Review of Barbie (2023) by Jluis_001 — 22 Jul 2023

Barbie's motto is "you can be anything," and while it may suit the doll perfectly, it appears insufficient for a movie.

Barbie is undoubtedly a lighthearted and humorous movie, as the material naturally lends itself to such qualities. However, other aspects of the film become distorted and lose clarity when attempting to convey a preachy tone.

The film presents important messages, but it struggles to choose a single focus, leaving the audience without a clear direction. The plot attempts to explore numerous concepts, but they are merely touched upon and lack depth.

Even characters like America Ferrera and her daughter, who only serve as catalysts for the adventure, are overshadowed by the larger plot and their dramatic undercurrents are left unexplored once they enter Barbieland.

The irony lies in the fact that Barbie's message of identity seems to resonate more with Ken, as his entire existence revolves around her. Ultimately, Ken is the one who gets to discover that he can achieve an identity of his own, whereas the stereotypical Barbie was not supposed to want to be human. Instead, she becomes human because of the things that America Ferrera's character imprinted on her such as her depression, her fears and anxieties, causing a change in her personality that requires assimilation since she can't go back to the way things were for her. This, in my view, is what weakens the film's impact.

While it successfully achieves humor and laughs where it has to, its attempt to address serious issues lacks the right balance for genuine resonance.

Nonetheless, it's worth exploring and embracing the film for what it is: a functional comedy. Avoid over-analyzing aspects that don't require such scrutiny and simply enjoy the experience it offers.