Barbie is a fascinating movie with a kaleidoscope of ways to analyze it. Is it only talking to Barbie fans? Should Mattel get credit for daring to allow Greta Gerwig and gang to make it? What does it say about gender roles? About masculinity? Is it only designed to inflame insecure manbabies? Or is it just a high energy variation on what The Lego Movie did before it?

Barbie is a knowing wink that has something to say. It stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling plus and a whole host of other recognizable actors playing variations of Barbie and Ken (and Alan and Skipper and a host of other offshoot characters). Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie is having an existential crisis so she travels to the real world to find out who is playing with her wrong.

I was in an almost packed theater that let out of a war whoop of “Let’s go Barbie!” as soon as Nicole Kidman stopped waxing eloquent about movie theaters. They were primed and totally in for the flick. I was too… though as a dude who never owned a Barbie (and, to be fair, never owned a GI Joe either) I’m sure I was missing a lot of the in-jokes. Which isn’t to say you wouldn’t like the movie if you also were Barbie-deprived… but that people who know Barbie and love her – or even hate her – will get more out of the movie.

Indeed, I was amused and surprised Mattel let them make such an anti-Barbie movie. There’s a lot of jokes at the expense of the toy line AND the company itself. Granted they ultimately finds a way to redeem the brand a bit so they are still getting something self-serving out of it… but any time a corporation allows itself to be clowned is a plus.

I laughed quite a bit throughout the movie… especially at a banger of a metatextual joke about Margot Robbie herself midway through. The song and dance numbers are clever and infectious and I enjoyed what it had to say about the gender divide. The movie knows what it’s doing and has a very even-handed, thoughtful, and emotional finale.

This is a good, fun movie that will work better for girls and women and those who grew up with Barbie. It’s an entertaining hoot for anyone though… as long as you don’t bring an axe to grind.

Score: 87