One day, Robbie starts malfunctioning, forcing her to journey to Los Angeles, where she soon discovers the real world is not full of female empowerment.

At Mattel HQ, Will Ferrell’s CEO heads a boardroom full of men. For a film that is obviously one giant advert for the company’s bestselling toy range, it certainly has no fear of poking at the corporate beast.

You can see their fingerprints all over this, with jokes about a “Proust Barbie” that didn’t sell well bumping up against more serious points about what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal society.

The performances are all very game, particularly Michael Cera as Allan, Ken’s sad best friend (a doll that was discontinued in Mattel’s history). Gosling’s beefcake steals scenes almost as frequently as he changes outfits.

America Ferrera – as a Mattel employee swept up in the madness – gives one of her best performances in years, delivering one particularly impassioned speech that feels like it will be shared on social media forever.

The real star, however, might be the sets and the incredible work of British production designer Sarah Greenwood, from the plastic-tinged world of Barbieland to the warren-like Mattel HQ.

With some hilarious song-and-dance numbers (Lizzo, Dua Lipa and more are involved) and some cute surprise cameos (John Cena as a merman Ken!), Barbie manages to avoid becoming a one-joke movie through sheer invention.

Get ready: this summer is about to turn very pink.