Barbie Delivers Surprise Laughs, Pure Nostalgia, And Clever Satire That's Well-Blended.

      Imagine a film that nobody thought they would ever see finally make its way to the big screen. Now picture that same film being surprisingly well-executed both in terms of storytelling and presentation. In addition, that exact same film becomes such a cultural and box office phenomenon that it becomes targeted by conservative pundits for its sly handling of topics including gender roles, prescribed roles, patriarchy, and female empowerment with some going as far as accusing the film of being "woke". The result ends up being a rare cinematic occurrence of lightning in a bottle that both Warner Brothers and  Academy Award nominated director, Greta Gerwig  manage to pull off with the long-awaited toy-based Mattel feature, Barbie, starting Margot Robbie as the films main titular character. 

      Barbie's plot has the iconic doll experiencing an existential crisis in which she must travel to the human world in order to understand herself and realize her true purpose. What makes the plot for Barbie such a cleverly written one, is how the story switches from the main character being brought out of her matriarchal society, Barbieland, where she's viewed as being the most popular of all the Barbies, and ends up in the real world which allows for numerous opportunities including satire and camp to influence the overall narrative. Barbie's story is one that feels self-aware in what it is and aims to capitalize on that awareness while driving home some noble messages that its audience (Largely female) can take away from the film, such as the belief that one's worth is ultimately enough. It not only surprises as being an extremely faithful representation of the popular Mattel fashion doll, but also as being a clever comedy/satire that turns out to be one of the years most pleasant surprises.

      As far as the acting goes, Barbie's cast is well-assembled with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling making for the ideal Barbie and Ken. Robbie owns the part of Barbie with her nailing her characters increasing worries regarding mortality. Her performance is funny, charming, and heartfelt with the actress embodying all the mannerisms that audiences associate with this character. Ryan Gosling absolutely kills it with his hilarious spot-on performance as Ken, Barbie's lover who discovers patriarchy and brings it back to Barbieland in hopes of implementing it. Both Robbie and Gosling are on top form here with each giving flawless performances along with sporting solid chemistry. The supporting cast is strong with impressive work coming from America Ferrera in a scene-stealing performance as Mattel employee, Gloria, who aides Barbie in the real world along with Ariana Greenblatt as Gloria's daughter, Sasha, Michael Cera as Allan, Rhea Perlman as the spirit of Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, and Will Farrell as the CEO of Mattel. Other noteworthy performances include the different variations of Barbie and Ken including Kate McKinnon in a hilarious performance as weird Barbie, Emma Mackey as physicist Barbie, Simu Liu as Tourist Ken, and Helen Mirren as the films narrator.

When it comes to directing, Gerwig brings her A game here and does a remarkable job of bringing the world of Barbieland to life. She crafts a visually dazzling experience that's sugarcoated in candy-bright pink with everything from the films stunning cinematography down to its surreal costume and set design, which often revert back-and-forth between a 2-D and 3-D feel, adding to the nostalgic feel that one gets when opening up a Barbie toy set. The film carries the perfect look for ringing the Barbieworld to the big screen with it looking exactly the way that audiences would picture a live-action film to look. At 114 minutes, Barbie moves at a quick yet steady pace for a comedy with it never overstaying its welcome. The soundtrack does a fine job of supplying the film with various artists in top form that deliver a joyous, cheerful, and surprisingly touching compilation of hits including Ryan Gosling performing "I'm Just Ken" in a Surprisingly hilarious turn. 

      What's most impressive about Barbie's writing is how it explores it's numerous themes and delivers messages in a fashion that makes it brilliantly written, heartfelt, and ultimately meaningful. The real thrill that's generated from the story is audiences witnessing Barbie and Ken's reactions to reality as they both struggle to adapt, especially Ken's male fragility being put on hilarious display. The side characters surrounding them are appealing ones who only add to the sheer level of excitement and laughs the story brings. The films moments of seriousness are tastefully handled, including one sequence in which Mattel employee, Gloria vents on her own frustration in regards to being a woman given the standards set upon women in general. Her character is written as being the audiences anchor to Barbie with her representing the nostalgia and childhood memories that audiences feel with the latter. The film also carries a strong satirical approach in making fun of corporate ambitions, such as Barbie's toy company, Mattel, that's run by Will Farrell in a brilliant casting decision. The script also pokes fun at Robbie's character being viewed as being the "stereotypical" Barbie with Gloria's daughter, Sasha, lambasting the popular doll because of all the negative messages she beliefs and falsehoods she gave women with Barbie's character being genuinely stunned given that she believed she was empowering women. Barbie's script works so well because it finds a way to entertain while presenting characters and themes that resonate strongly with audiences.

      Despite its dazzling imagery and brains, the one element that makes the film shine is it's heart. Gerwig manages to completely subvert expectations by assembling a story that's not only charming and quite often hilarious but connects audiences to it with her down-to-earth style of filmmaking. Barbie is a film that's familiar with the old traditional Hollywood formula regarding transformation and utilizes it well, largely thanks to the sheer talent of its remarkable cast and director. It's an unusual cinematic experience that'll entertain as well as surprise audiences with its quality.

Final Verdict: A must see.

Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers