Barbie is much more than just being a colourful and vibrant entertainer. It makes an important comment on patriarchy and women empowerment. While doing so, writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach and director Greta Gerwig don’t compromise on the entertainment quotient. On the flipside, an important musical sequence in the second half is quite random. The climax is underwhelming and hence, one doesn’t come out of the theatre feeling wowed. Margot Robbie, however, is superb and gets into the skin of her character. Ryan Gosling is outstanding and effortlessly essays the part with conviction. America Ferrera (Gloria) is the surprise of the film. Her monologue is clapworthy. Others who do well are Kate McKinnon (Weird Barbie), Will Ferrell (CEO of Mattel), Rhea Perlman (Ruth) and Ariana Greenblatt (Sasha). All in all, Barbie is a clean family entertainer with a great message.
My rating – *** out of 5!