Barbie (2023) - Not what I was expecting… (SPOILERS)

If someone told me 10 years ago that there would be a film made about a Barbie doll having an existential crisis, and that the film would be a strong contender for best film of the year, I would have likely laughed in their face. But lo and behold, here we are in 2023, and such a film exists!

Films made about video games and toy lines use to be a recipe for disaster, but if films like 2013’s The Lego Movie and 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie have shown us anything, it’s that any film can work with the right voice behind it. And I feel the team behind 2023’s Barbie got it just right… most of the time.

It’s likely you’ll see many hot takes online about this film being very anti-man and other baseless articles about the film being feminist propaganda, and I’m here to remind people… it’s a film about a children’s toy coming to life!! That’s not to say you can’t look into these film’s deeper, I’m a professional at doing that, but it’s not as black and white as the news outlets and people with too much free time on their hands would have you believe. Yes, Barbie has a lot of empowering messages and strong voices to encourage the women of today and tomorrow. But it’s doesn’t solely speak to a single gender. As someone who is most definitely NOT the target demographic for the original toy line, I found myself engaging with the film. And it’s doesn’t act like it’s more than what it is.

This film is meta in every sense of the word! They know it’s a brightly coloured, cheesy film about Barbie dolls, but it doesn’t mean they skipped on it being funny, entertaining and very thought provoking. The opening in Barbie Land is as corny and funny as you expect from the trailers, and they keep this up throughout the film’s run time. But they also build up a really engaging narrative. There is areas of the story that can engage with anyone watching. Rather than being a narrative that preaches women rule and men are evil, it actually shows why both extremes are as equally dangerous as each other. We first see Barbie Land as a female dominated world, and it's shown to be vibrant and perfect. But when the real world’s male dominated history influences Ryan Gosling’s Ken, we see the world flip to the opposite extreme, and see that both extremes are unhealthy forms for society to take. By the end of the film, we see them striving towards a more balanced society, which reflects what the Barbie toy line was always meant to be. A way to demonstrate the endless opportunities for women, and how a balanced society can be achievable!

However, there is an area of this narrative which does muddy the message. When Ryan Gosling’s Ken learns about patriarchy, his attitude is an extreme shift, and he ends up being extremely unlikable. Now it’s clearly the point behind the story, yet they want Ken to be sympathetic near the end. The question is though, why should we the audience and to an extent, Barbie feel any sympathy for him, when he does a complete 180 degree character shift, and speaks horribly to someone he’s meant to love? They could easily have the character shift when he’s around the other Ken’s, but then show his true self slip out when he’s alone with Barbie. If I was in Barbie’s shoes, I wouldn’t give him a second glance.

But despite that hiccup in Ken’s character journey, it is still very thought provoking, it really expresses how lost we can get in what we perceive to be our purpose, when in reality we control our own lives. Seeing Margot Robbie’s Barbie discover her desire to be human and control her own destiny was really interesting and inspiring. I will say though, as funny and meta as it was, I didn’t feel the scenes in the real world flowed as well as the scenes in Barbie Land. The sense of escapism you get in Barbie Land really helps to sell you on the film, so having to see our drab and colourless reality slows the film down for me.

But when it comes to production design, they really outdid themselves with such wonderfully vibrant and toy-like visuals. And I really appreciate that they went for a 12A rating in the UK, which shows this film wasn’t solely to boost Mattel’s profit margin, the story was actually important to those making it. And speaking of Mattel, I really appreciate that they were willing to poke fun at themselves, something most big companies wouldn’t dare consider.

As for the music, most of it is pop songs, some of which are really fun to listen to, and others are… just generic and could fit into any film. Some such as Lizzo’s “Pink” and the song “I’m Just Ken” performed by Gosling, really elevate the film, and reflect the narrative, whereas songs such as Nicki Minaj’s take on Aqua’s famous song just feels hollow and generic. I would’ve much preferred to hear Aqua’s hit song as it was.

Overall, while it may not be the greatest thing since sliced bread, Barbie is certainly the most surprising film for me this year. It’s vibrant, corny, thought provoking, but above all, it’s highly entertaining. Margot Robbie steals the show in this film, and along with the rest of this talented cast, they really make this a fun time at the cinema!! And for a film about a Barbie doll of all things, that is a fantastic achievement!

SCORES

Story - 3.5/5

Characters - 3.5/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 3/5

TOTAL - 8/10