A select few humans got a glimpse into Barbie World on Friday night, as Warner Bros. screened Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, for the first time.
Social media exploded with reactions. ScreenRant writer Joseph Deckelmeier called the film “funny, bombastic and very smart,” adding that “Greta Gerwig aims for the fences and hits a home run.” Deckelmeier praised Robbie’s performance as “great” and noted that Gosling and Simu Liu are “pure entertainment.”
Collider writer Perri Nemiroff praised the craftsmanship of the film, particularly the costume and production design. When it came to the story, however, she had more mixed opinions, stating: “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.”
Jamie Jirak of ComicBook.com called the film her “favorite film of the year,” writing: “Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations…Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I’m dead serious!”
“Pay Or Wait” host Sharronda Williams called the film “witty, heartfelt and downright fun,” particularly complimenting Gosling as a “scene stealer delivering most of the laughs.” Williams also stated that the screenplay “feels bloated at times.”
Variety‘s social media editor Katcy Stephan called the movie “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.”
Details of “Barbie” have been largely kept under wraps, with the premise being teased only as: “After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect doll, Barbie and Ken set off to the real world to find true happiness.”
Gerwig, known for directing “Lady Bird” and “Little Women,” helmed the film and wrote its script with Noah Baumbach. Starring Robbie as the iconic Barbie and Gosling as her boy-toy Ken, the movie has a knockout ensemble cast — most of whom play different versions of the famous dolls — including Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa and John Cena. “Barbie” also features America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Connor Swindells, Michael Cera, Helen Mirren, Jamie Demetriou and Emerald Fennell.
“Barbie” premieres in theaters on July 21 from Warner Bros. See more reactions below.