Let’s admit it, the Barbie fever has been catching on for quite some time. And it’s all thanks to a great effort by the film’s marketing tea. The crazy memes and the stark comparison with the rather dark-themed Oppenheimer – It all worked in Barbie’s favour.

As the mom to a daughter, and having played obsessively with Barbies myself, we decided to take a break from the crazy monsoon downpour, exam preparations, work and deadlines and just in general from our routine.

That’s how today, I decided to try my luck to get a couple of tickets. And I was in luck! (Just two tickets available smack in the middle of the audi). Armed with a jumbo tub of popcorn, we made it just in time and were transported to the pink, pastel, plastic Barbieland.  

The Premise of Barbie

Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) is living in a perfect Barbie world with other Barbies, our main Ken (Ryan Gosling) and other Kens, and a few limited editions or discontinued dolls like Allan (Micheal Cera) and, my favourite, Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon).

But she wakes up to strange questions, feelings and physical changes which sets her and Ken on an adventure to the real world. Here she finds her human Gloria (America Ferrera) and begins to discover what being a woman in the real world really is. And our handsome Ken discovers patriarchy, and horses, and vows to take the concept back to Barbieland 

Barbie, along with Gloria and her daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) return to Barbieland and discover a world not very different from the real one. Barbie goes through an existential crisis as the Kens decide to change the constitution in their favour. And the CEO (Will Ferrell) and executives from Mattel are right behind them to get a hold of Barbie and put her back in her box.

The Barbie movie review then goes on to question the role of women in society, how they survive, the anger, angst, frustration, denial, and the desire to reclaim their lives. Of course with humour, witty dialogues and satire, and wokeness.

How was the Barbie Movie?   

Unlike the animated Barbie movies, this Barbie has a sophisticated theme along the lines of feminism, patriarchy, equal rights and self-awareness. Well, I realised that this sentence turned into a meme :D. Something that would be better suited for teens, adults and kids 11 and older. 

It’s a visual treat, no doubt about that at all. The dollhouses, accessories, sets, wardrobe…I remembered my time collecting Barbies and clothes as a child and treasuring them, building a makeshift wardrobe out of a shoebox and just living the Barbie life in my head. Watching it on the big screen made me feel like a part of that wonderful dream world, so pink, shiny, sparkly and wonderful. 

Greta Gerwig has done a phenomenal job of not making the movie childish, tacky or parody-ish. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting and completely surprised me in a good way.

There were some great dialogues and moments that I felt could have been better. They were like these moments where the emotion just pierced through all the layers of comedy and fantasy and went straight to the heart, but was quickly followed by an unnecessary mask of a comedic line. There was this one scene where Barbie believes herself to not be beautiful anymore and Gloria tells her otherwise, but the narrator’s voice totally jars this. It was funny, I laughed too, but would have liked to enjoy that moment more. 

Barbie Movie Review from My Kid’s Perspective

As a tween, my daughter loved the movie. It was fantasy, fun, super pink and pastel. She loved John Cena as Kenmaid and Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie. And yes, Weird Barbie too.

Some of the adult-themed jokes didn’t land, and she loved the outfits. The speech sesh felt a little too preachy and didn’t really take a liking to Sasha while sympathising with Gloria.

Towards the end, there were tears because she thought that Barbie would seize to exist. She hadn’t understood the dialogue, perhaps it was too deep for her. Once I explained the scene to her, she wasn’t heartbroken anymore and cheered for Barbie’s new-found purpose.

My Review of the Barbie Movie 

As an adult, I liked the movie. If I could have watched it over an OTT, I would have. A good break for me to watch it in the theatre with my daughter, it was a wonderful opportunity to share the experience, story and feelings. 

A typical good girl in a typical good world is forced to wake up to reality. It was her journey to walk from the beginning and she she realises and embraces this fact. That’s the story in a nutshell.

I liked that Barbie’s Ken was truly Barbie’s Ken, in his perfection and his flaws too. He is there for her and then tries to possess her, only to be defeated yet winning her understanding of how he felt being taken for granted. I wish there was more to his journey as well – Ken’s journey of discovering the REAL KEN. Perhaps a sequel.

Substance abuse was unnecessary and forced, and the Ken war seemed forced. I wish we could have seen more from Allen or even Skipper and the other dolls of the Barbie universe. 

The ending felt a little rushed and all over the place which maybe was done to fit into the timeslot of the movie. Maybe there would be a director’s cut or a longer version that might get released later, idk. 

The Final Verdict on Barbie: The Most Awaited Movie of 2023

It’s a good movie that lives up to its hype. The actors have done a phenomenal job. All the Barbies were amazing and so were the Kens. The sets, costumes, and colours were great and so was the story.

The storytelling around the battle of the sexes, matriarchy versus patriarchy, insecurities and identity crisis, and the relationship between the creator and the creation all together felt a bit heavy. I think it stretched the audience’s attention, and perhaps patience, too thin. 

Ryan Gosling was great as always and so were the many talented actors. Margot Robbie is truly turning into the queen of biopics and portrays the character so well, I just can’t imagine anyone else doing it. I kept thinking back to her other noteworthy roles in Suicide Squad, The Prince of Wallstreet, Mary Queen of Scots and more. Ah! I just had a fan-girl moment right now.

It felt great watching Barbie – light, funny and an absolute visual treat when paired with caramel popcorn.

So, that’s my very honest review of the Barbie movie. Fresh from the theatre, reminiscing about my dolls and trading doll stories with my little girl.