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Barbie (2023) Parent Guide

Creating a witty, campy, original film about plastic dolls is a genuine achievement..

Theaters: When Barbie's perfect life is rocked by unexplained phenomena, she and Ken go on a trip to the real world to save Barbie Land.

Release date July 21, 2023

Run Time: 114 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

Barbie (Margot Robbie) is living her dream life in her bright pink dream house. She enjoys non-stop validation and entertainment in a world where her fellow Barbies can achieve anything – winning Nobel prizes, flying into space, or being President. Secure in the conviction that the success of Barbies inspires girls in the far-off “real” world, she’s able to party enthusiastically with Ken (Ryan Gosling) and her friends, at least, until she has sudden, irrepressible thoughts of death.

That’s not all. The next morning, Barbie wakes up with (horror of horrors) flat feet and is unable to drift down the levels of her stairless house. After she lands with a thud on the sidewalk, our protagonist visits Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) to uncover the cause of these disturbing phenomena. She learns that her answers can only be found in the real world, so she hops into her convertible to save Barbie Land. Unable to exist outside Barbie’s gaze, Ken insists on coming along, but their experiences in Los Angeles have dire consequences for their pink, plastic reality…

When Barbie arrives in LA, she discovers that not only do women not enjoy the female successes found in Barbie Land; some of them resent Barbie and her fellow dolls for fostering unreasonable expectations. Barbie is horrified to encounter both misogyny and patriarchy – but these attitudes give Ken a sense of visibility and respect. This cognitive divergence drives the rest of the plot and leads to an existential crisis for both characters and their entire community.

Jaded critic that I am, it’s not often that I get excited about a film, but I want to give two big thumbs-up to Greta Gerwig for co-writing and directing a movie that kept me guessing for its entire runtime. I honestly did not know how this movie was going to end, and that’s such a refreshing change. The script is also laugh-out-loud funny – Depression Barbie binge-watching Pride & Prejudice was a particularly rich moment for me, but theatergoers at my showing burst into laughter at frequent intervals.

There’s no doubt this film has been written for adult audiences (particularly women) but it can also be enjoyed by teens. Negative content is limited to minor innuendo, infrequent profanity, and some farcical violence. This is more than balanced by the movie’s positive themes. Barbie doesn’t just dissect the harms of structural misogyny; it drives home a strong message of female empowerment. When disillusioned Barbie moans that she’s “not smart enough to be interesting”, real world mom Gloria (America Ferrera) delivers an impassioned plea for female self-acceptance in a culture of unattainable, often contradictory expectations.

More impressively, this isn’t just a film about female disempowerment or rage. The script has the courage to look at the Kens and the consequences of ongoing marginalization, even when it results from cluelessness instead of malicious intent. As Barbie and Ken look beyond social constructs and examine their own interests and priorities, the movie becomes a tale of self-acceptance and maturation. Barbie is more than an advertorial for a child’s plaything: it’s a parable about individual agency. And stories don’t get much deeper than that.

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Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for barbie (2023).

Barbie (2023) Rating & Content Info

Why is Barbie (2023) rated PG-13? Barbie (2023) is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for suggestive references and brief language.

Violence: There are chase scenes involving reckless driving. There are scenes of physical fighting involving hitting, kicking, and shoving. Male characters have a “war” in which sports equipment is used in place of weapons. A man is put in a headlock with the handle of a shovel. A woman punches a man for slapping her backside. A man hits himself hard enough to fall over. Sexual Content: There is a coded reference to masturbation. Doll characters reference the “blobs” inside the male dolls’ jeans. There is some mild sexual innuendo. A main character refers to a “penis” and “vagina” and says that they don’t have any genitals. A man slaps a woman’s backside. A doll “grows” breasts when her arm is turned in circles. Song lyrics bemoan a character’s permanent state of virginity. Profanity:   A sexual expletive is bleeped out. There are a half dozen terms of deity and minor profanities. Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

Page last updated July 20, 2023

Barbie (2023) Parents' Guide

What effect does Barbie and Ken’s relationship have on the rest of the film? What does their relationship say about power differentials? How does that influence the way Ken reacts to his experience in the real world? How do you think Barbie can remain unaware of Ken’s feelings? What does their relationship say about real-life relationships?

What do you think of Barbie’s choice at the end of the movie? Would you make the same decision? Why or why not?

Related home video titles:

If you’re looking for a teen-friendly story of female empowerment, you can try Moxie . This Netflix production tells the story of a teen who launches an anonymous zine to protest the sexualized misogyny prevalent in her high school.

In Misbehaviour , a group of British feminists plan a protest against the 1970 Miss World beauty pageant to highlight the misogyny of their culture.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s long climb to the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States is depicted in On the Basis of Sex .

Is the New "Barbie" Movie Appropriate For Kids? Here's What Parents Should Know

Updated on 9/13/2023 at 1:25 PM

Barbie, the beloved childhood icon, has been given a live-action makeover in a new movie that's unlike the Barbie stories of the past. Instead, the doll we grew up with comes to life in a brand-new cinematic adventure directed by Greta Gerwig , starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken.

Barbie (the doll) is fit for all ages. But is the new "Barbie" movie appropriate for kids? Here's what you should know about the "Barbie" movie plot and how the movie, which is now in theaters and newly streaming on Prime Video , is faring among parents and experts. This way, you can make an informed decision before you take the kids to the theater or let them watch from home.

How Long Is the New "Barbie" Movie?

"Barbie" runs for one hour and 54 minutes, according to IMDb , or 114 minutes. That alone is a sign that this movie isn't geared toward little ones. Kids' movies tend to be shorter, no more than 100 minutes, to accommodate their shorter attention spans.

What Is the "Barbie" Movie Rated?

The "Barbie" movie is rated PG-13, which means (literally): "Parental Guidance: some material may be inappropriate for children under 13." It's meant to be a strong caution for parents to consider when deciding whether to let their kids see a movie. For "Barbie" specifically, the movie has been rated PG-13 due to "suggestive references" and "brief language."

Is the "Barbie" Movie Appropriate For Kids?

One of the biggest differences between the new movie and earlier Barbie movies like "Barbie and the Secret Door," "The Princess & the Popstar," and "A Fashion Fairytale" is that Gerwig's "Barbie" is not animated. These are real people.

And unlike live-action remakes of kids' films like "The Little Mermaid," which retain the animated original's themes and sense of fantasy, "Barbie" depicts characters in real-world situations, dealing with real-world problems — the characters grapple with dating, aging, beauty standards, and harassment. The plot is centered on Barbie's existential crisis, which is a pretty heavy topic in and of itself.

All this to say, the plot is more adult than Barbie movies of the past. It includes playful humor that might appeal to all audiences, but this movie is geared toward a more grown-up audience.

From the trailer alone, we see Barbie getting her butt slapped on the beach, punching a man in the face, and appearing to get arrested with Ken.

IMDb reports that the movie contains several sexual innuendos and references to the characters' (lack of) genitals. "One scene shows Ken asking Barbie if he can stay over as they're 'girlfriend and boyfriend.' When Barbie asks 'to do what?' Ken pauses before saying 'I'm actually not sure,'" Danny Brogan, executive editor at Common Sense Media, told Yahoo! Life .

It's a line that may go over kids' heads — but that also means that, at the end of the day, the movie may not be particularly funny or interesting to them.

There's also some violence (but nothing overly frightening; no blood, gore, or any weapons are used) and some mild risqué language, including one bleeped-out use of the mf-word. The movie also has some more grown-up jokes (like a joke that centers on the word "beach" and jokes about beauty standards and the patriarchy). However, like the joke about being boyfriend/girlfriend, these jokes are very likely to go over the head of someone who is younger without leaving any holes in the plotline.

"I think Gerwig has included all this mature content knowing that a large portion of the audience will be millennials and members of Generation Z — people who grew up with Barbie during the '80s, '90s, and '00s — looking for that nostalgia but also to be entertained," Brogan told Yahoo! Life.

Personally, I went to see the movie with my 16-year-old, and I felt it was perfectly appropriate for her in terms of the message of the movie and the jokes. She was old enough to understand the storyline's humor, nostalgia, and positive messages. I wouldn't hesitate to allow my 14-year-old to watch the movie, either. However, I would have pause in allowing my 9-year-old to watch the movie, but only because I don't think they would find it interesting, and the jokes would go above their head.

With that info in mind, the PG-13 rating seems accurate — this isn't a movie for tweens and younger, not necessarily because of the content, but because much of it might be over their heads and not as entertaining.

How Do You Know If Your Kid Is Ready to See the "Barbie" Movie?

Dr. Amanda Gummer , child psychologist, parenting expert, and founder of The Good Play Guide, tells POPSUGAR that parents should consider what other movies their kids have seen and look at the marketing material of the "Barbie" movie to get a feel for if it's appropriate for their kid. "A good place to start is to consider how your child has reacted to other similarly rated films," Dr. Gummer says. "Past experiences are great to consider their readiness for PG-13 content."

She continues, "Have a look at the pre-marketing materials and trailers and think about the different themes, language, potential violence levels, and sexual content [that] might appear. Think about what your child likes to do or watch and what they are already exposed to, as some children can be more sensitive to certain topics than others."

Dr. Gummer also suggests watching the movie together with your kid, so you can talk about what you saw after the film. "If you decide your child is ready to watch, then why not watch it together and allocate some time after to grab a milkshake and chat about what you've seen?" she suggests. "This allows you to provide context, answer questions, and have fun talking things through."

The movie does cover some big topics like feminism, beauty standards, body image, harassment, and patriarchy, which might be heavy for some younger teens, or they can be a good jumping-off point for important conversations. "Why not start a conversation about beauty standards and talk about how different standards can influence a person's self-esteem and body image and how harassment is unacceptable and can hurt others?" Dr. Gummer suggests. "The 'Barbie' movie and its inclusive and positive positioning is a wonderful springboard to have discussions around a supportive environment. The film covers topics such as friendship, openness, and inclusivity, so it's a great springboard to start conversations with your children and promote healthy values."

Dr. Gummer says she's "excited" about the movie hitting the big screens because it allows parents to talk to preteens and teens about important topics. "For me, it represents a positive move that can serve as a great role model for older children, as it provides essential values and encourages conversation around different themes," she says. "Through the diverse range of personalities and characters in the movie, there is a great opportunity to discuss inclusivity, acceptance, and the value of individuality — all really important topics today and helpful as children understand and appreciate the differences in others."

Ultimately, you know your kid best. If you have checked out the plotline and read some reviews and are still not sure if now is the right time for your kid to see "Barbie," stick to one of the animated stories instead. The live-action movie will always be there in a few months or years when the timing is right.

"Barbie" opened in theaters nationwide on July 21.

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Barbie | 2023 | PG-13 | – 3.3.4

Barbie SEX/NUDITY 3

Barbie violence/gore 3, barbie language 4, barbie substance use, barbie discussion topics, barbie message.

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Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated , Special , Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.

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"Barbie," director and co-writer Greta Gerwig ’s summer splash, is a dazzling achievement, both technically and in tone. It’s a visual feast that succeeds as both a gleeful escape and a battle cry. So crammed with impeccable attention to detail is "Barbie” that you couldn’t possibly catch it all in a single sitting; you’d have to devote an entire viewing just to the accessories, for example. The costume design (led by two-time Oscar winner Jacqueline Durran ) and production design (led by six-time Oscar nominee Sarah Greenwood ) are constantly clever and colorful, befitting the ever-evolving icon, and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (a three-time Oscar nominee) gives everything a glossy gleam. It’s not just that Gerwig & Co. have recreated a bunch of Barbies from throughout her decades-long history, outfitted them with a variety of clothing and hairstyles, and placed them in pristine dream houses. It’s that they’ve brought these figures to life with infectious energy and a knowing wink.

“Barbie” can be hysterically funny, with giant laugh-out-loud moments generously scattered throughout. They come from the insularity of an idyllic, pink-hued realm and the physical comedy of fish-out-of-water moments and choice pop culture references as the outside world increasingly encroaches. But because the marketing campaign has been so clever and so ubiquitous, you may discover that you’ve already seen a fair amount of the movie’s inspired moments, such as the “ 2001: A Space Odyssey ” homage and Ken’s self-pitying ‘80s power ballad. Such is the anticipation industrial complex.

And so you probably already know the basic plot: Barbie ( Margot Robbie ), the most popular of all the Barbies in Barbieland, begins experiencing an existential crisis. She must travel to the human world in order to understand herself and discover her true purpose. Her kinda-sorta boyfriend, Ken ( Ryan Gosling ), comes along for the ride because his own existence depends on Barbie acknowledging him. Both discover harsh truths—and make new friends –along the road to enlightenment. This bleeding of stark reality into an obsessively engineered fantasy calls to mind the revelations of “ The Truman Show ” and “The LEGO Movie,” but through a wry prism that’s specifically Gerwig’s.

This is a movie that acknowledges Barbie’s unrealistic physical proportions—and the kinds of very real body issues they can cause in young girls—while also celebrating her role as a feminist icon. After all, there was an astronaut Barbie doll (1965) before there was an actual woman in NASA’s astronaut corps (1978), an achievement “Barbie” commemorates by showing two suited-up women high-fiving each other among the stars, with Robbie’s Earth-bound Barbie saluting them with a sunny, “Yay, space!” This is also a movie in which Mattel (the doll’s manufacturer) and Warner Bros. (the film’s distributor) at least create the appearance that they’re in on the surprisingly pointed jokes at their expense. Mattel headquarters features a spacious, top-floor conference room populated solely by men with a heart-shaped, “ Dr. Strangelove ”-inspired lamp hovering over the table, yet Will Ferrell ’s CEO insists his company’s “gender-neutral bathrooms up the wazoo” are evidence of diversity. It's a neat trick.

As the film's star, Margot Robbie finds just the right balance between satire and sincerity. She’s  the  perfect casting choice; it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed stunner completely looks the part, of course, but she also radiates the kind of unflagging, exaggerated optimism required for this heightened, candy-coated world. Later, as Barbie’s understanding expands, Robbie masterfully handles the more complicated dialogue by Gerwig and her co-writer and frequent collaborator, filmmaker Noah Baumbach . From a blinding smile to a single tear and every emotion in between, Robbie finds the ideal energy and tone throughout. Her performance is a joy to behold.

And yet, Ryan Gosling is a consistent scene-stealer as he revels in Ken’s himbo frailty. He goes from Barbie’s needy beau to a swaggering, macho doofus as he throws himself headlong into how he thinks a real man should behave. (Viewers familiar with Los Angeles geography will particularly get a kick out of the places that provide his inspiration.) Gosling sells his square-jawed character’s earnestness and gets to tap into his “All New Mickey Mouse Club” musical theater roots simultaneously. He’s a total hoot.

Within the film’s enormous ensemble—where the women are all Barbies and the men are all Kens, with a couple of exceptions—there are several standouts. They include a gonzo Kate McKinnon as the so-called “Weird Barbie” who places Robbie’s character on her path; Issa Rae as the no-nonsense President Barbie; Alexandra Shipp as a kind and capable Doctor Barbie; Simu Liu as the trash-talking Ken who torments Gosling’s Ken; and America Ferrera in a crucial role as a Mattel employee. And we can’t forget Michael Cera as the one Allan, bumbling awkwardly in a sea of hunky Kens—although everyone else forgets Allan.

But while “Barbie” is wildly ambitious in an exciting way, it’s also frustratingly uneven at times. After coming on strong with wave after wave of zippy hilarity, the film drags in the middle as it presents its more serious themes. It’s impossible not to admire how Gerwig is taking a big swing with heady notions during the mindless blockbuster season, but she offers so many that the movie sometimes stops in its propulsive tracks to explain itself to us—and then explain those points again and again. The breezy, satirical edge she established off the top was actually a more effective method of conveying her ideas about the perils of toxic masculinity and entitlement and the power of female confidence and collaboration.

One character delivers a lengthy, third-act speech about the conundrum of being a woman and the contradictory standards to which society holds us. The middle-aged mom in me was nodding throughout in agreement, feeling seen and understood, as if this person knew me and was speaking directly to me. But the longtime film critic in me found this moment a preachy momentum killer—too heavy-handed, too on-the-nose, despite its many insights.  

Still, if such a crowd-pleasing extravaganza can also offer some fodder for thoughtful conversations afterward, it’s accomplished several goals simultaneously. It’s like sneaking spinach into your kid’s brownies—or, in this case, blondies.

Available in theaters on July 21st. 

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

Barbie (2023)

Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language.

114 minutes

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Ryan Gosling as Ken

America Ferrera as Gloria

Will Ferrell as Mattel CEO

Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie

Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha

Issa Rae as President Barbie

Rhea Perlman as Ruth Handler

Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie

Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie

Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie

Michael Cera as Allan

Helen Mirren as Narrator

Simu Liu as Ken

Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie

John Cena as Kenmaid

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ken

Scott Evans as Ken

Jamie Demetriou as Mattel Executive

• Greta Gerwig
• Noah Baumbach

Cinematographer

• Rodrigo Prieto
• Alexandre Desplat
• Mark Ronson

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BARBIE Parents Guide + Movie Review

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Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is a worldwide revolution. Tackling feminism, the patriarchy, and a cotton candy color palette, Barbie is a true sensation. Although this movie is making headlines everywhere, is Barbie kid-friendly? I’m breaking down all of the thematic elements, including its PG-13 rating, in this  Barbie Parents Guide and Movie Review. Here’s what parents need to know to help YOU decide if it’s age appropriate for your kids. As always, no spoilers!

Since the first trailer was shown, the Barbie movie has taken the world by storm. The geniuses behind the marketing team deserve all the applause for the success of this movie. Their marketing campaign exuded pure brilliance.

What makes the Barbie movie so enticing, is the fact that Barbie has been around for decades, therefore, appealing to multiple generations. And while your first thought might be that this is a kids movie, this couldn’t be further than the truth. Surprisingly, Barbie’s target demographic is NOT children.

So, who is the Barbie movie for? Well, that’s easy. Barbie is for everyone.

Every day is the same day in Barbie Land — and it’s perfection. However, it is evident that each day in Barbie Land is reminiscent of Groundhog Day. It’s literally the same, perfect day, every single day. There are multiple Barbie’s in Barbie Land. Because Barbie can be anything, there is President Barbie, Physicist Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Mermaid Barbie, etc. Our story focuses on Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie).

Unwilling, Barbie begins to change. Her feet are suddenly flat, and she’s developing cellulite! She even has thoughts of (gasp) dying! Soon she finds herself in the middle of a full-blown existential crisis. With the advice of Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), Barbie sets off on an adventure to the real world (Los Angeles), in search of who has been playing with her, and thus putting these thoughts into her head.

Ken (Ryan Gosling) sneaks along on the adventure, because Ken’s whole purpose in life is Barbie.

Now, I know that sounds like an unbearably cheesy storyline, but trust me when I say there is much more substance to the Barbie movie than meets the eye.

The Cinematography and Soundtrack

If you grew up playing Barbies, you’re in for a real treat. The setting of Barbie Land is perfection. It’s the most perfect pink color palette, filled with multiple Barbie Dreamhouses, and other bits of nostalgia. Fans will have fun noticing various Easter eggs and taking a trip down memory lane. Although the Barbie movie is a live-action film, animation is cleverly woven into the storyline.

The soundtrack for the Barbie movie is top notch. Not only are the tunes spectacular, the film features fun dance sequences with impressive choreography. Ryan Gosling’s, Ken, has his own number, and it’s a whole vibe.

Is Barbie Kid-Friendly? Here’s Your Parents Guide:

While your first thought might be that Barbie is obviously a kids movie, that is definitely not the case. In fact, it appeared evident in the trailers that Barbie might be made for older generations. Not only is the Barbie movie live-action, it also has a PG-13 rating.

Why is Barbie rated PG-13?

The Barbie movie has an MPA rating of PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language. Barbie has a runtime of 1 hour 54 minutes. Here’s what parents need to know before seeing the new Barbie movie with your kids.

Violence : There is one fight scene between the Kens.

Language : The language in Barbie is fairly mild. Lookout words include: damn, Hell, Bimbo, bitch, and a bleeped out Mother F*****.

Mature Content : There are multiple sexual innuendos in the Barbie movie. Ken makes a comment that he doesn’t have a penis and Barbie doesn’t have a vagina. He then says that they don’t have any genitals at all. Other content includes one Ken twisting another Ken’s nipples, a random person in the real world smacking Barbie’s butt, and cat-calling. Barbie and Kens are shown drinking alcohol and a character gets arrested. There is also mention of being day drunk. Barbie is suffering from an existential crisis and some of her actions appear related to depression.

What is the Age Recommendation for the Barbie Movie?

As I previously stated, the Barbie movie is NOT intended for your little ones. Simply put, they wouldn’t understand it, and therefore, wouldn’t enjoy it. There’s too much of a story. Barbie would be best suited for ages (mature) 10 and up — but even that age group will have some questions. There are some great conversation starters in the Barbie movie that you can have with your children.

Is there and End-Credits Scene in the Barbie Movie?

End credit scenes are all the rage thanks to the MCU. We are trained to keep our butts seated throughout the lengthly post credit rolls. With that being said, Barbie does NOT have any end credit scene. Feel free to get up and stretch.

Overall Thoughts

Barbie is the most inclusive movie I’ve seen in a long time. It perfectly showcases the evolution of Barbie with a strong message of self-acceptance loud and clear. America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, has the most powerful speech in the movie. Women have such a pressure on themselves to be extraordinary in all of the things, but society continuously deems them not good enough. It’s exhausting. The audience in my theater literally applauded at her conclusion because it’s the hard truth.

The cast of Barbie puts on a stellar performance, while Ryan Gosling steals the show with every scene he’s in. But, it’s the heart of the Barbie movie that wins it for me. Bravo, Greta Gerwig, for a job well done.

Barbie Synopsis

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

Looking for more reviews like this Barbie Parents Guide and movie review? Don’t miss these posts  HERE .

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Of Course, the Barbie Movie Is Feminist—The Doll Has Been All Along

Given all the feminist trails Barbie has blazed over the decades, it's no surprise Barbie's major motion picture debut is bursting with girl power.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Getty Images

When the first teaser trailer for Barbie dropped last December, the 2001: A Space Odyssey -style scene (which also happens to be the film’s opening) offered a valuable nugget of Barbie history.

For centuries, little girls had dolls—baby dolls, specifically, and therefore, the type of pretend play they could engage in with their dolls was limited to imagining themselves as mothers. But in 1959, Barbie busted on the scene, and poof , everything changed.

From that point on, kids could play with a doll modeled after a teen or adult who had a range of aspirational careers. Barbie’s debut was also a sign of game-changing conversations, books and periodicals (like 1963’s The Feminine Mystique and Gloria Steinem’s Ms. magazine), and movements (from second-wave feminism to womanism ) that fueled professional and political progress for women in America.

Fast-forward to 2023: It’s no surprise the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie movie is deeply, unapologetically feminist. 

Spoiler alert: Several plot points and scenes are described below.

At first blush, Barbieland—the first of the film’s two main settings (the other being the “Real World” aka Los Angeles)—is exactly what you’d expect a live-action Barbie world to look like. It's extremely pink, bright, full of dream houses, pink convertibles, and a plasticine beach where the dolls can gather to soak up the sun and wave hello to their mermaid counterparts, played by Dua Lipa and John Cena, in the faux water.

However, within minutes, you notice that Barbieland touts a pink Capitol where President Barbie, played by Issa Rae, runs the government, the land’s Supreme Court is all female, and their version of Mount Rushmore is entirely made up of trailblazing Barbies.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

“Stereotypical Barbie,” played by Margot Robbie, hangs out with Nobel Prize-winning physicist Barbie and Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Barbie among other inspiring girl boss dolls . Sure, there are Ken dolls, but it’s made clear that they don’t have much going on unless, say, their Barbie invites them to a party. Barbieland is a female-dominated paradise. And clearly, pink—a hue that for decades has been inexplicably linked to femininity—is a power color.

It isn’t until Robbie’s Barbie has to enter the Real World that she learns about the patriarchy, a word that pops up a lot in the script. While Ken suddenly feels noticed, powerful, and cool, Barbie’s harassed by men on the Venice boardwalk.

Barbie learns her creator, Mattel, doesn’t have a current female CEO as she anticipated. Though she had been under the impression that Barbie had made life better for girls and women in the "Real World," she’s offered a rude awakening in the form of evisceration from 13-year-old Sasha, played by Ariana Greenblatt. Sasha tells her that Barbie is bad for young people and that she sets problematic, unrealistic beauty standards.

She also finds out from Sasha’s mom, Gloria, played by America Ferrera, it’s pretty tough to be a woman in the "Real World," between being held to ridiculous expectations and facing glaring inequality. Yet, she begins to evolve and step into her own humanity, something that’s more beautiful than anything she could have ever imagined in Barbieland. This perfect storm ultimately leads to a battle of the sexes in Barbieland. 

In other words, the Gerwig-penned script is anything but a fluffy, two-hour commercial for a doll. It’s bursting with feminist ideas and themes that, with hope, will spur exciting, educational conversations between parents and kids about why we don’t live in a world in which women have as much power as they do in Barbieland—and why it is a problem for anyone, no matter their gender, to be made to feel like an accessory, and more. 

As a proud, lifelong feminist, and someone who’s eager to read books like Loryn Brantz’s Feminist Baby and Grace Byers’ I Am Enough to my future child, I also can’t wait to show them the Barbie movie one day.  

In addition to its empowering messages, Barbie is making feminist history as we speak. The film raked in $162 million at the box office during its opening weekend. Although it would be nice to applaud Greta Gerwig for her achievements without having to point to her gender (because no one ever points out that someone like, say, Oppenheimer ’s Christopher Nolan is making waves as a male director), the fact is that Barbie now holds the record for the biggest box office debut ever for a film directed by a woman .

It’s just one more trail Barbie has blazed over the course of her feminist history. As a Twitter thread by BJ Colangelo points out, the first Barbie house was sold in 1962, a full decade before it became illegal for financial institutions to refuse loans to single women altogether or without a male cosigner. In 1965, the first astronaut Barbie hit the scene—almost 20 years before Sally Ride became the first human woman in space in 1983. Since 1992, Barbie has run for president every term. And the Barbie Vlog teaches kids about anti-Black racism, anti-Asian hate, gay dads, Hispanic Heritage Month, equity, diversity, inclusion , and, yep, feminist theory. 

Mattel Films’ executive producer Robbie Brenner may have insisted to Time the film is “not a feminist movie.” But given Barbie’s feminist history, there is nothing else her first motion picture could have been. 

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Barbie First Reviews: Hysterically Funny, Perfectly Cast, and Affectionately Crafted

Critics say greta gerwig's send-up of the iconic doll is a thoughtfully self-aware, laugh-out-loud comedy that benefits from a flawless margot robbie and a scene-stealing ryan gosling..

TAGGED AS: Comedy , First Reviews , movies

Here’s what critics are saying about Barbie :

Is the movie funny?

“ Barbie can be hysterically funny, with giant laugh-out-loud moments generously scattered throughout.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

“Often funny, occasionally very funny, but sometimes also somehow demure and inhibited, as if the urge to be funny can only be mean and satirical.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

“The entire screenplay is packed with winking one-liners, the kind that reward a rewatch.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

“One of the funniest comedies of the year.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

Will fans of Greta Gerwig’s other movies enjoy Barbie?

“In some ways, Barbie builds on themes Gerwig explored in Lady Bird and Little Women .” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

“ Barbie balances the incredibly pointed specificity of the jokes and relatability of Lady Bird , with the celebration of women and the ability to show a new angle of something we thought we knew like we saw with Gerwig’s take on Little Women .” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

“Never doubt Gerwig.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

(Photo by ©Warner Bros. Pictures)

How is the script?

“It’s almost shocking how much this duo gets away with in this script, and in certain moments, like a major speech by America Ferrera’s Gloria, who works at Mattel, it’s beautiful that some of these scenes can exist in a big-budget summer film like this.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

“One character delivers a lengthy, third-act speech about the conundrum of being a woman and the contradictory standards to which society holds us… [and it’s] a preachy momentum killer — too heavy-handed, too on-the-nose, despite its many insights. ” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

“The moments that aren’t just laughing at and with the crowd, however, are shoved into long, important monologues that, with each recitation, dull the impact of their message.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Does it stick the landing?

“The second half of Barbie bogs down a bit.” – Michael Philips, Chicago Tribune

”It’s frustratingly uneven at times. After coming on strong with wave after wave of zippy hilarity, the film drags in the middle as it presents its more serious themes.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

How does it look?

“It’s a visual feast.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

“Highest honors to production designer Sarah Greenwood, costume designer Jacqueline Durran and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto.” – Michael Philips, Chicago Tribune

How is Margot Robbie as Barbie?

“She’s the perfect casting choice; it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role… Her performance is a joy to behold.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

“She gives an impressively transformative performance, moving her arms and joints like they’re actually made of plastic.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

“Anything Gerwig and Baumbach’s verbally dexterous script requires, from Barbie’s first teardrop to the final punchline, Robbie handles with unerring precision.” – Michael Philips, Chicago Tribune

“Robbie is simply incredible in the title role… She has often excelled in these types of roles where we see the power a woman truly has in her environment, but there might not be a better example of that than in Barbie .” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

What about Ryan Gosling’s Ken?

“For an actor who’s spent much of his career brooding moodily, here, he finally gets to tap into his inner Mousketeer.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

“Ryan Gosling is a consistent scene-stealer… He’s a total hoot.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

“Ken allows Gosling to go broad in a way that we’ve never seen him go before, and the result is charming, bizarre, and one of the most hysterical performances of the year.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

Does it feel like a toy commercial?

“It’s Gerwig’s care and attention to detail that gives Barbie an actual point of view, elevating it beyond every other cynical, IP-driven cash grab.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

“ Barbie could’ve just been a commercial, but Gerwig makes this life of plastic into something truly fantastic.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

“This movie is perhaps a giant two-hour commercial for a product, although no more so than The Lego Movie , yet Barbie doesn’t go for the comedy jugular anywhere near as gleefully as that.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

“The muddied politics and flat emotional landing of Barbie are signs that the picture ultimately serves a brand.” – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Are there any big problems?

“If the film has a flaw, it’s that Barbie and Ken are so delightful that their real-world counterparts feel dull by comparison.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

“The only segment of Barbie that doesn’t work as well as it maybe should is the addition of Mattel into this narrative.” – Ross Bonaime, Collider

“Because the marketing campaign has been so clever and so ubiquitous, you may discover that you’ve already seen a fair amount of the movie’s inspired moments.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com

Who is the movie ultimately for?

“ Barbie works hard to entertain both 11-year-old girls and the parents who’ll bring them to the theater.” – Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly

“ Barbie doesn’t have that tiring air of trying to be everything to everybody. With luck, and a big opening, it might actually find the audience it deserves just by being its curious, creative, buoyant self.” – Michael Philips, Chicago Tribune

Barbie opens in theaters everywhere on July 21, 2023.

Thumbnail image by ©Warner Bros. Pictures

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Is 'Barbie' a kid's movie? Understanding the movie's PG-13 rating

Warning: This post contains spoilers for "Barbie."

"Barbie" has been one of the most buzzed-about movies for over a year. The second photos leaked of stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling rollerblading across Venice Beach in neon outfits last summer, the world was obsessed.

But director Greta Gerwig wasn't quick to release details about the movie's plot. Even the film's official trailer reveals little about what actually goes down in theaters , according to the actors involved.

“You cannot even describe what this movie is. The trailers and sound bites allude to how much fun this movie is and how spectacular it is. But they don’t scratch the surface of how deep this movie goes, or all of the thematic elements of the film,” Simu Liu, who plays a Ken doll in the film, previously told TODAY.com .

Which leads us to ask: Is "Barbie," whose namesake is a favorite toy among young children , truly kid friendly? The short version is, yes, for young teens.

Why is 'Barbie' rated PG-13?

"Barbie" earned a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association for "suggestive references" and "brief language."

As for suggestive references, one of the film's teaser trailers shows a scene on the beach where Gosling's Ken says, “I would beach you off.” Liu’s Ken responds, “I’ll beach off with you any day,” which escalates until Robbie says, “Nobody’s gonna beach anyone off.”

There are other lines of dialogue with similar puns throughout the movie, like when Kate McKinnon's Weird Barbie character quips, “I’d like to see what smooth blob he’s packing in those shorts,” in reference to a Ken character.

Characters in the film say "b----" and "crap," at times, as well as once instance of "motherf---er," which is loudly bleeped.

'Barbie' is an exploration of major existential questions — in addition to dolls

The movie's description reads only: “To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.”

And as seen in the movie's trailer, Robbie's Barbie isn't just living her best day ever over and over again. During a choreographed dance routine with all of the Barbies at her Barbie Dream House, Barbie exclaims with a smile, "Do you guys ever think about dying?"

