Barbie movie: Fans’ verdict as Margot Robbie blockbuster hits cinemas - ‘your weirdest fever dream’

The Barbie movie finally hit UK cinemas this weekend - and fans have weighed in on whether the pink-splattered blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling was worth the wait. The blockbuster strives to bring the iconic plastic doll to life in a live-action first and comes storming off the back of a rather impressive marketing campaign featuring everything from Barbie-fied burgers to games consoles.

Barbie was also released on the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, a thriller about the scientist often credited with inventing the atomic bomb starring Peaky Blinders favourite Cillian Murphy. The flicks will inevitably go head-to-head at the box office, but one has to wonder if this was a tactical decision after it lead to a viral sensation with fans imagining a Barbenheimer mash-up.

Prior to the film’s release. director Greta Gerwig told Elle Magazine she hoped Barbie would “subvert” any potential sexist stereotypes. She said: “Barbie is literally plastic. She’s unchanging. If you threw her out, she just wouldn’t disintegrate. If I could give that persona some humanity, some falling-apart-ness, that - in and of itself - would be be meaningful.”

Fans have since flocked to social media to share their thoughts on the long-awaited flick. @filmguy619 dubbed it a “humorous, existential telling of feminine and masculine ideals that, in it’s own way, is also a coming-of-age tale.” They added: “Also, the costume design, production design, Ryan Gosling as Ken... *chef’s kiss*.”

@Robnoady likened Barbie to a “brilliant mix of your weirdest fever dream and That Night Out you had once where you started in the local and ended up on the other side of town at 3am watching a film in another language that makes absolutely no goddamned sense - but you’re here for the ride.”

@akshsrao wrote: “[Barbie] is amazing. It’s so unapologetically pink, girly and loud. But the message is what punches you in the gut. It tackles patriarchy, sexism, equality! Margot Robbie is the STAR! Also, they made Ryan Gosling dance, so they won.”

Barbie is currently showing at cinemas across the UK.