Like many people who grew up with Barbie in some capacity, the visuals enchanted me from the moment I watched the trailer. I figured that the plot would be corny, but the visuals alone would make watching this personified Barbie movie worth it. Have you seen the Architectural Digest video of the Barbie Dreamhouse? It looks SO nice. I’d love to see it as a real-life luxury house, but with more doors for security of course.
I remember the time I made a Barbie-themed island for a school project. I was in 6th grade and one of the assignments was to create a geographical location based on the guidelines the history teacher gave out. I’m not sure if I still have the project, since I have yet to find it in my house. However, I do remember earning an A on the project. I think the teacher complimented me on it even. It’s 8-9 years old at this point, but that project alone demonstrates how Barbie put me into a trance back then. I also still have this Barbie Wii game that 11/12-year old me enjoyed.
Although, is this movie worth the watch? Did my enthusiasm from childhood translate into enjoying this movie? I’ll chronicle that, starting with the synopsis.
Synopsis: Barbie is a 2023 live-action movie that takes a different turn than you might expect. Barbie herself has generally been regarded as hyper feminine, the epitome of (Eurocentric) beauty, and a girl’s girl for young girls. At least by mass media. However, this movie banks less on the “perfection” concept and more on relatability based on today’s current standards. So, in the movie, things are perfect for Barbie, until they’re not. Thoughts of death, flatfeet, and a rocky morning routine start to impact her. Once Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) tells THE Barbie about the roots of her sudden imperfections, she advises her to go into the real world to uproot them. Who and how? By confronting a young teenage girl named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and her mother, Gloria (America Ferrera). Although the Real World is different from Barbie World, especially with it being patriarchal rather than matriarchal, Barbie contemplates if she really wants to stay in Barbie World. Or if she’d rather transition into the real world instead.
Barbie has a star-studded cast, also starring Ryan Gosling as Ken, Will Ferrell as the Mattel CEO, and Helen Mirren as the narrator. If you want to see the entire cast, click here and admire the posters you see of all the stars in their respective characters. Return to read my random thoughts whenever you’re ready.
SPOILER ALERT: Read at your own risk.
- Alright. The Barbiefication of the WB logo. How snazzy!
- LMAO at that historical doll intro. Let’s not even get started on Barbie’s infamous representations. Particularly its association with Eurocentric beauty standards.
- “Feminism and equal rights” what about womanism? While feminism and womanism are similar in concept, womanism is deeper and more inclusive than feminism. Also, is Barbie some magical person who can shapeshift into anything and everything she wants at her own leisure? Hmm…
- And where’s the water? WHERE’S THE WATER? How on Earth are you gonna shower without water? Ain’t no way you can live in Barbie World without water. Otherwise, how do you even hydrate yourself? Does your body hydrate itself? I need a serious explanation for that.
- Gee, if only waking up can be as joyful as having happy people wave at you and your outfits being magically chosen for you.
- “I have no problem holding logic and feelings at the same time” girl period. I’m the same way.
- Ken trying to surf over a standstill wave to impress Barbie. Now what kind of person would be so thick to do that?
- Seeing the Kens get confrontational is quite funny. And not a portable hospital rolling out, as if that was necessary. I’m dead *inserts crying emoji*
- Alright, Issa’s got the looks and moves. LET’S GO!
- I’m not straight. But if I were, these men would turn me on for real.
- Although another thing, what was with that awkward silence during the dance? It’s like, “girl what?” But it was about the thoughts of death. Ooof…
- I love that Barbie is resisting romance from Ken. Imagine if she’s actually sapphic. In fact, imagine if all the women of Barbie World were all sapphic. I would totally support a Barbie World where most (or even all) of its population were LGBTQIA+. Imagine that level of queerness. That would be fire as h*ll.
- “I’m definitely not thinking about death anymore.” So you’re telling me Barbie isn’t as happy as she always projects? Wow, smiles really can be deceiving, but I already knew that.
- Barbie’s feet are flat instead of being on tippy toes. BUT wouldn’t she be walking on all fours based on her proportions? Yep, she would. Google says so and credible sources do too.
- That blue mini dress, oh my God it looks so good! I wanna find that dress and wear it one day.
- So Kate McKinnon’a character (Weird Barbie) is a podiatrist now? She’s the most eccentric podiatrist I’ve ever seen.
