BARBIE

The movie starts out, logically, with Barbie, played by Margot Robbie as “Stereotypical Barbie”—the gorgeous but feckless basic version of the doll who exists mainly to look pretty–which she does. When the Stereotypical Barbie starts experiencing thoughts of Death and cellulite, Greta Gerwig’s movie turns into a reverse of the Wizard of Oz . Barbie journeys to the Real World from the perfect pink Barbie Land and ends up at the Mattel headquarters in Los Angeles trying to solve her problems. Barbie is joined by her uninvited boyfriend, Ken (Ryan Gosling), to investigate a tear in the fabric between Fantasy and Reality. Critiques of capitalism and gender roles follow. I’m sure Gerwig’s references to 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix will go over the heads of the younger members of the movie audience.



Barbie discovers the girl (America Ferrara) who played with her as a child–now grown up and working for Mattel. Meanwhile, Ken returns to Barbie Land with knowledge of male Patriarchy and transforms Barbie Land to Kendom where the Kens now rule. Despite the wackiness of Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel, and Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, the sluggish plot and insider references fail to make this a Fun Barbie movie. GRADE: B-



DIANE AND ME DRESSED IN OUR BARBIE PINK!