‘Barbie’ review: Greta Gerwig’s grown-up toy story is fantastic fun

The pink tide is rising. And you can either sink – or swim to the nearest cinema and join Barbie’s massive, box office-busting party. There’s definitely no chance of ignoring Greta Gerwig’s summer mega-movie. Buses, bridges, city landmarks, even phone boxes, have all been commandeered for the advertising onslaught. Hit the shops, gym, bar or pretty much anywhere this month and you’re probably going to be met by Margot Robbie’s flawless face beaming back at you. For many that won’t be an unpleasant prospect, but is life in plastic really that fantastic?

We open on Barbieland as its perma-happy residents rise and shine for another glorious day. In this beachside utopia – think Venice Beach but with (even) more neon – the Barbies rule and the Kens drool. As the comforting voice of Helen Mirren narrates during a witty intro: “Barbie always has a great day. But Ken (Ryan Gosling) only has a great day when Barbie looks at him.” This sets the tone for Gerwig’s satirical comedy-adventure that rips into sexist societal shortcomings by flipping them on their polypropylene-molded head.

After a quick 30-minute tour of town in which we meet Robbie’s “Stereotypical Barbie”, Issa Rae’s “President Barbie” and even Dua Lipa’s cameo-tastic “Mermaid Barbie”, things start to go wrong. First, the waffles burn. Then Barbie opens the fridge to find expired milk. Later, the shower runs cold and, worst of all, she can’t stop thinking about death. Barbie’s identity crisis has begun. To solve the problem, and return her life to pristine perfection, our peroxide pal must journey to the “real world” (via hilarious travel montage) and help fix a mother-daughter relationship that lies marooned on the angst-encrusted rocks of adolescence. What follows is a nuanced, rose-tinted comedy adventure, set to a stonking pop soundtrack featuring Lizzo and Billie Eiish, that somehow lives up to the immense hype. To borrow a pun from Ken’s coolest jacket (out of a long lineup), Barbie is more than “kenough”.

Another thing to say about Barbie is that it is very, very funny. Robbie’s almost C-3PO-ish deadpan delivery provides plenty of laughs, but it’s Gosling who’ll end up as your favourite toy. With his hair dyed bright blonde, denim-dominated wardrobe, impossibly sculpted arms and chosen hobby of “beach”, he lands somewhere between David Hasselhoff and Britney-era Justin Timberlake. He’s much stupider though – and Gosling has the time of his life bouncing between slapstick silliness and Inbetweeners-esque buffoonery. Also enjoying themselves are fellow Ken Simu Liu, who feuds comically with Gosling’s jealous goon; Michael Cera as a rogue and hysterically odd “Allan”; and Will Ferrell, popping up to play the dim-witted CEO of Barbie manufacturers Mattel. Then there’s Kate McKinnon’s gloriously quirky “Weird Barbie”, a traumatised outcast who was played with “too hard” by her tween owner. If Barbie only wins one trophy next awards season, it should go to the casting director.

It’s not a total chuckle-fest though. The script contains unexpected subtlety, particularly during the tender moments which pack an emotional punch. Presumably, part of Mattel’s motive for bringing Barbie to the big screen was changing her outdated image of rigid beauty ideals and unrealistic body conformism. So sprinkled throughout are marketing messages (“Barbie means you can be anything”) that sound like they come straight from a press release. Gerwig is clever enough to deliver these with self-awareness and some sarcastic jokes (Mirren thanking Barbie for ending misogyny is a highlight), meaning the balance between reality and commercial is never lost. For a movie that ostensibly exists to promote a doll, this is laudable. Now come on Barbie, let’s go party.