- Sounds like Barbie is going through suicidal thoughts, just like I’ve had. I could consider this relatable, but with how Barbie has been idealized to be perfect, should I be shocked or nah?
- And a girl being reckless with her Barbie is causing THE Barbie to start going awry? If so, it’s giving Child’s Play vibes. Remember that part of the movie where Chucky voodoos a guy to death? I do.
- Ain’t Barbie World supposed to be magical? If so, why can’t THE Barbie be teleported to the exact girl and her location? Why does Barbie have to work hard in getting there herself? That feels wrong to me.
- But also, Dua Lipa in Mermaid Mode is hot! She deserves more screen time tbh. Perhaps cast her in a live-action Barbie in A Mermaid Tale remake, anyone?
- Of course Ken has to go with Barbie just because he wants to win her over. Man, it’s okay to mind your own business sometimes.
- Barbie’s so shocked that people are actually intrigued by her. This serves as a great allegory on what happens when you’re disconnected from the real world. Especially being so entrenched into social media.Not that you should keep tabs on what others say about you, because celebs gotta be careful about that thing. Still, that has to take a toll.
- Girl, why do you have to bring up genitals? Literally no one cares and no one asked. I low-key feel second-hand embarrassment from this remark.
- But YAS, Barbie! Knock out that man trying to make advances towards you. Don’t understand why she has to get a mugshot just to defend herself.
- That girl holding her box with the toys is giving Andy from Toy Story. Y’all see any similarities in this video?
- The chemistry between Barbie and Ken is so weird. I don’t blame Barbie for it, though. Margot and Ryan are hot people in real life. I could knock them for not showing more chemistry, but I won’t. If anything, their reactions based on the awkward dialogue are very realistic.
- And all the deets about Skipper? Hmm, could she be the shady Barbie that appears sweet but secretly brings dark energy? Just thinking out loud.
- How does Barbie manage to visualize who the girl is and get the location down to a T? This is part of what I mean when I say that Barbie might be a shapeshifter. Is she?
- A bimbo? Sasha, don’t you DARE insult THE Barbie like that. Misogyny ain’t cute.
- And these girls need to realize that hating popular things doesn’t make them interesting people.
- That being said, Sasha brought up something that I thought about in the beginning. What about the people who feel uneasy about Barbie’s representation in the media?
- Ooop, lemme take that back. Sasha thought she did something by calling her a fascist. Sis probably watched one TikTok and thought she knew what it meant. But you know she doesn’t even know what “fascist” means.
- If I were at that school, I’d tell Barbie, “don’t take her seriously. She don’t even know what the word “fascist” means. She got it from TikTok and started using it to supplement her slacktivism.” But let’s be real. Barbie would then ask, “What’s TikTok?” And then I’d have to explain it to her and tell her she ain’t missing out on anything. Really, she ain’t.
- And LOL, of course Ken left Barbie behind. I ain’t even surprised.
- Here comes the pseudo-progressiveness of these men executives. It falls flat of course. And then an executive calling Barbie a Jezebel is a no from me.
- You know what? Barbie could be a track star too. She managed to get away from all those men that tried putting her into a literal box. See what I mean when I said the men were pseudo-progressive?
- That look on Barbie’s face while drinking tea tells me that she feels awkward around any sort of liquid. Funny as heck, I’d say.
- Everybody hates women, including men? Yeah, Sasha’s internalized misogyny confirmed.
- Although that car chase does look like something from a good ol’ action movie. That moment was intriguing.
- Gloria and Sasha are going to help Barbie get herself together whilst Gloria’s non-Latino White husband tries to pronounce the word “bolígrafos.” Truly embodies the typical gringo White guy.
- Ken has been wanting to get fresh with Barbie, yet he takes over her dream house? Man, you always doing too much. I hope Barbie never gets romantic with him. He don’t deserve it.
- Also, can Ken be banished from Barbie World after his shenanigans get toppled over? This is the equivalent of treason and overthrowing a current government. Come on now, Barbie World better not end up like those unstable regimes in the Real World.
- Ken is throwing Barbie’s clothes out the house, and you know what? I want her to do to him what she did in Toy Story 3: tie him up and tear up the clothes in his closet.
- Now Barbie, doubt is normal. Wanting to give up is a valid feeling. But won’t you try harder to retaliate at Ken? Then again, the patriarchy can be really crushing, no lie.
