As a kid, everyone had their favorite doll/toy. Barbie was one of the many popular toys among children for years, so when it was announced in June that Barbie was coming to theaters, it intrigued everyone. Following the release, the movie has grossed 1.2 billion making history as the biggest movie at the American box office. “Barbie” is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Apple T.V. and Vudu.
Going into “Barbie,” personally, I had no prior expectations. All I knew was that I would be attending the movie theater dressed in all pink, while looking forward to listening to music produced for the film, like Charlie XCX “Speed Drive” and Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj and Aqua “Barbie World.” Little did I know that I would be leaving the theater in melancholy tears.
The film starts in Barbie Land, a woman controlled world: A woman president, a female supreme court, woman doctors, etc. The Kens are just pretty much having childish fun, when all of the sudden, Barbie starts to have negative thoughts and feelings, so she leaves to go to the real world (with Ken) to discover what is making her feel this way. They both then come to the conclusion that the real world is nothing like Barbie Land. Ken is overjoyed by the patriarchy that values horses and men, and Barbie is disappointed by this unexpected revelation.
During the film, Barbie can’t comprehend society in the real world, but optimistically goes to find the person that brought her to the real world. This is when she has the realization that Barbie is very controversial and has made people feel terrible for years.
Ultimately, when Ken goes back, leaving Barbie behind, he turns Barbie Land into the patriarchy by brainwashing all the women. When Barbie arrives back, she is astonished by this world he has created and is determined to band together with all the Barbies and bring Barbieland back to normal. Barbie still feels unsatisfied, she wants to live in the real world where everything isn’t perfect all the time, so she goes on a long uncertain journey to embrace womanhood.
The acting in the film is top tier, the main Ken played by Ryan Gosling and the main Barbie played by Margot Robbie both gave Oscar worthy performances. Their mix of acting created a perfect blend of hysterics, happiness and empowerment. The writing was without flaw, Gerwig created a film that had a strong meaning without being too preachy or woke.
Gerwig also decided to create a set with no CGI, so Barbie Land is a genuine place created by set designer Sarah Greenwood. Gerwig decided to create the land without CGI so that it would be more authentic to the actors but also to the audience– the sets are vibrant and shiny so it creates the effect of an actual dollhouse you would have taken out of a toybox.
The costumes that not only Barbie but the entire cast wore brought the audience an elevated experience because although generally clothes are a form of expression for a character Barbie was different. Due to the fact that Barbie is an inanimate object she is dressed by task/or event so this provided ample amounts of iconic looks. Since this film takes the audience through Barbie’s journey of feelings, her outfits actually do start to reflect her feelings, as well as Kens.
Many critics say that Barbie is a “man hating” film depicting men as either dumb or despicable, when in fact it’s quite the opposite. Ken’s journey from only identifying as Barbie sidekick to embracing himself as more than just her sidekick, displays growth that embraces individuality without having to demean women while also appreciating sensitivity and emotion.
This not only celebrates individuality but also exemplifies unity among all. The plot values men by illustrating that a man isn’t just his girlfriend but also doesn’t gain confidence by controlling other people. Most importantly it creates a message that men are allowed to be vulnerable and have feelings.
Overall, this film produces a safe space for all to watch, whether people enjoy it for the acting, costumes, plot, sets, etc. It constructs the quintessential idea of womanhood through beautifully crafted monologues and understandable authentic relationships that overall leave the audience with an overwhelming sense of warmth.
