Barbie - Greta Gerwig - 2023

★★★★★-Movies are back! Barbenheimer weekend is here! Come on Oppie let’s go party! It’s fantastic! I haven't been this excited for co-releases in my life. Watched Oppenheimer on 70 mm IMAX in the row that Nolan says I was supposed to watch it in. This in the very first showing open to the public. Then followed it up with Barbie on its true release date. Both were instant classics. While Cillian Murphy might be the biggest lock of all-time for Best Actor, I believe Margot Robbie is close for her portrayal of Barbie. Wow, what a weekend!

Barbie was beyond what I was hoping for. Fantasized that Ken and Barbie would become self-aware, and the movie would basically turn into Drive. Which basically happened! Masculine rage, consumer take down, female empowerment, pro social progress. What a film. Had some flaws, but the good stuff was really unbelievably good.

Margot Robbie takes the lead as the icon, while Ryan Gosling plays a doofus, yet charming Ken. Together, they embark on a captivating journey of self-discovery, following Barbie's existential crisis. Robbie and Gosling are amazing. I mean, dear god, Robbie is spectacular. At different points, Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were considered for the main role before the rights transferred to Warner Bros. In 2018. Would have probably been a completely different film. I couldn't imagine anyone but Robbie. I'll watch every movie she is in from here on out.

Gosling's Ken is just out of control. I laugh just looking at this facial expressions. His Ken is a dumb guy that discovers sexism. His rage is absurd. As is his "Ken's Mojo Dojo Casa House" and love for patriarchy and horses. America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, Superstore), who plays a mom going through her own existential stuff who joins Barbie on her quest, is great as well. She delivers the best monologue about what it is to be a woman I've ever seen. This should be required viewing for all penises. 

Other Barbies include Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, Hari Nef (a trans actress) as Dr. Barbie, Dua Lipa as the Mermaid Barbies, and Issa Rae is President Barbie. Like that Weird Barbie wasn't “Crazy” Barbie. She just looked odd, but had gained experience. McKinnon is great. 

Rest of the main cast consists of Ariana Greenblatt coming in hot with the Gen Z perspective as the daughter, Rhea Perlman as co-founder of Mattel and creator of Barbie Ruth Handler, Helen Mirren as the narrator, and Will Ferrell as the Mattel CEO. Everything to do with the Mattel Corporation was cringy. Maybe worse than Nike in Air with how they basically claim that they “created” Michael Jordan. This is a Mattel movie, after all, so they are “in” on the joke of the movie, which somehow makes it worse. All that stuff is also unfunny and doesn't work. Could have cut it completely, and it wouldn't have mattered. There was a moment when I was truly concerned, but we got out of that storyline and were back to Barbieland. 

The Kens, collectively, are hilarious. Ones I recognized were John Cena as Kenmaid, a merman Ken, Scott Evans (brother of Chris), and Simu Liu, he was Shang-Chi in the Marvel flick Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He's really funny as Gosling's rival Ken, beaching each other off. Sort of recognized a few other Kens, but they are kind of a dime a dozen. 

Loved Michael Cera as deep cut character Allan, who in the Barbie universe is Ken's BFF and knocked up Midge, who also appears in the movie. In the film he comes off as an awkward tiny man who doesn't have any idea why he is. He doesn't beach very well, but does some ass kicking. 

Directed by Greta Gerwig, who is quickly becoming one of the best directors alive, she brings Mattel's beloved Barbie and Barbieland to life. She also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Noah Baumbach. The set design is unreal. It feels like The Truman Show, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, and The Matrix all rolled into one. 

The very end wasn't the best, didn't really land the pink plane, but the end leading up to that was solid. In fact, the whole third act was incredible and completely bananas. There were a lot of little kids in my showing. I can't imagine what they thought of what was happening then. As an adult, though, it's awesome. The Kubrickian opening was phenomenal as well. Highly recommend.