Barbie is one of the most recognizable toys in history. It’s a brand that’s known worldwide, constantly fills the shelves of toy stores in amounts that often dwarf the competition, and it has continued to grow decade after decade with no signs of slowing down. Yet even with all that going for it, there is nobody who would’ve predicted that Barbie would be the highest grossing film of 2023. Helping it, of course, was the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. This was an organic marketing campaign that took on a life of its own, pushing audiences to see Barbie as a double feature alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and succeeding to an unfathomable degree; however, what helped it even more is that Barbie is just a magnificent movie!
This is greatly in part thanks to director Greta Gerwig and her co-writer for the film, Noah Baumbach, who both found the sweet spot in balancing self-awareness, self-depreciation and satire, all while delivering a meaningful and powerful message that can speak to everyone differently. There’s such a fantastic vibe that the movie has right out of the gate, with Helen Mirren narrating, and bright, vibrant colours bringing Barbieland to life. Yes, Barbieland is where most of the film takes place and it’s spectacular. It’s filled with just about every Barbie item you can think of, from the Barbie Dream House to a fold-out hospital in an ambulance, all in almost life-size fashion (they’re sized just disproportionately enough to match the size difference between the dolls and their accessories.)
Barbieland is a matriarchal world where the Barbies have solved all the issues that females face in reality, with every Barbie holding a prestigious job, such a President, astronaut, doctor, or filling the entire supreme court! To them, every day is the best day and there’s no sign of that ever changing. Meanwhile, the Kens all hang out on the beach, and only have a good day when Barbie notices them. That’s their goal, even if they’re not entirely sure why that’s their goal (as their mindset is only as developed as the child who is playing with the dolls.) Ken just knows that it’s Barbie and Ken, so fulfilling that role of “and Ken” is what they aim to do. The banter between the different Barbies and Kens (and Alan) is quick-witted and fun, and there are so many blissful moments that call back to how we played and interacted with our toys as kids that it’s hard to keep track.
Now, two things of note, as I do realize that I mentioned kids playing with the dolls, but don’t view this as a spoiler. This isn’t The LEGO Movie, where it’s all revealed that one kid, or multiple kids are playing with these Barbies and telling this story, but instead Barbieland is meant as a representation of how kids play with their dolls, the innocence and curiosity it brings out, and some of the funny ways it plays out. Sure, there’s a bit juggling of the rules that the story does along the way, but it’s all done in completely acceptable fashion, and never feels like it’s making rules up or changing things on the fly just to progress the story.
The second thing of note is that I keep saying Barbies and Kens, which may be confusing if you were looking to avoid crowds, or were simply on the fence about seeing the movie. Aside from a few exceptions, Barbie is the name of most of the Barbie dolls, regardless of ethnicity, job title, hair colour, or physical appearance. So, in the film there are 11 Barbie characters who all look different, and hold different jobs – heck, one is a mermaid! – yet all cheerfully recognize that almost everyone else is also named Barbie and don’t give it a second thought. They’re perfect and their lives are perfect after all, so why would they? The same goes for the Kens, of which the film has six of note.
While there are almost a dozen Barbies, the film does have a singular protagonist and that’s Barbie. Er, wait a minute, make that Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie). Yes, unlike President Barbie (Issa Rae), Journalist Barbie (Ritu Arya) or Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp), Stereotypical Barbie is that Barbie you picture when someone says, “Hey, do you know what a Barbie Doll is?” Life is going great for Stereotypical Barbie, as it always is, until one night she abruptly begins to contemplate death right in the middle of a dance party. She brushes it off as a fleeting thought, but then the next day things get worse when her feet flatten on the ground, no longer holding their signature perma-high heels pose.
This crisis of self is the beginning of Barbie’s journey, which will force her to enter the real world (which runs somewhat parallel to Barbieland) in order to figure out what’s causing these deeper and darker thoughts to enter and consume her usually carefree mindset. Oh, and Ken, well, one of the Ken’s…more specifically, “Beach” Ken (Ryan Gosling) joins her in and attempt to spend more time with her and hopefully get her to love him like he loves her.
What works so wonderfully here is that the story just doesn’t become a fish out of water story, where Barbie needs to adjust in the real world in order to solve her problems. There are some elements of that for sure, but it plays off of it more than it embodies it, with the focus actually going in various different directions during their time in the real world. On top of that, I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how perfect Robbie and Gosling are in the roles of Barbie and Ken.
The film allows its characters to be ridiculous and over-the-top quite often, as that’s part of the charm of it all, and the way Gerwig sets up the majority of things; however, when it is time for scenes to get serious, boy do these two absolutely crush it. That shouldn’t be surprising given their dramatic works in the past, but their ability to turn it on and off on a dime, or really just give such meaning to the simplest of lines or actions is just astonishing. Add onto that their brilliant comedic timing throughout the film and this is a pair that’s just magic to watch.
