There’s no denying that Barbie became the movie event of 2023 as it became a true phenomenon that really boosted what was otherwise a lackluster summer in terms of box office receipts. Bringing in over $1.43 billion worldwide, the Margot Robbie-led film is now available to own on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD.
“To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken,” reads the synopsis.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is outrageous and some of the most fun I’ve had at the theater this year. Getting to revisit it at home is just as fun, especially with getting to stop and take a real look at how much work went into making Barbieland such a colorful, fun place with tons of small details that are easy to miss. The film itself is incredibly vibrant in 4K, and it remains very funny, with Ryan Gosling’s Ken being an utterly ridiculous highlight from start to finish.
The film slows down just a bit once Robbie’s Barbie takes a detour into the real world, but it quickly gets back on track and adds in a great performance from Will Ferrell from that point as well (who could’ve been used a bit more alongside Michael Cera’s Allan). The ultimate highlight remains the “I’m Just Ken” musical number and the corresponding fight scene, which have incredible choreography and are hilarious to revisit. Especially upon rewatching, it’s easy to see why Barbie became such a hit, as it is truly hard to watch without smiling and having a good time.
The Barbie 4K special features are good but not quite incredible. Let’s get the bad out of the way first: there is no commentary track for the movie, nor are there any deleted scenes. I was quite bummed that the sequences that were in the IMAX cut weren’t at least included, as I really wanted to see Gosling singing “Boys Just Want To Have Fun” and the blooper reel. They’re odd omissions, but hopefully, we’ll get a more deluxe package down the line.
What is actually here on the special features side is really solid, though. There are six well-edited featurettes that are 45 minutes totaled together. My favorites were “Welcome to Barbie Land” and “Playing Dress Up,” which take a detailed look at the sets and costume design of the film. Other featurettes take a look at the star-studded cast and the musical choreography, which are great glimpses at how much fun everyone was having while filming and clearly carried over to the finished product.
Also, it’s worth noting that the packaging is appropriately pink. The slipcover is reflective, and even the 4K Ultra HD design is themed in pink. Of course, the actual 4K disc is in pink, too. These are small but really nice touches that add to the overall package.
Barbie 4K Review: The Final Verdict
The Barbie 4K release delivers the beautiful and hilarious movie in all of its glory. While it’s a shame that the deleted scenes weren’t included, the theatrical cut is just as hilarious upon subsequent viewings. All six of the featurettes are interesting to watch and show just how much thought went into every aspect of the film’s design.
Disclosure: Product was sent by the publisher for our Barbie 4K review.
