MARCUS CHEONG finds Barbie an “exuberant surprise”…
Barbie (AU-PG/UK-12A/US-PG13)
In a word: Fantastic
Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie in ‘Barbie’. PICTURE: Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures/© 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc All Rights Reserved.
In a world where Transformers, Lego and GI Joes have dominated the toy-to-film box office, Barbie makes her cinematic debut to prove that this doll is more than just a pretty face.
“The ludicrousness of a feature film based on a children’s plastic toy is fully embraced by writer/director Greta Gerwig and that is what makes this film shine.”
Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives in the perfect plastic world of Barbieland surrounded by other successful professional Barbies and adored by Ken (Ryan Gosling). However, when death and depression enter her thoughts, Barbie discovers that she must venture into the real world and find her human owner. What begins as a fantastical road trip with Ken turns into a hostile takeover of Barbieland and ultimately a mission to restore Barbie’s world by discovering her own identity.
The ludicrousness of a feature film based on a children’s plastic toy is fully embraced by writer/director Greta Gerwig and that is what makes this film shine. It manages to remain self-aware and self-deprecating while also bring some stunning insights into society, capitalism and the human condition.
The script deftly blends genuine emotion, outrageous musical numbers, ridiculous slapstick and biting social commentary into a package that truly entertains while making audiences actually think. It is intelligent, funny and heartfelt while simultaneously being completely absurd. Indeed, it’s that absurdness which makes it, in keeping with a long tradition, the perfect platform to explore themes of existentialism, the meaning of life and individualism.
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It’s no accident that the film takes inspiration from the Garden of Eden and Barbie and Ken function similarly to an inverted Adam and Eve. In this film, Barbieland begins as a perfect utopia. When the insecurities of the human world take hold, however, the lust for power, infighting and role reversals begin to destroy Barbieland. It is only when the Barbies are restored to what they were made to be that they are truly empowered to restore their world.
Who would have thought that such a pink and playful toy could produce such depth? Barbie is an exuberant surprise. It is visually stunning, intellectually stimulating and hilariously entertaining. Barbie has captured the imaginations of girls for decades and now she is poised to take the the hearts and minds of millions at the box office.
