REVIEW: Skegness  in the pink for the sell-out release of the Barbie movie

The sell-out showing on Friday evening saw girls and boys outside the Tower Cinema rocking their best pink outfits and queuing along Lumley Road in the hope of getting a last-minute seat.

Billed as the movie of the summer, the Hollywood flick has already received some rave reviews – with The Guardian describing Ryan Gosling as Ken as ‘plastic fantastic in ragged doll comedy’ and the Independent saying the movie was "joyous from minute to minute".

For those who have missed all the hype – the movie is a rom-com twist on the iconic toy by Mattel, featuring all of the favourite childhood dolls from blonde bombshell Barbie and , of course, her ‘boyfriend’ Ken.

The story unfolds as the Barbie is living her best life in the very pink and plastic Barbie World, partying of an evening with other Barbies, who are political leaders, supreme court judges and pilots.

However, when Barbie starts dreaming about death – and her feet which were permanently on tiptoes, ready to slip on her heels, land firmly on the ground – she discovers her anxiety has been psycho-cosmically transmitted to her from Gloria, a former Barbie owner.

She gets a chance to go to the real world to fix the situation, along with Ken who hides away in her car having struggled to imagine an existence without Barbie. However, they soon discover the real world is not perfect and experience the joys and perils of living among humans.

Director Greta Gerwig excels in her storytelling with equal doses of thought-provoking monologues, satire, big musical numbers , slapstick and drama.

Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie is perfect portraying the iconic fashions and inoccence of the original Barbie before Mattel created others to make them more inclusive.

Ryan Gosling is hilarious as ‘Just Ken’ whose only job is ‘beach’ and believes his life is nothing without Barbie. He puts his dancing shoes back on for the musical numbers but fails to get the ‘girl’, although in the end she convinces him he is ‘Kenough’.

As always, Will Ferrel is a laugh a minute as Mattel Boss - the film's villain as he tries to capture Barbie on hearing she has escaped into the real world.

America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) is well-cast as single, working mum Gloria who hides her Barbieness in a man’s world with pink shoes under her desk. She has a discontented teenage daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), who starts out fiercely critical of Barbie before being converted as the plot unfolds. However, it is Gloria who delivers the show-stopping monologue: “I’m just so tired of watching myself, and every single other woman, tie herself into knots so that people will like us.”

In spite of plenty of laughter in the cinema, the serious tones and adult humour came as a bit of a surprise to some of the audience. One even told us she expected more focus on ‘pink’ and she and her friend had come out in sparkly outfits to go and have cocktails afterwards but felt like going home.

However it didn’t come as a surprise to Emily Dew, who was out with her friend celebratng her 18th birthday and was expecting more to the film than a lot of pink and fluss. She said: “With Greta Gerwig as director you know there is going to be a strong feminist message.”

Liz Jones, who turned up in a splendid Barbie outfit complete with pink mini skirt, t-shirt and white stetson, said she would need to see it again to take it all in.

The self-confessed Barbie fan, who admitted her grandma secretly bought her Barbies because her mum didn’t approve of the doll’s image, said: "I enjoyed it but it wasn’t what I expected.

"I was expecting more of a Pretty Woman frocks and handbags story and there were a lot of messages in there to take in.”

However, what couldn’t be agued is the opening of the film in Skegness brought some colour to what has been a few dull days in the resort.

Theo Griffiths, a member of the market team of Teen Spirit who own Tower Cinema, said the management were delighted with the turnout.

"We have been fully booked on the opening night which is really good,” he said. “But we are also very excited to see customers take on the theme of the movie and wear pink.”

Among the opening night guests was Mayor of Skegness, Coun Pete Barry, who entered the spirit of things by wearing a pink tie and pocket handkerchief. He said: “It’s great to see the cinema so busy and everyone getting in the spirit of things and wearing pink. We need a bit of pink to get things going and add a bit of sparkle to the town.”

Local teenage celebrity drag queen Jenna G turned out in her Barbie best in a pink jumpsuit and fur-trimmed coast. Jenna G, who is currently hosting Drag Queen Bingo at venues along the coast, said: “You really can’t go wrong with a lot of pink.

"I’ve seen the trailers and reviews and can’t wait to see the film.”

Skegness Carnival Queen Summer Willets was also there. “I love Barbie and have had a few of them,” she said. Mum Katie added: “That’s down to me, I had everything.”

If you couldn’t get a ticket last night, there are three showings of Barbie at the Tower Cinema until Thursday, July 27.

Then it’s the arrival of the other movie of the summer that was also released yesterday, Oppenheimer. The film is the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. It stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr.

Barbie tickets are £3.50 and can be booked online here.