Barbie Feature Review

by Anselmo Ngagianto (Jason)

Barbie – A Doll’s Journey of Self-discovery 

Release: 2023 

Runtime: 114 minutes 

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% 

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, has become part of the most exciting cinematic phenomenon this year. Dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’, the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer (directed by Christopher Nolan) has caused cinephiles everywhere to flock to theatres in hopes to watch the two films on the same day. This has partly been caused by the stark juxtaposition of both films, that of which are complete polar opposites to one another. Oppenheimer has a gloomy feel dominated by a darker colour palette, whereas Barbie has a more ‘cheerful’ vibe dominated by bright colours, especially pink.

Gerwig’s film followed Barbie (Margot Robbie) and her boyfriend Ken (Ryan Gosling) on their journey through the utopian society of Barbieland. In this world the roles were reversed and it was the women who held notable positions. The Barbie’s were in charge. Issa Rae played President Barbie, Alexandra Shipp played Writer Barbie and Emma Mackey played Physicist Barbie, to name a few. The Kens inhabiting Barbieland, on the other hand, were much less important and spent most of their days hanging out at the beach. The Ken’s held titles such as ‘Tourist Ken’ (Simu Liu) and ‘Basketball Ken’ (Kingsley Ben-Adir). 

The utopian image Barbie had of Barbie Land did not last long. She suffered an existential crisis that forced her to journey outside Barbie Land and into the ‘real’ world, the audience’s world. Throughout this adventure, Barbie was accompanied by the love-stricken Ken, who has long vied for her attention. But in this adventure, both Barbie and Ken discovered a reality far removed from the one they lived in. It was this reality that left a permanent mark on both Barbie and Ken, which ultimately changed their shared home world forever. 

As one of the most commercialized brands in the world, it should come as no surprise that the screenplay in Barbie can come off as shallow, that is, a little surface-level and simple. Moreover, the film’s opening minutes felt borderline campy and ridiculous thanks to the scenes that took place in Barbie Land. From the colour shading dominated by bright complexions such as pink and bright blue, all the way to the interactions between the Barbies and the Kens in that world. However, this bit of world-building would turn into a solid foundation for the film’s core message. 

Contrary to the beginning of the film, Barbie has a strong satirical stance towards modern society. This was reflected in both Barbie and Ken’s interactions in the ‘real’ world, especially regarding the male and female social positions within society. Although the dialogue in that setting was more realistic, there were bits of ‘cutting’ dialogue which delivered the film’s core message to the audience without mincing words. These bits of sharp and straightforward dialogue served as the film’s strength, which was complemented with Robbie and Gosling’s strong, multifaceted performances.

The two lead actors not only displayed the film’s goofy and hilarious side, but also the nuanced and emotional side of Barbie and Ken’s journey. Both lead dolls went through a journey of self-discovery that was packed in a humorous but sharp quality that was  present from very the beginning of the film right through until the end. Thanks to these performances, the film’s profound message becomes easy to digest by audiences of all ages. 

Of course, Barbie is not a flawless film. Its strength can sometimes become its weakness. The delivery of certain messages within some scenes were at times too forward, consequently belittling them to something of a parody. These parodic qualities, unfortunately, dampened the messages contained within these scenes, while the straightforwardness of the film bled into some of the dialogues. At times, this reduced the overall message to a cliche, one that was executed so obviously and explicitly that it became cringe. 

Nevertheless, Barbie definitely offers its audience a great time. The amusing but profound storytelling, the sharp and forthright dialogue, and the spectacular performance from the two leads makes Barbie a must-see film—alongside Oppenheimer of course. 

Rating: 9/10