Watching Barbie made me feel pretty good. Like most viewers, I turned a blind eye to the strange story of "suicidal thoughts" and incongruous departure from the opening scenes of enraged baby-doll smashing kids and focused on the pink. I think that's what most of the audience probably did- immersed themselves in the magic of...Barbie.
The funniest aspects of Barbie for me were her interactions with other characters; especially the discontinued Barbies (i.e. "Midge"), Weird Barbie and Ken. They served to remind me of what made Barbie special- she's perfect. Always smiling. Always well dressed. Unlike Bratz and American Girls, Barbie does not have a complicated backstory. Unlike Cabbage Patch, she doesn't need cuddling or taking care of. She likes pink and Ken - well, she used to like Ken.
The unexpected introduction of a Ken who feels deeply surprised me. At first, his interest in "spending the night" at Barbie's Dream House disturbed me. Ken doesn't do that. I thought of how Ken was portrayed from Toy Story - plastic hair Ken who was a carbon copy of Ken doll - a Barbie accessory. Not an aggressor. But, in the end, it was Ken who stole the show, unexpectedly taking over BarbieLand and charming us all during his coup d'etat.
Perhaps it was Ken's surprisingly nuanced personality that pushed Barbie's box office haul into billion dollar territory. For years, people joked about Ken's purpose -which didn't exist. But to see his frustrations vented on an unsuspecting Barbie-land was simply hilarious. I think we can guess who will be back for the sequel.
Barbie the Movie was not what I expected. I thought the story would somehow center around the "Barbie Song" ("life in plastic, it's fantastic"); perhaps some new villain stirring up trouble in BarbieLand by stealing her Dream Car. But it went beyond that- into the Real World. Way into the real world - with Barbie giving up her perfect pink eternity to become a real woman. Yes, that's a total rip from Pinocchio but still poignant.
So what made Barbie better? Her "flat feet", clad in Birkenstocks? Her insecurities as she realized she no longer fit in? Her clever escape from the suits at Mattel? Or treating Ken kindly?
Barbie the Movie brought a much-loved toy to life and kept her that way. It didn't relegate her to a box (like Will Ferrell tried to) or comfortably end with her waving farewell to her new friends from the safety of her Dream House.
Barbie is probably the only toy that I wanted to "be". The movie gave her being and that is what makes her better.
