Hi, Barbie. Hi, Ken. That’s right, this week for the Margot Robbie filmography watchthrough we’re headed to Barbie Land. On the off chance that you have not yet seen it, no worries as I will keep it as spoiler-free as possible. So, come on Barbie, let’s go party as we dive headfirst into…Barbie (2023).
Title: Barbie
Director: Greta Gerwig
Premiered: July 6, 2023 (Mexico City), Released theatrically across the globe July 19-21, 2023
Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
Available to stream on: HBO MAX and Netflix
Barbie (Margot Robbie), better known as Stereotypical Barbie, lives with all of the other Barbie variations in Barbie Land. They aren’t alone though, living amongst them are the many variations of Ken (our “main” Ken is Ryan Gosling)…and then of course there’s Allan (Michael Cera).
Everything in Barbie Land seems to running impeccably well. In this matriarchal society, all of the Barbies hold all of the critical and crucial positions of power. As for the Kens, well, their job is beach.
However, one day Stereotypical Barbie is in the middle of enjoying herself when she is blindsided with thoughts of her own mortality. Even worse, when she wakes up the next day, her trademark feet are now flat. This leaves her stumbling through what is normally her perfect daily routine.
Luckily, Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) knows exactly what to do in order for Stereotypical Barbie to find her groove again. While feasible, it certainly isn’t a walk in the park. Barbie must go to the real world and find the child who is playing with her in real life.
Reluctantly, Barbie climbs into her Barbie car and heads off for the real world. Not long into her journey she realizes that Ken hid himself in the backseat. Now it’s Barbie and Ken, off on a grand adventure. When they arrive in the real world, both Barbie and Ken are a bit confused.
Neither of them are quite able to understand why everything seems to be the complete opposite of Barbie Land. Barbie is having trouble understanding why the real world is so cruel, meanwhile, Ken is trying to figure out why Barbie Land can’t be run by men like the real world.
As Barbie seeks out the girl who is playing with her, Ken seeks out books on trucks, horses, and the patriarchy.
Surely nothing bad could come of Ken bringing ideas of the patriarchy back to Barbie Land, right?
I originally saw Barbie (2023) in theaters during the infamous Barbenheimer weekend. I thought it was great then and it actually gets better on each rewatch.
In terms of the cast, there really isn’t a weak link. Margot is incredible as Barbie, Gosling as Ken was one I sort of raised an eyebrow at until I saw him. And then there’s the incredible depth of the supporting cast, from Issa Rae to Alexandra Shipp, Dua Lipa, Rhea Perlman, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and everyone in-between, each just absolutely crush it in their respective roles.
If there is someone in the supporting cast who comes close to stealing the whole show, it’s easily America Ferrera as Gloria. While she isn’t on screen for a huge amount of time, she makes every second count and shows why she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Her speech in this received audible applause when I saw it in theaters.
The cinematography from DP Rodrigo Prieto and the production design from Sarah Greenwood really make you feel as-if you’re living in Barbie Land. Kudos to every single person who worked in the art department and costumes as well. Each character looks authentic and acts the way one would expect the character to act. They also are each dressed as you’ve seen them dressed all throughout the years.
It would be incredibly easy to just say that Barbie (2023) is nothing more than a 2-hour Mattel commercial. While there may be some truth to that statement, Barbie (2023) is also so much more than that. It is packed full of humor, heart, and messaging that blend together perfectly.
There should be no surprise that I am recommending this as a must-watch. Kick back in your mojo dojo casa house, pop in your physical copy or fire it up on streaming, and absolutely give Barbie (2023) a watch.
Now it’s your turn.
What are your thoughts on Barbie (2023)?
Leave a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky and tell me all about it!
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