To paraphrase a wise woman (who knows a thing or two about a fantastic life in plastic): She’s here, and she’s perfect!
Nearly four years after it was initially announced—and a literal year-plus spent fielding spoilers in the way of casting news and colorfully costumed set photos—the first full trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is finally, blessedly, Barbie-ly here.
If anything could warrant the use of such an outdated phrase as “break the internet,” it would be the world’s reaction to the Barbie teaser trailer. Back in November, the first footage of Margot Robbie in the titular role was all that anyone could talk about for a solid week. And for good reason. The teaser was only 75 seconds long, but it told anxious viewers everything they needed to drop all reservations.
A bold, brilliant reference to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey opened that teaser, cutting to Robbie’s Barbie standing 100 feet tall, an earth-shattering new symbol of aspirational womanhood for young girls. Already, it was clear that Barbie would avoid the stale trappings of pseudo-intellectualism and lean into its own camp status with a wink.
However, that trailer really didn’t give us any idea of what Barbie would actually be about. With Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach penning the script, Barbie was sure to be a sharp-tongued, but loving slant on the doll’s legacy. But left to bake in intellectualism too long, and the film could be a total misfire.
Luckily, anyone with a remaining hint of trepidation about a semi-parodic film adaptation of their favorite childhood toy will surely have their fears appeased by the glorious, bubblegum-and-hot-pink-hued second teaser trailer. Though Warner Bros. seems to be keeping details under wraps as long as possible, there’s plenty to glean from the latest look at this technicolor paradise.
The trailer opens with Robbie’s Barbie stepping her furry-sandaled feet into Barbieland. Naturally, her heels remain inches in the air, even after she removes her pumps. The cartoonish blues, pinks, and yellows soar off the screen as we’re treated to the classic interaction that famously opened Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”: “Hi, Barbie,” a bleach-blonde, rippling-abbed Ryan Gosling shouts. Barbie, of course, responds, “Hi, Ken!”
Barbie greets all of the other Barbies lounging on the beach, quickly igniting a tiff between Ken and, well, another Ken (played by Simu Liu). As we see later in the trailer, everyone in Barbieland is engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the beach. Are they fighting over Barbie? Perhaps, but Gosling’s Ken seems to be the only doll she has eyes for—even if neither of them know exactly what they’re supposed to do when Ken asks to stay over at her place.
Here’s our first dose of Barbie’s actual plot. These dolls all seem to live in a peaceful, idyllic existence (likely getting their knowledge from the kids that play with them, who are similarly clueless about the details of adult life). But a shot of Barbie and Ken riding away from Barbieland in their dream car means that their lives are about to be upended. Barbie is due to be confronted with the reality of her plastic existence, when she meets Will Ferrel’s “mother” character. Cue an inevitable dose of existential catatonia, as Barbie, Ken, and the rest of the plastic icons try to determine how they function in a Mattel-powered world.
We’re even given a few more glimpses at Barbie’s absurdly stacked cast—though, no look yet at Dua Lipa playing a mermaid Barbie. Issa Rae fawns over everyone as President of Barbieland; Michael Cera’s rigid Allan stands petrified at any conflict; and America Ferrera’s human character sits in the back of a spy van, helping the Barbies plan god-knows-what kind of espionage!
If its trailer is any proof—and it seems safe to assume that it is—Gerwig’s third directorial effort will be a characteristic knockout. Gerwig has already proven herself highly formidable at telling unique stories, driven by determined women, that fall outside of the “plucky” or “girlboss” archetypes. Even her take on another beloved piece of intellectual property, 2019’s Little Women, was so exceptional that it transcended the million other adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s novel.
Though we won’t know for sure until we’re sweating it out in the dregs of summer, Barbie looks to be another singular film from Gerwig, and a surefire hit among audiences. And, like Ken, be sure to bring your rollerblades along with you. We’ll be looking forward to having fun, fun, fun when Barbie hits theaters July 21.
