Movie Monday July 24: Barbie

Though I normally don’t pick new movies, I feel like Barbie has to be an exception. I grew up playing with the dolls and loved the computer animated Barbie movies from my childhood, but Greta Gerwig’s version is in an entirely different category. I was so excited to see the film, and it didn’t disappoint.

**Warning, mild spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t watched the movie yet, what are you doing?**

In Barbieland, Barbies of all types live in a cotton candy like world. Everything’s perfect, from the dream houses to world peace to spontaneous yet coordinated dance numbers. In this idealized world, not everyone is happy though. Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) starts to have an existential crisis. Thoughts of death manifest into flat feet, burned waffles, and cellulite. Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), a Barbie who’s been played with too hard in the real world, tells her she must find the little girl who owns her in the real world to fix everything. Along with a Ken (Ryan Gosling), Stereotypical Barbie travels to Los Angeles. Once there, they realize that the real world is nothing like the Barbies thought. Men are in charge, women are objectified, and little girls hate Barbies. With Mattel’s CEO (Will Ferrell) trying to return her to a box, Barbie is helped by Gloria (America Ferrera), a Mattel employee and Barbie’s owner. They travel back to Barbieland with Gloria’s daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt). Ken has also returned and changed their world into a patriarchal society obsessed with horses and beer. Barbie, Gloria, Sasha, and their allies fight to deprogram the brainwashed Barbies and restore Barbieland. The existential crisis hasn’t left Barbie completely, and she ultimately chooses to become human.

What do I think about Barbie?

There is so much I loved about Barbie. The humor is witty with enough meta commentary to be satirical yet fun. The entire theater was laughing and cheering throughout the film. It doesn’t shy away from problems others perceive about Barbies and embraces weirdness. From discontinued Kens and Barbies to how little girls actually play with the dolls, it is a very aware movie. I also love the inclusion of other dolls, like Midge, Skipper, and Allan (a Michael Cera performance to remember).

All of the actors fully committed to playing dolls, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Both are fantastically funny. The entire ensemble is amazing, but the standout performance to me is America Ferrera. She highlights what women still face in the world even with advances in equality, is a great example of a realistic mom-daughter relationship (also shout out to Ariana Greenblatt), and isn’t overly preachy while also being funny. The casting is on point for me for every character. There’s also a fun meta moment when the narrator recognizes how stereotypically pretty and doll like Margot Robbie is.

One thing I think Barbie does exceptionally well is portray toxic masculinity and patriarchy in a realistic way. Sure, some might say the film is “man-hating”, but it actually shows how toxic masculinity huts men just as much as it hurts women. The Kens become mean, selfish, and insecure, but also show real emotional vulnerability when confronted. The pressure and stress of running everything and being perfect is not something they’re proud of and are actually relieved when the Barbies take back control. The conversation between the main Barbie and Ken towards the end of the film also highlights that Barbie also bears some responsibility. She says that every night didn’t have to be a girls night and she could’ve considered Ken’s feelings more. It’s honest and shows that men can be hurt and vulnerable but not know how to express those emotions in a healthy way. The Barbies also make concessions so the Kens feel more involved and valued.

I really could go on and on, but I have to give a quick mention about the inclusion of Barbie’s origin. The inclusion of inventor Ruth Handler (played by Rhea Perlman) was a nice touch. She added value to the story by showing how Barbies started and how they evolved. There was also some added humor with mentions of Ruth’s troubled past with the IRS.

I did the Oppenheimer and Barbie double feature, aka Barbenheimer. I enjoyed both movies, but I like Barbie more. The use of humor to deal with serious issues, an amazing ensemble cast, and an original take on such an iconic character are what make it so good. I could watch Barbie over and over again. And that’s the biggest compliment I can give to any movie. So yes, this is going on my yearly rewatch list.

One scene that made me laugh:

There’s so much great humor throughout the film, but one of my favorites is the beach battle/dance battle/emotional ballad that is the Ken war. It was over the top and ridiculous, making fun of itself while also being entertaining. The song has also been stuck in my head for the past three days.

One scene that was impactful:

Soon after Barbie arrives in the real world, she struggles with finding her owner. While sitting on a bus bench, she has an emotional moment recalling her owner’s memories around Barbies. When she looks up she sees an old woman sitting next to her. An unspoken, genuine moment passes between them and Barbie tells the woman she’s beautiful. She tells Barbie she already knows that, adding some humor and poignancy to this scene. Beauty isn’t only about being young and “perfect” and is more than skin deep. 

I’d give Barbie 9 rollerblades out of 10.