Life in Plastic Isn’t Just Fantastic in Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’

Barbie was the original blonde bombshell. She emerged as the epitome of the perfect woman with a cinched waist, ample bosom, and long blonde hair. Just one problem — no such woman existed. The glaring issue of unattainable and unrealistic beauty is a stain that doesn’t easily wash out. Yet, over its six-decade existence, Barbie has undergone significant transformations, embracing diverse body shapes, sizes, skin tones, and careers. What started as a singular ideal has evolved to embrace and promote women’s experience as a collective.

Enter Greta Gerwig with her third solo feature film adapted from the icon herself: Barbie. But not just that one Barbie, all the Barbies. It can get a little confusing, but just know that there are Barbies and Kens. Oh, and Allan. 

Our Barbie paradise opens just as magical as you’d expect with a narration-styled single by Lizzo (who I call Pop Star Barbie) blaring overhead that guides us through the day-to-day routine of our Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie; Babylon). This is our first glimpse into Barbieland. The homes look fresh, out-of-the-box new. Stereotypical Barbie non-brushes her hair, non-eats her breakfast, and non-brushes her teeth — a delightful illusion in this world of make-believe. She dresses in her magically pieced-together outfit, complete with accessories.

These tiny details assist the production in laying the foundation of this fantastical world where functionality is replaced with imaginative play, like how we would use them to play with our Barbies in the real world. This comes into play later when Barbie crosses into our realm of reality.  The days roll by, the same, over and over, until the Groundhog Day montage is abruptly stopped when Barbie (Robbie) asks her party guests if they ever think about dying. 

Once those feelings sink their teeth into Barbie, her daily routine starts to break down, evident in her oversleeping, stinky breath, burnt faux breakfast, and her perfectly arched feet that are now flat. This leads her to the somewhat oracle in Barblieland, Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon; Ghostbusters), who got her name from being played with too hard in the real world. Her hair is unevenly cut, she has tattoos, and she falls into the splits at a moment’s notice.

Weird Barbie tells our lead Barbie (Robbie, in case you’re getting confused) that there is a rip in the space-time continuum, and the emotions of whoever is playing with her in the real world are bleeding into her in Barbieland, causing these changes. The only way to go back to being stereotypical is to find the person playing with her and make them feel happy. Then, and only then, will her feet be re-arched. 

Ken (Ryan Gosling, The Gray Man) stows away in Barbie’s car while traveling to the real world. She decides to let him tag along. He thinks he’s there to assist Barbie in her quest but once in the real world, he’s exposed to what male roles look like outside of pink colored glasses. The earlier set up of the movie was extremely tight with every thing perfectly in place. But as the film continues, and themes seem to reveal themselves as Stereotypical Barbie’s identity comes into question, the vision isn’t as clear. 

*** mild spoilers ahead ***

Gosling’s Ken somewhat upstaged Robbie in parts of the film. Within this beautiful world created by Gerwig, Barbieland is ruled by women, leaving Kens more like accessories. There was a significant amount of time spent on Ken that contributed to what felt like a cloudy message.

With what appears to be muddled and slightly contradictory themes, it can be hard to decipher what the big “aha” moment of the film should be. When Ken learns about the patriarchy that runs our world, he takes that knowledge back to Barbieland to enlighten the other Kens with this new way of life. Doing this causes the other Barbies to morph from spearheading the community to stepping into a subservient role. They’ve become the accessories. 

Meanwhile, Barbie finds out that the person whose feelings she’s been absorbing wasn’t that of Sasha, (Ariana Greenblatt; Avengers: Infinity War) the feisty teen who called her a fascist, but of her mother, an adult Mattel employee named Gloria (America Ferrera; Superstore). She brings Gloria with her back to Barbieland and discovers what Ken has done to her once dream home. He’s incorporated the tiny bit of information he’s gathered from the real world and turned her pink palace into his “Mojo Dojo Casa House” — his version of a bachelor pad. 

