This is a fun, clever film that does about as much with its premise as it possibly could. Margot Robbie is cast as a doll with a reputation for an unrealistic body type. Finding a way to make a doll not only human but relatable and compelling enough to anchor a feature film is a daunting challenge, but somehow Robbie does just that while also managing to look the part. Appropriately, the art direction is playful. For all the inventiveness of this film, its concept occasionally leaves its screenplay unfocused.

In her live-action, big-screen debut, Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.