After transcending its target audience thanks to the power of memes and the internet, Barbie has finally hit the big screen. With help from the perfect casting of Margot Robbie as Barbie, Greta Gerwig has successfully brought the iconic doll to life in what is a fun and original adventure in a Barbie world.
Gerwig has clearly approached this film from two distinct angles; she takes a more fun approach by leaning into silly jokes and self-aware comedy, while also ensuring it follows an emotion-driven story backed by strong themes and messages. Both of these angles are blended really well (most of the time), leading to what is a tonally balanced ride that really does appeal to audiences of most ages.
I found the comedic elements of the film appropriately funny, despite me not being remotely close to the target audience. Not everything garnered a laugh, in fact most of the jokes managed to get a little chuckle out of me at best, but there’s one type of comedy that hit the hardest – the meta comedy. The last thing I was expecting was that there’d be plenty of self-jabs thrown the way of Mattel through both the use of Helen Mirren’s Narrator and the in-universe presence of the Mattel company. Those instances hit the hardest since they felt unique and unexpected, while the quippy one-liner style was only occasionally effective. The success of the comedy also depended on the actor delivering it. For instance, Ryan Gosling turned out to be a comedic juggernaut – the energy he bought to the role made his character naturally funny from the get-go. Meanwhile, anything delivered by Will Ferrell or Kate McKinnon ended up being mildly funny, if at all. So basically, the comedy is a little touch-and-go, but there’s enough to make it a fun romp.
The other side of the coin is its focus on weaving strong messages and themes into the story – an area integral to the film’s success. We live in a time where messages of empowerment, equality and other core issues are expressed across a multitude of films, TV shows and other media. Contrary to what some believe, it’s not enough to just throw in random scenes addressing said issues and call it a day – that doesn’t make good or interesting storytelling. These messages need to be well integrated into the narrative to give them some importance and to avoid the feeling like an agenda is being forced for the sake of hitting a quota. Unfortunately for Barbie, the movie bursts right out of the gate addressing issues on women’s rights, empowerment and all that jazz, but without the story ties to make it warranted. This admittedly had me worried, however Greta Gerwig recovers well. As soon as the core story kicks in, it becomes clear how those themes are directly tied to the lead characters, and so the future use of similar scenes made sense. There’s still a scene or two that felt overly pushy and weren’t weaved in well enough, but the overall messaging is successfully conveyed.
The casting is pretty solid, especially in regards to Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken. They both bring an upbeat energy to the film, nailing the looks to where it’s hard to ever see anyone else in those roles. Margot Robbie once again showcases her depth as an actor – able to deliver the silly comedy whilst also enhancing the emotional weight of the story. As much as this is Greta Gerwig’s creation, it’s Margot Robbie’s performance and star presence that no doubt elevated the film to another level. America Ferrera is very good as Gloria, one of the few human characters who makes an impact on the story. The character itself is written a little too much like a cliché – there’s times where her actions feel forced and unrealistic. But America does well across a few key scenes, including an inspired monologue, to make the character more likeable than the writing suggests.
One more admirable quality is the visual style of the Barbieland set. The set design is loud, vibrant, full of pink and doesn’t disappoint in showcasing what you’d expect from a world filled with Barbie dolls. Coupled with all of the retro-styled graphics and quirky 2D backdrops that pop in and out, Greta Gerwig has successfully brought the world to life in a fun way. In comparison to the stock-standard California scenes, those Barbieland sequences really stand out as being much more enjoyable.
In the end, Barbie is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure/comedy that Greta Gerwig has clearly put her heart and soul into. It’s a film that appeals to a much wider audience than initially expected, although not really catering to the youngest kids, who are better off with Barbie’s animated counterparts. The approach to both the comedy and messaging is well handled, though there’s a couple times where they both don’t quite hit the mark. There’s a solid emotional character arc for Barbie, although it does wrap up a little too hastily to really feel the effects of the ending. That being said, this will no doubt be a bigger hit for those who sit within the core audience.
7.2/10
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