Early 'Barbie' Reviews Are Glowing
Film/TV

Early 'Barbie' Reviews Are Glowing

by Peyton Gatewood

Everyone clear your schedules on July 21. Last Thursday, Warner Bros. held a test screening for the long-awaited live-action Barbie in New Jersey. Fans who had the pleasure of attending the screening took to Reddit for their unofficial raving reviews, calling the film "an absolute delight that will be an obsessive favorite."

"Despite the overall spiky and over-the-top comedy (There's even a chase scene!) it remains surprisingly emotional, playfully and blissfully political without being heavy-handed," said one user.

"Will win Oscars for Costume and Design," another user added. "It deconstructs the feminist iconography of Barbie and recontextualizes her for a new generation."

Barbie, directed by beloved feminine gaze auteur Greta Gerwig, is a live-action PG-13 movie that follows Margot Robbie, "Barbie,'' after she is expelled from Barbieland for being less than perfect. The Australian native absolutely bodies her role, bringing depth, interest and agency to the once two-dimensional character, complete with a juxtaposed Valley girl accent. The Ken to Robbie's Barbie is none other than Ryan Gosling, who earns flowers in his own right. Fans think this might be his best performance yet, with Gosling's La La Land-reminiscent singing and dancing sure to be a scene stealer. Other all-star cast members include Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Emma Mackey, Will Ferrel, Micheal Cera and many more.

According to early viewers, the film's costumes are thoughtful and nostalgic, itching a distant memory inside the brain of anyone who's ever seen a Barbie doll. In one leaked screencap, Gosling and Robbie rollerblade across the pier in neon yellow skates. Barbie is wearing hot pink bike shorts under her prototypical leotard, matching Ken's '80s printed shorts and button-up shirt.

Gerwig co-wrote the script with creative and romantic partner Noah Bambach.

"It was something that was exciting because it was terrifying," said Gerwig on the At Your Service podcast. "I think that was a big part of it, like: 'Oh, no, Barbie.'... It felt like vertigo, starting to write it, like: 'Where do you even begin, and what would be the story?'... Usually that’s where the best stuff is, where you're like, 'I am terrified of that.' Anything where you're like, 'This could be a career-ender' — then you're like, 'I should probably do it.'"

We're glad she did.

Barbie hits theaters July 21, 2023.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures