After directing 2017’s Ladybird and 2019’s Little Women, it’s safe to say I was a little surprised when Greta Gerwig was signed on as director for the Barbie film, a movie that was originally destined to be another critical failure of an Amy Schumer comedy.
Thankfully, she quickly turned it into a film that focuses on a fun story about a Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) coming to the real world with her Ken (Ryan Gosling) to try and find the reasons behind her increasing defections, whilst realising the true unjust nature of the patriarchal world.
There was no real reason explaining the plot of this film as due to the exceptional promotion, everyone has heard about it, which led to the 4th biggest weekend for cinemas. So, was this film worth all the hype or was it too plastic for its own good?
If you don’t like the colour pink run away from this film at high speeds.
Visually this film is a lot of fun, especially when the focus is on Barbie land. Not only is this land full of colour, amazing sets and nods to the history of the Barbie product, but it also teeming with a variety of A-List celebrities (I didn’t know I needed to see John Cena as a mermaid Ken Doll until now).
#BARBIE
July 21, 2023
Only in theaters pic.twitter.com/mauCGpizD1— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) April 26, 2022
This exciting environment paired with the quick, lively dialogue makes the film pure enjoyment when it tries to be, yet it also has the ability to get serious when the moment calls for it, especially when the focus is on the real world and the final act.
Ever since the first pictures were released of this film, there was no doubt whatsoever that Margo Robbie really was a Barbie Incarnate. She is fantastic as the constantly cheery and optimistic character learning to deal with unfamiliar, darker emotions and really couldn’t have been played by anyone else (a reference even the film picks up on!).
However, the real shock performance of Barbie was her whiny, ridiculous counterpart, Ken. Ryan Gosling never failed to make me laugh whenever he was on screen, even in the darkest moments of the film. His bleach blond pair, bizarre outfits and obsession with horses cement his high status in the comedy genre, and I can’t wait to see what he does next, even if he brings only half of his kenergy into that role.
This film attempts to do a significant amount which is a blessing as it enhances the film’s joyful excitement, but it is also the film’s most blaring weakness. The film has so many plotlines going on, particularly within the third act, that is easy to feel overwhelmed, wishing that the film had chosen to play to its stronger stories rather than every idea they wanted to make.
Every time I check the reviews for this film I see people detailing why I am not the target audience for this film and well… obviously I’m not. This is a very powerful film that intends to make women feel powerful in a dangerous world. However, to hell with the critics, I had so much fun during this film and found myself smiling from start to finish.
Even though this film isn’t exactly the dream house we all hoped it was if I had to rate it on how much fun I had, I’d give it a Ken out of Ten.
Verdict – 4/5