By Laurie Coker
I wasn’t much of a doll person as a little girl, but I did like my Barbies. I had several, and my grandmother nurtured in me a love for the fashionista figurine with a perfect figure and blonde hair. She and I even made Barbie clothes. I remember being so excited when the pull-string talking Barbie came out, and I had Ken and Skipper, the car, and the Dreamhouse, but by the time Barbie’s best friend Midge’s pregnant version came out in 2002, I was grown out of the Barbie business. Admittedly, my excitement for the new Barbie film surpassed my 12-year-old granddaughter’s, and she’s excited to see it. I wasn’t disappointed!
As played by Margot Robbie, co-writer/director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is adorable, exuberant and delightful. She’s incredibly upbeat (at first), and all the different Barbie versions over the years are beautifully depicted. It’s fun to see the various Kens, Alan (Michael Cera), and other Barbie staple characters. When her forever-in-heels feet go flat, and her mood changes drastically, Barbie looks for answers in the real world and, more specifically, at Mattel, the company responsible for her creation. Ken stows away in Barbie’s car and enters the human world too. They have extremely different experiences – he learns about Patriarchy (and horses). She finds Gloria (America Ferrera) and her daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), who cause Barbie’s thoughts of death, depression, and doldrums, and together, they seek to set things right.
Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach infuse their Barbie universe with vivid colors (mainly pink), all the characters/dolls over the years in their impressive roles, excellent sets and delightful dance sequences. I found everything so fun to watch. I was, however, surprised at the film’s PG-13 rating, given that Barbie is a toy for little girls, and even more surprised by the suggestive references and language. Still, overall, the film is pretty safe and perfectly paced.
Want the entire story? Pick up a copy of the Port Isabel-South Padre PRESS, or subscribe to our e-Edition by clicking HERE!
Comments