Existential themes more familiar to adults begin to take place throughout the film, especially as Barbie has to deal with flat feet, cellulite and depressive thoughts. And once Barbie goes into the real world and is exposed to sexism and the patriarchy, it sometimes hits a bit too close to how women are treated in society.

As Ken returns to Barbie Land radicalized by the patriarchy, there are some scenes of mild violence — but nothing that would scare a young child.

Gerwig's feminist tale does end with a win for the Barbies after the Kens' exposure to patriarchy — which may come as a welcome message.

Anna Kaplan is a news and trending reporter for TODAY.com.

• Entertainment
• <i>Barbie</i> Is Very Pretty But Not Very Deep

Barbie Is Very Pretty But Not Very Deep

T he fallacy of Barbie the doll is that she’s supposed to be both the woman you want to be and your friend, a molded chunk of plastic—in a brocade evening dress, or a doctor’s outfit, or even Jane Goodall’s hyper-practical safari suit—which is also supposed to inspire affection. But when you’re a child, your future self is not a friend—she’s too amorphous for that, and a little too scary. And you may have affection, or any number of conflicted feelings, for your Barbie, but the truth is that she’s always living in the moment, her moment, while you’re trying to dream your own future into being. Her zig-zagging signals aren’t a problem—they’re the whole point. She’s always a little ahead of you, which is why some love her, others hate her, and many, many fall somewhere in the vast and complex in-between.

With Barbie the movie —starring Margot Robbie, also a producer on the film—director Greta Gerwig strives to mine the complexity of Barbie the doll, while also keeping everything clever and fun, with a hot-pink exclamation point added where necessary. There are inside jokes, riffs on Gene Kelly-style choreography, and many, many one-line zingers or extended soliloquies about modern womanhood—observations about all that’s expected of us, how exhausting it all is, how impossible it is to ever measure up. Gerwig has done a great deal of advance press about the movie, assuring us that even though it’s about a plastic toy, it’s still stuffed with lots of ideas and thought and real feelings. (She and Noah Baumbach co-wrote the script.) For months now there has been loads of online chatter about how “subversive” the movie is—how it loves Barbie but also mocks her slightly, and how it makes fun of Mattel executives even though their real-life counterparts are both bankrolling the whole enterprise and hoping to make a huge profit off it. The narrative is that Gerwig has somehow pulled off a coup, by taking Mattel’s money but using it to create real art , or at least just very smart entertainment.

Read More: Our Cover Story on Barbie

It’s true that Barbie does many of the things we’ve been promised: there is much mocking and loving of Barbie, and plenty of skewering of the suits. But none of those things make it subversive. Instead, it’s a movie that’s enormously pleased with itself, one that has cut a big slice of perfectly molded plastic cake and eaten it—or pretend-eaten it—too. The things that are good about Barbie — Robbie’s buoyant, charming performance and Ryan Gosling’s go-for-broke turn as perennial boyfriend Ken, as well as the gorgeous, inventive production design—end up being steamrollered by all the things this movie is trying so hard to be. Its playfulness is the arch kind. Barbie never lets us forget how clever it’s being, every exhausting minute.

That’s a shame, because the first half-hour or so is dazzling and often genuinely funny, a vision that’s something close to (though not nearly as weird as) the committed act of imagination Robert Altman pulled off with his marvelous Popeye. First, there’s a prologue, narrated by Helen Mirren and riffing on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, explaining the impact of early Barbie on little girls in 1959; she was an exotic and aspirational replacement for their boring old baby dolls, whose job was to train them for motherhood—Gerwig shows these little girls on a rocky beach, dashing their baby dolls to bits after they’ve seen the curvy miracle that is Barbie. Then Gerwig, production designer Sarah Greenwood, and costume designer Jacqueline Durran launch us right into Barbieland, with Robbie’s approachably glam Barbie walking us through . This is an idyllic community where all the Dream Houses are open, not only because its denizens have no shame and nothing to hide, but because homes without walls mean they can greet one another each day with the sunrise. “Hello, Barbie!” they call out cheerfully. Everyone in Barbieland—except the ill-fated pregnant Midge , based on one of Mattel’s many discontinued experiments in toy marketing—is named Barbie, and everyone has a meaningful job. There are astronaut Barbies and airline pilot Barbies, as well as an all-Barbie Supreme Court. Garbage-collector Barbies, in matching pink jumpsuits, bustle cheerfully along this hamlet’s perpetually pristine curbs. This array of Barbies is played by a selection of actors including Hari Nef, Dua Lipa, Alexandra Shipp, and Emma Mackey. The president is also Barbie—she’s played by Issa Rae. (In one of the early section’s great sight gags, she brushes her long, silky tresses with an overscale oval brush.)

Barbieland is a world where all the Barbies love and support one another , like a playtime version of the old-fashioned women’s college, where the students thrive because there are no men to derail their self-esteem. Robbie’s Barbie—she is known, as a way of differentiating herself from the others, as Stereotypical Barbie, because she is white and has the perfectly sculpted proportions and sunny smile of the Barbie many of us grew up with—is the center of it all. She awakens each morning and throws off her sparkly pink coverlet, her hair a swirl of perfectly curled Saran. She chooses an outfit (with meticulously coordinated accessories) from her enviable wardrobe. Her breakfast is a molded waffle that pops from the toaster unbidden; when she “drinks” from a cup of milk, it’s only pretend-drinking, because where is that liquid going to go? This becomes a recurring gag in the movie, wearing itself out slowly, but it’s delightful at first, particularly because Robbie is so game for all of it. Her eyes sparkle in that vaguely crazed Barbie-like way; her smile has a painted-on quality, but there’s warmth there, too. She steps into this role as lightly as if it were a chevron-striped one piece tailored precisely to her talents.

Barbie also has a boyfriend, one Ken of many Kens. The Kens are played by actors including Kingsley Ben-Adir and Simu Liu. But Gosling’s Ken is the best of them, stalwart, in a somewhat neutered way, with his shaggy blond hair, spray-tan bare chest, and vaguely pink lips. The Kens have no real job, other than one known as “Beach,” which involves, as you might guess, going to the beach. The Kens are generally not wanted at the Barbies’ ubiquitous dance parties—the Barbies generally prefer the company of themselves. And that’s why the Kens’ existence revolves around the Barbies . As Mirren the narrator tells us, Barbie always has a great day. “But Ken has a great day only if Barbie looks at him.” And the moment Robbie does, Gosling’s face becomes the visual equivalent of a dream Christmas morning, alight with joy and wonder.

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You couldn’t, of course, have a whole movie set in this highly artificial world. You need to have a plot, and some tension. And it’s when Gerwig airlifts us out of Barbieland and plunks us down in the real world that the movie’s problems begin. Barbie awakens one morning realizing that suddenly, nothing is right. Her hair is messy on the pillow; her waffle is shriveled and burnt. She has begun to have unbidden thoughts about death. Worst of all, her perfectly arched feet have gone flat. (The other Barbies retch in horror at the sight.) For advice, she visits the local wise woman, also known as Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), the Barbie who’s been “played with too hard,” as evidenced by the telltale scribbles on her face. Weird Barbie tells Robbie’s confused and forlorn Barbie that her Barbieland troubles are connected to something that’s going on out there in the Real World, a point of stress that turns out to involve a Barbie-loving mom, Gloria (America Ferrera), and her preteen daughter, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), who are growing apart. Barbie makes the journey to the Real World, reluctantly allowing Ken to accompany her. There, he’s wowed to learn that men make all the money and basically rule the land. While Barbie becomes more and more involved in the complexity of human problems , Ken educates himself on the wonders of the patriarchy and brings his newfound ideas back to empower the Kens, who threaten to take over the former utopia known as Barbieland.

By this point, Barbie has begun to do a lot more telling and a lot less showing; its themes are presented like flat-lays of Barbie outfits , delivered in lines of dialogue that are supposed to be profound but come off as lifeless. There are still some funny gags—a line about the Kens trying to win over the Barbies by playing their guitars “at” them made me snort. But the good jokes are drowned out by the many self-aware ones, like the way the Mattel executives, all men (the head boob is Will Ferrell), sit around a conference table and strategize ways to make more money off selling their idea of “female agency.”

The question we’re supposed to ask, as our jaws hang open, is “How did the Mattel pooh-bahs let these jokes through?” But those real-life execs, counting their doubloons in advance, know that showing what good sports they are will help rather than hinder them. They’re on team Barbie, after all! And they already have a long list of toy-and-movie tie-ins on the drawing board.

Meanwhile, we’re left with Barbie the movie, a mosaic of many shiny bits of cleverness with not that much to say. In the pre-release interviews they’ve given, Gerwig and Robbie have insisted their movie is smart about Barbie and what she means to women, even as Mattel executives have said they don’t see the film as being particularly feminist. And all parties have insisted that Barbie is for everyone.

Barbie probably is a feminist movie, but only in the most scattershot way. The plot hinges on Barbie leaving her fake world behind and, like Pinocchio and the Velveteen Rabbit before her, becoming “real.” Somehow this is an improvement on her old existence, but how can we be sure? The movie’s capstone is a montage of vintagey-looking home movies (Gerwig culled this footage from Barbie ’s cast and crew), a blur of joyful childhood moments and parents showing warmth and love. Is this the soon-to-be-real Barbie’s future, or are these the doll-Barbie’s memories? It’s impossible to tell. By this point, we’re supposed to be suitably immersed in the bath of warm, girls-can-do-anything fuzzies the movie is offering us. Those bold, bored little girls we saw at the very beginning of the film, dashing their baby dolls against the rocks, are nowhere in sight. In this Barbieland, their unruly desires are now just an inconvenience.

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Body shaming and bs, please read this, barbie is and always has been a feminist icon, deal with it, incredible movie, okay for 9+, but aimed at 13+, way too inappropriate for young children, sexual and political, hilarious movie 10/10 your kids hear way worse things at school and online, great movie and messages in the movie 10/10, not worth your time.

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The Barbie movie finds all the fun in laughing at the men’s rights movement

It’s a takedown of toxic masculinity tied up with a pretty pink wrapper

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I grew up in a Barbie household, as well as a deeply feminist household. Along with My Little Pony, Cherry Merry Muffin , and (prized above all) my extensive collection of She-Ra action figures, my mother gave me and my sister Barbie dolls for “imaginative play,” something Mom encouraged just as much as she encouraged us to play video games — for hand-eye coordination and for our potential careers in STEM, naturally.

Our TV habits were mediated with feminism in mind, too; I watched and rewatched She-Ra: Princess of Power on VHS, but I barely knew He-Man, whom I considered as irrelevant as Ken. As I grew older and met other kids, though, I realized I had been living in Opposite Land. Everybody else knew He-Man better than She-Ra. The female-dominated world of Barbie, She-Ra, My Little Pony, and so on was a farce. The real world was made for Ken.

Polygon Recommends is our way of endorsing our favorite games, movies, TV shows, comics, tabletop books, and entertainment experiences. When we award the Polygon Recommends badge, it’s because we believe the recipient is uniquely thought-provoking, entertaining, inventive, or fun — and worth fitting into your schedule. If you want curated lists of our favorite media, check out What to Play and What to Watch .

