Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig Unleash the Pink

To paraphrase a wise woman (who knows about a fantastic life in plastic): It’s here, and it’s perfect!

Almost four years after the original announcement – and literally more than a year spent finding spoilers in the form of casting news and colorfully costumed set photos – the first full trailer for Greta Gerwigs Barbie Movie is finally, blessed, Barbie-ly here.

If anything could justify using a phrase as outdated as “break the internet,” it would be the world’s reaction to the Barbie teaser trailer. In November, the first footage of Margot Robbie in the title role was all there was to talk about for a week. And for a good reason. The teaser was only 75 seconds long, but it told worried viewers everything they needed to ditch all reservations.

A bold, brilliant nod to Stanley Kubrick 2001: A Space Odyssey opened up this teaser and cut to Robbie’s Barbie, who stands 100 feet tall, an earth-shattering new symbol of ambitious femininity for young girls. That was already clear Barbie would eschew the old-fashioned trappings of pseudo-intellectualism and tongue-in-cheek throw himself into his own camp status.

However, that trailer really didn’t give us any idea of ​​what Barbie would actually be approx. With Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach writing the screenplay, Barbie was certainly a sharp-tongued but loving take on the doll’s legacy. But if left to bake in intellectualism for too long, the film could be a total backfire.

Luckily, anyone who still has a shred of apprehension about a semi-parody film adaptation of their favorite childhood toy will have their fears assuaged by the gorgeous bubblegum-and-pink second teaser trailer. Though Warner Bros. seems to be keeping details under wraps for as long as possible, there’s a lot to learn from the latest look at this Technicolor paradise.

The trailer begins with Robbie’s Barbie stepping into Barbieland wearing her furry sandals. Of course, her heels remain inches in the air even after she takes off her pumps. The cartoonish blues, pinks and yellows rise off the screen as we are treated to the classic interaction that opened Aqua’s famous Barbie Girl: “Hi, Barbie,” calls out a bleach blonde Ryan Gosling. Barbie, of course, replies, “Hi, Ken!”

Barbie greets all the other Barbies lounging on the beach and quickly ignites a fight between Ken and another Ken (played by Simu Liu). As we see later in the trailer, everyone at Barbieland is engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the beach. Are they fighting over Barbie? Maybe, but Gosling’s Ken seems to be the only doll she has eyes for — though none of them quite know what to do when Ken asks to sleep over.

Here’s our first dose of Barbie‘s actual action. These dolls all seem to live in a peaceful, idyllic existence (they probably get their knowledge from the children who play with them, who are similarly clueless to the details of adult life). But one shot of Barbie and Ken driving away from Barbieland in their dream car means their lives are turned upside down. Barbie should be confronted with the reality of her plastic existence when they meet Will Ferrel’s “mother” character. Indulge in an inevitable dose of existential catatonia as Barbie, Ken and the rest of the plastic icons try to figure out how to function in a Mattel-powered world.

We even get a few glimpses of Barbie‘s absurdly stacked cast — but no look yet at Dua Lipa, who plays a mermaid Barbie. Issa Rae flatters everyone as President of Barbieland; Michael Cera’s rigid Allan stands petrified before any conflict; and America Ferrera’s human figure sits in the back of a spy truck and helps the Barbies plan god knows what spy!

If his trailer is any proof – and it seems safe to assume it is – Gerwig’s third directorial effort will be a characteristic knockout. Gerwig has already proven extremely impressive at telling unique stories driven by determined women, rather than the ‘brave’ or ‘girlboss’ archetypes. Even her take on another popular piece of intellectual property, the one from 2019 little womanwas so extraordinary that it surpassed the millions of other adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s novel.

Though we won’t know for sure until we’ve sweated it out in summer’s dregs, Barbie appears to be another unique film by Gerwig and a surefire hit with audiences. And like Ken, be sure to bring your skates. We will be happy Fun, fun, have fun when Barbie hits theaters on July 21st.