This uneven portrayal of a live Barbie doll played by Margot Robbie along with Ryan Gosling as Ken creates a Mattel movie with heart that hits some nice emotional notes. Will Ferrell has the unfortunate casting as Mattel's CEO in a role that slapstick comedy that comes across at odds and does not play well either in the real world or Barbie Land, like an out of place reformed Wile E. Coyote from the old Road Runner animation (1966-73). The opening Barbie Land scenario seems to go on for too long and the intriguing opportunity for Barbie to experience the real world seems too short as well as the divided focus between the real life mother and daughter and their experiences as well as the daughter's feelings which seemed to evolve too suddenly. While the Barbie Land sets are amazingly cute and the acting in Barbie Land had a dazzling sense of toy land fascination, the overall intriguing plot seemed somehow dated and underdeveloped even for young kids today. The movie as a whole had sufficient freshness of style, Margot Robbie's impressive acting, and a dramatic plot sufficient to retain marginal sustained interest to watch the move all the way through to the end to warrant a summer vacation land of entertainment for two hours.
