By Nicole Kalosh & Keith Lokmagozyan

Barbie has always received mixed feelings. Some women admire the idea that Barbie is portrayed as a multi-talented character who’s capable of doing anything she wants. They think it’s a positive message to young girls as it promotes the idea that they’re capable of achieving their dreams, too. There are others, however, who focus on Barbie’s unrealistic body shape as still problematic, despite the fact that she’s depicted as strong and intelligent. They believe that it’s important for younger girls to see more realistic-looking toys and characters.

Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” released in July, has received similar praise and controversy. For some audiences, the movie is a step in the right direction due to its portrayal of strong and independent female characters. These fans feel that Barbie is no longer just a fashion icon, but also a role model for young girls. On the other hand, there are those who think the movie is just a marketing ploy to sell more dolls. They argue that even though the movie may have a good message, its ultimate purpose is to grow the profits of the company that makes Barbies, Mattel. 

The film follows Barbie (Margot Robbie), who is the most popular Barbie in Barbieland who begins having an emotional crisis. Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), an outcast doll played with too roughly, tells her that she must travel to the human world to sort out her true purpose with her human (America Ferrera). Ken (Ryan Gosling) comes along for the ride. Both Barbie and Ken discover hard truths about the real world.

The film addresses both elements of Barbie, the unrealistic proportions and her role as a feminist icon. The film also seems to attempt to do too much. With so much of the film aimed at over-the-top satire and hilarity, the serious moments seemed uneven. For example, Ferrera’s speech, which had us all admittedly nodding along in agreement, took too long and left the middle of the film feeling like it sagged.

Robbie, however, perfectly embraced all the variety in the film. She is not only the perfect physical casting for Barbie, but also perfectly shows every emotion from zany optimism to existential crisis. In Robbie, at least, Gerwig’s attempt to do so many things worked out exactly as it should. Gosling gets an honorable mention as well for being the macho simpleton, which though ridiculous is absolutely hilarious.

Overall, even if the film felt too silly sometimes or attempted too much, if it causes serious conversations about feminism, kudos to Gerwig.