If you asked most of adult society five years ago whether they would be first in line to see a new Barbie movie based on the famous Mattel toy brand, I can guarantee that nobody would have shown a large amount of interest. Yet, now that one has arrived, it is a cultural phenomenon unmatched by any singular film that has hit theaters in the past year. What changed? Well, combine one of the most successful marketing campaigns in recent memory with an incredible cast, a universally acclaimed director, and some shockingly great reception from test screenings, then you get Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE — one of 2023’s most enjoyable theater experiences. BARBIE balances being a ridiculous slapstick comedy and a grounded social commentary seemingly without breaking a sweat, a feat that cements Gerwig’s status as one of the best rising directors in Hollywood.
As soon as the film starts, the audience knows that Gerwig has no intention of making a safe and conventional studio tentpole. BARBIE opens with a scene that directly parodies 2001: A Space Odyssey — instead of apes it shows children playing with baby dolls, and instead of a giant metal obelisk it shows Margot Robbie’s Barbie towering over them. The Narrator (Helen Mirren) explains how at the beginning of time, young girls only played with baby dolls because the world wanted them to be parents, but once Barbie was introduced in all her glory, the girls smashed the babies for a more empowering and independent alternative. This scene sets the tone for this ridiculous movie perfectly — it contains gut-busting jokes and laughter while presenting viewers with a meaningful outlook on society. Most moviegoers have already seen this bit as it was in the trailer, and the movie becomes even funnier and more engrossing when the main narrative begins.
The film starts in Barbieland, a magical place where the Barbies (all the women) hold all the positions of power and do nothing but have fun with the other Barbies. The Kens (all the men) just exist to pine after the Barbies and do anything they can to get noticed. This society is a matriarchal one, in which the Barbies enjoy life with choreographed dance numbers and sleepovers with friends while the Kens are simply just there, adding nothing to most situations. But everything starts to crumble for “Stereotypical Barbie” (Robbie), when her consistent happy thoughts and magical aura start to disappear. She starts randomly thinking about death and begins worrying, things that were unheard of in the perfect Barbieland. The start to this movie is hilarious in many ways — it makes fun of the Barbie lore we all know and love, while also commenting on the subtle gender norms implied by the dolls themselves.
The impressive tightrope walk that Gerwig pulls off in Barbieland is simultaneously creating a uniform world in which everyone is somewhat the same while also giving each character a distinct personality that lets the audience relate. The film creates opportunities where the Barbies and Kens reflect the dispositions of everyday people, and uses that mirror to peer into the audience’s feelings (Depression Barbie is almost a little too accurate). Once Conventional Barbie consults Weird Barbie (a typically hilarious Kate McKinnon), she realizes she must travel to The Real World to find the human who owns her and figure out why she is malfunctioning in Barbieland. Of course, a Ken (the great Ryan Gosling) who has a major crush on Barbie comes along for the ride.
The plot manages to be absolutely ludicrous and down-to-earth at the same time, showcasing a view on our society from an outsider’s perspective that is soberingly accurate and hilarious. The Real World’s patriarchal approach is shocking to Barbie, and she must grapple with the fact that being human is not all it’s cracked up to be — Ken, meanwhile, is in awe at the idea of patriarchy and men riding horses to show how tough they are. Gosling as Ken is an absolute delight, delivering perhaps the best comedic performance of the year. Gosling’s line delivery is consistently laugh-out-loud funny, and he has two hilarious musical numbers in the back half of the film that prove to be absolutely sublime. Robbie also shines from a comedic perspective, but has a more difficult task: carrying the existential weight of the female experience in society. Ever since the start of Robbie’s career she constantly proves how versatile and talented she is, so her effortless expertise in BARBIE should be no surprise to anyone.
However, the real standout in BARBIE — and the heart and soul of the film — is America Ferrera, who delivers possibly the best monologue of the year thus far. Ferrera takes the material in the script and elevates it, creating a character so passionate and stirring that any packed theater audience will roar in applause during her scenes. All of the other supporting characters are also memorable and every performance adds humor or substance to the story — Michael Cera as Allen and Will Ferrell as the Mattel CEO are some enjoyable standouts.
Perhaps the most special takeaway from Gerwig’s BARBIE is the touching and observant way it portrays women. Independent women who truly rely on each other in a non-toxic way doesn’t sound groundbreaking, but when Gerwig is behind the camera it always feels like a communally safe space for women of all backgrounds. She touches on the same themes with her 2019 Little Women adaptation, a progressive take on the traditional story that acts as a defiant defense of the uphill battles women have to constantly face. Those themes are continued here, but with a more modern and direct approach that includes the Internet Age in its criticism of modern-day capitalistic society. Gerwig’s portrayal of Mattel — the company who owns the Barbie toy brand — is hilarious and scathing, making one wonder how Mattel let the movie get into theaters with such scandalous implications. Even though Mattel had a hand in popularizing Barbie, they are still yet another greedy male-led corporation who are catering to women simply for the profits.
Gerwig’s writing is honest in ways that may feel confrontational to unprepared viewers, but her outlook on gender relations in modern America is spot on and never compromises reality. While the very ending of the film is a tad cheesy and odd tonally, her themes and messages never let the movie down, earning the movie a spot in the Oscar buzz for the end of the year. The fact that someone like Gerwig can make a wildly original studio movie based on a toy and deliver one of the most creative experiences in theaters this year is something to be celebrated, especially one that releases on the same day Christopher Nolan’s highly original new biopic Oppenheimer. BARBIE is currently the number one movie directed by a female filmmaker of all time at the box office, a feat that proves how much an empowering big-budget film for women was needed in Hollywood.
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