Pink Passion!!! Barbie Movie Is Hilariously Chaotic, Moving, and Button Pushing Summer Brain Trip!!!

Review By Brandon Porter

Feeling plastic and fantastic!!!

Story Description

For Barbie (Margot Robbie), life couldn’t be more perfect. Every day she wakes up with a big bright smile, takes a shower, gets dressed in one of her 1000s of outfits, and hangs out with her dreamy boyfriend Ken (Ryan Gosling), as well as her gal pals Barbie (Alexandra Shipp), Barbie (Issa Rae), Barbie (Hari Nef) & Barbie (Emma Mackey). Life could not be more fantastic for her. But soon, Barbie’s life takes an unexpected and alarming turn. Exhibiting out-of-the-ordinary behavior including grogginess, cold showers, and most terrifying of all, flat feet!!! Determined to get to the root of the problem, Barbie and Ken set out on an adventure to the “real world” to discover why these sudden changes are affecting her so much. Will she return to her old self or will her plastic and fantastic life be left in shambles?

Barbie and her new friends Gloria and Sasha explore
Barbieland.

Film Review

One of the summer’s (and July 21st’s) most anticipated films, Greta Gerwig transports audiences to the world of one of the most beloved toys in modern pop culture for the biggest party of the summer. With plenty of talent in front of and behind the camera, Barbie looks to bring some zany and outrageous vibes to the stacked SMS. After traveling to the Barbie world, Barbie is the literal embodiment of chaos incarnate. This works to the film's benefit in a multitude of ways while also providing some serious not so subtle subtext. For starters, the film's visual aesthetic is one of the film's greatest highlights. The amount of detail, love, and imagination that went into the costume design, production design, cinematography, and choreography is to be applauded. Gerwig's attention to detail on screen makes this film a visual buffet of references to Barbie's long history through the decades. Gerwig and her team took full advantage of Mattel's backing and it shows in every frame. Performance-wise, there are a number of standouts to behold. Our 2 leads Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are a fantastic tandem. Robbie dives headfirst into the role and carries the story with relative ease. Despite Barbie being displayed as perfect, Robbie gives the character so much depth as she progresses through her arc. When the cold reality hits her, it hits her hard as she navigates this newfound journey of self-discovery and what she is contributing to the world. That said, she is also fun to watch comedically especially playing off of her castmates. That brings us to Ryan Gosling's Ken. To no one's surprise, he is the standout of the movie. A lovable doofus whose arc is fueled by his lack of identity, Gosling steals every scene he is in and disappears into the role to a hilarious degree. Though mostly played for laughs, his actions are a direct result of how he is treated and his transformation into an antagonistic figure is both hilarious and understandable. He gives such weight to a comedic character while still being the comedy backbone.

No matter the situation, priorities are essential.

America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt are solid as Gloria and Sasha whose subplot mixes well with the main messaging of the movie. The additional supporting cast of Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Kate McKinnon make every ounce of their screen time count as they play off of Robbie and Gosling incredibly well. These made for some of the film's most memorable moments that I'm sure will have so many fans talking well after the credits. One thing that I give this film all the credit in the world for is its commitment to unsubtle commentary. Gerwig is fearless in her writing as she pulls no punches when raising questions within the narrative some of which are aimed at the Barbie brand and its very impact on society. From the patriarchy, toxic masculinity, feminity, and what it means to be more than what you were made to be, Gerwig's hard-nosed commentary is cleverly woven into the fabric of the film. That type of story structure is sure to impress those who believed this to be just a silly comedy about the Barbie doll brand (which it is to great effect) while also potentially ruffling the feathers of those with extremely radical opposing views. I did find some of the commentary a bit heavyhanded at times, but it still didn't hurt the movie's overall fun factor which as I stated before, is high in more ways than one. All in all, The Barbie movie is incredibly imaginative, hilariously fun and over the top, and boldly non-subtle in its messaging. A goofy summer romp one minute and a brain-trippy social commentary the next, this film shows that it's more than just a bland and plastic exercise in product synergy. It's full of soul and heart that uplifts those who dared to be more than what they were made to be.

Rating and Final Thoughts