The idea of turning “Barbie” in to a feature film has been something Mattel has been grappling with for a very long time, and there was no other way to bring her to the big screen without turning her in to something of a meta comedy. Barbie is revered but also reviled for being beautiful, because with a lot of reasonable vitriol, Barbie has been considered a vapid unrealistic representation of beauty. “Barbie” seeks to confront a world that not only holds women to unrealistic standards, but also presents us with a Barbie whose own unrealistic standards are finally dawning on her. This forces her in to something of an existential crisis where she’s forced to look for the origin of her existence and how she can obtain that sense of perfection.
Director-Writer Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach do a bang up job in delivering a movie that’s not only an homage to the iconic toy, but also uses the opportunity to discuss femininity. Barbie represents a lot of stages of femininity and female empowerment, but has always maintained her unrealistic proportions, which has caused a lot of young women over the decades to confront their own perceived imperfections. Rather than finding beauty in the wrinkles and sags, they look for other means to alter them. There’s never an indication if Barbies and Kens in Barbie Land age at all, but Margot Robbie’s Barbie does inevitably face imperfections to her body.
When she discovers she not only has flat feet, but potential cellulite, she begins to ponder on why and perhaps if she wants to continue upholding this idea of perfection that probably isn’t working anymore. “Barbie” is a lot about the patriarchal society and women finding the power to embrace everything about themselves, even the flaws. Barbie seeks perfection as do all the Kens and various other Barbies, but when she comes across regular mom Gloria (America Ferrera), she soon realizes that there’s also beauty in being regular. America Ferrera always has a risk of being drowned out by the film’s chaotic pacing and very bright set design, but she’s a wonderful anchor in to the messaging that Gerwig is trying to deliver to what will likely be a mostly female audience.
Sure Barbie is beautiful, but so is Gloria, and so is “Weird” Barbie (Kate McKinnon) just for different reasons. Ferrera is the highlight of the film, which says a lot considering the movie is stacked with a massive all star cast. This includes Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Ariana Greenblatt, and Michael Cera, just to name a few. Gerwig competently shifts the narrative quite often, introducing us to the pink soaked sugary Barbie Land, then drops Ken and Barbie in to reality which shifts not only their world, but the way Barbie and Ken perceive themselves. Margot Robbie is just fantastic as Barbie, portraying this gorgeous figure who ends up being so much more than a plastic doll.
She’s complex and charming, and manages to inject so much pathos in the title character. Co-star Ryan Gosling continues to be a painfully underrated comedic actor who is just great as Ken, a bumbling oaf who gets a glimpse at the real world and decides to take it upon himself to change the power dynamic in Barbie Land. “Barbie” is a stellar film filled with laugh out loud comedy, and some great meta-commentary, but it’s also a message for and to women. Gerwig doesn’t just seek to make an entertaining movie, but an important one. And in that regard it succeeds.