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As someone who played with dolls as a kid, I was delighted by how the movie handled the transition to adulthood
Published : 15 Aug 2023, 07:30 PM
As a child, I absorbed media like a sponge, from Ten Sports airings of WWE Smackdown to anime staples like Dragon Ball Z Kai to late-night viewings of Winx Club on Nickelodeon.
But even among my childhood obsessions, Barbie was on a level all on her own. She wasn't just a toy or the protagonist of a beloved movie or show. She felt like a role model – an image of how I could carry myself despite all the world's challenges.
She was a companion and a medium for creative and visual expression like all the other children who would throw a tantrum in the toy aisle at Agora Supermarket to convince their mother to buy them their third Barbie of the month.
Barbie took up much of my childhood time, including repeat viewings of Barbie: Princess and the Pauper and Barbie: Princess Charm School. When a new Barbie movie was announced, with the amazing Greta Gerwig in the director's seat and Margot Robbie as the face of my childhood companion, I was ecstatic.
No other casting choice fit. Robbie is our generation's Barbie. Just getting the chance to see her in the role was enough to get me to buy tickets. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Thankfully, it turned out to be entirely worth it. Under Greta Gerwig's watchful direction, Barbie ended up as a project shaped by its filmmakers' clear love and dedication.
What truly surprised me was how clearly the movie resonated with me as an adult.
(Mild spoilers from this point on)
The film begins with a glorious opening number set to 'Dance the Night' by Dua Lipa, who makes a gorgeous debut as an actress in the film. It's an appropriately huge opening for our entry to the glimmering world of Barbieland, where many Barbies and Kens live out their glittering lives.
Unfortunately, not everything is as sparkling as the distinctly coloured décor. Robbie's Barbie, perhaps the most iconic and stereotypical version of the beloved doll, is suddenly gripped by overwhelming thoughts of death. Her thoughts clash so fiercely with the world around her that she's determined to discover their source, even going so far as taking a trip to the 'real world', where she discovers a girl and her mother who have been playing with her version of the doll.
The movie takes even stranger and more surprising turns as Ken (Ryan Gosling) gets a taste of patriarchy in the real world and leads a revolution to seize power in Barbieland to get the validation the Kens feel they lack as accessories to their Barbies. Now Barbie, accompanied by the mother and daughter duo of Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and Gloria (America Ferrara), must return to Barbieland to undo the damage.
The huge concept and fast jokes are brought to life by a twinkling cast that features Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Hari Nef and Kate Mckinnon. Robbie and Gosling are excellent, but America Ferreira's character Gloria is the true standout. A mother who works at Mattel on the Barbie series of dolls, she is struggling with her daughter's view of her work as forcing unrealistic standards on women. Near the end of the movie, she gets a genuinely spectacular monologue that ties together the movie's numerous threads about womanhood, identity, and power in an extremely moving way.
It also helps that the soundtrack is excellent. Charli XCX delivers an electric speed drive that rushes through the theatre crowd, while notable songs crop up from Pinkpantheress, Tame Impala, Ava Max and Kpop group FIFTY FIFTY & Kaliii. There's even a zingy Latin trap and reggae track from Karol G for the moment Ken and Barbie first zoom into the real world. Flowers should also go to Billie Eilish, who delivers a heart-shattering ballad to follow up her effort on No Time to Die.
If you played with Barbies or have a younger sibling or cousin who loved the dolls, you've undoubtedly dragged other people to the theatre or been dragged yourself. But it works as a film for all ages and types, whether you have a deep connection to Barbie and her companions or are just in the mood for a good movie. Its exploration of how the burden of gendered expectations weighs down us all is surprisingly sharp and relevant while still being accessible to a broad audience through the medium of a mostly light and fun movie. Children will love the brighter colours and goofy humour, adults can enjoy the deeper themes, and, for teenagers stepping into the wider world, it might prove an interesting moment of growth.
For someone who grew up with Barbies and is now wading into the waters of adulthood, it was deeply thrilling.
Since its release, Barbie has been a juggernaut at the box office. It has grossed over $1 billion, making Greta Gerwig the first solo female director to cross that titanic milestone. It has also become the biggest film of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's careers. With a certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a CinemaScore of A, it seems to have charmed audiences as well.
Though it still trails The Super Mario Bros Movie in terms of overall take, it might be the summer's breakout hit. It feels official - we are living in a Barbie world.
This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.
