Barbie Movie Reviews: Critics Share Strong First Reactions

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is nearly here, and critics shared their first reactions after the first press screenings.

Featuring a massive cast of A-listers including Margot Robbie as the titular Barbie along with Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, and plenty more, Barbie looks set to make a huge impression on moviegoers in a summer jam-packed with blockbusters.

Coming in with a somewhat expected PG-13 rating, Barbie will put the iconic Mattel doll into the big-screen spotlight for the first time, putting forth a wild adventure that will show fans how to see their own inner beauty.

Critics React to Barbie Screenings

Members of the press shared their first reactions to the upcoming Barbie movie after the film had its world premiere event and its first official screenings.

This comes only a few days after Time Magazine got to release its own write-up for the movie, with the reception being positive as it was called “a fun yet self-aware romp.”

Variety’s Katcy Stephan praised Barbie as “perfection,” highlighting director Greta Gerwig for bringing “a nuanced commentary” on being a woman while celebrating leading actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling:

“‘Barbie’ is perfection. Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.”

ComicBook.com’s Jamie Jirak called Barbie her “favorite film of the year,” urging critics and Oscar voters to “give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination” for his performance:

“I can’t officially quit Twitter before telling you all that ‘Barbie’ is currently my favorite film of the year. Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I’m dead serious!”

Collider’s Perri Nemiroff noted that the “craftsmanship is incredible” in Barbie and praised the film for its “next-level work” on production design, but she felt “a bit more mixed” about the plot and the story:

“I have seen ‘Barbie!’ The craftsmanship is incredible. In particular the costume & production design includes next-level work that heavily contributes to creating the feeling that these truly are Barbies, their dream houses, and their worlds come to life. As for the story, that’s where I’m a bit more mixed. I think the film serves Margot Robbie’s Barbie and her journey especially well, but there are other characters experiencing important arcs that needed more screen time to really dig into and explore to the fullest.”

Rotten Tomatoes critic Carla Renata confirmed that Barbie director Greta Gerwig had her “all in [her] feelings” and pointed out the “dance numbers led by Simu Liu” as some of her favorite moments:

“I saw ‘Barbie The Movie’ and Greta Gerwig left me all in my feelings as did the production design, costumes, Hair and makeup! I was living for the dance numbers led by Simu Liu! It’s overblown fun with a feminist twist”

YouTuber Sharronda Williams called Barbie “witty, heartfelt, and downright fun” while praising Robbie and Gosling, but she also pointed out that the “screenplay feels bloated at times:”

“‘Barbie The Movie’ is witty, heartfelt, and downright fun at times. Ryan Gosling is a scene stealer delivering most of the laughs while Margot Robbie’s heartfelt performance will tug at your heartstrings. While I enjoyed most of the film the screenplay feels bloated at times teetering between the camp ‘Barbie’ movie we expected to a sometimes too on the nose social commentary of society that takes away from important subplots & character development. The production and costume design is stunning but overall I left wanting a bit more from the film.

Screen Rant’s Joe Deckelmeier noted that Barbie caught him “off guard…in the best possible way,” praising the cast and director while calling the film “funny, bombastic, & very smart:”

“‘Barbie’ caught me off guard & I mean that in the best way possible. It’s funny, bombastic, & very smart. Greta Gerwig aims for the fences & hits a home-run. Margot Robbie’s performance is great & Ryan Gosling & Simu Liu are pure entertainment! The whole cast is brilliant!”

AAFCA’s Ty Cole explained how Barbie “peels the layers off the superficial doll” on which the film was inspired while also putting Ken into the spotlight as he is “figuring his identity out:”

“‘Barbie’ is everything you wouldn’t expect. It peels the layers off the superficial doll we all grew up with while showing how Ken is more than an asset and is figuring his identity out.”

Will Fans React Favorably After Positive Barbie Reviews?

Considering the heartwarming message laid out in Barbie, it’s no surprise that critics are liking the blockbuster.

The big question now is whether fans will have the same positive reactions when the movie debuts to the public, especially with heavy competition coming this month in Mission Impossible 7, Oppenheimer, and Haunted Mansion.

With plenty of moments deemed mature in nature coming in this story, Greta Gerwig and her team appear to have made an adventure that will appeal to all kinds of fans who have seen the Barbie brand evolve over the years.

And with such a jam-packed journey fitting seamlessly into a fairly-compact runtime of less than two hours, many are itching to see exactly what this Barbie world has in store.

Barbie will debut in theaters worldwide on Friday, July 21.