The anticipation for the Barbie movie had been building for years before its release, and it continues to be a hot topic of discussion. Staring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the movie has already made over one billion dollars.
Barbie made her debut in 1959. She began as a doll in a swimsuit but quickly evolved into a beloved doll and a role model for young girls. Mattel, the company behind Barbie, has produced numerous movies inspired by this iconic doll. On July 21, 2023, the first live-action Barbie film was finally released after years of waiting.
Robbie’s casting as Barbie was an excellent choice for the role due to her striking resemblance to the iconic doll. Robbie’s transition from her previous roles as Harley Quinn in numerous Warner Bros. films to Barbie is truly remarkable and shows that she is an actress that can play any role.
Gosling’s role as Ken, however, was a decision inspired by an amusing encounter he had with a Ken doll. The doll was covered in mud and lying face down next to a squashed lemon while he was reading the script. He was still unsure on whether or not he wanted to take on the role but he ultimately saw this as a sign.
The movie’s initial scenes are set in Barbie Land, a place inhabited by various Barbie and Ken characters. The stereotypical Barbie, our protagonist, begins experiencing unusual malfunctions, such as her feet lying flat on the floor and having thoughts about death. Everything in her world starts deviating from the norm. In order for everything to return to normal, Barbie goes into the real world to find the person responsible for her problems – with Ken tagging along, of course.
In Barbie Land, women run everything, so Ken is enthused by the patriarchy in the real world. Barbie eventually meets Gloria, the woman who was playing with her and unknowingly causing her problems.
Barbie, Gloria and Sasha (Gloria’s daughter) return to Barbie Land, only to discover that Ken has transformed the realm based on his real-world observations. Ken has brainwashed the other Barbies and Kens into turning their matriarchy into an intense patriarchy. The main Barbie, alongside the humans from the real world and a unique Barbie, join forces to revert things to their original state. After restoring order, all the Barbies are content, and the stereotypical Barbie even becomes human by the end of the movie.
Barbie proved to be a commercial success, grossing over twenty-two million dollars on its first day of release. However, it also stirred controversy, with people either loving or hating it. Some argued that the film promoted negativity towards men, although this was not the filmmakers’ intent.
Barbie is a comedy, and as with most comedies, it playfully pokes fun at various things without any intention to harm. Ultimately, the film evoked strong reactions, with very little middle ground when it comes to its reviews.
Of course, people loved it as well. So many people liked the moral of the story, which is that women can be anything. It is okay if you want to have a career and it is also okay if you do not want a career. Do you want to fall in love? Do you want to be a stay-at-home mom? Society has been devaluing some of women’s dreams and has been pushing the expectation that they should be extraordinary. It is good to be extraordinary if intended but if someone has different dreams and wants to live a different way, it does not make it invalid.
Overall, the movie was well casted and the plot was very random yet also very funny. The unexpected musical number, “I’m just Ken,” was a stroke of genius and the clever Ken puns like “Kenough” and “can you feel the Kenergy” only added to the hilarity. Personally, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter while watching the film. A surprising hit, it managed to be both funny and deliver a meaningful message.