What would make a grown man watch 'Barbie'? I've been asking myself this since I heard about the release of this live-action Barbie film. Isn't this just for girls who idolize Barbie dolls, or women who have fond memories of playing with Barbie dolls? You have to immerse yourself in a girl's world to fully understand the film.

I guess it was the hype that prompted me to watch 'Barbie'. In the opening narration, the film explains why the Barbie dolls became such a phenomenon and I found this interesting. I never thought about it (maybe because I didn't play with dolls!!), but the Barbie dolls were apparently the first adult dolls on the market. All other dolls prior to Barbie were baby dolls. Interesting.

Margot Robbie stars as Stereotypical Barbie. Yes, it does get confusing, because ALL the females are called Barbie and ALL the men are called Ken. Ryan Gosling stars as (stereotypical) Ken, and might I say he is looking mighty fine! Ryan is in excellent shape and would indeed make me want to play with him...erm, the doll, I mean...oh, whatever...

Back to the movie. So, the Barbies and the Kens live in harmony in the perfect world of Barbieland. Life is a party and they're all blissful. Until Barbie starts having thoughts of death - a thought that never crossed their minds before. Barbie then starts to malfunction, and is ordered by Weird Barbie to go to the real world to find out who is playing with her. Ken decides to join her on her journey and so these 'dolls' enter the real world.

Something you have to keep in mind when watching 'Barbie' is that it is made in the way girls would play with their dolls. It does not follow a similar narration to most movies out there. I think many viewers might not understand this concept. I honestly went in with low expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining I found the film. Ok, then having said that, I enjoyed the first two acts far more than the third act.

For me, it felt like the film fell apart during the third act. It became a mess in a way, slapstick, and also far too feminist. Fair enough, this is about girl dolls, but for me as a man it became offensive in a way. I also believe this could send out a very wrong message to girls. If it wasn't for the chaotic final act, I would have enjoyed the film much better as a whole.

One has to admire the film's incredible production design. I predict 'Barbie' will receive an Oscar nomination for Best Production Design. The sets are beautiful and colourful, as if toys came to life. I also thought Margot Robbie was well cast as Barbie. Ryan Gosling is far too good an actor for the rather silly role of Ken, and I believe any actor would have sufficed as Ken.