Heading into the press screening for Barbie , I regressed back into the beautiful, childlike misconceptions of my toy collection. I spent my drive to the movie thinking back on my love of Margot Robbie in Birds of Prey and I, Tonya , as well as my admiration for Greta Gerwig’s body of work, from Frances Ha to Little Women . Even knowing this movie would have to wrestle with Mattel’s involvement and control over the massive Barbie brand, I knew director Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach would find their own way to unpack and analyze modern standards of femininity and feminist thought. I figured it’d be a little funny, a little deep, maybe a little too basic, but hopefully smarter than The Lego Movie .

I did not expect Barbie to be a movie about Ken — and more importantly, a movie Ryan Gosling steals with such glorious aplomb that I can’t even be that mad at him for it.

[ Ed. note: Minor setup spoilers ahead for Barbie .]

Don’t get me wrong. Margot Robbie is no slouch as what the movie calls “Stereotypical Barbie” — the blond bombshell that kids in Mattel focus groups point to when presented with diverse Barbie dolls and asked, “Which one is Barbie?” Stereotypical Barbie starts the movie as a confident woman who knows exactly who she is, and doesn’t ever want anything to change. She lives in Barbieland, a fantasy realm conjured by Mattel that’s powered by the imaginations of kids who play with Barbie dolls. It’s a world ruled by Barbies, and unashamed of traditional feminine tropes. The president is a Barbie (played by Issa Rae, in a pink silk “President” sash). The Supreme Court is all Barbie. And every Nobel Prize winner in history is — you guessed it — a Barbie. Every pink-washed DreamHouse mansion in Barbieland is owned by a woman who makes her own money and spends her free time indulging in “girls’ nights” where everybody shares a glorious communal wardrobe.

Stereotypical Barbie has no reason to leave this beautiful feminine realm. She’s forced to trek into the harsh world of Reality only because somewhere, someone is playing with her while experiencing such intense existential angst that their emotions are reaching Barbieland and drilling into Barbie’s psyche. Her real-world owner is inadvertently causing her to think about death, get actual cellulite on her thighs, and even develop articulated ankles that experience all-too-real pain when she stuffs her feet into stiletto heels.

But even before the wall between Barbieland and Reality starts breaking down, it’s all too clear that this is Ken’s movie. At the film’s outset, Barbie has it all, and Robbie sells Barbieland’s bland, uncomplicated happiness with a frozen-but-satisfied smile. For Ken, though, it’s never been that simple. Barbie is happy by default, but Ken is only happy when Barbie acknowledges him. In a world where every night is girls’ night, Ken can never experience satisfaction.

Ken isn’t just frustrated about competing with all the many other Kens for Barbie’s affection — although that is an issue, with hot, comparatively youthful it boy Simu Liu playing a version of Ken who makes Gosling’s Ken sweat bullets. Ken lacks purpose in Barbieland, and he wants that to change. Without Barbie, he’s nothing — and most of the time, Ken is without Barbie. He’s an afterthought whose main role in life is holding her purse.

Barbie starts off slow, doing the work of establishing the cutesy realm of Barbieland so there’s a clear, dark contrast when the film eventually enters Reality. But even in this opening act, Gosling swipes each scene from the sidelines, his face wracked by the near-constant heartbreak of Barbie’s lack of interest in him. As a viewer, I was far more drawn to his arc, even as I worried, Is it a bad thing that Ken is the best thing about the Barbie movie?

But Barbie stays one step ahead of that thought, because it’s all leading up to an expert commentary on how little girls will always realize, sooner or later, that the real world is run by men, and that its Kens have more power than its Barbies. And once Gosling’s Ken makes it to Reality, he realizes this too, and he goes full men’s rights activist, transitioning from Barbie’s placeholder boyfriend into one of the most fascinating antagonists in modern pop cinema.

The film’s comedic yet incisive commentary on toxic masculinity is its strongest throughline, as it infects Gosling’s Ken, and eventually all of the rest of Barbieland’s Kens and Barbies. Whenever the movie is joking about the patriarchy and the very idea of the men’s rights movement, it sings. It also literally sings, with frequent in-jokey background songs, and a sequence where all the Kens bore their respective Barbie girlfriends to tears by whipping out acoustic guitars to sing at her rather than to her. We all know what we don’t want in a man. The far more difficult point to make, it turns out, is about Barbie herself, and what she represents. Who is Barbie in 2023?

Margot Robbie’s Barbie asks that question in a lot of different ways, but the answer becomes no clearer once she visits Reality. It’s useful to capitalize Reality when describing Barbie , because unlike Splash or Enchanted , this movie does not attempt to depict a recognizable version of our human world. Reality as depicted in Barbie is as much of a caricature as Barbieland, stuffed with recognizable tropes: sexist, catcalling construction workers; fist-pumping gym bros; and well-heeled white-collar executives who helpfully explain how the patriarchy works. That works perfectly to illustrate the extreme cartoonishness of men’s rights as interpreted by Ken, but it falls a bit short when it comes to illustrating the complexities of Barbie’s identity as a doll, a global brand, and a social phenomenon, much less a character attempting to understand contemporary American womanhood.

There’s a third rail that Gerwig and Baumbach scarcely dare to touch in Barbie : body image. Barbie designers at Mattel have struggled in this arena, too, as Barbie’s nonstandard but idealized body proportions have remained controversial, even as the company has introduced several variations in recent years . (They include a “curvy” Barbie, a “petite” Barbie , and a Barbie with articulated knees who can use a wheelchair.) Yes, Barbie can have every career imaginable — she can be president , even if real-life women can’t — but can she manage to rise above a size 6?

In the Barbie movie, she certainly can. Robbie definitely doesn’t have the proportions of the original “stereotypical Barbie,” although I’d say she’s close enough. (I don’t care to look up the numerical comparison, because it would only depress me.) But this movie’s full cast of Barbies would absolutely not be able to share their outfits, which the movie never explicitly addresses or resolves. Sharon Rooney of Hulu’s My Mad Fat Diary gets to be a Barbie without her size ever being mentioned. Hari Nef , the first transgender model to sign with IMG Models, is also a Barbie. Like all the other Barbies (and unlike so many trans people), she never has to worry about anybody questioning her genitalia, because nobody in Barbieland has any genitalia whatsoever.

Barbieland is a fantasy of perfect inclusion, yet it’s also a flattened one, because even in Reality, the issues facing non-Barbie-type women never fully surface. They get a quick, pointed acknowledgement from the mouth of Gloria (America Ferrera), a put-upon Reality mom who works for Mattel and still loves Barbie in spite of all the baggage that comes with her. At one point, Gloria runs down the ever-expanding list of double standards that modern American women face, such as the pressure to be “thin,” which women must claim is because they want to be “healthy” so they don’t look vain or shallow, even though they’ll really just be judged for not being thin. None of the non-thin Barbies react to this point, because they don’t quite work in a narrative that has to simplify all the social and gender issues it raises, at least if the credits are ever going to roll.

By the same token, the nonwhite Barbies and Kens argue about “the patriarchy” among themselves upon learning about it, but they don’t ever seem to learn about racial politics, even though Simu Liu’s Ken wouldn’t have existed 13 years ago. (The first-ever Asian Ken doll was, um, “ Samurai Ken ” in 2010.) And Kate McKinnon, playing a so-called Weird Barbie who experienced an extreme haircut and makeover at the hands of an experimental child, never actually answers the question anybody would have upon seeing her gay-ass haircut and knowing the actor’s sexuality. Yet even if no one says it, Weird Barbie is clearly Gay Barbie.

Skipping over all those conversations isn’t an oversight: It’s a series of intentional decisions designed to keep an already overstuffed, heady, and cerebral film moving along at a sprightly pace. I don’t need the Barbie movie, brought to me with Mattel’s approval, to offer incisive political commentary on every issue of the day. It’s more than enough that it unravels so many of America’s masculine anxieties of the moment, and that it does its job backward and in high heels.

Barbie the doll has to be everything for everyone, and she’s never succeeded. Barbie the movie has been asked to perform the same impossible trick — and just like I still feel a sentimental attachment to Barbie, I feel an overwhelming fondness and admiration for the movie’s daring attempt to make it work. I had forgotten that I had ever even experienced the dream world Barbieland offered me as a young girl. Barbie made me remember. That alone is enough to make the whole movie sparkle with surprising, refreshing fire.

Barbie opens in theaters on July 21.

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BARBIE Parents Guide Movie Review & Age Rating

By: Author mandipie4u

Posted on Last updated: July 25, 2023

Categories Entertainment , Films

Barbie is brilliantly fun, silly, and so meta, delivering positive messages that will resonate with audiences long after they exit the theater. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.

The Barbie movie releases in theaters across the United States this Friday, July 21, 2023. The film is written by Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, who also directed it. It contains an all-star cast including Margot Robbie (Barbie), Ryan Gosling (Ken), Simu Liu (Ken), Kate McKinnon (Weird Barbie), America Ferrera (Gloria), Ariana Greenblatt (Sasha), Ncuti Gatwa (Ken), Will Ferrell (Mattel CEO), Issa Rae (President Barbie), Michael Cera (Alan), Emma Mackey (Physicist Barbie), Emerald Fennell (Midge), Alexandra Shipp (Barbie), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Ken), Connor Swindells (Aaron Dinkins), Jamie Demetriou (Mattel Executive), Rhea Perlman, John Cena, and Dua Lipa, with the film being narrated by Helen Mirren. It is hilarious, silly, and self-aware, with a terrific soundtrack that includes Barbie World by Nicki Minaj. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.

If you enjoyed this Barbie parents guide movie review, check out these other articles: Haunted Mansion 2023 parents guide movie review , Oppenheimer parents guide movie review , Survival of the Thickest parents guide review , The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 parents guide review , Joy Ride parents guide movie review .

Barbie Movie Quotes

Barbie parents guide.

In Barbie : Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

Barbie Age Rating Parents Guide

Let’s take a look at what concerned parents  need to know about the age rating of the movie before letting their younger children watch  Barbie .

Language :  Barbie doesn’t contain strong language, but there is some moderate bad language to look out for with young children with infrequent use of cursing, including crap, hell, vagina, penis, and a bleeped-out use of the word “mother f*ck*r.”

Mature Content : The film contains no sex scenes to speak of, but there are more mature content with brief sexual harassment sequences that include inappropriate comments, cat-calling, and in one scene, a male slaps a woman’s bottom, and she returns it with a slap to the face. There is also adult themes with moderate innuendo with the Kens discussing a “beach off” and Ken’s “nude blob” genitals. The film does not have any drug abuse or drug use content, but there are scenes that show characters drinking alcohol. There are also comic fight scenes that include Barbie toys used as weapons.

Age Rating of the Movie Barbie : Warner Bros. Pictures  Barbie movie rating has a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (Motion Picture Association of America movie ratings) for suggestive references and brief language, and the parental guidelines advisory recommends it for mature audiences, an older audience, young adults, teens, and young audiences aged 13 year olds and older. The suggestion of parental guidance or a legal guardian (adult guardian) is highly suggested for younger kids (young viewers) under 13 years of age in this PG-13-rated movie for adult material. The minimum age recommendation is 13 years old; it is not suitable for younger viewers or small children.

