Barbie

With the Hollywood strike ongoing, the sight of cinema screens sold out is a joyous thing.

It's no doubt been aided by social media but let's still celebrate a flock of audiences going to see two standalone, thoughtful, important and ‘non-traditional’ blockbusters.

Barbie may just be the most non-traditional blockbuster you’ll see. A wildly original, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud explosion of colour and delight.

With Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach behind the wheel and THAT stacked ensemble cast, this was always going to be the indie art film wrapped in a blockbuster faux-fur coat that the first 2001: A Space Odyssey-aping trailer presented it as.

Make no mistake, this corporate-backed, mainstream news headline grabber is not a kid’s film or even a family film. Every single punter walking out the cinema, whether bedecked in pink, surrounded by friends, wanting to push the nostalgia-button or dragged forcibly along by their partner is going to, at the very least, FEEL something after seeing this movie.

To most that feeling and reaction will be one of utter joy. The film is bottled energy and owns it. It could inspire conversation, genuine and serious conversation.

That reaction could also be hate, it could be confusion, cynicism or contempt. The conversation starter it encourages could be 'what have we just watched'. To channel a little of Helen Mirren’s Narrator, don’t be friends with anyone who has this opinion. The point stands though, at least this film will provoke which is more than can be said for most big tent franchise stuff.

It makes its points forcibly and is to be admired in that. It knows what it wants to be and what it wants to say but tailors itself beautifully within that framework.

Despite this, and despite the utter gloriousness of the jokes, the self-mocking, the bizarre meta-ness of the whole enterprise and the ‘indie film’ genes there is, somewhere tucked away, and for reasons not entirely explainable, just a slight whiff of the corporate factor here.

It’s hard to explain, and not really quantifiable (feel free to disagree) but, unlike The Lego Movie which can be described as its spiritual forebear (based on a toy, marketed on nostalgia for millennials, serious messages, stars Will Ferrell) it feels like, whilst the Barbie keys were handed over to outside talent, they had to be loaned back. It feels like there may be an even bolder cut of this film lying around somewhere and a few ideas and threads have been changed for concision.

That is the most minor of minor quibbles though, with the only other being that it could also be argued that the cast is so stacked that there are some major names with limited screentime but this is a sad inevitability and it’s hugely satisfying spotting the excellent cameos.

In all, this is a wildly entertaining and original blockbuster film that marries its smarts with belly laugh humour and genuine emotion. It is capable of getting its messages across with stealth whilst also occasionally whacking you over the head. It’s a statement film that could just change the future of cinema for the better. Hell, it could even change the world for the better.

We could all do with being a bit more like a Barbie girl in a Barbie world. Go party.

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