The idea of a theatrically-released movie based on Mattel’s fashion doll sounded ridiculous to some at first, but the opening weekend for Barbie was a massive success. In fact, it’s the highest-grossing opening weekend for a female director in movie history. Does this live action tale deserve the hype, or is it as stiff as plastic?

The Good

Once the film opens, the tongue-in-cheek tone is immediately apparent. This tone is carried throughout the movie, and it always works perfectly. The sarcasm and brilliant one-liners constantly lead to big laughs. The movie is extremely funny through-and-through and will likely go down as one of the most quotable comedies ever.

A lot of this sarcastic tone plays into the film’s clever commentary superbly. There are multiple themes presented throughout the story. One is that people should accept themselves for who they are, flaws and all, which is quite important and presented well. The other theme is to shed a light on gender issues and the patriarchy. Not only is this crucial to showcase in a film, but it;s done in creative ways. Barbie Land puts the men (the Kens) in the position that women are in in the real world. It’s meant to get certain naive people to recognize the issue, which is quite genius.

The set design and costumes are both Oscar-worthy. The sets look like classic toys come to life, and even have some of the same “rules” as the toys, like being able to open a certain way. These setpieces are also well-detailed and intricate, especially throughout Barbie Land. The costumes perfectly replicate costumes the toys have worn over the years. The outfits are extravagant, and they say a lot about the characters wearing them. Elements like the sets and costumes make the film a visual treat.

The performances throughout the film are especially great. Many of the line-reads add to the humor. Everyone involved clearly had a blast acting in the movie. When this shows, it allows the audience to have more fun with it. America Ferrera steals the show at one point by delivering an incredible monologue, but Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, and the rest absolutely kill it. They make this whole fantastical and somewhat ridiculous world feel real and believable.

Surprisingly, Barbie is full of memorable original songs. From the hilarious “I’m Just Ken” to the emotional “What I Was Made For” and even the fun “Pink,” the soundtrack is especially great and will have any audience member humming these tunes for days after seeing the film. The soundtrack is worth listening to on repeat, as is probably one of the best original soundtracks a movie has had in years.

Multiple characters go through incredible arcs throughout the story of the film, leading to some truly emotional moments. There are moments early on that make it seem like any emotion would be overshadowed by humor, but emotional moments are handled quite nicely toward the end, making all the build-up worth it. There may be lots of sarcasm, silly moments, and commentary, but all of it u;ltimately feels heartfelt.

The Bad

After Ken returns from the Real World to Barbie Land, one of his takeaways from the Real World is that horses are a bigger deal than they actually are. There have been Barbie toys with horses before, so wouldn’t he understand the role of horses? Judging from those toys, it seems like they play the same role, so why would he be so misled by the Real World horses? It’s not a big issue by any means, but it’s odd that he’s so confused by the point of the horses.

Will Ferrell’s character and the other businessmen use the same transportation method as everyone else to travel to Barbie Land. However, it seems like it takes them much longer to get there. This is just for plot convenience for when they do show up, but it’s still weirdly noticeable.

Conclusion

Barbie is the perfect blend of fun and smart. It’s hilarious and quotable with impressive production design, strong emotional moments, and important commentary that’s presented brilliantly. The movie is chock full of self parody from Mattel’s part, along with some catchy tunes. It’s overall quite shocking how wildly entertaining a movie based on Barbie dolls could be. It’s a must-see for any moviegoer.

Rating: 10/10