Overall Thoughts

The new Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is a surprisingly funny and subversive take on the iconic doll. The movie is full of clever humor and sharp social commentary. Gerwig and her co-writer Noah Baumbach skewer the expectations of gender roles and perfection that are often placed on women, challenging traditional gender roles and promoting the idea that anyone, regardless of gender, can be anything they want to be. But they also find plenty of moments of genuine heart and warmth that capture the spirit of today’s society while still maintaining the charm and magic that Barbie has always represented.

Margot Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie is a perfect doll who lives in a perfect world. But when she is banished to the real world, she learns that things are not always as they seem. Robbie is perfectly cast as Barbie, bringing both humor and vulnerability to the role and portraying the beloved Barbie doll with grace and elegance. Her performance adds depth to Barbie’s character, showcasing her intelligence and determination. Ryan Gosling stars as Ken, bringing his signature charisma and wit to the role. He perfectly captures Ken’s handsome and confident personality, making him a memorable addition to the Barbie movie franchise.

The music and visuals in Barbie are nothing short of spectacular. From the moment the movie starts, viewers are transported to a candy-colored palette “perfect” place that feels like a child’s dream. The combination of vibrant colors, sparkling costumes, and breathtaking scenery creates a seemingly utopian, magical fantasy land that is visually captivating. Production designer Sarah Greenwood has truly outdone herself with the set designs and costumes. Each scene is a feast for the eyes, with intricate details that bring the Barbie world to life. From the luxurious Barbie Dreamhouse to the dazzling ballroom, every frame is filled with beauty and elegance.

The music in the movie is equally impressive. The catchy tunes and upbeat melodies perfectly complement the on-screen action, making it impossible not to tap your feet and hum along. The soundtrack features a mix of original songs and popular hits, with notable contributions from artists like Nicki Minaj. Whether it’s a mesmerizing dance number or a heartfelt ballad, the music adds an extra layer of emotion and excitement to the story.

Overall, Barbie is a delightful surprise. It is a funny, heartwarming, and subversive take on the iconic doll. Gerwig and her team have created a movie that is sure to entertain audiences of all ages while also promoting inclusivity, empowerment, and creativity, making it an excellent choice for young viewers. By challenging traditional gender roles and celebrating the human world, this latest Barbie movie showcases the brand’s commitment to fostering positive values and encouraging young girls to dream big.

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‘Barbie’ May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century

By David Fear

It’s tough to sell a decades-old doll and actively make you question why you’d still buy a toy that comes with so much baggage. (Metaphorically speaking, of course — literal baggage sold separately.) The makers of Barbie know this. They know that you know that it’s an attempt by Mattel to turn their flagship blonde bombshell into a bona fide intellectual property, coming to a multiplex near you courtesy of Warner Bros. And they’re also well aware that the announcement that Greta Gerwig would be co-writing and directing this movie about everyone’s favorite tiny, leggy bearer of impossible beauty standards suddenly transformed it from “dual corporate cash-in” to “dual corporate cash-in with a very high probability of wit, irony, and someone quoting Betty Friedan and/or Rebecca Walker.”

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Every morning, Barbie (Robbie) wakes up in her beautiful, open-faced mansion, waves to the legion of other Barbies in their beautiful, open-faced Barbieland mansions, and greets the day with a smile. Early afternoons are reserved for listening to President Barbie ( Issa Rae ) make executive decisions, or watching a Barbie journalist win a Barbie Pulitzer, or cheering a Barbie Supreme Court that lays down the law for the good of all Barbiekind. Late afternoons are for going to the beach, where Ken (Gosling) endlessly competes for Barbie’s affections against Ken (Simu Liu) and Ken (Kingsley Ben-Adir), among other Kens. Nighttime is for extravagantly choreographed disco-dance parties , DJ-ed by none other than Barbie (Hari Nef), and — much to Ken’s dismay — all-girl sleepovers. Eventually, the cardboard backdrop will rotate from moon to sun, and it’s time for yet another day in utopia.

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Once in our world, Barbie will encounter sexual harassment, gender inequity, the benefits of crying, the CEO of Mattel ( Will Ferrell ) and the mother (America Ferrara) and daughter (Ariana Greenblatt) who’ve introduced such morbid thoughts into her brain. Ken will discover horses, Hummer SUVs, and toxic masculinity . She returns with her new human friends to Barbieland in a state of dazed enlightenment. He comes back as a full-blown Kencel, spreading a gospel of full-frontal dude-ity.

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Critical thinking isn’t mind corruption, of course. Nor is pointing out that you can love something and recognize that it’s flawed or has become inflammatory over time, then striving to fix it. It’s definitely not a bad thing to turn a potential franchise, whether built on a line of dolls or not, into something that refuses to dumb itself down or pander to the lowest common denominator. And the victory that is Gerwig, Robbie, and Gosling — along with a supporting cast and crew that revel in the idea of joining a benefic Barbie party — slipping in heady notions about sexualization, capitalism, social devolution, human rights and self-empowerment, under the guise of a lucrative, brand-extending trip down memory lane? That’s enough to make you giddy. We weren’t kidding about the “subversive” part above; ditto the “blockbuster.” A big movie can still have big ideas in 2023. Even a Barbie movie. Especially a Barbie movie.

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"Barbie" Movie: What Parents Should Know

Is the new "barbie" movie appropriate for kids here's what parents should know.

Barbie, the beloved childhood icon, has been given a live-action makeover in a new movie that's unlike the Barbie stories of the past. Instead, the doll we grew up playing with as a kid comes to life in a brand-new cinematic adventure directed by Greta Gerwig , starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken.

Barbie (the doll) is fit for all ages. But is the new "Barbie" movie appropriate for kids? Here's what you should know about the "Barbie" movie plot and how the movie, which is in cinemas now, is rated, so you can make an informed decision before you take the kids to the cinema.

How Long Is the New "Barbie" Movie?

"Barbie" runs for 1 hour and 54 minutes, according to IMDB , or about 114 minutes. That alone is a sign that this movie isn't geared toward little ones. Kids' movies tend to be shorter, no more than 100 minutes, to accommodate their shorter attention spans.

What Is the "Barbie" Movie Rated?

The "Barbie" movie is rated as 12A, which means (literally): "Films rated 12A are suitable for children aged 12 and over. However, people younger than 12 may see a 12A so long as they are accompanied by an adult. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult." It's meant to be a strong caution for parents to consider when deciding whether to let their kids see a movie. For "Barbie" specifically, the movie has been rated 12A due to "suggestive references" and "brief language."

Is the "Barbie" Movie Appropriate For Kids?

One of the biggest differences between the new movie and earlier Barbie movies like "Barbie and the Secret Door," "The Princess & the Popstar," and "A Fashion Fairytale" is that Gerwig's "Barbie" is not animated. These are real people.

And unlike live-action remakes of kids' films like "The Little Mermaid," which retain the animated original's themes and sense of fantasy, "Barbie" depicts characters in real-world situations, dealing with real-world problems — the characters grapple with dating, ageing, beauty standards, and harassment. The plot is centred on Barbie's existential crisis, which is a pretty heavy topic in and of itself.

All this to say, the plot is more adult than Barbie movies of the past. It includes playful humour that might appeal to all audiences, but this movie is geared toward a more grown-up audience.

From the trailer alone, we see Barbie getting her bum slapped on the beach, punching a man in the face, and appearing to get arrested with Ken.

IMDb reports that the movie contains several sexual innuendos and references to the characters' (lack of) genitals. "One scene shows Ken asking Barbie if he can stay over, as they're 'girlfriend and boyfriend.' When Barbie asks, 'to do what?' Ken pauses before saying 'I'm actually not sure," Danny Brogan, executive editor at Common Sense Media, told Yahoo! Life .

It's a line that may go over kids' heads — but that also means that, at the end of the day, the movie may not be particularly funny or interesting to them.

There's also some violence (but nothing overly frightening; no blood, gore, or any weapons are used) and some mild risqué language, including one bleeped-out use of the mf-word. The movie also has some more grown-up jokes (like a joke that centres on the word "beach" and jokes about beauty standards and the patriarchy). However, like the joke about being boyfriend/girlfriend, these jokes are very likely to go over the head of someone who is younger without leaving any holes in the plotline.

"I think Gerwig has included all this mature content knowing that a large portion of the audience will be millennials and members of Generation Z — people who grew up with Barbie during the '80s, '90s, and '00s — looking for that nostalgia but also to be entertained," Brogan told Yahoo! Life.

Personally, I went to see the movie with my 16-year-old, and I felt it was perfectly appropriate for her in terms of the message of the movie and the jokes. She was old enough to understand the storyline's humour, nostalgia, and positive messages. I wouldn't hesitate to allow my 14-year-old to watch the movie, either. However, I would have pause in allowing my 9-year-old to watch the movie, but only because I don't think they would find it interesting, and the jokes would go above their head.

With that info in mind, the 12A rating seems accurate — this isn't a movie for tweens and younger, not necessarily because of the content, but because much of it might be over their heads and not as entertaining.

How Do You Know If Your Kid Is Ready to See the "Barbie" Movie?

Dr. Amanda Gummer , child psychologist, parenting expert, and founder of The Good Play Guide, tells POPSUGAR that parents should consider what other movies their kids have seen and look at the marketing material of the "Barbie" movie to get a feel for if it's appropriate for their kid. "A good place to start is to consider how your child has reacted to other similarly rated films," Dr. Gummer says. "Past experiences are great to consider their readiness for 12A content."

She continues, "Have a look at the pre-marketing materials and trailers and think about the different themes, language, potential violence levels, and sexual content [that] might appear. Think about what your child likes to do or watch and what they are already exposed to, as some children can be more sensitive to certain topics than others."

Dr. Gummer also suggests watching the movie together with your kid, so you can talk about what you saw after the film. "If you decide your child is ready to watch, then why not watch it together and allocate some time after to grab a milkshake and chat about what you've seen?" she suggests. "This allows you to provide context, answer questions, and have fun talking things through."

The movie does cover some big topics like feminism, beauty standards, body image, harassment, and patriarchy, which might be heavy for some younger teens, or they can be a good jumping-off point for important conversations. "Why not start a conversation about beauty standards and talk about how different standards can influence a person's self-esteem and body image and how harassment is unacceptable and can hurt others?" Dr. Gummer suggests. "The 'Barbie' movie and its inclusive and positive positioning is a wonderful springboard to have discussions around a supportive environment. The film covers topics such as friendship, openness, and inclusivity, so it's a great springboard to start conversations with your children and promote healthy values."

Dr. Gummer says she's "excited" about the movie hitting the big screens because it allows parents to talk to preteens and teens about important topics. "For me, it represents a positive move that can serve as a great role model for older children, as it provides essential values and encourages conversation around different themes," she says. "Through the diverse range of personalities and characters in the movie, there is a great opportunity to discuss inclusivity, acceptance, and the value of individuality — all really important topics today and helpful as children understand and appreciate the differences in others."

Ultimately, you know your kid best. If you have checked out the plotline and read some reviews and are still not sure if now is the right time for your kid to see "Barbie," stick to one of the animated stories instead. The live-action movie will always be there in a few months or years when the timing is right.