The supporting cast is just as strong, with Kate McKinnon playing Weird Barbie (you’ll get it when you see it), Simu Liu playing “Tourist” Ken (who is the rival to “Beach” Ken), Michael Cera as Allan (Ken’s buddy!), as well as Dua Lipa and John Cena, who both play Mermaid versions of Barbie and Ken. On the human side we’ve got America Ferrera, who plays Gloria, a Mattel employee who gets mixed up in things alongside her daughter, Sasha, who is played by Ariana Greenblatt. Then we’ve got Will Ferrell, who is the CEO of Mattel, which definitely doesn’t lead to any humorous shenanigans. There are plenty of others that fill out the cast and you’ll find out soon enough that all have terrific chemistry and are a delight together onscreen.
Not only is Barbie the top grossing film of the year, but it’s also one of the year’s best movies, plain and simple. There’s just this feeling of joy that washed over me in the opening minutes and it didn’t leave until long after the movie was done. I can’t think of a movie this year that had me laughing as consistently throughout as Barbie did, and I didn’t even touch on the amazing musical numbers! It’s just the type of whimsical movie that’s so easy to watch that multiple viewings are guaranteed. There’s definitely a lot here for female audiences of all ages to get behind and potentially be inspired by, but the overall message about finding yourself and what your own purpose is speaks to everyone. Honestly, I just can’t recommend this film Kenough.
Overall Movie Score: 5/5
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
For what has become Warner Bros. highest grossing film ever, Barbie certainly looks the part in this 4K release, as the 2160p/HDR picture looks phenomenal. I used the word vibrant in my review to describe the style and it stands true here, as this is just such a dazzling, colourful and highly-detailed movie. The sharp looking transfer really allows audiences to pick up on all the small details that the set designers put into Barbieland and it’s truly something special. While the real world does have a much more normal look to it, they never go overboard and have harsh contrasts with dark alleys or heavy rainstorms or anything of the like. This decision does ground those moments of self-discovery for Barbie and Ken in reality, but doesn’t change the overall tone of the film, which is great.
On the audio side of things we’ve got a Dolby Atmos delivery that elevates the entire presentation of the film even more. There’s so much going on around, with music playing, people talking, Barbies and Kens saying hi to one another, and the Dolby Atmos mix puts the viewer right in the middle of it. All in all this is top tier work that delivers Warner Bros. top movie into homes in top form.
Special Features:
The one place where I was surprised to find decent, but not “highest grossing Warner Bros. film ever” caliber delivery was the special features. That said, I’m honestly not 100% sure when it’s decided that they’re going to go all in with special features, as it’s not like they can go back to production and film more. They have what they have to work with; however, with so much put into the world and the characters and the music…it’s just a movie where you really wanted that in-depth 45-minute behind-the-scenes deep dive, and that’s unfortunately not the case this time out.
That said, there’s still some fun to be had in the brief featurettes that are presented, so let’s get into those:
Welcome to Barbieland – This is a twelve-minute feature, and the longest one on the disc. Here we get a better look at Barbie’s Dream House, as well as various parts of Barbieland visited throughout the film. Robbie gives us a tour of her Dream House, and we also get a look from the set designers about some of the tricks used to give it that true Barbie feel.
It’s a Weird World – This is a five-minute featurette that sees the cast and crew talk about McKinnon’s character in the film, Weird Barbie, and how she’s a Barbie that all little girls had at one point or another. They also talk about how it made sense for a character like this to be the shaman-type of Barbieland, who people go to for answers when they’re troubled, and how McKinnon became involved.
All-Star Barbie Party – This is a featurette that comes in at just under five-minutes, and we see more of the cast and crew just talk about what it was like being on set, how much fun it was every day, and how everyone was supportive with one another in trying things out and making it work to the best of their abilities.
Musical Make-Believe – This one comes in at just over nine-minutes in length, and takes a look at the opening musical number that the Barbies and Kens have in the film. Cera and others talk about how it was one of the first, if not the first thing they filmed, which actually helped break the ice and set the tone on the set.
Becoming Barbie – This is a six-and-a-half-minute featurette that touches on how they decided Barbie would look in the film, the different decisions that went into eventually deciding that everyone just looking like their most beautiful selves was the way to go over trying to give them doll-like looks or actions, the cameras chosen, as well as various make-up and hairstyle decisions. There’s a lot here packed into six-minutes, and it would’ve been nice to get that much time with each of these individual topics. Alas!
Playing Dress-Up – Here we’ve got a seven-and-a-half minute featurette that focuses on the costume design in the film, which is something that again, we could’ve spent a lot more time with. There’s just a lot that was done, and hopefully in the future we’ll get a more extensive look into the making of the film, but for now these will have to do!
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Barbie. Directed by: Greta Gerwig. Written by: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach. Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Will Farrell, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Simu Liu, Hari Nef, Sharon Rooney, Ana Cruz Kayne, Dua Lipa, Ritu Arya, Nicola Coughlan, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Rhea Pearlman. Running time: 114 Minutes. Rating: PG. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Oct. 17, 2023.
About Brendan Campbell
