The Barbie movie has turned out to be one of the most anticipated movies in 2023, thanks to the great marketing and promotional material out there. However, it was still easy to approach this movie with apprehensiveness and caution similar to the likes of 2014’s The Lego Movie; that this could just be another shameless product placement ad masquerading as a movie.

Thank Barbie then, that the Barbie movie is just like The Lego Movie in that way; a surprisingly fun movie that’s not only full of substance but one that could potentially be one of the best movies of 2023 and be just as fondly remembered as The Lego Movie.

The Barbie AND Ken Movie

If there’s one thing that I want to make clear in my review of the Barbie movie and that the marketing just hasn’t really done such a good job of revealing, it’s that the Barbie movie is actually more than just about Barbie. I’m not even talking about the ensemble cast of Barbie and Ken variants (who are excellent, but more on them below). Both Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken get the spotlight, and almost equally at that. Many will come out of the Barbie movie very likely with Ken as their favourite character, and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this. I can’t spoil what exactly Ken’s role in the movie is, but it beautifully juxtaposes Barbie’s own story arc, with both of their story arcs complementing each other. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe that in a movie about living dolls, there’s actually depth and meaningful character development not only for the titular character (Barbie) but the other lead character (Ken) as well.

Barbie and Ken’s journey to the real world becomes the setting for countless meta jokes that rivals the best from movies like The Lego Movie and Deadpool. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Barbie movie, at least for me, was how laugh-out-loud it was for a blockbuster summer tentpole movie. It’s been a while since I’ve experienced a cinematic experience where fellow audiences were laughing out loud in almost every scene, and I’m not exaggerating about that, so kudos to the writers (director Greta Gerwig herself and Noah Baumbach) for achieving just that.

Plus, some of these meta-jokes are more deep-cut than I expected, poking fun at Warner Bros. Pictures and their IP, Barbie IP owner Mattel (who is in the movie with a delightfully manic Will Ferrell as their CEO) and even the filmmakers themselves.

Best of all though, is that the Barbie movie doesn’t forget to add substance by exploring complex and controversial subject matter. Yes, there are elements of feminism, of course, and that’s a huge part of the movie, but don’t let that deter you from watching the movie (if you have anything against feminism, which you really shouldn’t be). The feminism goes hand in hand with other universal themes in the movie, including those of self-acceptance, self-discovery, self-worth, individuality, finding your own happiness, toxic masculinity, capitalism, and equality, familial relationships and dynamics, as well as the deconstruction of tropes related to the Barbie IP that’s been prevalent over the years.

It’s how the movie intertwines all these elements together that makes the movie phenomenal and smart, which contributes to how funny the jokes are and how heartfelt some moments can be.

All of those themes and elements together make for a movie that’s ultimately not exclusively just for girls or women who grew up with Barbie or feminists, but for everyone out there who can relate to being human, no matter what gender or race they are. To me, that’s just beautiful, and the best movies are always universal.

I’ve said a lot of things about the Barbie movie, but what more can I say that I haven’t already? The Barbie movie is also fun as heck due to the massive ensemble cast who all seem like they gave their all in committing to their respective roles. Listing them down here would take almost an entire paragraph, but the highlights (besides Barbie and Ken, of course), are Michael Cera’s Allan, Alexandra Shipp’s Writer Barbie, Simu Liu’s Ken, Will Ferrell’s Mattel CEO and last but certainly not least, America Ferrera as Mattel employee Gloria from the real world. Ferrera’s Gloria has one goosebump-inducing powerful monologue scene in the movie that left my cinema audience clapping and cheering.

If all of that isn’t enough to convince you how good this movie is, the Barbie movie also features several musical setpieces with elaborate dance choreography but one thing you definitely won’t expect is that the (arguably) most memorable sequence is one not performed by the Barbies, but by the Kens. Yes, you read that right, and it would be a disservice for me to spoil more details from it.

As for any flaws or negatives in the Barbie movie, the Barbie movie doesn’t really suffer from any major pacing, structure, and direction problems. The only exception is maybe the ending or resolution of the movie, which may prove to be divisive with some viewers.

Life In Plastic, It’s Fantastic

It’s an incredible feat that Greta Gerwig and the cast have managed to pull off such a meta and refreshing movie in the middle of what has so far been a middling summer season this year in 2023. When other recent blockbusters have felt stale with a few exceptions, the Barbie movie proves that even with an IP like, well, Barbie; anything is possible with a great director and a great cast (along with great writing).

FINAL SCORE: 90/100

We attended an early screening of Barbie courtesy of Warner Bros. Malaysia. Barbie is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 20 July 2023.