“Barbie” is directed by Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) and stars Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad, The Wolf of Wall Street), Ryan Gosling (Blade Runner 2049, La La Land), America Ferrera (How to Train Your Dragon, Superstore), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Yesterday), Issa Rae (The Lovebirds, The Hate U Give), Rhea Perlman (Canadian Bacon, Poms) and Will Ferrell (Step Brothers, Elf). This film is about a Barbie doll (Robbie) who suddenly suffers a crisis that turns her whole world upside down.

If you asked me how excited I was when I heard they were making a “Barbie” movie, the answer probably would have been somewhere around zero. I had no excitement whatsoever. Though once I heard Margot Robbie would be playing the lead role, that excitement boosted up a bit. She has continued to boost her profile as an actress, even if her movies end up being either not the best in terms of quality or box office. When it comes to looks, I do not think there is another actress that would match Robbie when it comes to playing a Barbie doll. Obviously, this movie has other Barbies, and it has multiple Kens. But when it comes to actors who look like a Barbie doll, Robbie is the first person I would have thought of then, and after seeing this movie, my thoughts have not changed.

But there is more to a movie than what is in front of the camera, what REALLY got me excited, happens to be some of the people working behind the scenes. This film is directed by Greta Gerwig, who also helmed the incredible “Lady Bird,” a near-perfect coming of age flick. She also directed the 2019 adaptation of “Little Women,” which despite some solid filmmaking, only barely captivated me as a viewer. Despite a decent screenplay, I found the movie to be poorly paced. It was not my cup of tea. But my thoughts do not change the fact that Gerwig stands as one of Hollywood’s most prominent filmmakers today, and I was excited to see her not only direct, but also write “Barbie.” Alongside her is her partner, Noah Baumbach, a talented mind on his own. He wrote and directed “Marriage Story,” which broke me by the end of it. Naturally, the writers for this film were a dream team. Once I heard about all of this, I had gone from being less than excited, to outright looking forward to what this film could deliver.

That said, did it deliver?

I would say it did. Unfortunately though, depending on how you slice it, I do not think it is one of the year’s best films.

Now do not get me wrong, I said I enjoyed the film. Very much in fact. But I have my problems with it. I will address them right away. My biggest problem with the film is that the screenplay, as much as I admired the ideas behind it, occasionally spends too much time over embellishing certain things. Movies are at their core, visual. And honestly, “Barbie” has a screenplay that is quite good, but honestly makes me wonder if it would have been better had it been made into say a book. The movie is narrated by Helen Mirren, who does a good job with the narration given to her, but I feel like every time I hear the narration or see particular scenes play out, I wonder if it would have been more fun to read than watch. A major rule of filmmaking is to show, not tell. The movie looks dazzling and the dialogue is great for the most part, but I will not deny that when it comes to the film’s morals and lessons, they feel more as if they are told than shown sometimes. And I am not saying the movie is as some people would call certain things for some reason, “woke.” I think the movie has a positive message behind it, especially for women. Honestly, when it comes to women empowerment, it is handled much better here than it was in say the 2016 “Ghostbusters,” which continues to stand as one of the worst blockbusters I have ever seen.

Although on that topic, the movie may appear to present itself as a pro-feminist narrative, and in a way, it is. That is not a bad thing, that idea is handled decently throughout the film. But in reality, if anything, I think the film is a cautionary tale for anyone, no matter their gender or identity, to avoid taking too much power for themselves. Because while it may appear great for that side, there will always be someone else that potentially gets hurt. The way this movie handles its down with the patriarchy angle is one that more or less comes off as women asking those in power, “How would you like it if we did this sort of thing to you?” “Barbie” is a movie that prominently features multiple extremes and shows the problem with each one. The way the movie goes about doing so is brilliantly executed.

