Barbie

On Thursday, July 20th, 2023, I found myself attending the opening night of Barbie. Here’s what I thought of the experience.

Before I get to the movie itself, I have to acknowledge my experience arriving at the theater. Between the crowd coming out and the crowd going in, there were probably a total of twenty people who weren’t wearing pink. It was odd walking through the sea of bright Barbie gear. I felt like I was at a Cardinals World Series game, but in some sort of alternate universe– instead of feeling buoyed by the recognition of fellow fans, I felt a bit like an outsider. Nevertheless, it was an awesome way to walk into the theater. Movie premieres should always be big events like this one, and even though I was not a member of the pink-wearing crowd, I was thrilled to be part of the group.

  Ok, now to the actual picture on the screen. I have to start with the opening scene: an impeccable retelling of the opening shot of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was perfect storytelling and genius filmmaking. The majority of the Barbie audience in my theater did not get the reference (I felt like I was the only one laughing). But this scene served a great purpose. First, it drew in all the skeptics, all the film nerds who didn’t want to see a movie about a “girl” toy. I didn’t count myself in those groups, but like me, I’m positive that after the opening scene, they were hooked. Second, this opening set the tone. Like 2001, this movie was different. It was bold. It was about human nature and evolution and exploring the unknown. Now, I don’t want to compare Barbie to 2001, because that’s not what this is about. But thematically, the opening scene in Greta Gerwig’s film was a well-executed homage. 

The rest of the movie? Well, it was fun. Plain and simple. You could tell that the people who made the film enjoyed themselves. They relished in the art of filmmaking, they played with the subject matter, and they loved their characters. Most importantly, that passion came through. My one critique is that Barbie sometimes became a bit too playful– at times throughout the film, I was worried they had lost the thread. However, the ship was always (eventually) guided back on track. If the critique of a movie about a doll is that the movie is too playful, I think you’ve got a pretty good film on your hands.

Even against this backdrop of loud pink and childlike playfulness, Barbie managed to find balance. The themes and messages weren’t afraid to smack you in the face– the feminism was harder to miss than Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s roller-blading outfits. And yet there was a wink behind every strong statement, and a tear after every smile. I’m always impressed when a film can be entertaining and send a strong message. I’m even more impressed when that strong message can walk a fine-line, appealing to various backgrounds and persuasions. Not to mention that the final scene sticks the landing. Sure, it was a bit predictable, and taking on such large themes forced a bit of jarring cliché into the otherwise inventive and silly world of the film. But that doesn’t mean the ending wasn’t natural or a fitting conclusion.

My one last comment is that this movie was more fun to see in Century City than any other place in the world. Some of the dialogue was much more… personal. Oh, and Helen Mirren is a fantastic narrator.

To summarize my thoughts on the Barbie movie: a bit ambitious, but overall a success. A success before the movie started because it brought people to the theaters, and a success after the movie ended for the quality of the work.

So that’s my review. But hey, I’m just Ken Ben.