Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
Chuck says:
That Great Gerwig’s “Barbie” should suffer from a bit of an identity problem is fitting I suppose. I don’t envy the writer/director or her partner Noah Baumbach, who co-authored the script, as the baggage the Mattel Toys figurehead comes with is larger than the myriad accessories the doll has had over the years. To their credit, the film does a wonderful job of addressing the many issues that have surrounded the doll, from its creator’s initial intent, the inadvertent harm caused by its image of perfection and the course corrections employed to make the Barbie line inclusive. And while Gerwig and Baumbach’s approach to the pop icon is sound, the film itself lurches along in fits and starts, never really gaining its footing. That being said, it contains just enough moments of brilliance to make it worthwhile.
The premise is simplicity itself – Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) life in Barbieland has gone horribly awry. Amidst her idyllic existence, where everything and everyone is perfect – she has started to think about death and is dealing with a bout of depression. She’s advised to visit Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), who once was in the outside world but returned to Barbieland, horribly abused by her owner. Barbie is told her feelings are being projected upon her by the real-world person playing with her. So, with her many bags packed and convertible gassed up, she sets out to Los Angeles to find her troubled owner. Problem is, her boyfriend Ken (Ryan Gosling) is along for the ride as a stowaway.
Along the way, the purpose of these iconic dolls is explored, their programed behavior butting up against today’s reality. Barbie and Ken both come to the realization that neither has a true purpose. The existential angst for both characters kicks into high gear when they arrive in Los Angeles. Barbie is berated for setting impossible standards for young girls to attain, while Ken realizes he’s been in the wrong world the whole time, once the concept of the patriarchy is explained to him. With these new perspectives, Barbieland is thrown into chaos when they return.
Again, the movie is chockful of great ideas, what with its post-modern approach to all things Barbie, however the pacing here is all wrong. The time exploring the doll’s pink Utopia becomes tedious and once the film gets around to addressing the intertwined nature of Barbie and feminism, it does so with a repetition that ultimately proves numbing. Meanwhile, subplot involving the head of Mattel (Will Ferrell) and his cronies who are trying to get the titular doll back to home serves only to slow things down.
Yet, there are smart, funny moments throughout when all the pieces fall into place that show what the film could have been. A monologue from Gloria (America Ferrera), a beleaguered real-world mom, on the contradictory expectations of being a 21st century woman is a showstopper that brilliantly drives home the movie’s theme, while a musical number, “I’m Just Ken,” is a witty, wise sequence of realization when the poor doll comes to understand how useless he is. And there’s no question the last ten minutes are perfect, drawing things to a close with a genuinely poignant moment in which Barbie comes to terms with her legacy, followed by a joke that’s impossible to top.
In the end, “Barbie” ends up being a well-intentioned mixed bag, a film with an undeniable sense of fun and smarts that becomes burdened by the many Barbie-centric themes it wishes to address. And while Robbie and Gosling are a delight throughout, the awkward pacing and needless plot diversions undercut their efforts. Much like the titular doll, Gerwig gives us a product that appears perfect but is ultimately hobbled by its unintended contradictions.
2 1/2 Stars