- A Depression Barbie? Really? Uhh Chile anyways… lemme abstain from commenting on that.
- Now here’s something I was wondering earlier. Why wasn’t THE Barbie president of her own land? I get that it carries a lot of responsibility, but still. I thought she might be a shapeshifter? If Barbie can do anything, why she can’t adapt between president and commoner with ease?
- This speech about the double standards in the patriarchy is incredibly touching. You’re expected to be one thing, but it’s never enough. It’s like that throughout all social categories, including race.
- And I see the Barbies are about to revolt against Ken’s plans. I’m so here for this, yo. Let’s not turn Barbie World into a patriarchy now.
- Also, what’s not hot about glasses? I guess it wasn’t smart to slap him here, but I’d definitely be cringing intensely inside.
- Lol at how the men are serenading these women. I can’t wait for their clownery to end and have the clown come back to bite them.
- Look at the Kens throwing sports equipment at each other. Again, I’m here for this. I have no dog in this fight, so let them duke it out.
- Those men executives arrived too late to even try getting back at Barbie. They about to end up having to fly back to the Real World, because this will not end well for them.
- I love how two men kissed Ken right then. I’m here for some men loving men moments.
- Ohhh yes, drop the f-bomb Madam President! And remove those Ken-Dom doors while at it.
- Lol, Barbie should’ve just let Ken cry. Why is she trying to console him? Why did she say that not every night should be a girl’s night? Come on now, don’t start succumbing to Ken.
- Though to see Ken going down the slide is funny. Never thought I’d see that in my life.
- I like Gloria’s proposal of an ordinary Barbie. She shouldn’t have to have any position of power to be respectable.
- Oooh, Ruth is the inventor of Barbie? And she lives in a rustic house in what looks like a basement? She says she faced tax evasion, but shouldn’t she have a more luxurious house for her contributions?
- “The pastels and plastics of Los Angeles” the way I can tell this is coding for the high beauty standards in Hollywood.. that’s a whole other discussion.
- Though also, I thought she wore that suit for an actual job interview. Instead she says,
I remember what she said about not having a vagina. But I was still like, “DOH!”
Final Thoughts: Honestly, I was expecting Barbie to be more lighthearted and fun than it was. While I can respect the feminist stances it took, it also left me unsure about the rating I’d give this movie. Let me make it clear that I found the performative outrage from conservatives to be incredibly weird, especially with the accusations of misandry. That said, I normally associate Barbie with lightheartedness, fun, and airiness. Like a cotton candy type aesthetic. This movie had some elements of them but not as much as I would’ve liked. I was also expecting it to be family-friendly, and it wasn’t that either due to the genital jokes. Because young kids shouldn’t be hearing any genital jokes, really.
I know that a bunch of people, including those around my age, really loved the Barbie movie. Especially for how it covered feminism and mental health. But for me, I feel like this movie could’ve had some script revisions. Had there been more of them, Barbie could’ve been a lighthearted, family-friendly movie that cleverly and seamlessly covered feminism and mental health. Unfortunately, it’s not such a movie. The Barbie creative team could have taken several notes from Legally Blonde, which cleverly covered mental health and feminism without the all-in-your-face messaging. Its cleverness, alongside its airiness, made for a classic movie that’s worthy of layered analyses. While it’s okay to utilize some “all-in-your-face” messaging, subtle messages can sometimes make a bigger impact than hardcore ones.
LOL but really, watching the live-action movie makes me want to watch the animated Barbie movies to get the lightheartedness and airiness I oh-so craved. The marketing tactics were 11/10 (the “this Barbie is a ___” posters should go down as one of the cleverest marketing moves in Internet history). The aesthetics were also 11/10 (that Barbie font is so pretty, my God), The movie however? I don’t hate or dislike it. Two of the best parts were 1) the heartfelt moment where Barbie transitioned into a Real World human. The Billie Eilish song “What Was I Made For?” PERFECTLY fits that scene. And 2) the movie credits with the music and visuals.
With that being said, the storyline needed revisions and refinement for it to really fit within the Barbie branding. My mind says to rate this movie a 7/10, but that score feels too generous. Although, a 6/10 also feels a bit too low. I think I’ll go in the middle and give it a 6.5/10. Yeah, that score works here. I’d watch the movie again, but preferably in the background while doing something else.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
