Our world has never been pinker before and all credit goes to Barbie. But does the “anti-feminist” dated doll finally make its way to the 21st century?
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
If you love Barbie, this is for you. If you hate Barbie, this is for you!
As Barbie fans bubbled over into theatres, one color has no questions, taken over the world and aren’t we glad to tell you, it’s pink! We secretly or not so secretly, relished the the build-up to the mega movie, the extensive marketing campaigns and the hype that built over the past few months which finally came to a climax as Barbie released this Friday! Getting the ticket itself was a struggle but hey, we are not complaining. The ambiance was one unlikely to be ever experienced again. The cinemas displayed all possible shades of pink, we loved how guys and girls alike sported the color unabashedly, restoring our faith in the power of childhood classics! The atmosphere was buzzing, people creating memorabilia by taking full advantage of the props, posters and photo booths (yes, Nueplex DHA has a Barbie photo booth)
It was no less than a special occasion where all 90’s babies came together to witness the comeback of their most iconic doll on screen! A dazzling hit of nostalgia and a joyous escape to our childhood. A magnificent visual feast thanks to, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (a three-time Oscar nominee)
Barbie Cast & Crew
It’s a project that writer-director, Greta Gerwig co wrote the script for, with her real life partner, Noah Baumbach, the film has been produced by Margot Robbie. It stars, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrel, Emerald Fennell and Michael Cera, Dua Lipa, Issa Rae, Jamie Dametriou, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Kate Mckinon, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, Nicola Coughlan, Hari Nef, Sharon Rooney, Kingsley Ken and Simu Liu. Narrated by legendary actor, Helen Mirren.
Greta Gerwig’s Direction!
Greta is known as one of Hollywood’s most famous directors and the movie has been directed in a way that kept it short and sweet. If any longer, it would have been boring and if any shorter it might have been flashing past all what we hoped to see. Its an original perspective that gave us a funny, entertaining feminine critique and big chunks of nostalgia. Has she achieved the considerable feat of bringing back Hollywood on the global map? We say, she has! She did do complete justice to grasping the subtleties of Barbie and all the elements 90’s kids remembered the doll for.
Highlights Of The Storyline
The movie inarguably, gave Barbie a more human and feminist context though maintaining an unwavering sense of joy throughout, even when addressing topics too dark for our chirpy doll. We are convinced we were able to see Barbie in a new light or might we say a brighter light as an icon who is fierce, funny and a feminist. The perky, cheery, confident Barbie finds herself to be malfunctioning and being exposed to foreign thoughts of death, sadness with human-like symptoms of flat feet and the worst, cellulite!
Of course, we can’t keep missing out on Ken – we spotted the buffed up Kens (Yes, there is more than one eye candy Ken) in a contrastingly goofy demeanor threatening to beach off one another more often than not. They were shown wrestling with their non existent relevance being Barbie’s side kick and unaware of how to exist without Barbie. The corporation behind the doll, Mattel and Warner Bros. also valiantly portray being in on the jibes taken at them and their failures in deciphering what teenage girls want. There are multiple references of their incredibly embarrassing and questionable releases they brazenly tried to revive many times, case in point – the earring magic Ken, the palm beach sugar daddy and the inflatable breasts skipper inundated one overwhelming singular thought in our minds: What were the top execs thinking? But they did discontinue them!
Helen Mirren’s iconic narration made it even more special, capturing our attention straight away!
Inspiration For Our Adult Self Courtesy, Our Childhood BFF Aka Barbie
The movie takes notable inspiration from its golden days, its true origin – the philosophy its inventor Ruth Handler culminated – how girls can be anything they wish for and so can their dolls! Essaying how Barbie struck the revolt against baby and mama dolls. It very not so subliminally passes off the message of how Barbie has always been quite self sufficient, had her own house, career and her own car at a time, most didn’t. Thus Barbie is us and we are Barbie.
The movie was extremely witty with a big splash of clever self deprecating digs at Barbie and Mattel’s own errs and society’s too. It was a much-needed self assuring reminder to our childhood self, it sort of also de-programs one to not conveniently accept the apparent. How feminine dualities and various endowments are actually our strength and not the lack thereof. A reminder, women don’t have difficulty holding logic and feeling both and that’s our added strength.
Dazzling Or Not So Dazzling Performances?
We are confident and awfully sure how no-one other than Margot Robbie could have done justice to Barbie. It’s surreal how she depicted the doll’s toylike persona along with the varying human emotions so fluidly. She was made to be Barbie! She convincingly portrayed the real life version of the doll that conveyed Barbie’s POV in response to years of woke criticism how the doll set unrealistic beauty standards etc etc etc. It wasn’t an in-your-face defence of the anti feminist doll (which in case, it isn’t) but a rather real attempt at inspiring the girls of today all over again. It was a joy to see Margot play Barbie who is chipper, confident, blonde!
Ryan Gosling revelled in Ken’s role. Fully grasping the fragility and dependence of Ken on Barbie meanwhile also essaying the struggle to discover his identity without Barbie. Ryan Gosling was an entertainer through and through, also showing off some serious dance skills, though we don’t know if it did much for Ken’s resurgence as Ryan spoke about in his interviews. Sure it did help us realize Ken’s side and what he goes through being ignored in a world full of Barbie’s, muddled up in the ground but we didn’t really end up falling in love with him and perhaps rightfully so, it’s a Barbie movie after all. We must applaud Ryan for acting and knowing he is a liberated man who knows crying is not weak.
