Barbie
This movie took me out of my movie review retirement. Barbie has been THE most publicized and marketed movie of the year, and RIGHTFULLY SO! Who can resist a pretty, colorful movie with names as big as Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling starring in it? I unapologetically say… the Barbie movie lived up to the hype.
I will admit, the first 10 to 15 minutes of the movie did have me a little worried. The intro was long, very cheesy, and slow. I was a little nervous that this movie was overhyped and was simply a pretty movie with no meat on the bones, but luckily, the movie picked up and never stopped. From the 15 minute mark on, I was captivated in Barbie Land (I’m still not sure why they didn’t call it Barbie World, but that’s besides the point) and couldn’t think about anything else other than wanting to live next door to Margot Robbie’s Barbie Dream House.
PLOT: Going into the movie, I knew next to nothing about the plot. I feel like the previews and trailers showed just enough to make you want to go see the movie even though you knew nothing about it. But without spoilers, Barbie has to take a trip to the Real World to solve all of her new problems. I didn’t quite understand how The Real World and Barbie Land were so intertwined and how ideas (like Barbie) became real in Barbie Land, but I think that’s kind of the point. The story was so intriguing, but also hilarious as it’s so unrealistic. It is definitely a great “you don’t have to think too hard” kind of movie, which is a breath of fresh air.
CAST: This movie was obviously set up for success with the standout cast. It would have been hard to fail with the well-known Barbie theme and the A-List cast, but they definitely went above and beyond. To no one’s surprise, Margot Robbie could not have made a more perfect Barbie. Robbie was made for this role not solely based on her looks (although she does look as perfect as a Barbie doll), but her range of emotion throughout the whole movie embodying every type of Barbie: Perfect Barbie, Depressed Barbie, Driven Barbie, Kind Barbie, etc. Now I don’t know Ryan Gosling personally, but it seemed like he was hardly acting as he also is a perfect embodiment of a stereotypical Ken. Other standouts that I was happy to see on the screen again included: Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, and Ariana Greenblat. For those who don’t remember- Ariana Greenblat actually starred in the hit show “Stuck in the Middle” on Disney Channel and co-starred with Jenna Ortega back in 2016.
SOUNDTRACK: The soundtrack made the movie 10 times better. With new hits from artists like: Khalid, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Billie Ellish, Charli XCX, Sam Smith and more, every song was a bop. This would be a record I would buy to listen to. The majority of the songs are so upbeat and fun, they just put me in a good mood.
If you’re worried about this movie being too childish to enjoy, let me ease those worries because this movie is incredibly enjoyable for all ages. It is rated PG-13 mainly for some adult humor, it definitely has some sexual innuendos, but nothing too absurd or inappropriate. This movie made me laugh, tear up and leave the movie in a great mood. I would highly recommend you go see this movies in theaters to give you the full effect of living in Barbie Land. Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie made an incredibly fun masterpiece. I would put my money on that this will be the movie of the year for 2023.
Barbie released in theaters on July 21st.
RATING: 88%