Stepping into the world of wonders and imagination, Barbie was brought to life this summer as it shocked the world through the film’s cast, plot, and drama. This movie made history with $1 billion at the box office, surpassing Frozen, which was released in 2013, and making Gerwing the first solo female director with a billion-dollar movie.

Starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, Barbie also included some other big Hollywood names like Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, and more. Before Robbie was picked for the role, Anne Hathaway and Amy Schumer were the first choice; however, scheduling issues and creative differences led the way for Margot Robbie.

The cast effortlessly brought to life our favorite childhood toy turning it into a fan-favorite movie. Each actor brought their A-game in-depth performances that showcased charisma, sadness, happiness, and more. The audience was blown away, especially by Ryan Gosling’s performance as Ken. Before the movie was released, spectators were skeptical when it came to whether Gosling could perform Ken well enough to portray the story. Opinions from People magazines stated, “He’s ‘Not My Ken’: ‘There Are Many Other Ken’s to Play With.” Brooke Smith, Olympic Heights Junior, thought otherwise, “No one else could’ve played Ken. Gosling is The Ken.”

 The film centers around a doll living in Barbie Land. When the main character, Barbie, leaves for the human world to fix her imperfections, she is encountered with the truth of what the world really is like. Barbie realizes that sunshine and rainbows are not everywhere for women and goes on a journey to fix what she thought was wrong, facing challenges along the way.

With the main topic of the movie being feminism, a series of debates on social media surfaced. The directors proclaim Barbie to be “most certainly a feminist film” frightening a lot of the male audience. Critical Drinker considered it “114 minutes of spiteful, bitter, mean-spirited, borderline unhinged hatred of men.” When Dylan Salazar, Olympic Heights Junior, was asked about his opinions from a male perspective, he stated, “I believe Barbie attacks misogynist men. Barbie is trying to deliver a message to younger men that women are equal to men.”

An unforgettable moment in Gerwing’s movie, Barbie, was when Gloria (America Ferrera) delivered a monologue describing how hard it is being a woman with the idea of there being double standards. Ferrera told Vanity Fair about her favorite lines, which included “Always be grateful.” 

The Barbie soundtrack ranges from Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and more. A memorable part of the movie is when Barbie talks about experiencing all the joys and sadness of what it means to be a woman in the real world, making Barbie unsure of where she now belongs. Barbie comes to the realization that she now wants to be human, but before making the leap, she has to understand what it is she desires. The movie plays a montage of the Billie Eilish song, “What Was I Made For?” as Barbie visualizes the true effects of being a woman. Gerwing confirmed that the movie sequence features the family and friends of the cast and crew and explains that “notably, it features only women — mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and friends, some of whom are still here, some of whom have passed — to help Barbie fully grasp the scope of womanhood and humanity.”

Barbie allowed women around the world to learn the true meaning of being a woman, including the ups and downs that the world presents humans with. A special quote highlighted by Gerwing is “There are Barbies all around us.”