“Barbie”: A Fun and Feminist Film

By PAULINA MATA/Staff Writer

On July 21, the “Barbie” movie debuted in theaters after months of anticipation (and memes). The film provides plenty of pink, tasteful childhood references and an inspiring message of womanhood and individuality. 

In a seemingly perfect, pink and plastic Barbie Land, Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Stereotypical Ken (Ryan Gosling) lead seemingly perfect, pink and plastic lives. Barbieland is devoid of anything disagreeable, such as flat feet or the patriarchy. So when Barbie starts questioning death and presenting symptoms of imperfection, she must journey to the human world on a quest for self-discovery. Ken tags along, and both discover more about humanity than they were in for. 

Under layers of pink and glitter, director Greta Gerwig depicts how blindsiding the change from girlhood to womanhood can be, and how the change is oftentimes beyond one’s volition. Gerwig brilliantly establishes a utopia that functions under the ideology and logistics of Barbie the brand: women can fill every role/job and there are no apparent issues within the world. Besides Ken’s large ego and jealous tendencies, of course.

However, when Barbie arrives in the human world, she finds that men run everything and other women detest her, the embodiment of femininity. Barbie’s shock and confusion mirrors the girl experience of growing past the doll-playing age and going into the “real world”.

The small nods to childhood were funny and nostalgic. The scene where Barbie floats her car, or every time she had and inexplicably quick outfit change imitated exactly how dolls were played with. In true Barbie fashion, each “doll” had their own Dream House and collection of outfits. The film rarely comes up short on any visual or logistic aspect, covering up any misstep with humorous narration or simple child err. 

Of 400 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, “Barbie” has an exceptional rating of 8.9 out of 10, or 89% on the Tomatometer. Top critic Emily Zelmer says, “Somehow, director Greta Gerwig has struck a balance between unhinged whimsy, deep humanity and comedic bliss.”

In fact, both critics and audiences seem to agree that “Barbie’s” heartfelt message combined with its witty humor makes for the perfect film.

(This story received a first-place award for critical review at the 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Assocation convention.)

“I laughed and I cried,” said verified audience member Karen S. on Rotten Tomatoes. “The script has much deeper meaning and yet still has lighthearted winking at itself.”

Much like Gloria’s (America Ferrera) monologue about society’s contradictory expectations for women, it’s difficult for a movie to tackle women’s issues without facing backlash. 

It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.

Excerpt from Gloria’s Monologue in “Barbie”

“Barbie” is funny and meaningful, and it can be both without taking away from the other. It’s refreshing that for once, a movie about female empowerment is being so widely celebrated rather than ripped to shreds. 

Still, there seems to be one critique “Barbie” can’t escape: there’s too much Ken. 

Although Ken’s screen time and purpose was much more significant than I had expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie starts with a swap of typical gender roles in Barbie Land (the Barbies run everything while the Kens “beach”) and the audience can’t help but laugh at Ken’s insecurity as being a mere accessory to Barbie. In the human world, Ken learns of the patriarchy (and horses) and brings the social structure back to Barbie Land where the Kens use it to take over. And while Ken’s descent into stereotypical masculinity serves its purpose in Barbie’s story, some say it’s almost overdone to the point of being distracting.

“There’s a lot of zeitgeist appeasement going on here,” Top Critic Deborah Ross of The Spectator said. “But the production values are sensational and there are some excellent jokes, even if Ryan Gosling’s Ken leaves Margot Robbie’s Barbie standing. They should have called this ‘Ken’.”

I have to disagree. There is just enough (Kenough?) Ken to make the statement that feminism is just as much a men’s issue as women’s. In Barbie Land, the Kens do not have much of a role past “Beach”. This leads to Ken’s own identity crisis, but unlike Barbie who seeks help from others, Ken uses the patriarchy as a placeholder. In the end, Ken learns that there should be more to his life than acquiring the affection of Barbie. Perhaps he’s a little ridiculous and over the top at times, but seeing the male protagonist so open about his insecurities is a breath of fresh air.

Criticism and controversy aside, “Barbie” continues to exceed expectations, in our hearts and the box offices. According to Ana Faguy of Forbes, Barbie earned over $162 million domestically on its opening weekend. It continues its triumph well into the second weekend, adding another $93 million. 

Overall, “Barbie” is a must-watch for anyone (over the age of 13), whether you’re looking for a laugh or tearjerker. For every second of playful humor and in-your-face sparkle and color, “Barbie” meets it with a unique and deep story of finding humanity and desire for individuality even in the most unlikely of places – and dolls.

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