Life in plastic is fantastic for every Barbie and Ken in Barbieland until Sterotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) starts to question her existence. She has these thoughts of dying, her hair is no longer perfect, and worst of all, she has flat feet. She seeks out wisdom from Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) and is told that she must go to the real world in order to find out why she is questioning her existence. She starts her trek from Barbieland to the real world when she discovers that Ken (Ryan Gosling) has decided to tag along on her adventure. However, when Barbie and Ken arrive in the real world, they realize their life in plastic may not be all it was cut out to be. After a rough start to their journey, word gets back to the CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell) that Barbie and Ken have escaped from Barbieland and he will do whatever it takes to get them back where they belong. 

Greta Gerwig, best known for her work as the director of “Little Women” (2019) and “Lady Bird” (2017), shows her unique directing style by taking a simple children’s doll and turning it into a powerful film about feminism, the struggles of growing up and finding one’s purpose in the world. Gerwig illustrates Barbieland in such a way that it will make the audience feel like they are a child again but balances that feeling with the harsh reality of adulthood in the real world. That stark contrast between Barbieland and the real world will make viewers remember what it was like to be a child and how they used to see the world. 

Image 1: Barbie (Margot Robbie) reveals her flat feet to the other Barbies.

Image 2: Barbie (Margot Robbie) says Good Morning to Barbieland.

Production Designer Sarah Greenwood and Set Decorator Katie Spencer bring Barbie’s Dream House to life in a full-sized set that looks like it was taken right out of the Mattel box. All of Barbieland looks like it is made of cheap plastic and has the bright colors and toy-like feeling the viewer expects from Barbie. Along with the work of the Costume Designer, Jacqueline Durran, who creates these full-sized costumes based on the original Barbie clothes but somehow maintains the look of it as if it was made for the toy. 

This film has an A-List cast that truly adds a whole nother level to the movie. Robbie’s portrayal of Barbie is outstanding. She perfectly captures the idea of Barbie and balances it with the human thoughts and emotions that her character is struggling with. Gosling plays Ken perfectly and even does a great job with his very unique musical number. Along with having great tension with another Ken played by Simu Liu, who is best known for “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021). The two of them both compete to prove who is the better Ken and it makes for a great laugh as they compare their masculinity to each other. 

“Barbie” (2023) is one of the best films so far this year. It is a powerful feminist film that will keep the audience on the edge of their seat and will leave them wanting more. It is very self-aware of itself and that helps the audience connect with these characters. I had no clue what to expect going into this film but I was blown away by how amazing it was. Being someone whose only connection to Barbie is from “Toy Story 3” (2010), I wasn’t sure I would be able to connect with the film, but that wasn’t the case at all. I was able to connect with these characters with ease and was enthralled by their journeys. I rate this film a 5 out of 5 film reels.