Dog’s Movie House: “Barbie” A Layered, Funny, Clever Film About The Soul Of A Toy!

Everything is great in Barbieland, with Robbie’s (stereotypical) Barbie leading her cohorts with endless dances and parties and beach days. All of the Barbies are joined in their celebrations by the Kens, who are led by the primary Ken, a perfect specimen of a man (at least below the shoulders) played to himbo perfection by Ryan Gosling. Unfortunately, Barbie’s days start malfunctioning with her thinking about death and her, gasp, heels hitting the ground. She goes to the Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon, stealing every scene she’s in) for advice and Weird Barbie sends her to the real world to figure out which human playing with her is causing all the distress. Barbie is joined by Ken and the two venture into the real world where they are confronted by the harsh realities of real life. These realities have reprecussions in both worlds and the CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell) will do anything to restore the status quo.

That seems like a lot to cram into a Dayglo bright comedy about a toy, and you’d be right. I also need to tell you that I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the ideas contained in this film. It by all rights should be an unwatchable mess, but Gerwig’s skill as a director shines through and she creates a story that’s nothing less than imminently watchable. The movie is a joy to look at, with the bright colors and intentially manufactured environments (especially the beach) providing no end to a stream of eye candy. The production also adds to the humor of the story, as the Barbies and Kens consume fake food and drink and surf fake waves, etc.

Gerwig also takes advantage of her terrific and game cast. Robbie certainly has the looks to play Barbie, but her comic timing is, believe it or not, her best feature in this film. She takes a two-dimensional character and makes it three with ease. She also handles Barbie’s developing emotions with an astonishing amount of dexterity, making her Barbie a compelling heroine for the film despite the silly goings-on. Gosling’s Ken is just as good, with an undercurrent of sadness underneath all the bluff and buster. Gosling also does stupid better than anyone and his goofy rivalry with another Ken (played with expert comic buffoonery by Simu Liu) provide some of the film’s biggest laughs. Ferrell is appropriately goofy as the Mattel CEO, and McKinnon’s comic timing is as sharp as every as Weird Barbie. America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt have good chemistry as Gloria and Sasha, the mother-daughter combo in the real world dealing with a daughter rebelling against her mother. Ferrerra has some especially great moments, especially toward the end of the film when she gets a couple of monologues about what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world.

“Barbie” may look like a kid’s film with its life-size toys and primary-color decor, but it’s definitely not. It’s not dirty or profane by any means, but the humor is very adult oriented and the themes of womanhood, equality, and faith are going to fly over the heads of most kids. The physical comedy will entertain, but most kids are probably going to be confused. Make sure you parents know this going in. Adults however are bound to have a good time with laughs galore and something to actually think about afterword. Don’t let the “Barbie” title fool you: this is a film for everyone and it’s a good one. 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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