How does one describe this film? Gosling’s performance as Ken makes you feel like you’ve sipped a fizzy bubble drink. You feel light and fun. Then, Robbie comes and anchors you back to reality with a moving performance you can relate to. Her gaze into the camera alone brings your eyes to a mist.

Robbie was the perfect choice for a Stereotypical Barbie. She is what one thinks of when Barbie first comes to mind. Still, you aren’t envious of her. Robbie’s character is so warm and loving that you want what’s best for her. You’re as eager for her to find out what she wants in life as she is. You want her life to be perfect and there are moments when you feel that Barbie is real, and you’re saddened because you know that perfection she seeks doesn’t exist. 

Watching Gosling embrace his playful side on screen was very fun. His breakout song performance reminded me of his days at The Mickey Mouse Club. Gosling and Robbie were a dynamic duo, with Gosling shining as more of Robbie’s co-star than a supporting cast member. Their chemistry was unmatched and assisted with the elevation of the film.  

After the film’s first part, the latter leaves you with more thoughts and questions, much more profound and grittier than the cosmetics of its polished decor. 

What are we thinking about when we play with toys, dolls, action figures, and playsets? What escape is it providing? What imagination is it fueling? In Gerwig’s Barbie, how one plays with the doll affects the Barbie in Dreamland. For Robbie’s Barbie, Stereotypical Barbie, Gloria would play with the doll and dream up certain Barbie styles that are more realistic to the complexities associated with being a woman. 

Gerwig’s ability to transform this icon into an equally iconic film should be commended. So many pieces came together to bring the project to life, which still seems surreal. Sarah Greenwood and the rest of the art team deserve a nomination for their meticulous work. The amount of detail poured into Barbieland rendered me speechless in the film’s opening. 

The writing in the film was smart, witty, and very self-aware. There’s a moment where Stereotypical Barbie says that she doesn’t feel pretty, in which the narrator, Helen Mirren, comments about this being more believable if they hadn’t cast Margot Robbie as the lead. 

These tiny remarks fuel Gerwig’s acknowledgment of what Barbie stood for, how Barbie has changed, and what Barbie should be in the future. But, there were moments where the screenplay veered into overt exposition,  which stripped away the “show, don’t tell” essence of storytelling. 

Despite that, the writing by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach should be praised. Ferrera gave a monologue that washed over the audience to create a stillness. Some even clapped as it came to a close recognizing the impact of spoken words. There was an exhale after that moment. It was a no-stone-unturned speech that touched on at least one of many feelings that women in the audience have carried at some point in time. 

Perhaps that’s the real point of Barbie – the doll and the film. You get to choose who this person is. You get to choose who you are, how you want to show up in the world, and what you identify as your responsibility in that role. What if Doctor Barbie wanted to stop being a doctor and decided to become a Dreamhouse Wife? What if one of the Kens chose to keep their Frat-like Mojo Dojo Casa House? 

Barbie is who we say she is. She becomes what we make her. In the film, Robbie’s Barbie adopts that same belief for herself. She realizes she has the same power to be who she says she is and become who she wants to be.

The thing about it is, Barbieland shouldn’t have to be a dreamland. It shouldn’t have to be something we only imagine when interacting with the playsets stored in our hopes and dreams. The mantras of “women can do anything” and “women can be anything” start regressing into mere statements when others become threatened by our power. Yes, the world needs more Barbies. But, more than ever, it needs more Kens who embody the spirit of Barbieland. It needs people who have the power to relinquish it, acknowledging the strength in letting go. 

Barbie is a fun and genuinely feel-good cinematic experience. It’s a compelling and beautiful meta-film centered around re-discovery. The movie delves into the essence of identity and what it means to be oneself. Audiences will be clamoring to embrace their unique versions of Barbie, Ken, or even Allan. Gerwig’s directorial prowess is unmatched. With a perfect score filmography, one can only wonder if her foot is arched beneath her shoe. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars