IronWatcher’s review published on Letterboxd:
Watched in the cinema (100th visit in 2023)
"Barbie" is one of the most impressive image campaigns of modern times: although Mattel has had some success over the years with straight-to-DVD productions, they were generally ridiculed and known primarily for their cheap animation and harebrained princess stories. This further reinforced the already dusty image of Barbie. To counteract this, Warner Bros. and Mattel hired indie star Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach and superstar Margot Robbie for "Barbie". The latter then gathered a film team, which together brought it to 50 nominations and eight awards at the Oscars.
Allowing this team creative freedom was brave, but the result is a stroke of luck and beautiful proof that brand collaborations can be artistically valuable and at the same time great fun for the audience. "The Lego Movie" was a great example of this. True to the motto: not taking yourself too seriously is cool.
In addition to delightful situation comedy and puns, "Barbie" also addresses serious issues - especially problems that have arisen for women as a result of patriarchy. But instead of condemning men with a pointing finger, the film playfully shows that we humans all strive for the same thing: Meaning in life and recognition in society. The problems and challenges that women have to deal with on a daily basis are presented in the film as multifaceted as they are charming. And it does so mainly from the perspective of Barbie and Ken; they only know a society led by perfect, powerful women. The culture shock experienced in the real world is not original, but nicely and extremely amusingly staged, so that even those at the back of their minds should understand the issues.
There's a lot to love about "Barbie". Ryan Gosling once again proves his outstanding comedy talent: he acts, dances and sings and makes a fool of himself time and again. Margot Robbie is also simply perfect as Barbie. The film is visually beautiful, has a great soundtrack and skillfully manages the balancing act between several genres - comedy, satire (society and corporate) and yet comes across like a modern fairy tale. The bottom line is that "Barbie" just barely misses being a masterpiece. The only downer is the stale aftertaste that you're watching a great movie, but at the same time you're watching an almost two-hour commercial.
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