Observer by Emily Zemler

It is infectiously delightful, even if you’re someone who might typically steer clear of chipper, pink-hued flicks. Somehow Gerwig has struck a balance between unhinged whimsy, deep humanity and comedic bliss. It’s funny, it will make you cry and it feels almost like a rebellion.

BBC by Nicholas Barber

It may be a comedy about a mass-produced plastic doll, but Barbie breaks the mould.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Chandler Levack

This Barbie is a modern movie masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.

The Independent by Clarisse Loughrey

While it’s impossible for any studio film to be truly subversive, this Mattel-approved comedy gets away with far more than you’d think was possible.

Boston Globe by Odie Henderson

Barbie knows it can be construed as a giant Mattel commercial. Look at how it highlights Barbie’s outfits by having them stop in midair for product identification, or how even the discontinued Barbies have houses in Barbie Land. That self-awareness is part of the charm, along with the clever way the plot unfolds and the genuine love Gerwig has for her characters.

The Film Verdict by Alonso Duralde

Gerwig and Baumbach come out on the side of the power of the imagination but never discount the criticisms of this iconic American object. What the film does best, perhaps, is to understand and explain why people make up worlds, be they real systems of oppression or imaginary playsets.

TheWrap by Tomris Laffly

Thanks to Gerwig’s imagination, this Barbie is far from plastic. It’s fantastic.

IndieWire by Kate Erbland

“Barbie” is a lovingly crafted blockbuster with a lot on its mind, the kind of feature that will surely benefit from repeat viewings (there is so much to see, so many jokes to catch) and is still purely entertaining even in a single watch.

Consequence by Liz Shannon Miller

Barbie is a magic trick, a stellar example of a filmmaker taking a well-established bit of corporate IP and using it to deliver a message loudly and clearly. That Greta Gerwig’s third solo film as director also manages to be a giddy, silly, and hilarious time is essential to its power, and the challenge of this review is thus trying to explore how the magic trick works, while still preserving the flat-out awe I have at what it achieves.

Collider by Ross Bonaime

Gerwig has created a film that takes Barbie, praises its contribution as an idea to our world, but also criticizes its faults, while also making a film that celebrates being a woman and all the difficulties and beauty that includes.

IGN

A masterful exploration of femininity and the pressures of perfection.

Screen Rant by Tatiana Hullender

Everything about Barbie is crafted with both mass appeal and personal insight, much like the doll, resulting in a movie that knows how to please.

Arizona Republic by Bill Goodykoontz

It's Gerwig’s movie, Gerwig’s take on childhood and the patriarchy and feminism and love and death — boy, death — all wrapped in a package that continually surprises. So yeah, it’s not what you think it is. It’s better.

Slant Magazine by Gregory Nussen

The film is at once a journey of self-actualization and a testament to female solidarity.

RogerEbert.com by Christy Lemire

It’s a visual feast that succeeds as both a gleeful escape and a battle cry.

Los Angeles Times by Justin Chang

Whatever you think of “Barbie,” the mere existence of this smart, funny, conceptually playful, sartorially dazzling comic fantasy speaks to the irreverent wit and meta-critical sensibility of its director.