The Barbie movie got a lot of buzz from critical praise but I was intrigued even before that because there were stories about how it had quite the journey through development. I don't know what the previous versions would have looked like but I wanted to start with how Greta Gerwig's version is structured. It would have been pretty easy to play to formula writing and developing the script, to just repackage a popular framework and insert Barbie with some different touches (paint it pink and glam it up a little). But the creative team wasn't content to do just that here, my favourite part of Barbie is the unconventional directions the plot shoots off in. Barbie coming to the real world could have been predicted but the parallel journey of Ken, Barbie bonding with Gloria and Sasha, the odyssey that the Mattel executives go on are so off-kilter and fresh. It's all firmly tongue-in-cheek as well, the movie is deliberately poking fun at both itself and the system (including the corporate owners of the Barbie brand Mattel). Is there the occasional misstep? Sure, but this movie was so rare that while I could have nitpicked and poked at inconsistencies, I didn't want to. Barbie encourages you strap in for a ride and I can forgive the occasional bump in the journey if you deliver the goods. With such a silly tone and some well-intentioned rhetoric, Barbie absolutely does that and more.

In Barbie's debut, we travel to Barbieland, a candy coated toy-like version of reality that is perfectly curated to the needs of all the Barbies (and to a lesser extent all the Kens). The production design, costuming, sets, lighting are all dynamic and creative. The creative team does an excellent job of adding little touches to flesh out the world while maintaining the glossy veneer of the toys. The cars, the houses, the outfits are picture perfect and magnify how much money and effort clearly went into designing and creating this world. They use set dressing to great comedic effect too and it helps sell how strange and eerie coming to reality would be for our heroes.

Margot Robbie is pulling double duty as both the star and a producer in this feature. Robbie is her typical excellent self here, she's what the movie is centred around but she isn't afraid to share the spotlight with some of the other heavy hitters in the cast. She's as advertised in Barbie, she's funny, dramatic and magnetic all in equal measure. Ryan Gosling is really going for it as Ken, he's also underrated as a comedic talent. The jokes are fairly simple here but his enthusiastic delivery is what sets his work apart. Some people have mentioned awards consideration, I wouldn't go that far but he's great and he showed up to work. My favourite performance actually came from America Ferrera as Gloria. She's got great chemistry with both her on-screen daughter Sasha (played by an also great Ariana Greenblatt) and Robbie. She's playing more the everywoman in the minefield that is the world today with a frenetic energy that totally fits. I also wanted to congratulate Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell (in a very President Business-esque turn), Issa Rae and Alexandra Shipp for some excellent work in their respective supporting roles as well.

Barbie has plenty to say and uses the platform effectively to get the message across. There's so much packed in here from how problematic it can be excelling as a woman in today's world, the fragility of the male psyche, how corporations flip-floppy attitude towards gender politics are based upon greed instead of the collective good etc. Depending on the scene, some of the material is delivered in a more subtle manner than in others but I was continually impressed by how the creative team was able to get the message across while weaving it into the movie without coming across as too heavy-handed. I'll also concede that I felt like they got 80-90% of the way there instead of the whole 100% (there's still an aftertaste of non-equality at the end). But I'll also concede that I'm not the target demographic here, I completely approve of the movie in its completed form and I'm all for what the message is trying to say (woman power, working through insurmountable obstacles bit by bit, getting in touch with yourself through introspection and acts of kindness, shape your own standards for beauty etc.)

Barbie was a little uneven for me but I really enjoyed the overall package. Barbie is bold, vibrant, well-made and delightfully weird in the best of ways. The performances are great and I liked that despite it taking advantage of existing intellectual property, it stands out by being a self-contained story that doesn't hinge on a Mattel Cinematic Universe or suggest that there will be sequel after sequel. I want to tip my cap to Greta Gerwig and her team for subverting expectations and giving us an unconventional blockbuster experience. Go see Barbie in theatres if you get the chance.