Greta Gerwig hasn't missed yet with a film but this film is her first larger budget film. Similar to The Lego Movie, this film appears to be a harmless, funny commercial with a simple message but also like The Lego Movie, great writing and performances make it a heartfelt film with strong themes and messages.

The plot is fairly straightforward with our main Barbie going on a journey of self-discovery in the real world, while Ken does the same. A simple premise but well executed. The plot deals with themes such as gender, equality, the loss of childhood and the nature of growing up with such good humour and heart. I had a smile on my face the entire time.

The performances are strongest from the two leads, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Both bring a lot of energy and life to Barbie and Ken, communicating the struggles of being both a man and woman and how one can't exist without the other. They have excellent chemistry and both inject their roles with great emotion. The rest of the cast are good though some felt unnecessary. Will Ferrell's CEO could have benefitted from more screen time or could've even been cut completely. Yet he is still hilarious in the scenes he is in.

The set design is immaculate, Barbieland was a joy to witness. My only issue is we could've spent more time there. The score was great and the cinematography further helped with the immersion. Production-wise this film is gorgeous.

The only problems are a few too many times of the film hammering it's message in to the point it can become annoying. There are also a few lines and jokes that don't land at all and seem entirely of the time. Yet, these are minor in the face that everything does right.

Overall, Barbie is a lot of fun, with great comedy and a lot of heart. The leads are great, the set design is immaculate and the message is strong and positive. A fun film that I highly recommend.