‘Barbie’ Review: Wrapped in Plastic, and Fantastic
A Barbie movie has been a long time coming. Amy Schumer was originally cast in the role all the way back in 2016, when Sony Pictures had the rights for the character. She pulled out of the project in 2017, and eventually the rights found their way to Warner Bros. Now 7 years later, WB has finally released what has become the aptly titled Barbie. The film is an adventure that builds towards self-love and wades through deep corners of America’s political atmosphere along the way, tying those threads together and picturing a world that isn’t perfect, but honest. Before any of that was known, though, the film found a near-permanent home in the trending tab on essentially every social media platform there is.
The internet has had a ball with Barbie prior to its release; the Oppenheimer double feature jokes, all the Ken content, the consistent release of more information that simply seemed unreal, the latest of which being John Cena’s mermaid Ken. Barbie garnered a special reputation before it even came out. Now that it’s here, it may not be what many people are expecting, but this deeply personal aesthetic feast from Great Gerwig is a razor sharp exercise in blockbuster cinema.
Gerwig’s vision of Barbie’s plastic paradise is one of the most impressive displays of detail and personality of the year, and this goes beyond the immaculate set design. The costumes, the accessories, the way in which the actors interact with the environment, all of it feeds into an otherworldly notion that makes for a convincing setting, one that is also ridiculously joyful. The real world stuff earns its stake, but it never comes close to the time spent in Barbieland.
Every moment spent in there is smile-inducing, and the huge choreographed sequences that are set within it explode with glitter and gold in a way that could only really work in this movie. This all goes back to Gerwig’s direction; jumping from Lady Bird and Little Women to this had to be a challenge, but you wouldn’t know it. Barbie is a crowning achievement in that respect.
The film also just so happens to be a total riot. Its definitely been marketed as a comedy, but not in the traditional sense. The trailers seemed to sell the film as more of a spectacle, and that it is, but every single joke lands. There are a number of zingers in regards to the Barbie-specific subject matter, but the comedic highlight is Ryan Gosling’s Ken, as expected.
There’s something to be said about his character’s role in the wider message, and what his mannerisms mean in that context, but all the same he’s just electric. His unknowing tone and bouncy demeanor make for some of the most tactical deliveries in any comedic role in a long while. The Oscar buzz is real; Gosling’s Ken is un-ironically a career highlight, and that is an earnest compliment.
Of course, his efforts can’t be discussed without recognizing the Ken musical number in the third act, which is both genuinely moving and ironically riotous. Gosling leads a flock (if you will) of Kens in what is essentially a mass identity crisis, belting his woes to a bubblegum sky pulsing with cool colors that basically operate as stage lights for the whole ordeal. The number breaks into a battle scene of sorts shortly after, one of equal choreographic prowess and hilarity.
It goes without saying that Margot Robbie is perfect as Barbie too, and what she lacks in gargantuan displays of mirth she makes up for with many little moments of heart. One scene on a bus bench comes to mind; it kind of comes out of nowhere, but becomes the nucleus of the story and pulls on the heartstrings with a heap of beautiful purity.
Barbie is best when it’s a huge, fun-loving blockbuster, but it manages to slow down on occasion and access an entirely different set of emotions. Whether on a packed pink beach or lonely bus bench, the film is as versatile on the page as it is on screen. But to that point, on the page is where the film begins to fault as well.
Gerwig presents a load of ambitious ideas and tries to string them all together around, and through, the constant fun. The issue is in the balance there, where some beats are overshadowed by others; the degree of importance between them may be relative, but most of the time, something is either over or under delivered. It often feels crammed.
Narrative moments are cut short for jokes, and regardless of those jokes landing, it still softens the weight of said moments. Then, there are a few examples of a nail being hit so hard that the film loses its whimsical tone a bit, trying to drive home a point to ensure that the audience understands it. Though much of the time the point is clear from the first spoken syllable, so the scene will feel like a “Theme for Dummies” tutorial that saps the film of some of its trademark energy. Everything gets across, and is occasionally poignant, but it’s hardly ever a clean landing.
Perhaps the lone exception is at the height of the climax in a sequence that is a transcendent, almost haunting piece of work. It could almost work as a short film on its own. But when inserted here and applied to this narrative, it bundles the whole thing up in a spinning tribute to the film’s ultimate purpose, and will inevitably move masses. Visually, it’s out of place in a good way; abstract as it is clear. Movies often have moments that represent them years down the line, and this is Barbie’s moment.
Barbie, in and of itself, is a moment. It represents a new kind of blockbuster - one that comes from a filmmaker who has already proven herself on the indie scene, and yet the allure of this particular blockbuster was irresistible. Gerwig’s intimate sensibilities make for a journey that feels close to the chest, yet remains accessible due to the sheer power of the product that is Barbie. Yet not only does Gerwig challenge Barbie as a product, but she rampages through everything that many thought this film would be. It’s far from perfect, but the final product is a heartfelt, hysterical journey through imaginative spaces unlike any other. Barbie is better than your average blockbuster, and is the epitome of summer cinema.