"Barbie" opened in cinemas nationwide on 21 July.

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‘Barbie’ Review: Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling Compete for Control of High-Concept Living Doll Comedy

Greta Gerwig loads plenty of food for thought in a hot pink pop fantasia, poking fun at patriarchy and corporate parent Mattel in her treatment of the iconic “girls can do anything” doll.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

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Check out the brain on Barbie ! Sure, she’s just a doll, but that doesn’t mean she has to be an airhead. Therein lies “Lady Bird” director Greta Gerwig ’s inspired, 21st-century solution to bringing one of America’s most iconic playthings to life on the big screen. Combine that with the casting of Margot Robbie in the title role, and “Barbie” is already starting out on the right, perfectly arched foot. So what if this high-concept comedy falls a bit flat in the final stretch?

That’s an admirable achievement, given understandably protective corporate parent Mattel — though let’s be honest, in the year 2023, it would be a shock (and box office suicide) if “Barbie” arrived without some kind of female-empowerment message baked in. This one checks all the right boxes, while making Ryan Gosling ’s dumb-dumb Ken the butt of most of its gender-equity jokes. Boasting fresh tracks from Billie Eilish and Lizzo, the result is a very funny kids’ movie with a freshman liberal arts student’s vocabulary that tosses around terms like “patriarchy” and “appropriation” — pretty much everything but “problematic,” which the movie implies without actually calling Barbie’s legacy.

Barbie Land, as it’s called, is an inherently hilarious alternate reality modeled on the dream that Mattel has been selling American girls since the doll was introduced in 1959. It looks a lot like the one they’ve seen in countless commercials, where flamingo-bright Barbie Dreamhouses inspire envy as a diverse collection of perky, positive-minded dolls smile and wave at one another (represented here by such avatars as Alexandra Shipp and Dua Lipa, Issa Rae and Ritu Aryu, Hari Nef and Sharon Rooney). It’s a wild pop-art space, all but exploding with supersaturated color, where the doll heads appear lower contrast and backlit, obliging us to squint to make out the actors’ faces.

You half-expect to see a giant hand reach in from the sky to interact with these lifelike toys, but that’s not how it works. Instead, Gerwig enlists Helen Mirren as narrator to lay out the rules, pausing now and then to spotlight specific costumes, interject vintage TV spots or cast shade on discontinued products — such as Growing Up Skipper, with her inflatable bust; pregnant Midge; or questionable-taste offerings like Sugar Daddy and Tanner, a flocked dog that poops plastic pellets.

Although Robbie’s blond-haired, fair-skinned Stereotypical Barbie seems to possess some abstract notion of herself as a toy, there’s a major disconnect between inventor Ruth Handler’s best intentions and the state of things in the Real World (where the movie spends roughly half its time): “Thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved,” Mirren sarcastically summarizes. One evening, in the middle of a dance party, Stereotypical Barbie blurts out, “You guys ever think about dying?” The next morning, she’s horrified to find her feet have flattened and a patch of cellulite has appeared. What could be threatening her near-perfect physique?

The answer lies in the Real World, where Barbie and Ken (Gosling’s Ken, not the ones played by Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, John Cena and others) steer her pink Corvette, emerging at Venice Beach wearing matching fluorescent Hot Skatin’ ensembles. Yes, “Barbie” is one of those movies, like “The Smurfs” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” where imaginary characters cross over to modern-day America — just infinitely more clever. Instead of using the premise as a setup for slapstick, Gerwig shows Barbie defending herself when some random guy slaps her butt, getting a knuckle sandwich in return.

At the same time Barbie is experiencing her rude awakening, Ken’s busy filling his empty head with all the possibilities that “patriarchy” entails. In Barbie Land, Ken’s job is a deliberately ill-defined afterthought (basically, just “beach”), whereas in the Real World, dudes rule — an idea he takes back to Barbie Land with pointedly absurd results, brainwashing all the women into behaving like obedient housewives. The film’s draggier second half gets both silly and unabashedly strident, as Stereotypical Barbie seeks help from Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), a damaged-goods doll with singed hair and messed-up makeup who serves as this girly-girl world’s Morpheus-like sage.

It’s upsetting (in a useful way) to see Barbie confronted with the overnight impact of rampant patriarchy, a concept that has rarely looked more off-putting than the frat-boy fantasy caricatured here. Think of it as the misogynist alternative marketed by old-school beer commercials, the polar opposite of Mattel’s mid-’80s “We girls can do anything. Right, Barbie?” campaign. While the Barbies plot to take back the government, Gerwig gives all the Ken dolls an over-the-top musical number, “I’m Just Ken,” which is so amusingly self-involved it risks subverting the very point the movie’s trying to make. If “Barbie” is all about centering and celebrating women, why let Ken steal the show?

Gosling is a good sport to play the slightly predatory, sartorially helpless pretty boy, as the spray-tanned ex-Mouseketeer parodies his popular “hey girl” persona, flexing both his muscles and a range of facial expressions all but lacking from his recent work. If Robbie’s Barbie sets an impossibly high bar for young women, then Gosling’s Ken reps an equally formidable male model, with his chiseled abs and cheekbones.

That factor hasn’t escaped Gerwig, who sets out to disrupt such unattainable aesthetic standards, calling out ways the doll’s idealized design can harm self-esteem and encourage eating disorders. She crams most of that critique into a single motormouthed monologue, which drew cheers at the premiere and which, on closer inspection, contains not a single controversial idea. In the end, the trouble with “Barbie” isn’t that it goes too far, but that it stops short, building to a conceptual scene between Barbie and her Creator (Rhea Perlman) that inadvertently underscores one of the movie’s few failings: It’s an intellectual experience, not an emotional one, grounded largely in audience nostalgia.

It’s kind of perfect that “Barbie” is opening opposite Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” since Gerwig’s girl-power blockbuster offers a neon-pink form of inception all its own, planting positive examples of female potential for future generations. Meanwhile, by showing a sense of humor about the brand’s past stumbles, it gives us permission to challenge what Barbie represents — not at all what you’d expect from a feature-length toy commercial.

Reviewed at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, July 9, 2023. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 114 MIN.

• Production: A Warner Bros. Pictures release and presentation of a Heyday Films, LuckyChap Entertainment, NB/GG Pictures, Mattel production. Producers: David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Robbie Brenner. Executive producers: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich, Cate Adams.
• Crew: Director: Great Gerwig. Screenplay: Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel. Camera: Greig Fraser. Editor: Rodrigo Prieto. Music: Nick Houy.
• With: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Dua Lipa, Helen Mirren

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Why Is Barbie Rated PG-13? A Parent's Guide To Margot Robbie's New Movie

The weekend of July 20, everyone went to party with "Barbie." But can the whole family join in the fun? That depends on how much explaining parents or guardians are willing to do for the wee ones. According to Rotten Tomatoes , "Barbie" is rated PG-13 for "Suggestive References [and] Brief Language." Language-wise, it definitely takes advantage of Hollywood's notorious one-F-bomb-per-PG-13 rating clause, though those watching the movie do not hear it in full. Instead, there's a bleeped-out "motherf***er." But aside from that, there otherwise there isn't too much to worry about in that department aside from some "damns," "hells," and varied anatomical references. 

There is, however, some sexual innuendo laced throughout the film. This ranges from Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) being confused about the concepts of one-night stands to  Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon)  making a joke about what Ken's packing in his shorts to the sight of a shouting match between two Kens about "beaching" each other. Those are definitely things adults, and not kids, would notice in "Barbie"  – and they might be things that parents or guardians don't think are appropriate for their younger loved ones. 

There are also other, deeper storyline elements at work that children might not understand unless they have a guardian at hand to explain it to them.

Barbie is a very existential experience

"Barbie" has become notorious for being a more-than-meets-the-eye project. The main meat of the movie follows Barbie's journey from Barbieland to the real world in a bid for a return to her plastic-fantastic life. Before she leaves, she experiences "flat foot" — a dreaded condition where Barbie's feet go flat and they lose their eternal arch. Cellulite and existential dread duly arrive, and she heads to the real world for a full factory reset. The rest of the film is about the divide between the matriarchal world of Barbieland and the real world — and how they come to affect one another through Barbie's escape. The doll herself comes to grapple with her identity and humanity — and her desire for the latter.

That's pretty heavy subject matter for any film, one that kids might not initially grasp the first time they watch it. Additionally, "Barbie" portrays these issues in a way that many members of the audience might be painfully familiar with. This may or may not be too intense for younger children to sit through, and parents might have to gauge their children's maturity to see if "Barbie" is right for them.

Whether the film's a better fit for a date night, a family night, or a night out with friends, one thing's clear — with "Barbie" raking in a whole lot of cash at the box office, it looks like plenty of families will be spending their time in the movies cooling down this summer with everyone's favorite doll.

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Shakira receives swift backlash from parents over claims that Barbie was ‘emasculating’

‘this is why barbie is a necessary movie for many women to be introduced to feminism 101 as they still suffer from internalised misogyny,’ user says, article bookmarked.

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Shakira’s comments on the Barbie movie being “emasculating” have sparked backlash from parents.

Nearly nine months after Barbie’s blockbuster debut in 2023, the 47-year-old Colombian pop star has reignited the debate surrounding the film’s feminist themes. In an interview with Allure, she revealed that her sons - Milan, 11, and Sasha, nine, who she shares with her ex-partner and football star Gerard Piqué - felt that watching the film was “emasculating”.

When asked by an interviewer what she thought of the film, the “Puntería” singer said: “My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent.”

“I’m raising two boys,” she explained. “I want ‘em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women. I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide. I believe in giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity.”

She added: “I think that men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well. We complement each other, and that complement should not be lost.”

“Just because a woman can do it all doesn’t mean she should?” she continued. “Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?”

Parents and non-parents alike sounded off on the pop star’s comments, claiming that she completely missed the point of the storyline of Ryan Gosling’s Ken, who was ultimately empowered to feel like he was enough - or “Kenough” outside of his relationship with Margot Robbie’s Barbie.

“Shakira: My boys need all movies (including female drive ones named Barbie ) to portray Masculinity and Femininity the way they’ve done for the past 100 years or else they’ll feel small and irrelevant,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“This is why Barbie is a necessary movie for many women to be introduced to feminism 101 as they still suffer from internalised misogyny,” someone else added.

“Whenever people complain about modern society ‘tearing men down’ and ‘emasculating’ them, it always comes back to wanting to maintain the prestige attached to masculinity,” another posted . “It’s always about pretending that gender roles are natural and not about power and access to resources.”

Some were unsurprised that Shakira was a “boy mom,” and appeared to be perpetuating the idea that men and women should embrace certain gender roles.

“Shakira has always struck me as a ‘i’M nOt LikE oTheR gIrLs’ type so her being a hashtag boymom, missing the whole a** point of Barbie because it did not 100 per cent cater to her sons, is completely unsurprising to me,” another noted .

Barbie outwardly challenged the notion that men and women have to fulfill roles and duties to one another, with the characters Barbie and Ken navigating the aftermath of bringing real-world social structures like the patriarchy back to their idyllic matriarchal utopia, Barbieland. Through its characters, the movie ultimately conveyed that men and women both have different things to bring to the table and don’t have to be dependent on each other to be happy.

