According to the makers of the doll, Barbie was meant to allow little girls to imagine the future. However, the doll became controversial as many felt that it perpetuated unrealistic standards women have had to live up to since time immemorial.
Barbie is the epitome of perfection, a woman that can do anything – from being a doctor and an air hostess to owning a dream house and raising a family. She has certainly inspired the affection and admiration of everyone who has the privilege of owning a Barbie doll while subconsciously setting unrealistic standards. The Barbie movie hopes to paint Barbie in a more realistic light – literally.
The much-publicized movie starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie (who’s also a producer) and directed by Greta Gerwig celebrates, satirizes and deconstructs the happy-go-lucky world of Barbie. It addresses the controversy that Barbie sets unrealistic standards by thrusting the doll into the real world and making her experience what it’s really like being a woman. What ensues is a hilarious and sometimes emotional journey through Barbie’s existential crisis.
The movie starts with a narrator explaining how Barbie came to be – from a lady in a bathing suit to a career woman solving all problems of feminism and equal rights – or so the Barbies think. Barbie wakes up in her pink, perfect world. She says good morning to the other versions of Barbie and goes about her morning routine, then goes to see President Barbie (Issa Rae), and attends a Nobel ceremony and a Supreme Court hearing all in one day. She has a great day every day. On the other hand, Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend only lives for Barbies approval and tries hard to impress her. He seems bothered that Barbie has all these careers yet his career is “beach”. Additionally, when he asks to come over to her house, she tells him she’s hosting a party which he doesn’t seem happy about.
At the party, she asks the other Barbies a question that brings everything to a standstill. She asks, “Do you ever think of dying?” From that day, this habitually smiley doll finds herself haunted by thoughts of sadness, anxiety and death. Things only get worse. She develops flat feet and cellulite which horrifies her. She doesn’t understand why things are suddenly so grim and visits another Barbie for answers who reveals that a wormhole has ripped between their world and the next. Barbie travels to the other world with her Ken to get to the bottom of things where they discover that the patriarchy is in charge in that other world. In the real world, Barbie meets a goth human girl who lets her know how she has been making women really feel about themselves. This makes Barbie even more self-conscious. She realizes that she’s not the heroine she thought she was and that men treated her like an object in the real world.
The movie is entertaining and lives up to the expectations. It’s genuinely funny with many clever jokes. One of the best parts of the movie is the casting. From the moment photos of Ryan and Margot as Barbie and Ken, the internet couldn’t hide their excitement and anticipation. Will Ferrell also stars in the movie as corporate suit and Issa Rae as one of the Barbies. The music is good too with some original songs by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Mark Ronson.
Nonetheless, the movie feels like a very long Barbie commercial. Despite trying to make Barbie seems realistic, she’s still perfect and gets everything right to the very end. Some critics have also argued that the movie portrays men in a bad light which would be criticized if the tables were turned. However, that’s the whole point. In Barbie’s world, Ken is simply an accessory.
The movie’s success is a testament to its greatness and popularity. It has broken several records including; the biggest domestic opening weekend for a movie released in 2023 grossing over $162M during the first weekend, the biggest opening weekend domestically for a female-directed film ever, and the second highest-grossing movie for a female-directed film globally with $414.4M.
Generally, it’s fun and light-hearted but it contains heavy subjects that might not be appropriate or entertaining for children. It’s suitable for all genders and appropriate for anyone above 13 years old. You can watch it on IMAX. Here’s a trailer.