The plastic world of a popular toy comes to life with the first live-action film Barbie. Director Greta Gerwig (known for Little Women and Lady Bird) brings to life a popular toy that has been played with by children for generations.

 

The film follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she lives her daily life in Barbie Land with different versions of Barbies and Kens. Her world begins to fall apart when a series of odd events occur that force her to leave her world and go to the real world. Joining her to see what the real world is like is Ken (Ryan Gosling) who is also in love with Barbie. This trip changes Ken’s outlook on what its like to be a man living in Barbie Land. For Barbie, the trip helps her realize she must come to terms with the importance of loving oneself for what they are and not what they think they need to be.

 

This was a unique experience to say the least from start to finish. I do want to say that this film isn’t for everybody, but I still found it enjoyable with a powerful message. I thoroughly enjoyed Margot Robbie’s performance in this. She does a great job in comedic roles but when she must be a dramatic actor, she always brings her A-game. On top of that, Ryna Gossling as Ken was fantastic from when he first appeared on screen to his last appearance. The other various Barbies and Kens that appear are also well done even though they don’t have a lot of screen time. The story was okay as the film was more focused on the message than the actual story. This did make some of the movie a tad bit slow to me.

 

All in all, I think this film does a great job bringing Barbie to life in a way that conveys a larger message than the story itself. There are great moments in the movie but sometimes you are left wanting a little bit more of what the film could offer. I think the production design is great and you really do get lost in Barbie Land. That immersion wasn’t quite enough for me to really feel invested in the film, but it was entertaining.

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5