Barbie – the plastic fantastic go in search of meaning (cinemas everywhere!)

If a film just had to be made about the plastic doll with unusual vital statistics, then Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay for Barbie is gloriously unexpected and remarkably intelligent* for the toy fantasy genre it inhabits.

Margot Robbie plays Stereotype Barbie who wakes up one morning and discovers that life in Barbieland is no longer as perfect as the days before. Her novel thoughts about mortality point to a rip in the portal between her society and the real world. And so an epic quest is formed and she accepts. Different worlds and worldviews have mixed with terrible consequences. Can Barbieland ever be the same? … or better? Can the patriarchal infection be inoculated?

Different Barbie figures portrayed by a recognisable cast from both sides of the Atlantic stretch out as far as the eye can see, joined by a fleet of somewhat dopey Kens and a single Allan (Michael Cera), a great ally who cannot be cloned (though in this reviewer’s opinion, needs to learn to spell his name correctly to complete his fabulous personality). Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie – the one who has been drawn over and pulled into painful positions by children – adds the first touch of reality to the pink world.

Robbie has great fun with the doll’s limited range of movements, particularly when she ‘malfunctions’ (breaks down) having experienced fear, sadness and imperfection. Mattel staff run like they’ve just been to see the latest Mission Impossible.

There are songs galore. While Ryan Gosling doesn’t get as good dance choreography as La La Land, his chiselled pecs come out to play and he brings charisma and elan to Ken’s musical numbers. As anti-hero, Ken gets the lion’s share of action, an interesting and perhaps self-assured choice in this otherwise deliberately feminist fandango.

Robbie and Gosling’s Barbie and Ken are beautifully written. The story tackles their relationship – or lack of it – and steadfastly refuses to plot a romantic resolution to the disruptive rift between worlds. Nina Menkes from Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power might be impressed with the ungendered camerawork, and what could even be seen as positive objectification.

In the second half of the film, a real world mum, Gloria (played by America Ferrera), delivers a strong speech about life as a woman that will surely be lip dubbed to oblivion over the next few weeks. It’s by far the strongest writing in the self-aware script, and anchors the attempts are restoring order to the male mayhem that breaks out. ‘I Am Kenough’ hoodies have already sold out. There’s bound to be a stage musical version by Christmas. A sequel is not impossible, but the original is so well constructed that it would be inadvisable to rush to make this a franchise.

Twenty-five years ago, Mattel was suing MCA Records over Aqua’s Barbie Girl (which was ultimately deemed to be parody and social commentary). In 2023, samples of Aqua’s lyrics and melody are playing under Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice new Barbie World rap that accompanies the end credits. It’s a nice nod to the largest – albeit unwanted – cultural reference to Barbie before this movie came to fruition. And while it’s not full acceptance and forgiveness for playing fast and loose with Mattel’s trademark, it is perhaps another sign of Mattel’s acceptance that their brand would need to be the butt of many jokes and sufficiently sullied if the film was to be a commercial success with the target adult audience. (The BBFC rate Barbie as a 12A with some sexual innuendo and moderate bad language.)

* Barbie’s not perfect. Satire has its limits, particularly when a simple reversal of roles and opportunity complete with stereotyped reaction is the only tool to examine the film’s theme. Mattel’s featured involvement is very heavily impressed upon the audience. However, it is a big grin of a film and quite quotable as you leave the cinema and unpack it with your viewing companions.

Barbie and Oppenheimer both point to human frailty and insecurity. Barbie’s issues extend from surface cellulite to structural power imbalances in society. Oppenheimer also deals with the struggle of power among individuals and superpowers. With Northern Ireland cinema chain websites creaking under the traffic of people booking tickets on opening night, Tenet, Tom Gun Maverick and Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One can step aside. Post-pandemic cinema has been rescued by an outbreak of pinkness in the name of exploring girl power and a McCarthyite witch hunt against a man who accelerated humanity’s ability to pulverise each other from a distance.

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