Barbie (2023) Review: Outrageous & Full of Heart! 💗

Like every human being, Barbie, the doll, has had its triumphs and failures as the years have gone by. She was a childhood staple to so many little girls (and yes, boys too). We are able to reminisce about playing with them even in adulthood as we grow and have kids of our own, looking in the toy aisle thinking, “I remember when I played with Barbies.” In the 90s and early 2000s Barbie was criticized for her lack of diversity and unrealistic body expectations for young women, resulting in some negative pushback.

Now if you look for Barbie dolls you will see a wide variety of women of all races, sizes, and occupations, insisting that she can do anything she sets her mind to. Barbie’s journey is one that can resemble the human condition, successes, failures, and constant learning to be the best version of ourselves. Greta Gerwig harnesses everything society loves, and may even dislike, about the timeless figurine with her third feature film (Lady Bird and Little Women being the other two) that can only be described as a tornado of pink, adventure, and even heart.

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Without a doubt Barbie is a blast of fun with gorgeous production design to mirror the figuratively two dimensional world and three dimensional world of dream houses and beautiful beaches. Gerwig’s direction in Barbieland is a balance of stiff doll-like movements and seamless shots that move like beach waves. Margot Robbie is exceptional as the title character, proving her ability to step into a more psychological look at Barbie behind the perfect hair and clothes.

Ryan Gosling is a standout as Ken, proving he has a fantastic comedic side, giving Ken a second (or first) life to the character. America Ferrera is a joy to watch as well, as a mother to a teenager, navigating her own journey in life while still wanting to hang onto her dreams of living in a “Barbie World.”

Where Barbie gets a little bit muddled is Greta Gerwig’s decision to take on so many issues and themes, some that are fleshed out well and some that get left in the sand. One of the most intriguing concepts Gerwig takes on is the importance of balance within a society. The Barbie’s rule Barbieland while it is seen that men rule the real world. Barbie quickly discovers that the patriarchal society of the real world is one that shatters the illusion that the Barbie’s have “fixed” everything for women.

What Gerwig begins to unravel is the danger in one group dominating over another. After pushing the Ken’s to the side for long enough it becomes apparent to Barbie that nobody in a society should feel small and it is important to have a cohesive structure where all members play a part.

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Looking at Barbieland as a metaphor for womanhood, it is a magical place with endless possibilities and dreams to come true, especially when one is a young girl. Over time it becomes apparent that maybe the real world isn’t as open and forthcoming for women as we thought. Barbie’s existential crisis that leads her to travel to the real world is the journey every woman takes when exiting our own “Barbieland,” arriving in a much scarier place.

However, what Greta Gerwig does a great job displaying is the fear of constant change of circumstance and mindset as one becomes a woman, stepping into a world where we may not be the leaders. However, exiting this dreamlike place isn’t the end of everything, it is the beginning of possibilities that not only a Barbie can imagine, but we all can too.

Where Gerwig struggles is that Barbie is thematically overpacked, leaving no room to flesh out all of its ideas. Barbie’s desire to experience humanity and its nuances has an overarching hold on the beginning and end of the film. However, the film takes most of its time taking on gender roles, expectations, and patriarchal society that it begins to lose Barbie’s main objective.

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Gerwig’s handle on the latter three subjects is admirable and she is able to paint an accurate picture while also creating a comedic and extravagant film. Barbie’s final payoff at the end of the film feels like it was lost along the way, only to be picked up again by the end in a way that didn’t feel cinematically deserved. Given Gerwig took on so many essential elements within the script, it became disheartening to see so many get left behind.

Nevertheless, Barbie is yet another step in the right direction for Greta Gerwig’s career. Although it isn’t her best script, it is going to be hard to not watch it over and over again because of its extravagant nature. Barbie does not hit all of its notes but it has a lot to admire for girls, boys, Barbies, and even Kens.

‘Barbie (2023)’ Rating – 4/5

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