us, is it? Yes, we might be a teacher, or a pilot, or an artist, ...but we aren't just that all the time. Hell, you might not be any of those things, because you don't need to be. You can just be you. 

So, who is Barbie? Greta Gerwig investigates this question in her newest and most-anticipated project, Barbie (2023). Gerwig gives us an exploration of identity and packages it in a campy, plastic-wrapped world that uses feminism as a red herring for a much more human story.

I am a huge Barbie fan. I had almost every Barbie doll you can think of, and yes, that includes all the annual Holiday Barbies since I was born. Barbies were always a means for me as a child to play out the stories I would make up in my head - they were my outlet to storytell before I could ever write. So for me, this was always going to be a bit of a nostalgia fest. I thought I would easily tell where this film was going to go, because I have consumed every bit of Barbie media that has ever come out, for better or worse. However, I was pleasantly surprised in the direction Gerwig decided to take this movie. 

Gerwig co-wrote the script for Barbie with Noah Baumbach and wanted to bring a new perspective to our favorite feminist icon, and put her in a situation she can't just girlboss her way out of. That means we gotta go existential, of course. This was an unexpected direction to go with it, however it also makes perfect sense. Gerwig and Baumbach include just the right amount of social commentary for the film to still have this air of silliness but also be incredibly relatable. They not only play on the stereotypes of women, but for men as well, that allow for a fun poke at how feminism and patriarchy are just ways for people to assign worth to themselves. This is what makes the film so successfully campy. For such a delicate exploration of society and identity, Gerwig still gives us a fun and colorful film. There are a few plot holes that I think keep this film from feeling fully polished, but I can see it becoming a girls' night classic soon enough. 

Gerwig's direction was interesting to say the least. In hindsight, she showed us exactly what the film would be about right at the beginning. Nothing was meant to be vague or hard to understand, which is not exactly her directive history. Since Gerwig decided to take the campy-route, that is exactly what was needed. Themes can easily get lost in a movie that is really fun and engaging on a visual level, so she had to be intentional. 

This is exemplified by the brilliant comedic timing of Margot Robbie who plays Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken. They excel in physical and spoken comedy, which make the characters come to life. They serve as foils to each other, which was another unexpected choice from Gerwig, yet one that allowed for a much needed component of making this self-discovery theme more digestible. Robbie does an excellent job of using micro-expressions to show us just how in her head she is. Words aren't always needed. This is further seen by the mother-daughter duo we see in the film, who also serve as foils for each other. They are played by America Ferrera as Gloria, the mother figure and Mattel employee, and Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha, Gloria's daughter. I do not think there were any particularly weak performances from the cast, however Gosling by far stole the show. Comedy is hard to pull off in campy style, because it tends to become "too much," so leaving it to the talent, rather than the writing, was a smart decision. Many were unsure how his casting would play out, but I think Gosling stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. Memes will be born from his performance, I just know it.

Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer work as set designer and decorator on the film, and their work completes the life-size look of Barbieland. It is so well done, that the very little CGI blends perfectly with the real-life plastic elements on set. It is clear that in no way is Barbieland supposed to look realistic, and instead, it actually looks like a Barbie doll commercial in live-action - including all the graphic sparkles and animations. This is specifically captured because of the majority use of practical effects. It's exaggerated for sure, but this is the element I believe that works the hardest to bring the campiness of the film to life. 

The soundtrack is also absolutely perfect. It does well to emulate how unserious this film is, even though the themes are deep and thought provoking. If anything, the soundtrack highlights the comedy aspect of the film, and does so in many ways. The music was just enough to be enjoyed in the film, and standalone. There was clear direction from Gerwig to music producer Mark Ronson to create a variety of songs that blend well enough together to feel cohesive. Nothing stood out in a negative way, but also nothing stood out in a positive way either. But it works, especially for a film like Barbie where nothing is subtle. 

Overall, Barbie is an enjoyable film for anyone. The themes and jokes might go right over children's heads, but they may enjoy the visual grandeur of the film, so expect that if you plan on taking your little ones with you. Yes, the dialogue may be cheesy, but its not distracting. Don't go in expecting your life to change, but do go in with genuine curiosity. I especially implore those in their 20s to give it a chance, I think it'll resonate with you. Now, the hardest part of seeing this film is going to be picking which shade of pink to wear.