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A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

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The Tearsmith : The Biggest Differences Between The New Dark Romance Movie and Bestselling Book

The new film, now streaming on Netflix, is based off of Erin Doom's Italian bestseller of the same name

Rebecca Aizin is an Editorial Assistant at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023. Her work has previously appeared on Elle, HGTV and Backstage. 

Ready for the next Twilight ?

Erin Doom's Italian bestseller The Tearsmith has arrived stateside to give the popular franchise a run for its money. The spine-tingling romance story follows Nica and Rigel, both orphans at The Grave who are adopted by the same family. While Nica is as naive and innocent as a harmless butterfly, Rigel is often compared to the volatility of a wolf.

Unbeknownst to Nica, Rigel has been harboring an undying love for her since the day she stepped into the orphanage at 5 years old. Though she's terrified of his aggressive nature, Nica can't help but be intrigued by Rigel's hidden vulnerability and a bond begins to form between the two — hindered only by the fact that they're about to be siblings.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Now adapted into a movie streaming on Netflix, The Tearsmith , which was filmed in Italian with English subtitles, is spreading to new audiences looking for their next romantic fix.

Here's everything to know about the differences between the book and the movie adaptation. Some light spoilers ahead, for those who haven't yet discovered the magic of either version.

The abusive matron is still at the orphanage

In the book, Nica and Rigel often talk about their complicated history with the matron from their childhood, Margaret Stoker. While Nica was brutally abused by the matron, Rigel was her favorite and the only child spared from her abuse — which only exacerbated his feelings of isolation and shame.

In the movie, the same relationship with the matron exists, but unlike the book where she was replaced by Mrs. Fridge when Nica was 12, Margaret was still the matron when Nica and Rigel were adopted.

Nica and Rigel's relationship developed more quickly in the movie

Netflix/Youtube

The novel is a whopping 550 pages and it isn't until around halfway through that a physical relationship starts between Nica and Rigel, after much tension and build-up. However, given the runtime of the movie is an hour and 45 minutes, the relationship is sped along much faster onscreen.

Rigel is prone to headaches and severe fevers and, early in the book, he experiences a fever that causes him to pass out, leaving Nica to take care of him while their adoptive parents are out of town. While the same scene happens in the movie, it is also the first time Nica and Rigel get together physically — whereas in the book, Rigel is asleep and Nica merely sees his vulnerability for the first time.

Chaos ensues at a school dance rather than at a party

There is a raving animosity between Lionel, who has a romantic interest in the clueless Nica, and Rigel, who doesn't trust his rival (and let's face it, he's jealous). In the book, the rivalry culminates in the final scene where Rigel and Lionel get into a massive fight.

However, in the movie, it all comes to a head during the climax of the film at the school dance — which does not happen in the book. Instead, a similar chaotic scene happens when Nica attends Lionel's party, where a drunk Lionel is aggressive toward her.

At the dance, Lionel is the sober one while Rigel fends off an inebriated Nica. A near-fatal incident that occurs at the end of the book happens directly after this scene — after Nica and Rigel have sex for the first time (which is also not when it happens in the book!).

Though Asia is a minor character in the book, she is important to the story as Nica stands up to her and proves that she's not there to replace her adoptive parents' deceased son, Alan, but rather to bring them new joy. Asia, who was in love with Alan before his death, has a hard time accepting her and is brusque and rude to her.

In the film adaptation, Asia's character is the same but she is not developed and is only in two scenes: the initial scene where she reacts poorly to Nica's presence and the final scene where she accepts Nica. Her friendship with Adeline is ignored and her story as a law student (and Adaline's love story) is also not portrayed in the film.

The story has a somewhat different ending

The plot still ends with Nica testifying against Margaret (but no spoilers on the outcome of that testimony!), but it's in a slightly different, more condensed order than the book.

In the book, Nica sits by a comatose Rigel's side for months, telling him stories and attempting to rouse him.

How this dark fairytale come to end? You'll just have to read—and watch—to find out.

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After Shakira Said That Her Young Sons Thought That “Barbie” Was “Emasculating,” People Are Begging Parents To “Raise More Secure Men”

“I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men,” Shakira said in a controversial new interview.

BuzzFeed Staff

When Barbie was released in July 2023, social media was immediately flooded with discourse as people reacted to the highly-anticipated movie.

The film grossed over $1 billion in its first three weeks of release, and writer and director Greta Gerwig became the first female solo director in history to have a billion-dollar movie.

But while its cultural impact and staggering box office success is indisputable, some were left disappointed by Barbie’s storyline, which focused heavily on Ken. 

Ryan Gosling stole the show as Margot Robbie ’s Barbie’s male counterpart, with the plot focusing on both of them learning about the patriarchy for the first time after they left Barbie Land and entered the Real World.

Others also criticized Barbie for being “ feminism 101 ,” with America Ferrera’s famous speech about all of the things that women are expected to be towards the end of the movie being branded “ basic ” and “ surface level .”

And the Barbie discourse erupted once again earlier this year when Margot and Greta didn’t receive Best Actress or Best Director Oscar nominations, but Ryan Gosling did receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination, as well as a nod in the Best Original Song category.

“Nominating Ken but not Barbie is so on the nose it hurts,” one viral tweet read at the time, with Hillary Clinton even entering the conversation to throw her support  behind the two snubbed women. 

By this point, people were getting fatigued by the conversation, and the outrage was branded “ the very epitome of white feminism ” as it was pointed out that Greta and Margot not being recognized by the academy was overshadowing Latinx actor America’s achievement after she was nominated in Best Supporting Actress. 

It's also worth mentioning that the academy recognized Margot’s role as a producer in the Best Picture category, and Greta was nominated alongside Noah Baumbach for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Now, almost nine months after Barbie’s release, the debate around its feminist themes has once again gained traction due to Shakira ’s claim that watching the film had been an “ emasculating ” experience for her two sons.

The singer shares 11-year-old Milan and nine-year-old Sasha with her ex-partner Gerard Piqué.

In case you missed it, Shakira made a series of eyebrow-raising comments about Barbie in a new interview with Allure that was published on Monday.

When asked about her thoughts on the blockbuster, she said: “My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent. I'm raising two boys. I want 'em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women. I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide.”

“I believe in giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity,” Shakira continued. “I think that men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well. We complement each other, and that complement should not be lost.”

“Just because a woman can do it all doesn’t mean she should?” the star then asked. “Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?”

Suffice to say, people had a lot of opinions on Shakira’s comments and took to social media to share their thoughts.

Discussing what the star had said on a Reddit forum, one popular comment simply reads: “You don't have to like Barbie as a movie (I loved it personally) but this is still one of the worst takes I've ever heard. Girl bye.”

Others were confused about what parts of the storyline were “emasculating” to young men, with one person asking: “emasculating? Why, bc Ken had an emotion and didn't end the movie as god? What's going on with your sons Shakira.”

“It's baffling ngl because Barbie's narrative dedicated soooo much time to Ken and his storyline/character development and went out of it's way to sympathize with his internal struggles and insecurities, and people still got mad,” another echoed.

While somebody else retorted: “Raise more secure men. I loved the movie."

It was also pointed out that Shakira’s quotes validated the entry-level feminism that previously saw Barbie receive backlash, with one popular comment reading: “When I watched it I thought that the feminist message was a bit basic and superficial, but it seems that actually that message is needed a lot.”

“There was a lot of discourse about the movie’s message around the Oscars and how it was too surface level to be meaningful or impactful but idk,” another user wrote. “I agree that it’s incredibly introductory, and yet there are people that walked away from it feeling like it was emasculating and man-hating. To me that says a lot. Everyone starts somewhere and if the Barbie movie is someone’s start, I can’t write it off just because my feminism is much more developed. It’s all very interesting to say the least."

This sentiment was echoed over on X, formerly Twitter, where one viral tweet about Shakira’s comments reads: “this is why barbie is a necessary movie for many women to be introduced to feminism 101 as they still suffer from internalised misogyny.”

“Whenever people complain about modern society ‘tearing men down’ and ‘emasculating’ them, it always comes back to wanting to maintain the prestige attached to masculinity,” somebody else tweeted . “It's always about pretending that gender roles are natural and not about power and access to resources.”

While another claimed : “If your sons hated a freaking Barbie movie because they felt ‘emasculated’ then you have failed to raise them correctly, like that’s on you beautiful.”

“Shakira: My boys need all movies (including female drive ones named Barbie) to portray Masculinity & Femininity the way they’ve done for the past 100 years or else they’ll feel small and irrelevant,” one more wrote . 

“she really decided to set herself up for disaster with this horrendous take,” another user wrote . Somebody else tweeted : “her sons are 11 and 9 they do NOT use words like ‘emasculating.’”

Shakira has not publicly responded to the backlash to her comments, but we will let you know if she does!

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Monkey Man review – Dev Patel goes wild in ultraviolent Mumbai revenge flick

Patel exacts wildly OTT vengeance in the neon-lit city in this stylish and exciting action thriller, which doubles as a boisterous satire of Modi-esque nationalism

D ev Patel brings the gonzo chaos for this very impressive writing-directing feature debut, with Jordan Peele on board as a producer; it’s a wildly over-the-top revenge action thriller on the teeming but uncliched streets of Mumbai – doubling as a boisterous satire of Modi-esque nationalism. As the lead performer, Patel shows us some pretty serious martial arts chops, kickboxing and thumping seven shades of ordure out of the punchbag, and then the bad guys – and periodically pausing, of course, attractively dropletted with sweat, to let us get an eyeful of those sculpted abs. And he also gives us a gloriously old fashioned men’s room punch-up, with the flimsy wooden dividing walls of the lavatory cubicles going over like dominos and each washroom mirror smashed to its constituent molecules.

Patel plays a guy calling himself “Bobby”, a fake name taken ominously from a brand of bleach; as a kid, he lived in the forest with his adored single mum, who held him spellbound with tales of Lord Hanuman, the monkey deity. A greedy property developer passing himself off as a spiritual guru (in league with a populist rightwing politician) wanted this forest and brought tragedy into the kid’s life, with the help of a hateful, corrupt police chief (Sikander Kher). Now Bobby is driven by a need for payback, infiltrating the criminal organisation, biding his time, and earning cash on the side as a monkey-masked fighter at bare-knuckle bouts run by a leering master of ceremonies played by Sharlto Copley; he is dreaming of the time when he will rain down terrible vengeance.

Patel clearly thinks that his movie looks like John Wick; hence a rather self-conscious pre-emptive line about that well known Keanu Reeves franchise in the script. But that’s not precisely the resemblance; given Patel’s need to avenge a dead parent, his personal growth “wilderness” experiences at the hands of socially marginalised but wise people, and his bloody and ultraviolent attack in the neon-lit city – Monkey Man looks more like Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives crossed with The Lion King. And Patel turns it into a very exciting and stylish movie. His previous acting work didn’t obviously point to a kickass action career, although his performance in The Green Knight might have given us a hint. He’s evolved.

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