Barbie (2023)
A fun yet thoughtful film with themes of nostalgia and sisterhood.
Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Plot: Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) enjoys a perfect existence in the female led Barbieland, until one day she starts to malfunction. This leads her on a quest to the real world, where she must find the human playing with her if she hopes to return to her original perfect condition.
Analysis: I’ll start with the obvious: this movie has fun and stylized sets, great costuming (including replicas of actual Barbie attire), and an energized soundtrack. Margot Robbie was born to play Barbie and oddly enough, Ryan Gosling shines as Ken. The supporting cast was good, especially Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera.
Barbie is an iconic brand in our society, but many women and girls have a complicated relationship with the toy. For some, Barbie represents the potential of women, as showcased by astronaut Barbie and doctor Barbie. For others, the doll represents an unrealistic standard of beauty and perfection that is impossible to live up to. The movie touches on both these points, emphasizing the tough balance women are expected to find between beautiful and modest, successful and humble, dutiful and independent. I think this movie is getting such rave reviews simply because it puts a voice to the challenges of being a woman and the frustrations that all females share.
I did enjoy the female centered storytelling and the overall message was nice. However, I don’t think the movie quite struck the right balance of funny and meaningful for me. The fun and excitement of the film is seeing Barbie and her world come to life so I didn’t adore the real world portions and the ending left something to be desired.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t note the incredible marketing effort behind the film featuring dozens of brand collaborations and a well executed press tour. The movie opened to a record setting $155M at the box office — the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman (Greta Gerwig). If you’re looking for an entertaining and stylish summer flick, put on some pink, grab your girlfriends, and go see Barbie.
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