In a cinematic world often dominated by gritty action movies and complex time-bending dramas, Barbie is a cotton candy-colored breath of fresh air, serving up a delightful dose of sweet entertainment that is both inoffensive and visually captivating.

The plot revolves around a clever and engaging adventure that takes the audience on a whirlwind journey through Barbie's world, filled with colorful and imaginative settings. As much as Greta Gerwig (who also directs) and Noah Baumbach’s story is about Margo Robbie’s Barbie character, it is also about her neglected sidekick, Ken (Ryan Gosling).

While President Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Mermaid Barbie, and Lawyer Barbie are busy changing young girls’ perceptions of the world, all the disposable Kens (Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and John Cena) have much less purpose in their lives as they fawn for the attention of the Barbies and practice “beach.”

Meanwhile, noticing that her perfectly-formed high heel feet have suddenly gone flat, her thighs are marked with cellulite, and thoughts of death have begun to permeate her idle moments, Barbie seeks the wisdom of the exiled Weird Barbie, played to perfection by a surprisingly subdued Kate McKinnon. You know, weird Barbie: that one Barbie doll that some kids draw on with markers, dress in torn and tattered clothes, butcher her hair into strange styles, and leave her permanently positioned in straddle splits.

Weird Barbie informs stereotypical Barbie (Robbie) that some kind of strange wormhole has opened up between Barbieland and the real world, so she must go to the real world and seek out the troubled young girl who is playing with her doll in order to understand the recent changes she is experiencing. After setting out in her pink corvette, she discovers that Ken has unknowingly stowed away in the back seat.

Upon their arrival in the real world, Barbie and Ken soon discover some harsh realities about real life: receiving catcalls and being objectified are an inevitability; patriarchy is real; and rather then being viewed as a beloved icon of progressivism, Barbie is actually a deterrent to female cultural advancement.

Though it takes on many heady topics such as feminism, consumerism, patriarchy, fascism, and existentialism, at its core, Barbie is a celebration of innocence and optimism, providing a much-needed reminder that goodness and kindness can prevail in a world sometimes overshadowed by cynicism.

Gerwig and Baumbach masterfully showcase the Barbie character as a role model for young viewers, portraying her as intelligent, capable, and fiercely independent. Her innocence and purity make it a perfect family film. Though it might not appeal as much to younger audiences as it does to the young-at-heart, Barbie is fun and goofy with lighthearted humor that is peppered with clever puns and witty one-liners that will keep both kids and adults chuckling throughout.

Though a tad too long in its middle section, Barbie is an endearing and delightful cinematic experience that tickles the imagination and warms the heart. Just ignore all the hooey about it being a feminist anti-men movie or some kind of pro-China propaganda piece. It gracefully combines the lightness of cotton candy entertainment with the cleverness of a well-crafted plot, making it a standout in its genre. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun to watch.

The movie is a testament to the enduring appeal of Barbie as an iconic figure who continues to inspire generations of young girls to embrace their individuality and live fearlessly. So, grab your popcorn, buckle up for an innocent and heartwarming adventure, and let Barbie charm you with her timeless magic.

4K Ultra HD + Digital Code

Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros
Available on Blu-ray - October 17, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.00:1
Subtitles: English SDH; French; Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; English: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; single-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free

The cotton candy world of Barbie comes to 4k with the 4K UHD + Digital Code edition of the film from Warner Bros.

The first big observation with this release is that it is a single disc edition with only the 4K UHD disc. There is no blu-ray disc. If you want both, you'll need to pony up for the Blu-ray + Digital Code edition separately. This smells of a double dip situation as the previous standard has been to release in 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital editions. Paramount has done this with many of its releases over the last few years as has Warner.

The release comes with a handful of extra features and a digital code coupon. The black keep-case comes housed inside a glossy/glittery cardboard slip cover.

VIDEO

The native 2160p 2.00:1 picture is encoded with an HDR10 digital transfer and, as expected, will absolutely knock your socks off with the bright colors of Barbie land. The first noticeable attribute is the sharpness of the picture. Every single strand of hair, and thread of fabric is visible in perfect detail. If you've not already noticed it playing on every TV in every big box retailer, this is the perfect film to showcase your system.

AUDIO

The English language Dolby Atmos mix is what you would expect. It is big and bold, but surprisingly doesn't give a whole lot of movement throughout the soundstage. Nothing about the mix, it's just that most of the action takes place front and center. Yes, there's the occasional crowd clapping or other directional sound that keeps things interesting throughout the room, but it's just not the kind of film built for atmosphere.

Supplements:

Included are about an hour's worth of interesting bonus material ranging from discussions about Kate McKinnon's "Weird Barbie" to a nice look at the film's production design, and everything in between. Overall a nice little bundle of EPK goodness.

Commentary:

• one

Special Features:

Sigh... You get the all the special features from the Scream Factory release (among others) from long ago, but, as with all new media, if they don’t offer anything new, I see no point in reviewing the same stuff over again. It just seems the days of studios or physical media producers no longer wish to put the finance into making decent supplementary content anymore. Generous but long outdated commentaries and featurettes aplenty. That just makes me sad.

• It's A Weird World
• All-Star Barbie Party
• Musical Make-Believe
• Becoming Barbie
• Welcome to Barbie Land
• Playing Dress-Up

	Movie
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	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 104 mins
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig; Noah Baumbach
Cast: Margot Robbie; Ryan Gosling; Issa Rae
Genre: Comedy | Adventure
Tagline: She's Everything. He's Just Ken.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Humans have only one ending. Ideas live for ever."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site: https://www.barbie-themovie.com/
Release Date: July 21, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 17, 2023
Synopsis: Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.