Barbie (2023)
Rating – 4/4
**SPOILERS**
Barbie. The literal figure of the perfect American girl. Hair, body, eyes, all of the accessories and make-up, and a perfect boyfriend named Ken. And she lives in her dreamhouse in her perfect world of Barbieland where all the other barbies live the perfect life.
But is everything really perfect?
Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as the titular Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, everything is alright in Barbieland. Until Barbie begins suffering an existential crisis. Who is she and what is her purpose? And why is she feeling sad? Isn’t Barbieland supposed to be perfect? So, she makes the decision to travel to the real world and find out what’s going on.
Meanwhile, Ken is struggling to find his purpose as well. Tired of being “just Ken” and Barbie’s trophy partner, he decides to tag along with Barbie to the real world.
And the real world is perfect…for Ken! Instead of Girls’ Nights, female governments, and pink, the world is ruled by men with their suits, their beer, and their horses! He has a purpose and is now somebody and decides bring some of the patriarchy back to Barbieland with disastrous consequences that literally shake-up the landscape!
But Barbie is now reduced to a second-class citizen and finds out she’s not the perfect woman she thinks. She’s not idolized, she’s sexualized. She’s not in power, she’s overpowered. And instead of perfection, she’s in a world of flaws.
Worse, when the Mattel executives learn that Barbie is now in the real world, they race to get her back before word gets out!
But Barbie isn’t about selling toys nor a simple comedy, but acts as a deconstruction of gender roles and corporate marketing for people’s self-image. Barbie thinks she’s the perfect role model for young girls, with the perfect image and appearance. But in the real world, people objectify her beauty or reject it for its unrealism. When Barbie meets a young girl named Sasha (Arianna Greenblatt), she basically explains that Barbie represents every negative feminine stereotype: too thin waist, heightism, and a negative role model for a girl’s image.
Can anybody say “Barbie syndrome?” If you don’t know what that is, it basically means that Barbie dolls negatively affect young girls.
When Gloria (America Ferrera), a woman who helps Barbie, delivers an awesome monologue, it sums up what the entire movie is about. Society says women need to be better, but gets angry when because they’re never “enough.” It’s an awesome as it is empowering and is rightfully one of the movie’s highlights.
And that goes for everyone, regardless if you’re a man or woman. No matter how perfect you may seem, someone will always try to find flaws.
And you don’t have to be because perfection doesn’t exist. There may be pain and suffering in the world, but there’s also joy and happiness. For all the pink, there will be blue. It’s just up to the individual to decide their identity. It’s called nature’s balance.
But besides a relevant (and well-done) message, the movie is also a hilarious comedy and character study. Barbieland is so overly sweet and saccharine that you have to laugh at the ridiculousness, especially the pink. There are no flaws, no pain, and no suffering to the point of insanity. And when Barbie and Ken enter the real world, they’re fish-out-of-water as they try to navigate the real world as they stumble with all the norms of human behavior.
And don’t forget Ken’s musical number or his Mojo Dojo Casa House.
I can’t say too much, or else I’ll ruin the fun.
If you want a good comedy, watch Barbie. If you want a movie lots of heart and a social message, watch Barbie. Let the movie deconstruct everything about society’s expectations for gender and let it criticize and praise it at the same time. Let the movie be a lesson in what makes us human as we accept our flaws as part of us. We might never be Barbie, but we can at least be our best.
This movie is fantastic and one of the best of 2023! So, all I can say is: come on Barbie! Let’s go party!