Despite its flaws, “Barbie” is a smart, funny, colorful film. It is nowhere near my pick to win Best Picture this year, but it is quite entertaining. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have crafted a number of excellent lines, a couple of which have already become meme-worthy. I have heard many people who saw the film before me say that “Barbie” is not going to be the kind of film one would imagine it to be. I knew that from the beginning. But even I was a little surprised as to where this movie ended up going. The film is undoubtedly creative and fleshes out not just its lead character, but also does a great job with supporting roles such as Ryan Gosling’s Ken.

Speaking of excellent casting, I am going to say the same thing I said about Margot Robbie. When it comes to the idea of who should a play a Ken doll, Ryan Gosling, I am not joking, was most likely the first actor that would have popped in my head several years ago. And despite this film being an expensive blockbuster, he does not phone it in. From what I have seen, I could tell Gosling not only embraced the role of Ken on set, but he looked like he was having a lot of fun with the role. After seeing this movie, I cannot imagine anyone else playing his character. I never thought I would say this, Ryan Gosling deserves an Oscar nomination for his efforts here. He knocks this role out of the park. He completely transforms himself here and it is glorious to see.

Not only does Ryan Gosling give, and I still cannot believe I am saying this, an Academy Award-level performance, I would have to say his song, “I’m Just Ken,” which has been all the rage for the past month, is a bop. Again, the Oscars are not until next year, but if they were tomorrow, Gosling’s performances as both an actor and a singer would be worth considering for the win.

The screen does not just lend itself to these actors giving their all. It also allows for some superb costumes, ferociously neat use of the color pink, and some utterly pristine production design. This film looks like a large toy set come to life. At times, it looks like something out of a dream. I will also say the segments set in our world do not look half bad either, but I will not deny that almost anything you will see on Barbieland qualifies for maybe my favorite set design of 2023. A lot of work definitely went into making these sets and the results are pleasing to the eye.

Much like “Oppenheimer,” which I saw before “Barbie” for those curious as to how I handled my Barbenheimer game plan, “Barbie” has a memorable final scene, particularly because of how they handle the dialogue. To give away the last line of the movie would mean I have to dive into spoilers for the two people who have yet to see it, but all I will say that the line stands amongst the funniest I have heard this year.

If I have any other complaints in the movie, it would be that Will Ferrell, despite his best efforts, came off as one of the weaker parts of the movie’s large ensemble. Will Ferrell is funny, and I have seen him be funny. But his shtick usually works in other stuff. He has one or two decent moments as the CEO of Mattel, though it is not enough to call him a highlight.

The rest of the cast however, for the most part, is perfect. If you told me a few months ago the SAG Awards would nominate the cast of “Barbie” for a Best Ensemble award, I would have appreciated the names on the list, but I would have asked if an acorn fell on your head. If you told me that today, I would buy your claim. The ensemble of “Barbie” gives it their all. I do not know if they will end up being the best cast of the year, but they are a contender, alongside “Oppenheimer,” to be the best cast of the summer. While this movie may not be my favorite this summer, I do not regret seeing it. I had a good time with it. It might be a one time watch for me, but the one time was a pleasant viewing experience.

In the end, “Barbie” is exactly what the marketing said it would be. The movie is for people who love “Barbie” as much as the people who hate it. I was never the target demographic for this movie, but that does not mean I did not have a great time with it. Margot Robbie kills it in the lead role. Ryan Gosling gives one of the best supporting performances I have seen all year. America Ferrera was also quite good. Simu Liu is another standout. I was looking forward to “Barbie,” but even I was delightfully surprised by how it was executed. This is not Greta Gerwig’s best work, but it is still a polished, well shot, well made film that was worth seeing. I am going to give “Barbie” a 7/10.

“Barbie” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! Also stay tuned for my reviews for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” “Talk to Me,” “Blue Beetle,” “Strays,” and “Gran Turismo.” That’s undeniably a lot of movies, and I will have my thoughts on them soon! If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Barbie?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a toy that you would like to see adapted the big screen? If Mattel wants to take this business further, I would love to see what they could do with “Hot Wheels.” Seeing customized cars come to life would be rather magnificent if you asked me. Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!