Barbie Movie Review

When it was announced in 2018 that a Barbie film was in early development, I was sceptical to say the least. Rarely does a film franchise based on a toy property work. Outside of the successful Transformers film franchise and the Lego movies, there have been a number of box office flops including Power Rangers, Battleship and Max Steel. However, it was the involvement of writer Noah Baumbach teaming up with his wife Greta Gerwig, and Gerwig taking on the directing duties of this film that had me sold. Baumbach was coming off the massive success of his 2019 film ‘Marriage Story’ and Gerwig has become one of Hollywood’s most sought after writer/directors after her 2017 directorial debut ‘Lady Bird’ and her 2019 adaptation of ‘Little Women’. Margot Robbie’s involvement as well as the film’s star and executive producer also had me excited. Then the rest followed, Ryan Gosling joined, Will Ferrell and a sleuth of other stars, including the heavy front runner for best supporting actor at this years Oscar’s Ryan Gosling as Ken

Barbie has become one of the highest grossing films of all time, no one for-saw the film's massive success. As it stands, it has grossed over $650 million in the USA, and $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office. It struck accord with audiences as well, with a massive 88% critic score and an impressive 83% audience score, very rarely are the critics and audiences on the same page, but here they are. The film follows stereotypical Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) as she ventures to the real world and discovers herself and her place in her own world. Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) has his own journey, venturing to the real world and seeing a very different world to what he knows, he sees gender inequality as the norm and brings it back to Barbie world. The film does deal with some heady themes and relevant social issues that paint a unique picture for younger viewers. With all of this said, was Barbie any good or another flop?

I had an absolute blast with Barbie, it remains my favourite cinema going experience of 2023 thus far. All the audience at my screening were in unison with one another. Everyone dressed in pink (including myself), having so much fun watching the film and all collectively celebrating Barbie. The film manages to have the fun of a popular, mainstream release, with the indie sensibilities of Greta Gerwig’s other films. This balance is what makes the film so enjoyable but also why it resonated with audiences globally, as everyone can really see a piece of themselves in this film.

The real strengths of the film lie in its amazing cast. Margot Robbie’s turn as Barbie was really solid here, ranking among the best performances of the year and one of the best of her already impressive career thus far. Ryan Gosling also shines as Ken. Gosling has been involved in a variety of projects over the past 20 years, tackling a variety of different genres, drama, indie-drama, comedy, action and sci-fi. Here he once again gets to showcase his skills as a comedic performer, delivering a truly memorable performance as Ken. A lot of the laughs here come from this performance. Gosling and the other Ken’s sitting on a beach singing Push may just be my favourite scene in the film. All the supporting players here are wonderful as well. The films cast includes this whopping list of stars, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, America Ferrra, Alexandra Shipp, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Kate McKinnon, Simu Lui, Ncuti Gatwa, Connor Swindells, Lucy Boynton, Bob Brydon, John Cena, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Dua Lipa and Dame Helen Mirren as the narrator. It’s incredible that a Barbie movie could assemble such an incredible cast. A lot of these amazing stars all play a version of Barbie and Ken, with Michael Cera also playing the one, and only, Allan.

Barbie really does feel like a vivid, bright daydream, but in the best possible way. Greta Gerwig works with her talented crew here to create whimsy and a modern fairy-tale of sorts. The sets feel like a Barbie world has literally come to life, with a lot of practically built sets used instead of CGI. Sure, there are CG enhancements, but the conscious decision to use sets here over CGI, was an inspired one. Production designer Sarah Greenwood (Sherlock Holmes, Beauty and The Beast (live-action), Cryano, Atonement) allows her creative style to really compliment Greta Gerwig’s vision as a director. The artificial and plastic world of Barbie makes the sharp contrast when Ken and Barbie travel to the real world more fun but also establishes a clear divide between fantasy and reality. It helps the fish out of water comedy land more than it would without this contrast, as we have seen the set-up for this type of humour many times before, but because of the creativity of the established world, it’s really brought to life and played up for laughs. The specially curated soundtrack also helps establish the world of Barbie, with sons handpicked by several artists that help solidify the tone. We have music from a range of artists including Aussie band Tame Impala, international superstars Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Lizzo and some original music including the endlessly catchy and my personal pic for best original song, ‘I’m Just Ken’ performed by Ken himself, Ryan Gosling. Both culminate to the benefit of the audience in one hell of an experience, showcasing the importance of the smaller details in a film. I can’t remember the last time a soundtrack was this sort after (side note, pick-up your copy of the Barbie soundtrack on CD and Vinyl from Sanity).

Overall, Barbie is funny, emotionally poignant, socially relevant and above all else, it's entertaining. Barbie is one of those rare films that manages to tick all the boxes and remain thematically resonant without ever sacrificing its identity. I think as the film gets older; audiences will grow to appreciate it all the more. It’s a must watch for film fans and those looking for pure cinematic escapism. It’s a delight!

Barbie is available on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD. You can secure your copy today from Sanity and shop all things, Barbie!

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Buy Barbie The Movie here, including Animated Barbie movies on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here