It was hard to know just what to expect from Greta Gerwig’s curious new movie based on the best-selling Barbie doll from Mattel. Having written it with her partner Noah Baumbach, the two indie mumblecore poster children seemed like an odd choice for this huge studio-led movie. The teaser trailers teased a very big, bold and colourful bit of escapist fun, and thankfully after having seen the film, ‘Barbie’ has come out as one of the most fun and entertaining movies of the year.
Gloriously self-aware but managing to keep a real sense of wonder and innocence throughout, ‘Barbie’ is a breathtakingly original choice for Mattel to stamp their cinematic future on. With the likes of Hasbro, Nintendo and Sega all branching out successfully into the world of film, Mattel has made a huge statement of intent with ‘Barbie’. It’s a film that isn’t aimed at young kids, but rather the numerous generations that loved the doll. That’s not to say that it’s an adult take on it – this is just a fun, colourful and vibrant film. ‘Barbie’ is a movie that’s made for a more mature audience who can appreciate the subtleties of its satire, but one that still has that magical innocence at heart.
The plot involves Barbie loving life, living in her own perfect world. Along with all the other Barbie’s and all the other Ken’s, Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) is living the dream. But lately she’s been experiencing some existential dilemmas that have forced her to re-evaluate a few things. So after consulting a Barbie who has seen it all and who imparts sage advice (Kate McKinnon), she makes the choice to go to ‘the real world’ – a place she believes to be as magical as her own world. But soon Barbie realises that all the positive vibes she thought her kind has given the world hasn’t made ‘the real world’ a better place after all.
Margot Robbie really is the absolute perfect choice to bring this iconic toy to life. Her performance is sensational, giving the famed doll real personality and verve. She is stunning in every aspect of her performance. Her comic timing is sublime, and she handles the wide-eyed wonder of an optimist with great energy and heart. When she has a breakdown, she is hilarious – there’s a particular bit in the movie when she’s at her most downtrodden, and where ‘The Narrator’ (Helen Mirren) lays one of the funniest and truest jokes you’ll hear all year! Margot Robbie is the shining light of this film.
Ryan Gosling steals all of his scenes, as the trailers would suggest. His portrayal of Ken is hilarious and he bounces off Margot Robbie’s performance with a heady mix of hope, despair and inadequacy. It’s seriously one of Gosling’s best performances to date, and one that required a very balanced take on all the craziness onscreen. He absolutely nails it – especially in numerous, big musical numbers that have all of the pizzazz of a best-selling Broadway show.
The rest of the supporting cast are brilliant. An eclectic ensemble has been assembled including Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, Emma Mackey, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Michael Cera, Simu Liu, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, John Cena, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou and Dua Lipa. That’s not a fever dream, that’s an actual cast list, who bring all the sparkle and glamour to the show. This ‘Barbie’ cast has that wow factor in abundance.
The set-pieces are energetic, the music is excellent, the script is tight and engaging, the visual style of the film is amazing (thanks to Greta Gerwig’s amazing vision for this project), and with Margot Robbie on electrifying form and Ryan Gosling delivering a role that is sure to become one of his defining performances, ‘Barbie’ is one of the best summer blockbusters we’ve had in years, and simply a must-see movie.
Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, Emma Mackey, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Michael Cera, Simu Liu, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, John Cena, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Dua Lipa Director: Greta Gerwig Writer: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach Certificate: 12A Duration: 114 mins Released by: Warner Bros Release date: 21st July 2023
