[Warning: This review contains spoilers.]
The controversy regarding this movie genuinely baffles me, seeing as it still performed exceptionally well. It was refreshing, hilarious, and had genuine time and care put into it. Even as someone who never played with Barbies as a child, I was able to deeply connect to this movie.
Barbie isn’t just Barbie.
She represents all those feelings of wanting to grow up then looking back as an adult and wishing you never left childhood. However, instead of dwelling on those feelings, it is about moving past them and embracing that life in all stages can be beautiful.
There’s one scene that I loved that I want to talk about in particular. Barbie (Margot Robbie) is taking in all the lives of the people that were unfolding around her after a cold reality check. She looks at an older woman (Ann Roth) next to her and tells the woman that she is beautiful. The woman replies, “I know,” and makes Barbie laugh despite her sorrow. The message here is that women can find the strength they need in themselves, as well as anyone else, when in a struggling time. It’s refreshing to have this take on a female main character that isn’t the “Strong Silent Type,” but one that is tough, yet gentle, and has the strength to be vulnerable despite the issues that come up.
Something else this movie covers that I did not expect was male fragility. Ken (Ryan Gosling) is desperately in need of Barbie’s attention. When he finally gets the attention he wanted from everything in the real world, he becomes a toxic degenerate who tears down everything Barbie cares about. This doesn’t make Ken the villain, however he is not in the right. He is the product of the toxic male culture that can cut into kids at a young age and make them believe they’re in the right. In the end, Barbie forgives Ken while also not giving in to what he wants. He needs to be his own person and not defined by their significant other.
Ken has a long journey to go before he can learn he is “Kenough.” At the same time, Barbie plants her foot down and tells Ken that she doesn’t want to be in a relationship or defined by who she’s with. Once again, she is showing she can be independent without being the “Strong Silent Type” cliche.
The soundtrack was incredible as well including Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice’s “Barbie Girl” remix was very fun to hear, and I listen to both almost daily.
The only gripe I could possibly have would be the Zack Snyder Justice League jab. Understandably, the major Zack Snyder fans are annoying about that release and all the nuances that come with it. However, I felt it was out of place and not a joke that will age that well. Besides that, everything is timeless.
The movie is available to stream on digital platforms, so definitely give it a watch. However, make sure to go to movie theaters to support local businesses.
Final Rating – 9.4/10
