About the film (courtesy of Warner Bros.):
To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

Barbie is a surprisingly funny, heartwarming, and visually stunning film that will appeal to fans of all ages, albeit some of the more “vintage” moviegoers will probably have even more appreciation for this standout adaptation. Greta Gerwig’s direction is inspired, and she brings a unique and playful sensibility to the material while also touching on many of today’s social struggles. The cast is also excellent, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling giving standout performances.

Robbie is perfect as Barbie, and she brings a lot of charisma and charm to the role. Gosling is also great as Ken, and he has great chemistry with Robbie. Talk about two actors that were pretty much born for these roles! The supporting cast is also good, with performances from Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, and Will Ferrell, along with a host of other talented actors you’ll recognize. In addition to that, shout out to the great Helen Mirren, who voices the narrator and brings with her a spry comical (at times) commentary throughout.

Barbie follows the stereotypical version of Barbie (Robbie), a doll who is living in a seemingly perfect world. However, she begins to experience changes to herself and her perfect little existence while in Barbie Land, leading her onto an adventure that will teach her the true meaning of being herself.

The film’s story is a clever subversion of the traditional Barbie narrative. Barbie is not the perfect, flawless doll that we’re used to seeing. She’s actually quite flawed, and she’s struggling to find her place in the world. But through her journey, she learns to embrace her flaws and to be herself. This message is sure to resonate with young audiences, and it’s a refreshing change of pace from the typical Disney princess story.

Gerwig’s script is full of clever humor and insightful observations about gender and identity. She also does a great job of balancing the film’s more serious themes with its lighthearted moments. The result is a film that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. And there’s the singing and dancing, so you know Ryan Gosling was happy to be front and center while adding an extra layer of enjoyment. Barbie is a Swiss Army Knife of entertainment.

Visually, Barbie is stunning. The sets are beautifully designed, and the costumes are eye-catching. The film also features some impressive special effects. There is a lot of detail and a lot brand history to be noticed throughout the almost two hour runtime. I can only imagine the effect that this release will have on the toy market, both old and new.

Overall, Barbie is a pure cinematic treat filled with all of the ingredients to allow this feature to dominate the box office. And besides the pure entertainment factor, you’ll probably come away having learned a few things that you didn’t know about the one of Mattel’s most successful toy lines. I highly recommend seeing this in theaters, if for nothing else, to simply enjoy what’s presented with others while feeding off of one another.

One quick friendly word of warning, parents of younger ones might want to do a bit of reconnaissance prior to blindly bringing your little ones out to enjoy this. There are some double entendres that might have you answering questions your not quite ready for. Barbie is in theaters everywhere starting Friday, July 21st with earlier showtimes on Thursday in select theaters.