This past summer, there was a unique swarm of moviegoers, which was quite unprecedented. The massive turnout was a result of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon: A double feature consisting of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” The former, “Barbie,” is a film like no other. 

Margot Robbie stars as the titular character, Stereotypical Barbie, who lives in Barbieland with other variations of Barbie and Ken. One day, her life suddenly goes off the rails, with Barbie having an existential crisis because of the person playing with her. Robbie is perfectly cast as Barbie, embodying the iconic doll in personality and appearance. An example of her excellent performance involves the emotional turmoil she faces when traveling to the Real World to find the person playing with her, such as an interaction she has with Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman), asking her about what is happening in this world.     

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Ryan Gosling is fantastic as Ken, whose only purpose is to be noticed by Barbie. He also shares a bitter rivalry with Tourist Ken (Simu Liu), with one scene in the opening act utilizing innuendo in a hilarious way to demonstrate this. Several scenes throughout the film showcase Gosling’s comedic chops (such as his obsession with horses and masculinity). He not only excels in the dramatic fare but also the realm of comedy. 

The casting choice of Helen Mirren as the film’s narrator was excellent, with the utilization of meta humor and fourth-wall-breaking in her dialogue impeccably delivered.

Greta Gerwig (2017’s “Lady Bird” and the 2019 adaptation of “Little Women”) — who directed and co-wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach (1995’s “Kicking and Screaming” and 2019’s “Marriage Story”) — does a fantastic job at achieving a satirical deconstruction of the famed brand. Examples of this include character traits such as the greedy patriarchal aspects of Will Farrell’s character, the CEO of Mattel (the board of directors consisting only of men) — along with the inclusion of infamous missteps in the Barbie brand such as the pregnant version of Midge, Sugar Daddy Ken and Earring Magic Ken. Gerwig also examines existential themes such as one’s purpose and meaning in life and aspects of individualism.  

There are also humorous references to famous films in “Barbie,” such as the “2001: A Space Odyssey” homage in the opening sequence and a hilarious scene involving one of the Kens and “The Godfather.” 

As for the soundtrack produced by Mark Ronson, it has a great selection of songs. From the Dua Lipa (who also portrays the Mermaid Barbies) disco-influenced track “Dance the Night” (which accompanies the Dreamhouse dance party sequence in the first act), with its sleek production, to the catchy song “I’m Just Ken” (a showcase of Ryan Gosling’s vocal talents), the soundtrack is a fitting accompaniment to the feature with a large ensemble of many famous artists. 

“Barbie” transfers the famous brand to the silver screen, with a satirical commentary on the brand itself and an excellent cast and great direction. It is a phenomenal film that is worthy of the hype. “Barbie” is truly everything.  

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