Barbie (Mini-Review)

Barbie is a movie based on the popular doll brand. Stereotypical Barbie starts to feel unhappy with her perfect life. Each day of her life is the same exact perfection where nothing goes wrong. When she develops flat feet, Weird Barbie says that the only way to fix things is by going to the real world and figuring out who is playing with her. Ken joins her and both begin to question who they are. Barbie was released in 2023. It was directed by Greta Gerwig. It stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, and Kate McKinnon.

There are no post or mid credits scenes. But the first part of the credits is full of information about the barbies shown in the movie. So I would highly recommend watching that part to get the full experience.

I thought the movie would be a simple and fun movie about Barbie. What I didn't expect was the depth and scope of the movie. It isn't just a fun look at Barbie and her legacy, it is also a coming of age story. Barbie has her whole world shaken and tries to cope. Because of the depth of the movie it is good for all ages.

My favorite movie of all time is 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and so I loved the parodying of the movie in Barbie. The parody did a good job of representing that strange opening. Even to the point of a doll in place of the bone spinning and cutting to something different. In this case the title.

The patriarchy is explored in this movie. When Ken sees that men, not women, can be powerful he grows obsessed. I can understand as he's lived his entire life thinking he was lesser than. Barbie, like usual, is uninterested in his revelations since she is caught up in her own trials. This disinterest was probably the reason he went further down into the illusion that men should be more powerful than women. He begins to think that a role reversal in Barbieland is the solution. But it isn't a real solution, Ken is just chasing the high of a good feeling without realizing all of the implications.

Unlike Ken, Barbie is shocked when getting to the real world. Where he is made to feel powerful, she is made to feel like an object undeserving of respect. She is innocent and learns to deal with the world without ever losing that innocence. I think that is an important lesson we all have to learn. Life can be terrible and you won't always feel great, but you should always care. There are always people that deserve your respect and will have your back.

I would highly recommend Barbie to fans of the dolls. I would also highly recommend Barbie to parents of young children as you all will be having a good time.