While I firmly support the members of WGA and SAG/AFTRA, I also respect that they should be given recognition – and back ends – on work already in the can. Get those bags, y’all! So without further ado…
“Goodnight Barbie! I’m definitely not thinking of death anymore!”
Genre I’d put it in: Sublimely Subversive Satires
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on Mattel’s Barbie doll toy…universe? Yes. UNIVERSE.
Story: Barbie is just a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. But one day, she starts thinking about death…and suddenly? Things aren’t so Barbielicious anymore. What’s a living doll to do? Well, first, she freaks out…
Gotta say: #Barbenheimer is a thing, y’all. Having Oppenheimer and Barbie open on the same day? Pretty gutsy, Hollywood. With no Barbie screenings here in Baltimore (and me too lazy to schlep to DC in this heat), I decided to do what the simple folk do (#CamelotLyricDrop) and pay to see it on opening day. And honey? It’s worth the hard-earned. Barbie delivers everything you could hope for and more.
Jaw-dropping set design, costuming, hair & makeup, the whole deal. A plot that’s simple enough, yet filled with ideas that bring substance to the world of Barbie. And performers that are absolutely up for the always riotous, often emotional, delightfully subversive dialogue. You’ll want to sink into this one, and if you’re into a theme as much as I am? Wear your pink, or buy something if you don’t have anything. My wardrobe is basically pink extinct, so I snagged a pastel pink tank. What can I say; I’m just a Manic Pixie Demon Girl now, y’all.
From loving her to hating her, remembering good play dates to calling her a f@sist, there’s no doubt everyone has an opinion on the Barbie Doll. And writer/director Greta Gerwig mixes saccharine with serious, digging into the world’s obsession with Barbie. From the jump, things seem a bit too Stepford Lite in Barbie’s world, aka Barbieland. Soon, Margot Robbie’s “Stereotypical Barbie” starts to have issues with her world; from cold water in her shower, to – gasp! – flat feet. With the rest of the Barbies unable to figure out what’s wrong with her, Barbie (I’m just gonna call Stereotypical Barbie “Barbie”, ‘kay? Because I’m a lazy typer) heads to “Weird Barbie” for help. And ZOMG whoever decided to cast Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie needs a damn raise. For McKinnon is fantastic. And outrageously flexible, I say jealously.
From there, it’s a magical mystery tour through Barbieland, The Real World, stereotypes, mother-daughter connections, appearances vs. reality, and feminism vs. patriarchy vs. freedom to be who you are. It’s a powerful message, wielded skillfully by Gerwig. To condense it for you, I’ll rock the #Barbenheimer theme and quote Emily Blunt’s Kitty Oppenheimer. “Be yourself. Only better.” Now that’s a tie-in I can get behind, ya’ll. Yeah baby, both these movies contain MULTITUDES. But Barbie kits ’em out in gorgeous neon, fabulous glitter, and lots of…horses? Yep, horses. Trust me, it’ll make sense.
There’s so much to love in Barbie. There’s the fabulous performances – Gerwig was no dummy, casting award winning performers in leading roles. The incredible confectionary that is this film’s art direction. (Someone please let me run through wardrobe for three minutes. I promise I won’t take much.) The balance of Monty Python-esque humor with thematic moments that will get you misty. And an incredible soundtrack that’s perfect for a summer road trip (and balances nicely with Oppenheimer‘s lush orchestral score. See? All the connections here, y’all. I’m amazing. *crickets*)
Robbie and Ryan Gosling are about as perfect as you can get with their performances as Barbie and Ken. There’s a relaxed, goofy onscreen chemistry and way they play off each other that’s really fun to watch. Add in some hilariously deadpan bits of dialogue, and it’s heavenly. Hearing an Oscar-nominated performer say “NOBODY’S gonna beach-off ANYONE TODAY” with pure unadulterated dramatic truth? Honey, that’s joy in cinematic form. Not to mention having an award-winner be the narrator of the film. Helen Mirren, you are the GOAT.
Oh! I didn’t do my special shout-out yet. So I’m gonna cheat my tush off and give it to all the non-Stereotypical Barbies. They’re a wonderful Greek Chorus of Barbie-ness, and they’re played by so many women I absolutely adore. From Issa Rae’s “President Barbie” to Hari Nef’s “Dr. Barbie”, Dua Lipa’s fun “Mermaid Barbie” to Nicola Coughlan’s “Diplomat Barbie”, they’re all separate characters with their own vibe, and when they get together during the film’s third act action sequence? I was entranced. And guffawing again. A second, but no less important shout-out goes to all the non-Stereotypical Kens, including a hilariously over-the-top Simu Liu as Ken#2, and a few cameos I won’t spoil here.
Please try to go in as blind as possible; I avoided trailers like the plague, even though it damn near killed me. It’s worth it to let the little tidbits of awesomeness come at you for the first time as a cinematic whole. (Okay fine. One “spoiler”. This is the film I wanted to see Ryan Gosling sing and dance in, rather than La La Land.) No matter who you are, Barbie is an enjoyable romp, with deeper themes that’ll get to you, if you let ’em. This is definitely an all-ages film, because the story is able to entertain on many levels. As a PG-13 film, there is an f-bomb, but it’s done in a way that both pokes fun at the squeaky-clean Barbie image, yet lets folks old enough to know what’s going on to guffaw. I guffawed. Word of warning though; if you take the young ones? Be prepared for them to want all the things they saw in the film. Ahh Mattel. You’re sly like the fox, you are. Hmm.
When Robbie was asked what film to see this weekend and she replied “Barbie first, then Oppenheimer, then a Barbie chaser”, I figured she was being Too Much, all for the PR hype train. But nope. I cosign that statement. Wear your jammies, and plan your bathroom breaks carefully y’all. It’ll be worth it.
#Protip: Want to know more about Barbie and her history? Let Skinny Legend (definitely) and Barbie historian (probably) Trixie Mattel’s “The History of Barbie” give you all the dish… Oh, and Google “Barbie Movie” this opening weekend. You’re welcome.
