I want to start by saying, I am pretty positive “Barbie,” the movie, will remain my favorite movie indefinitely. From the moment I saw the trailer, I knew I had to see this movie. However, I was not prepared for just how much I would love it. “Barbie” hit the big screen on July 21, 2023, and it was immediately a viral phenomenon. The best way I can explain how adored this movie is would be the budget compared to the profit. The Barbie movie cost approximately $145 million to make, and it has made around $1.18 billon. Keep in mind the movie is still in theaters!
Before I even get into how wonderful the movie itself is, I am going to discuss some of the incredible real world aspects surrounding the movie. “Barbie” has now claimed the title of fastest Warner Bros. production to reach $1 billion in global box office sales. It only took 17 days for “Barbie” to reach $1 billion. That’s insanely impressive! The previous record was 19 days and was set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” If that wasn’t impressive enough, Greta Gerwig, director of “Barbie,” also broke some records. Prior to the release of “Barbie” only 28 people had the sole directing credit on a film worth $1 billion. All 28 of these people are men. Greta Gerwig became the first woman to earn this title.
Setting aside all those amazing facts, the movie itself was perfect! For starters, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are — in my opinion — two very attractive people! Therefore, the eye-candy was a nice bonus. Okay, now on to the more important qualities of the movie. This movie did such a great job appealing to the viewers’ emotions. The first part of the movie was very nostalgic for me. It took me right back to when I would play Barbies! It even incorporated the fact that Barbie just floats down to leave her house. Because, after all, Barbie doesn’t have to use the stairs. Even though they live in Barbieland, and the Barbies are “alive,” they still manage to keep some real life components. For example, Ken runs into the ocean, hits the wave and bounces off the hard plastic. All the Barbies’ houses were dollhouse style with only the three walls. So, overall, this movie did fantastic including both reality and make-believe when creating Barbieland.
Now on to the plot! Truthfully, “Barbie” was the first movie I’ve seen to get everything right. This movie showcases so many themes throughout and managed to do each one justice!
The “Barbie” movie is definitely a movie of self-discovery and embracing those discoveries. It drives home that just because the world is one way, doesn’t mean we should make our selves fit uniformly. Regardless of gender, there are so many different ways the movie portrays this theme.
Personally, I would say the “Barbie” movie did a great job demonstrating what it is like growing up as a girl. We start out playing with baby dolls and “graduate” to Barbie dolls. When we played Barbies it was like time stood still and we were right there in Barbieland. Everything was perfect and nothing bad ever happened. But then, just like Barbie, we enter the real world. As much as that may seem really dark, the movie goes about it in a very lighthearted and, a lot of times, funny way.
Whether you’re looking at the plot, the cast or the theme, this movie is hands down the best movie I’ve seen in a long time. I have seen it three times so far, and hope to see it many more times! It truly healed my inner child!