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Beauty standards aside, the doll has been a wildly progressive lifestyle mentor ever since she won us over in 1959

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

The ‘Ugly Betty’ actor plays Gloria, an assistant to the chief executive of Mattel in the new ‘Barbie’ film

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

[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Greta Gerwig's "Barbie."]

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

Ads for "Barbie" claimed it was for people who hate her and love her, which left me wondering: What about people who don't care about her at all? Turns out the comedy/drama has us covered, too.

As colorful as it is nuanced and hilarious, Greta Gerwig's Barbie vaults Margot Robbie up to icon status with a sharp and poignant story...and Ken.

“Barbie” is a lovely, eccentrically imaginative example of brand extension and raw, untrammeled commercialism. Well, maybe a little trammeled. Any $145 million studio movie based on a doll, accessories sold separately, no doubt comes with a few restrictions. And yet this one actually feels spontaneous, and fun.