Simu Liu as Ken was a great addition, he was quirky, funny, witty and so fun to watch – the only Ken who could come face to face to Ryan Gosling and be able to divide our attention. He was smooth, so effortless and we loved him as Ken’s enemy Ken!
Kate McKinnon as the weird Barbie was a scene stealer in particular. Her character, the thought process behind it and the visualisation all played a part in making its presence impactful. It was an imperfect yet smart version of the doll not given much thought to before.
America Ferrera features as a Mattel employee and a secret adult Barbie girls. Her role was heart-warmingly relatable.
Relatability In The 21st Century
It looks like our childhood Barbie has gotten a couple of heavy doses of 21st century realities. In a way it felt gratifying and comforting to watch our childhood doll’s take on all we seem to be battling as a generation that once considered her our best friend. Did the doll finally catch up on our perils? The movie was not short of very specific Gen Z humor for e.g. without giving too much away – the heel and Birkenstock debate. Tbh, just reminded us to not slip away in the comfort of Birkenstocks for far too long!
In a real world so patriarchal, Barbie land is heavily matriarchal and functioning perfectly while a contrasting depiction of the sad, bizarre reality of the 21st century world where men rule everything is shown alongside. Mattel has rather courageously taken all what the critics have passed off for years on the chin through the movie’s narrative, which we feel is one of the major reasons the movie felt so relatable and hit all the right spots.
Barbie argues she was invented to make you happy and powerful, realise your self worth and not be afraid to be anything you want. Some feel the one central speech in the movie is too preachy but we beg to differ. The movie was inspiring, makes you think, makes you re-wire your thoughts or at least try to! It was all what we as in our role of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, girlfriends undergo. The movie also depicts how Barbie might just be smarter than most humans. The real world isn’t perfect but at least the doll inspires us, makes us feel seen and understood.
Bone (Bones) Of Contention
Many among us have some qualms with the film, first about whether the movie is degrading nature’s gift of becoming pregnant, showing it to be repulsive but in actuality, we feel it’s perhaps another jibe at the corporation behind the doll. Mattel received overwhelming backlash at releasing the pregnant doll, allegedly, promoting teen pregnancy and thus discontinued the controversial doll but then again it was the consumers response not the company’s decision to renounce the doll and not with a motive to ridicule nature’s glory. Did the movie paint having flat feet a sin? A disgrace? Hmm could be plausible through the over exaggerated reactions to the conundrum but we may perhaps also wonder: is it because the plastic dolls have been shaped in such a way since their very origin and they find it very foreign? Then again, is the movie cellulite shaming? Could be, but then also plastic can’t really have cellulite? So defies the point.
The Kens in Barbie land were treated awfully…hmm. Ok so that depends, it was striking a contrast to the real world where women are treated in such way and it can be ascertained to the doll’s origin, history, philosophy and eventually Ken does get a chance to discover himself without being Barbie’s side kick and Barbie herself motivates him to do so. Doesn’t that mean something? Isn’t that what many of us also seek, to discover ourselves without having to be hiding in the shadows of either our significant others (case in point: males in our lives) or parents?
The Barbie Album is Supreme, No Cap!
Amidst the dazzling cinematography, acting, references, the music was another diamond in the bedazzled cap of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The beats, the music, lyrics, the wide range of acclaimed musicians who lent their voice have led the album to be on repeat on our Spotify favorites. We say this with a lot of deliberation, it is hands down the absolute top notch music album from a movie in a WHILE! From tributes to the original Aqua girl to renditions and new unmissable beats, we can’t stop bobbing our heads. No, seriously we can’t stop.
The Teary Ending Felt A Little Personal
The movie might be open ended for some but for us (after ample thought) it’s another witty reference to a scene in the beginning. There was also a finale message for all the little girls from Barbie’s inventor. The ending is a perfect tear jerking ode to the inventor herself, Ruth Handler who guides Barbie through her existential crisis (wouldn’t she be the perfect person to do that)
While some laughed, some were in pure awe. The end makes you teary as Ruth leads Barbie to an awakening of realisations.
Come On Barbies, Wanna Know Our Verdict?
As a Barbie enthusiast, we are convinced we will most likely sprint when asked to watch it once again. A great re watch! But… if you aren’t particularly gaga over Barbie or have any associated yester year memories, you might be lost during the references. Yes, they could have tried to go over some references in a little more depth than surface level so non Barbie fans could understand the actual meaning behind their effort. The movie did claim its for those who hate Barbie too but that might have been lost in the narratives translation. A couple parts do tend to linger on and break your attention span. The child’s journey who reignites her love for Barbie was kind of fast forwarded, a little bit of neglect in the sense the movie failed to capture her real journey to loving Barbie again. Some parts might bore you, the ending might confuse you but we definitely recommend it nonetheless. If nothing, it’s a great piece of cinematic wonder and of pop culture not to be missed out on!
Here is the trailer if you somehow unbelievably still haven’t seen it!
P.S the movie is rated PG-13 so keep that in mind folks.
