By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Mattel’s Barbie doll has proved so iconic and such a divisive figure that it fully justifies the homage to the film 2001 that it is blessed with here including Helen Mirren voiceover.

• Read on for reasons including how this is the funniest film of the year so far but also 1 to make you think

Make no mistake, Barbie the film, is probably the funniest of the year so far and it is the mother/daughter relationship at its centre which is very much its heart and soul.

Ugly Betty‘s America Ferrera is a Mattel employee and talented artist drawing her frustrations with life in the form of strange variations of Barbie which trigger an unexpected existential crisis in Margot Robbie’s ‘stereotypical’ Barbie a world away in Barbieland.

It looks ridiculous when written down, but ‘stereotypical’ Barbie suddenly develops flat feet, has thoughts of death and is advised to visit Kate McKinnon’s ‘weird’ Barbie who has been played with just a little too hard for guidance.

Saturday Night Live regular McKinnon is the funniest thing about the film and urges ‘stereotypical’ Barbie to leave Barbieland, where a matriarchal society has solved all problems, and venture to the real world to find the person causing the difficult thoughts.

As fans of Netflix’s Sex Education series, 1 of the things we loved about Barbie is that is features 3 of the show’s beloved cast – Connor Swindells, Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa.

Swindells is probably most memorable as Mattel employee Aaron Dinkins who breaks the news to its boss, Will Ferrell having the most fun imaginable, that a Barbie and a Ken are arriving in the real world.

Here ‘stereotypical’ Barbie meets tweens who tell her she has ruined their lives and soon it becomes clear to her that the real world has a far less enlightened attitude than Barbieworld to women while Ryan Gosling’s Ken discovers the patriarchy.

Special mention to Gosling who has been super funny on TV in Saturday Night Live before but any doubts about whether he could transfer this to celluloid were immediately dispelled playing a deadpan character who yearns to be more than Barbie’s friend while aspiring to a ‘beach’ career.

Ken’s visit to the real world see him learning about the patriarchy and yearning to have more horses in his life.

Fans of author Caitlin Moran’s (film How To Build A Girl) will find much to be both moved by and cheer in the film’s final third and we were ecstatic to find ourselves in a sold-out showing for this which was predominantly hugely responsive and appreciative to its message.

We loved Barbie’s recognition of the elderly woman on the bench she encounters in the real world as beautiful and also her interactions with Cheers‘s Rhea Perlman’s creator.

There’s also a great soundtrack to enjoy from monstagigz favourites Dua Lipa and Charli XCX alongside fabulous contributions also from Haim, Lizzo and Billie Eilish as well as a very soulsearching yet hilarious Ryan Gosling number called Ken.

We knew we loved the work of Barbie‘s writer and director Greta Gerwig (films Little Women and Ladybird) and weren’t quite sure of what to make of this going in but not only is it the funniest film of the year so far but it’s also 1 likely to make you think long after the closing credits roll.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy Barbie Tickets
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