BARBIE is the story of a doll who suffers a crisis. Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives in Barbieland, a matriarchal society along with other Barbies. Life is quite content as all the Barbie residents are confident and successful. They run the society and government with ease. The Ken residents, meanwhile, engage in recreational activities at the beach. Ken (Ryan Gosling) is in love with Stereotypical Barbie but the latter doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. All is going well until one day, Stereotypical Barbie realizes that she has developed flat feet and is getting thoughts about death. She also develops cellulite. She approaches Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), an outcast, who suggests that she should travel to the Real World to find out the kid who’s playing with her. Weird Barbie believes that the child, who owns the doll, is struggling in real life and this is affecting Stereotypical Barbie. She leaves for the Real World and is accompanied by Ken when he hears that she wishes somebody accompanies her on this trip. Stereotypical Barbie reaches the Real World and her world comes crashing down. Ken, too, gets a reality check. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's story is a masterstroke. The manner in which the writers have done justice to the iconic doll and also incorporated feminist themes is seen to be believed. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's screenplay is highly entertaining. They have spoken about serious issues but have not compromised on entertainment. They have peppered the film with sufficient funny and crazy moments. The dialogues are terrific and some of them are sure to induce claps and hoots. Greta Gerwig's direction does justice to the excellent plot at hand. She has kept the mood very light even though the film gets emotional in some places. The Barbie doll has a huge fan following and care has been taken that the brand doesn’t get hurt. Just like the LEGO MOVIE series, the unique characteristics of the Barbie toy set have been neatly incorporated into the narrative. At the same time, the way Greta has taken a funny dig at the manufacturing company, Mattel, is hilarious. But what one takes away from the film are its comments on patriarchy and women empowerment. It is unexpected and will be lapped up by the target audience. On the flipside, the whole angle of the real world influencing life in Barbieland and vice versa is a bit difficult to understand. The fight at the beach in the pre-climax is imaginative but also random. It doesn’t induce laughs as intended. Lastly, the climax is difficult to digest and will leave audiences divided. Nevertheless, it leaves scope for a sequel. Speaking of performances, Margot Robbie looks every inch like a Barbie doll. She owns the character and one can see that she’s having fun with it. She also shines in the emotional sequences. Ryan Gosling is terrific. Ken is miles away from anything else he has done before. But he effortlessly slips into his character. Kate McKinnon leaves a mark. America Ferrera (Gloria) is the surprise of the film. Her monologue is one of the highpoints. Will Ferrell (Mattel CEO) is too good. The other actors who do well are Issa Rae (President Barbie), Sharon Rooney (Lawyer Barbie), Simu Liu (Ken), Ariana Greenblatt (Sasha) and Rhea Perlman (Ruth Handler). Music is neatly incorporated into the narrative. ‘Pink’ is catchy and has a Disney animation film feel. ‘Barbie World’ and ‘I’m Just Ken’ are also well-tuned. Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt's music is in sync with the film's mood and theme. Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography is neat. Sarah Greenwood's production is beautiful and imaginative. The Barbieworld, especially, is very appealing. Jacqueline Durran's costumes are absolutely gorgeous and spot-on. It is sure to become a rage. VFX is top-class. Nick Houy's editing is fine. On the whole, BARBIE is a vibrant entertainer and it also makes an important comment on patriarchy and women empowerment. At the box office, it is all set for a fine opening. If the womenfolk and the family audience accept the film wholeheartedly, it has the potential to emerge as the biggest non-dubbed Hollywood grosser in India. Read more

For all practical purposes, Barbieland is pristine. Various iterations of Barbies and Kens live their beautiful lives in blissful ignorance of the real world. But when the quintessential Barbie (Margot Robbie) begins to have unusual thoughts, she is directed by another Barbie (Kate McKinnon) to enter the world of humans and address her existential crisis. However, chaos ensues when Ken (Ryan Gosling) tags along with her on this quest. Barbie’s production, combined with its costume, art & set design, is picture-perfect, immersing us into the predominantly pastel and particularly pink Barbieland with a plethora of colourful characters. Played by an ensemble cast, some are given substantially more to do, while others are relegated to the backdrop. Even though this is by design, it does make some of these characters slightly redundant, albeit not overbearing. Margot Robbie reminds us of her incredible depth and range as the main character Barbie and is perfectly cast in the lead role. Ryan Gosling is a scene-stealer whose Ken is an unlikely brand of a jerk that draws laughs effortlessly, often at his own expense. However, the ace in the pack is America Ferrera, who is impressive, especially in one memorable monologue that perfectly captures the complex conundrum of women’s equality. This brings us to the film’s most vital aspect – its writing. Taking a prominently feminist outlook, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach deftly pull off the tricky tightrope act of a self-aware screenplay that hits hard on the nose while being thoroughly entertaining. Using comedy and musical numbers to charm the audience, the message is deliberately heavy-handed. Sure, there’s a looming question of whom this film is aimed at, and ‘Barbie’ is certainly not just for those who’d play with these dolls. Slathered with satire that eventually sheds off its sugar-coat, this film decisively takes the patriarchal bull by the horns. Quite the risk by toymakers Mattel, Gerwig’s style meets substance with her direction that dissolves all debate of ‘Barbie’ being a corporate cash grab as it will undoubtedly tip-toe its way to the front row of awards ceremonies.Read more