'Barbie’ delivers laughs, energetic fun

I had a little bit of a late start with the ‘Barbenheimer’ craze that’s been going on. After finally getting the chance to check out ‘Oppenheimer’ (highly recommended by the way), I went onto ‘Barbie’ — which has been breaking several box office records.

Believe it or not, a live-action ‘Barbie’ movie has been in development since 2009. Universal and Sony tried to get a few versions going, but nothing really came to fruition. And, now, one of the most popular dolls ever created can be seen on the big screen in this highly entertaining movie. 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.

The live-action ‘Barbie’ movie delivers a lot of fun energy and some really humorous moments.

From the very start, there are quite a few gags that will really make you laugh. The opening sequence is a parody of the ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ opening, which was used as one of the marketing trailers, and it’s really funny. Kids may not get the ‘Space Odyssey’ gag but surely parents will.

Throughout the rest of the movie, the fun and laughs just keep on coming. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are perfect for their roles and Gosling really nailed it as Ken. I really haven’t seen him in a lot of roles that required comedy, but he really had the audience rolling with laughter in several of his scenes.

All of the characters are really well-liked and we are introduced to a few more in the “real world” scenes. Will Ferrell is great as the goofy Mattel CEO and this role reminds me that Ferrell can still be funny.

There is never a dull moment in ‘Barbie’. The Barbie Land scenes are really fun to watch and they definitely put in a lot of work turning Barbie Land into a reality. There are some parts in the movie that can get a tad goofy, but that’s all part of the fun that the movie offers!

Overall, kids and their parents will really have a great time watching ‘Barbie.’ It’s really hilarious and is loads of fun. There are also a few jokes that will go over the kids’ heads, but they are still really funny. For some people who grew up with Barbie, you may even get a nostalgic feeling while watching this movie on the big screen!

Some of the cast include: Margot Robbie as Barbie; Ryan Gosling as Ken; Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie; Isse Rae as President Barbie; Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie; Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie; Simu Liu as Tourist Ken; Kingsley Ben-Adir as Basketball Ken; America Ferrera as Gloria; Will Ferrell as Mattel CEO and Michael Cera as Allan, among many others.

‘Barbie’ is written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (Netflix’s Marriage Story) and also directed by Gerwig (Lady Bird; Little Women).

‘Barbie’ is rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language and has a running time of 114 minutes.

Let me know on my Wyoming County Press Examiner review Facebook page your thoughts on the movie and coming up for reviews — ‘Haunted Mansion’ and ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBk4NYhWNMM