MOVIES
What is the plot of the new ‘Barbie’ movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling?
The story of the film was long kept secret but we now know a little about what makes Barbie and Ken tick.
Greta Gerwig’s new ‘Barbie’ movie has finally made it to the movie theaters, with the world premiere held at The Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles back on July 9. As you might expect, the stars were out in full force for a first glimpse of one of 2023 most anticipated new releases, but how much did it reveal about the plot of the story?
Who is in the ‘Barbie’ movie cast?
The cast includes Helen Mirren as the narrator, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, along with Dua Lipa, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, and Kate McKinnon.
There will be several Barbies and Kens, all with different personas.
The film premiered in theaters on July 21, 2023.
Full ‘Barbie’ story kept from cast
America Ferrera, who also stars in the movie, told People that even the cast didn’t know what the plot would be for a long time.
“People don’t have any idea what to expect and I think that that’s the right vibe.”
“Whatever you think it is, it’s not that,” the ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ actress declared. “It’s something else.”
Issa Rae, who plays President Barbie in the movie, also said that when Greta Gerwig explained the script to her, she didn’t really get it.
“[When Gerwig] was explaining the Barbie script to me. She was like, ‘I just need to explain what it is.’ And I’ll be 100 percent honest, when she was talking, like, it was entertaining, but I didn’t get it,” Rae revealed.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know what the f*** she was talking about, but whatever it is, I’m excited she’s behind it,’” Rae continued.
The ‘Barbie’ movie trailer
What audiences were able to learn from the trailer and the ‘Barbie’ movie official Instagram account is that the feature film is an imagined story based on the classic Mattel Barbie World toys.
Mirren’s voice opens the trailer as the film’s narrator.
“Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls,” Mirren narrates. “But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls. Until …”
The trailer then portrays Robbie as Barbie heading to the beach where she encounters several other Kens and Barbies, who all greet her enthusiastically, most notably main Ken, played by Gosling.
Barbie then drives through Barbieland in her iconic pink convertible as she basks in the perfection of the town.
But then, Barbie’s car spins out of control for reasons we don’t see. When the car safely lands, Barbie turns around to see Ken in the backseat.
“What are you doing!” Barbie cries.
“I’m going with you,” Ken says.
Barbie frowns. “Did you bring your rollerblades?”
“I literally go nowhere without them,” Ken declared, holding up a pair of yellow rollerblades.
What is the ‘Barbie’ plot?
Gosling revealed in an interview with Vogue that Ken’s job is “just beach”, a line his character says in the movie, whereas Barbie’s character is said to be somewhat more complex.
The movie will follow the pair as they make their way from the safe haven of Barbie Land, a colourful and perfect space, into the real world.
The trailer begins with an up-close look at Barbie walking down a hallway in fluffy pink heeled mules, until she removes her shoes, revealing her signature lifted feet.
Barbie and her existential crisis
She then floats down her house into her pink convertible, before shifting to a scene where she invites Ken to a “blowout”, a choreographed dance party, where Barbie, mid-dance asks the surrounding Barbies, “Do you guys ever think about dying?”, causing everyone to stop.
She later reveals that she’s been experiencing a number of other odd occurrences, including flat feet, falling off her house, and (imaginary) cold showers.
Barbie seeks advice from Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), a Barbie with harshly cut hair and marker scribbles on her face, who tells her she must choose to either go back to her regular life or explore the real world to find out what’s causing her existential crisis.
Barbie is then joined by Ken on a road trip to the real world, where they encounter an ogling group of people who laugh at their outfits and sexualise her against her will. Someone even slaps her butt, causing her to punch him in the face, leading to Barbie and Ken getting arrested.
Another plot detail in the trailer shows that Mattel’s CEO (Will Ferrell) begins hunting down Barbie in the real world, saying “If this got out, this could mean extremely weird things for our world.”
Not what you imagined? Perhaps not. In any case, let’s leave it there with the spoilers and you can judge for yourselves whether it lives up to expectation.
‘Barbie’ premiered in movie theaters on July 21. Get your popcorn and go find out for yourself what all the hype is about.