The pop-cultural, marketing triumphant weekend of “Barbenheimer” is over. While both films left their mark on audiences, Barbie was the clear-cut winner, earning a record-shattering $155m at the Box Office. The gross is well-deserved as Barbie is an enchanting and whimsical journey that takes audiences into a vibrant, satirical world filled with pastels and fluorescents.
There is so much to like about the film, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t love the Greta Gerwig-helmed film. But I didn’t dislike it either. In fact, I did like it. Barely.
The film cleverly follows the footsteps of Lego Movie’s approach, effortlessly merging the “real world” with the realm of dolls and toys, while also playfully poking fun at franchising and marketing. Barbie manages to maintain a delicate balance, ensuring it entertains both devoted fans and the toymaker Mattel, without biting the hand that feeds it. And that is one of the film’s problems. More on that later.
Barbie’s humor often carries the signature touch of Noah Baumbach, one of the screenplay co-writers, which occasionally veers towards a Wes Anderson-esque style without fully reaching there. However, around the mid-point, Barbie slightly loses its direction.
The second half becomes less focused and overtly emphasizes its feminist message, which, though meaningful, feels a bit in-your-face. The ending is somewhat mushy and lacks a well-defined conclusion.
The Story – SPOILERS
In Barbieland, a unique matriarchal society, Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) and her fellow Barbies (Issa, Rae, Dua Lipa, Alexandra Shipp and others) lead empowered lives, holding significant positions as doctors, lawyers, and politicians, while the Ken dolls (including Simu Liu and John Cena), enjoy leisurely activities at the beach. Despite Ken’s (Ryan Gosling) longing for a closer connection with Barbie, she chooses independence and female camaraderie over a romantic relationship.
During a dance party, Barbie is suddenly struck by thoughts about mortality, and the next day, she notices physical changes, feeling self-conscious about her appearance. A wise but disfigured outcast named Weird Barbie (played weirdly and kind of creepily by Kate McKinnon) advises her that the cure lies in the real world, where she must find the child playing with her. However, Weird Barbie doesn’t tell Barbie what she must do when she finds the child. Reluctantly, Barbie allows Ken to accompany her on this journey.
As they arrive at Venice Beach, their antics lead to arrests, attracting the attention of the Mattel CEO, who seeks to capture them. Barbie locates her owner, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), a tween girl, who criticizes her for promoting unrealistic beauty standards. Realizing that Sasha’s mother, Gloria (America Ferrara), a Mattel employee, inadvertently transferred her own identity crisis onto Barbie, Barbie becomes deeply affected. Gloria, Sasha, and Barbie escape from the clutches of the CEO, embarking on a return journey to Barbieland. Again why?
Meanwhile, Ken discovers a patriarchal system where he feels valued and accepted for the first time. Upon returning to Barbieland, he convinces the other Kens to take control, subjugating the Barbies into traditional roles like maids, housewives, and passive girlfriends. Barbie attempts to persuade them to return to their original ways, but her efforts are initially unsuccessful. Feeling defeated, Barbie receives an uplifting speech from Gloria about the true essence of womanhood.
REELated:
Empowered by the support of Sasha, Gloria, Weird Barbie, Allan (A useless Michael Cera0, and other discontinued dolls, the Barbies rise against the Kens and use their manipulation to incite conflict among the male dolls. This enables the Barbies to reclaim their positions of power and prevent the Kens from entrenching male superiority in their constitution. Recognizing the flaws in their previous societal system, the Barbies choose to make significant changes in Barbieland, including equal treatment for the Kens and all outcasted dolls.
Amidst the chaos, Barbie and Ken reconcile and acknowledge their imperfections. Barbie encourages Ken to discover his own identity and purpose beyond their relationship. Feeling uncertain about her own purpose and identity, Barbie encounters the spirit of Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, who explains that Barbie’s journey is ever-evolving and goes beyond her origins.
Deciding to become human and return to the real world, Barbie now embraces the name “Barbara Handler.” Sometime later, she joins Gloria, her husband, and Sasha for her first gynecologist appointment, symbolizing a significant step in her human experience.
One of the movie’s themes revolves around illustrating how Barbie initially fit within the confines of a patriarchal society, while also acknowledging how Barbie’s evolution over the years has inspired girls to aim higher. This underlying message is seamlessly integrated into Barbie’s DNA and doesn’t require a heavy-handed one-minute monologue to convey. Unfortunately, this is the moment when the movie loses its footing. The storyline, already somewhat thin at its strongest, starts to fray as Gerwig struggles to find a satisfactory resolution.
For instance, Mattel (which is a producing partner) walks a weird gray line in the film. It is neither an evil empire nor is it a beacon of hope. In the film, the corporation is run by all men. Patriarchy established. Yet, when Barbie has a chance to change the dynamics at the end and give the film a solid resolution, Gerwig chooses to end with a vagina joke, sending a message that it is better in a male-run world to check your genitals rather than run a corporation. This is sloppy storytelling.
While America Ferrara’s Gloria is established as someone to root for in the real world, her character is not fully developed. Neither is her daughter, Sasha. Instead of showing us that the two have a tenuous relationship, we are told via exposition.
White both Robbie and Gosling embody Barbie and Ken fabulously, the real star is the exceptional production design. The film beautifully recreates Barbie playsets in vibrant day-glow colors, matching the lively energy that permeates the first half.
Gerwig starts the movie with a playful parody of 2001, complete with Also Sprach Zarathustra, leading viewers on a whimsical tour of Barbieland. The narrative benefits from Helen Mirren’s witty and at times acerbic narration, urging audiences not to take things too seriously, until the film unexpectedly takes a more serious tone.
While the ending provides closure, it leaves audiences somewhat indifferent to the characters’ fates. Barbie is currently in theaters.
BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking for fun with a side of emotion, Barbie is a REEL SEE.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
