After 7 screenwriter changes, a studio transfer, and a pink paint shortage, the long awaited Barbie is finally out and receiving lionizing reviews from audiences across the globe. These responses are not only because of the film’s astonishing physical sets and creative nods to the Barbie brand, but also its unexpected exploration of identity, patriarchy, and idealism. Yes, Barbie gets deep. This approach creates a strong emotional life for the film that provides true heart under its plastic surface. But just how well does this heart beat? Read on to find out what we thought.
The Set Up
Dressed in bright pink camp, the first act of Barbie is a spectacle. From the perspective of “stereotypical Barbie” (played by Margot Robbie), the audience is engulfed in a Barbie play set come-to-life as Barbies thrive in their notable professions, spend time enjoying the beach, and party in their dream houses. Barbieland is the picture-plastic utopia 5-year-old girls dream of.
But then, there is death.
Abruptly, dying is all stereotypical Barbie begins to ruminate about, beginning a spiral into a series of unusual experiences: her showers are cold, her breakfast milk spoils, her leg gains cellulite, and, most detestable to Barbies, her feet fall to a flat position (as opposed to their usual heels-up form). Ultimately, the diagnosis is that she is “malfunctioning.” The solution? Visit the real-world, find the young girl who plays with her, and find out what she’s doing that’s hurting Barbie. Barbie sets up an intriguing conflict in a clever world.
The Sweet Spot
As Barbie enters the real-world, she experiences catcalls from men, rejection from teenage girls, and the feeling of negative emotions for the first time. Here, the audience learns the crux of her malfunctioning: she is, somehow, experiencing what it feels like to be human. And as her first tear falls from her face, prompted by a nostalgic vision of her owner playing with her, Barbie takes on a compelling emotional narrative. Not only is Barbie grappling with feeling deeply for the first time, but also the perplexity of how good it can actually feel. Imperfection, a foreign concept in Barbieland, becomes both an unfamiliar peril and a comforting anchor for her.
Barbie’s emotional journey reaches a revelatory height when she comes face-to-face with Gloria, her lifelong owner. As if she’s met her long lost twin flame, Barbie feels the deepest love she’s ever felt. These poignant moments in the real-world drive a gripping emotional vehicle that asks the viewer to reflect on the contrasts between their own realities and ideas of perfection. So it is quite a disappointment when the film lets go of the wheel.
The Rough Patch
Barbie heads back to Barbieland, bringing Gloria and her daughter Sasha with her, and unexpectedly discovers it now is “Kendom Land,” a place where Kens rule and Barbies serve them. It is a turning point that keeps the story engaging and politically relevant. However, Barbie’s primary goal of curing her malfunctioning gets sidelined in favor of this plot as, despite finding Gloria, Barbie never makes an effort to use her to help stop her malfunctioning.
Furthermore, this shift undermines Barbie’s emotional journey thus far. After failing to find an immediate way to revive Barbieland back to normal, Barbie is overcome by the difficulty of her situations and chooses to give up, even though she had a hopeful breakthrough in discovering Gloria immediately prior. For Barbie to succumb to defeat right after such an epiphanic discovery paints it as insignificant to her. At this point, the film makes it difficult to identify how Barbie is growing and what plot line is most central to the narrative.
Barbie’s submission to her struggle continues for a while until a monologue from Gloria about the struggles of women begins to help reprogram Barbies, setting the end of Kendom Land into motion and rounding the film out with messages about gender inequality. The messages are important, but elementary, and aren’t groundbreaking in the way the film presents them to be. Additionally, it is disappointing to see the nuanced ideas presented in the first and second acts abandoned. Along with excessive camp saturating these final scenes, Barbie’s finale feels unfocused and thin.
The Revival
It feels late, but the film does eventually readdress Barbie’s evolving sentience. In the last few minutes of the film, she meets with the ghost of Ruth Handler, inventor of Barbie, and asks for permission to become human. Ruth obliges. Why exactly Barbie chooses to become human is unclear, but this choice does at least provide a conclusion to the film’s initial emotional arc as Barbie opts for authentic depth over shallow perfection. It’s a beautiful reminder that, no matter how big the dreamhouse, fantasy cannot offer the same meaningfulness as reality (a useful reminder in the age of social media and increasingly unfair standards for women).
While Barbie’s emotional narrative struggles to assert a clear collective thesis, the film certainly makes thoughtful points that, individually, provide fascinating takeaways. And with strong comedy, leads, music, and sets, there is plenty for viewers to love. Share your thoughts on Barbie in the comments below.
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