Biblical Barbie, Space Odyssey and other Easter eggs you may have missed in the Barbie movie

Margot Robbie in a still from 'Barbie'.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has finally landed (with high heels and arched feet) in theatres. A celebration of femininity, inclusivity and a brutal takedown of patriarchy (no, not Ken, he’s having a great day), the film is painting the town pink. Barbie has received mixed reviews so far — with most critics lauding its message of celebrating diversity while some have criticized its execution. The movie is fun, frivolous and evokes nostalgia. A breezy watch with devilishly shiny pink sets, Barbie also has many Easter Eggs which might warrant a second viewing to spot, even for the eagle-eyed viewers.

Did you know Gerwig’s Barbie has a Bratz doll Easter egg? And a Matrix reference? That’s not all — there are also Biblical allusions to Adam and Eve and a callback to Barbie’s original creator, businesswoman Ruth Handler. Here is a list of all the Easter eggs you may have missed in the film.

The Godfather and patriarchy

A still from The Godfather (1972).

When Barbie (Margot Robbie) returns to Barbieland with Gloria (America Ferrera) and Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), she discovers that the Kens have established patriarchy in what was a traditionally matriarchal set-up. Kingsley Ben-Adir, who plays Ken #1, is seen watching The Godfather (1972) on television. To distract him, Barbie says she hasn’t watched The Godfather. Ken #1 then goes on to mansplain the immensely popular Francis Ford Coppola film, which has since its release, been criticized for its problematic portrayal of women characters.

Thanks to Ken’s mansplaining, other Barbies are able to rescue the hypnotized Barbie. Perhaps, the insertion of this Easter egg is Gerwig’s nod to the female gaze. It is imperative to reassess films like The Godfather that were once considered cult hits through the lens of gender.

Space Odyssey reference

A still from 'Barbie' referencing '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968).

This Easter egg was revealed in the trailer itself. However, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) meets Barbie is one iconic crossover no one saw coming. The 2001 epic science-fiction film begins with the sudden appearance of an alien monolith. Except, in Gerwig’s film, Barbie is the monolith – the mysterious new wonder. In Clarke’s series, the monoliths trigger an evolutionary shift. A giant Barbie appearing in a black-and-white swimsuit as a monolith, is arguably Gerwig’s way of hinting that the Barbie movie will bring a revolution by encouraging young girls to celebrate their femininity.

Barbie chooses between red and blue pills

Barbie chooses between red pill and blue pill, a reference to the Matrix series.

Yet another reference to a film that was revealed in the trailer itself — Barbie choosing between high heels and a Birkenstock. If she chooses high heels, she can stay in Barbieland but by choosing the Birkenstock, she can go to the real world to see the ‘truth’. In the Matrix series, the blue pill stands for living an ordinary life, blissfully unaware of the truth, while the red pill will allow one to experience bitter and unsettling truths about their life.

In the '90s film, Neo is told to take the 'red pill' and join the resistance or opt for the 'blue pill' and remain in The Matrix. Is Gerwig subtly encouraging young girls to seek the truth about patriarchy by choosing the Birkenstock? That’s food for thought.

Wizard of Oz: Pink-bricked road

A still from 'Barbie' referencing the bricked road from 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939).

When Barbie chooses the Birkenstock, she is sent into the real world. When she is driving a car, Ken suddenly appears in the backseat – he chose to accompany Barbie on her journey of self-discovery. In the backdrop, we can see a pink-bricked road.

In L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dorothy must follow the yellow-brick road to get to the Wizard. The moral of the children’s novel is to teach kids that to achieve something, it is important to face one’s fears. Except in Barbie, the yellow road is pink.

Barbie vs Bratz dolls

A reference to rival Bratz dolls in a still from 'Barbie'; the 2007 American comedy film 'Bratz' was based on the fashion doll toyline of the same name.

Bratz dolls, much like Barbie herself, are fashion dolls released by MGA Entertainment in 2001. The Bratz dolls - Jade, Chloe, Sasha, and Yasmin - wore fashion-forward clothes, and were embroiled in a court case: In 2008, a judge in California ruled that former Mattel employee Carter Bryant had developed the first designs for the Bratz dolls while he was still employed with Mattel; a San Fransisco appeals court overturned that decision in 2010. MGA countersued, and in 2011, a US jury decided in favour of MGA which had also accused Mattel of corporate espionage.

When Barbie goes to the real world, she meets angsty teenage girls, all four of whom look very similar to the original Bratz dolls. When Margot introduces herself to the four girls, they are less than impressed with her arrival. “We haven’t played with Barbie since we were like five years old”. In her pursuit to include all Barbie dolls, Gerwig doesn’t forget about a rival collection and gives them space in the film (much to Barbie’s dismay!).

Biblical Barbie: The Creation of Man

Barbie’s original creator, businesswoman Ruth Handler.

‘Barbie has a good day every day. Ken has a good day only when Barbie is looking at him’, says the narrator in the beginning of the film. In an interview, Greta had spoken earlier about how Ken, in her universe, is an extension of Barbie just like Eve was an extension of Adam in the Garden of Eden.

In a scene in the film, the ghost of the creator of Barbie, American businesswoman Ruth Handler, touches Barbie’s hand — it is a reference to Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam (1508–12) where God’s hand and Adam’s hand meet for a brief moment. Gerwig has flipped the Biblical narrative and instead of God creating Adam, we see Ruth create Barbie, whose extension is Ken. That’s a feminist spin we love.

How many of these Easter eggs could you spot out of these?

Note to readers: An earlier version of this story said that Barbie and the Bratz dolls were created by the same toymaker. This has been corrected to indicate that Barbie was launched by Mattel and MGA Entertainment is the company behind the Bratz dolls.