Should You See BARBIE? Read This First

By Familyguide Staff

BARBIE is a whimsical, satirical fantasy featuring Margo Robbie as a blonde Barbie from Barbie Land who journeys with Ken to “the Real World” in search of the young girl whose rough play has been disrupting her life, causing feelings of depression and existential angst. While BARBIE offers some clever humor around the Barbie concept, it occasionally falls flat and becomes preachy. The PG-13 rated film contains suggestive language and presents a strong Romantic worldview with familiar feminist critiques of the “patriarchy” and a subtle challenge to motherhood in one scene. However, it makes a minor concession to conservative views at the conclusion when a mother character acknowledges that it’s acceptable for girls to aspire to motherhood.

The film begins with a parody of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY’s opening sequence. Instead of apes fascinated by an alien monolith, little girls in a similar setting are shown playing with baby dolls. Suddenly, the original 1959 Barbie appears, prompting the mesmerized girls to discard their baby dolls.

The scene shifts to Barbie Land, where a blonde Barbie starts her day with an imaginary shower and breakfast before floating down from her Dream House roof. A narrator explains that Barbies in this world can move this way because children simply move them around with their hands.

At the beach, a blonde Ken vies for Barbie’s attention, engaging in a rivalry with Asian Ken. Later, Barbie, who refers to herself as “Stereotypical Barbie,” allows Ken to visit her dream house but informs him of an upcoming party with a dance number.

During the party, Barbie unexpectedly asks about death, creating an awkward moment before she recovers. The next morning, she wakes up depressed, experiencing cold showers and sour milk. Her friends notice her feet are now flat instead of pointed downward, and suggest she consult Weird Barbie for help.

Weird Barbie, a doll that’s been played with “too hard,” explains that a rift has formed in Barbie Land due to her owner’s rough play. She advises Stereotypical Barbie to travel to the “Real World” to find her owner in Los Angeles and lift her spirits.

Barbie sets out in her pink car, with Ken secretly tagging along. Their journey involves various modes of transportation, including snowmobiles, a boat, a rocket ship, and bicycles in Holland.

In the Real World, Ken becomes fascinated by male power dynamics, while Barbie is puzzled by the lack of female construction workers. She discovers her owner, Sasha, is now a teenager who blames Barbie for perpetuating sexism and accuses her of being a tool of the “patriarchy.”

Confused and hurt, Barbie visits Mattel headquarters, where the all-male executives attempt to put her back in a box. She escapes with unexpected help from a new friend. Meanwhile, Ken returns to Barbie Land and leads a rebellion to establish a patriarchy.

While BARBIE offers clever humor around the Barbie concept, it also presents a PG-13 rated film with suggestive language and politically correct, feminist elements. The movie critiques the “patriarchy” and questions the idea of teaching girls to desire motherhood. However, it somewhat balances these views with strong mother characters, including Barbie’s creator Ruth Handler, and a scene acknowledging that girls can choose various life paths, including motherhood.

Despite containing some objectionable content, BARBIE is rated as excessive and unacceptable, rather than entirely negative.