The beginning reminds me of "Gone With the Wind" sort of. Remember how Vivien Lee was flouncing around in her curls and petticoat, while Mammy admonished her to eat before the picnic? And how the boys fawned over her? The antebellum days on the plantation and how it contrasted with the later scenes during the war.
"Barbie" was like that, with the perfect doll waking up in her dream house, with the airhead dialogue, the fake water and the idealized beach, and the endless dancing and partying. You could see that Barbie's life wasn't preparing her for what was to come. I loved the visual tricks like the clothing ensembles that froze in the air, the magical journey from Barbieland to the real world using all modes of transport from a camper to a space ship. For me, the culmination was the dream dance of the Kens in the manner of a Busby Berkeley musical, and the subsequent battle on the beach. At some point, the story became more about Ken than Barbie and when Barbie really came into her own was when she saw the vulnerability in Ken and helped him find himself.
I also liked the idea that the Barbies were put under a spell and it was the manifesto of the mother and daughter who came from the real world that broke it. The movie was part fable/fairy tale and part coming of age a la Holden Caulfield. The screenplay was very original and should have won an Oscar at least. I liked that Greta Gerwig worked with Mattel and they didn't quash her creativity and wit. And the music was great!
I can understand how skeptics might have gone to the movie just to see what all the fuss was about since it was so successful. And many people were probably disappointed. A multimillion-dollar movie about a doll? But it is not unprecedented. "Pinocchio" comes to mind. "AI" was about a robot and there are countless movies about animals. Some of them have been serious works of art. "Barbie" for me, straddles the line between comedy and drama. It came out at a time when I needed some serious escapism and it fit the bill splendidly.
