Yesterday at the 19th of July 2023 I saw Barbie the Movie in the cinema. As a true Barbie lover and collector, this pink & bedazzled movie felt made for me. For as long as I can remember I have played, loved and collected Barbies. I have a pretty impressive collection right now of Barbies that I played with and some never removed from their box. Safe to say, for Barbie the Movie I was expecting a movie that would hit all the nostalgic notes while being inspiring, dreamy and aspirational. Disclaimer: contains spoilers.

The movie opening was great. I loved how Greta Gerwig started Barbie the Movie with a documentary feel. The start was funny, cute and hit all my feelings. After seeing all the classic Barbie movies, such as Barbie and the swan lake or the nutcracker, I was so happy to see a live action Barbie movie. The start of the movie really touched me and had great cinematic allure. Margot Robbie is gorgeous and semi fitted my expectations of Barbie. Sure, she is a little old for Barbie who in my mind is forever in her 20s. But, Margot Robbie is a good actress. She is beautiful, and she is blond haired with blue eyes. I would not have watched Barbie the Movie if Barbie was not blond and blue eyed. I would have been fine with a blonde wig and blue contacts though. Margot Robbie was marvellous in embodying Barbie energy, although this movie makes me wonder if she supports the woke movement the movie and her character portrayed. I will dive deeper into the political agenda of Barbie the Movie later in this review of Barbie the Movie.

The world building of Barbieland is great. The world is aesthetically pleasing and very true to the original Barbie toys and dream houses. The world is definitely portraying the modern Barbie dream houses of the last 15 years. Of course, in the politically correct diversity climate that we live in now, there are Barbies from any part of the world. No matter if they are fat, disabled or supernatural, they are all represented in the movie. Funnily enough, the Ken’s don’t know that amount of diversity, as they are all portrayed as fit beach hunks who are half dressed most of the time. It is funny at the majority of the movie, but the portrayal of men as accessories is not a message I encourage giving to our youth. Barbie the Movie strived for equality, but it belittling men in true ‘feministic’ fashion. How can male and female synergise when Greta Gerwig sends the message to little girls that men are stupid and power-hungry? Note: in our real world the Ken doll has had at least 40 careers opposed to just being Beach Ken as Barbie the Movie presents. I did find the jokes about Beach Ken hilarious.

The movie progresses with Barbie living in her dream Barbieland. Everyday is girl’s night and the best day ever. The Ken’s only have a great day if Barbie looks at them, to their own displeasure since they want to have more in life. Barbie as how I know her is intelligent and empathetic. That crucial part of her allure seems to be vanished in Barbie the Movie. Barbie seems selfish and lightheaded. But let’s be honest, she is a doll. But there are other Barbies in the movies with careers as scientist, astronauts and presidents, but Margot Robbie is stereotypical Barbie. Stereotypical Barbie is not much, but a blonde fashion icon. Not really the picture I would portray to little girls, as you can be an awesome scientist who is also a blonde fashion icon, like the real Barbie dolls in our world are.

Barbie the movie is adorable with nostalgic remarks. At one point in the movie, there is a weird Barbie who is always in a split with her hair cut ugly. So recognisable for all the girls who knew an ‘abused’ Barbie. In Barbie the Movie, the weird & ugly Barbie has this pooping Labrador dog that I still have as a toy. Magic Earring Ken & ‘Sugar Daddy’ Ken (Ken being the daddy of Sugar his white dog) also make in appearance at the weird, ugly Barbies place. It is hysterical and comedic, and the fun parts of the movie are all laced with that funny aspect that the actors and director deliver well.

The Barbie outfits are fashionable and I love the Chanel details. There is enough pink, but I do long for more traditional throw backs to Barbie outfits in the movie, as the outfits Margot Robbie wore on several Barbie the Movie premieres and the press tour. I was a little disappointed to see the marketing and press tour utilised these traditional Barbie outfits, but the movie had all new designs.

A plot in Barbie the Movie is about Ken bringing patriarchy to Barbieland and messing everything up. Suddenly, all the Ken’s are in charge and they bring horses, beer and cars. The Barbie’s walk around in skimpy outfits and serve the Ken’s, in the way that Barbieland was reversed with the Ken’s just being an accessory to Barbie. This plot was extremely funny and Ryan Gosling was hilarious. I loved the build up of Ken feeling respected in the real World and seeing male leaders everywhere. Finally, he was more than just an accessory, in the real world he was a man. There was some interesting points brought forward, about how women feel undervalued and under appreciated and how Barbie empowers them. But, the progression of the Ken’s ‘messing up’ Barbieland with patriarchy and then the Barbie’s fixing it, is not something I agree with. Men made the real world we live in today, and I respect that. Why should Barbie the Movie teach girls that they have to fix the mistakes boys make? That is exactly the opposite of what equality should look like, is it not? To construct society together, without excluding the other sex or any other groups? I suppose I would have liked to see traditional values and family culture in Barbie the Movie. Will Ferrel did hint towards Barbie ending up with Ken, but that was not the future Barbie had in mind. Perhaps that idea is too conservatory for Gen Z.

Concluding for my Barbie the Movie review, it is fun to see Barbie in the real world. The acting was good. Will Ferrel was superb as well and the charisma between the actors worked. I found them hilarious. The storyline of Barbie the Movie was cute. But the movie left me with mixed feelings. I felt longing for more Barbie nostalgia, as I was bummed by the political propaganda that Barbie the Movie is filled with. Like, if you want to promote feminist propaganda do it right. Because Barbie the Movie highlights a lot of what is wrong with extreme feminism, but it does not seem like that was Greta Gerwig’s intention. The movie ended with a beautiful message that human life is worth living, as Barbie chooses to become a real woman in the real world. I do recommend to watch Barbie the Movie for a laugh, but the film did not leave me inspired or touched as I was hoping it could be. It is a pity, because there was great potential but it lacked the magic that original Barbie movies have.

xoxo Brenda