DOES BARBIE CHOOSE TO EMPOWER GIRLS OVER HAVE FUN WITH THE CHARACTERS?

Barbie is focused on having glossy fun with some touchingly mature aspects. However, this existential crisis comedy encourages some toxic feminist viewpoints and takes on extreme “female empowerment”.

When Barbie suffers an existential crisis that makes her question her world, life and existence, she is forced to travel to the real world to uncover a dark truth.

Director: Greta Gerwig
Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Helen Mirren
Writer: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
Release Date (Australia): 20 July 2023
Runtime: 114 minutes/1h 54m
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: USA
Language: English

PG-13 (for suggestive references and brief language)

Barbie is glossy, funny and adventurous as advertised, but what the marketing really hid was any hint of the toxic feminist message that lies behind. Just for its sexist outcome and each of the components linked to the extremely upfront political propaganda, we can appreciate the style of Greta Gerwig’s new adventure-comedy, but it’s also an immense disappointment for movie-lovers expecting to see a movie that isn’t political ideology disguised as fresh family entertainment. But the fun of this bright Barbie movie can still manage to breathe under all of this political messaging.

The film features two fantastic stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as it tells the tale of a stereotypical Barbie who must travel to the real world when she suddenly suffers an existential crisis. Drawing you into Barbie World at first glance stands life-sized Barbie Dreamhouses at the ends of the light pink cul-de-sacs. Everyone would surely anticipate for the pinkest and the best when it comes to the settings and backdrops, as well as the colours and costume designs. It’s just that all of these visual expectations are pulled off stunningly and you feel as if you’ve actually stepped into the real, sparkly location of Barbie World.

Despite the big flaw that drops like a bomb on this movie, which is to unfortunately be discussed, most things in the film are pulled off really well and make for a fun viewing. Most of the jokes, which usually centre on the way the Barbies’ and Kens’ live, the quirkiness of the characters themselves, or facts stated by Helen Mirren as the narrator, usually land right on the spot. Just be aware that there are some pretty solid innuendos meant for the adults in the cinema. As well as accurately playing with the Barbies in their world the way we play with them in our world, the film also has a surprisingly humane theme that jumps aboard during the third act, it’s very funny at times, and knows just how to entertain, while the performances from the entire cast are all phenomenal.

Notable plot mistakes and the unnecessary length of most scenes play a minor role into where the film could’ve improved, but there’s no issue in this movie as big as the fact that the movie often wants to whinge about the “patriarchy” and leave young girls (and boys) with a toxic feminist message that the world can only be great if we live in a matriarchy and all men are vile creatures who roam around causing problems. The words “patriarchy” and “feminism” are spoken more times that you can count. There is no decent or somewhat intelligent man throughout this entire movie, and they’re all made out to be villains. The reason this film avoids being recommended is simply because it wants to divide us and turn us against each other. Is that really a healthy, bright message to deliver to innocent families. In addition, there are some really cheesy and deathly annoying characters throughout the film, mainly the roles taken by Will Ferrell and Michael Cera, who do nothing for the plot, as well as Ariana Greenblatt, who’s just a bratty teenager.

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