Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is a movie of its moment, a brilliant bauble of female empowerment, scathing satire and genuine wit.

That “war on women” that is eating up so much of America’s bandwidth right now takes it in the gonads in a comedy that delights as it sends up the patriarchy and the plastic pastel parallel universe that the physically “perfect,” independent have-it-all over-achiever doll always taunted girls and women to live up to.

How Mattel ever agreed to this is anybody’s guess. But Gerwig (“Last Bird”) did two corporate behemoths proud in sending up men making toys for girls and Warner Bros for giving this hilariously smart movie maker final cut, and then some.

Gerwig gives us a feminist “Barbie” who’s pretty witty, and still pretty in pink.

Margot Robbie, the only woman who could have portrayed “stereotypical Barbie,” plays a toy who falls into an “existential crisis.”

What life is beyond Barbieland? There every woman is a Barbie and Barbies do every job –President (Issa Rae) to Supreme Court, with Nobel Prize winners (Alexandra Shipp) thrown in for good measure.

All those Kens played by Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu and others? They’re just here to “beach,” mere adornments for their respective Barbies.

But thoughts of death send Barbie to “Weird Barbie,” a wise doll (Kate McKinnon) who was played with a bit roughly. She surmises that Barbie is absorbing angst from “the girl who plays with her” and sends her into “the real world” to find that girl and set her straight.

As the “2001” prologue we’ve seen in the trailers to this film points out, Barbie was the first doll to suggest to girls that they were smart and independent and could do anything and make their own way in the world, that there are careers other than motherhood, Barbie figures she’ll be welcomed as an icon.

No dice.

“Aren’t there any WOMEN in charge?”

Body image, white privilege issues with this doll abound in girls like tween Sasha (Arianna Greenblatt). Her mom (America Ferrera) is the true Barbie believer.

Ken (Gosling), who tagged along on the trip, finds himself drunk on the “man’s world” he’s stumbled into, embracing the patriarchy even if his himbo status means he’s not qualified to do anything but look good on the beach.

He will go back to Barbieland and organize the boys for an electoral coup. A “Kendom” is born. Or might be, if the bro’s can stay focused.

And Mr. Mattel (Will Ferrell) from corporate HQ doesn’t have enough “Yes” men to set all this to right. Only Barbie and her feisty, feminist friend Gloria (Ferrera) are willing to take on the task.

They’re the ones who know “Ken is totally superfluous!”

There are layers of meaning and jokes by the dozens in this send-up of the sexual hierarchy in America. The “liberated” Kens start singing Matchbox 20’s “I Wanna Push You Around,” which spoils Barbie’s Indigo Girls sing alongs.

The soundstage-centric production design of Barbie Dreamhouses, Barbie 1950s Corvette convertibles and clothes clothes clothes is immaculate.

Robbie is, of course, the ultimate production design flourish, but she gives a great doll-out-of-water/doll awakening performance and is the heart of the movie.

Goslings sings and vamps and does it all with a straight face, adding to the camp value of the entire enterprise.

Ferrara is the film’s soul, preaching about the contradictions and “cognitive dissonance it takes to be a woman.”

And McKinnon has perhaps her best film role as the droll and sage wit who sees the problems and the injustice of “our” world invading Barbieland and points Barbie towards her quest.

“Hey, don’t blame me. Blame Mattel. They make the rules.”

Much of what’s here will go over the heads of any child tempted into begging a parent to take them to see “Barbie.” It’s a little edgy and “adult” without crossing into “ADULT.”

But it’s great fun for anybody who grew up with the doll, or who has a sister who did, and anyone wondering just how far women can be pushed by a misogynistic minority before they get their backs up, get into their best protest and go-to-the-polls pastels, pop into their Corvettes and make the society that this malleable, ever-evolving iconic doll hints that they might.

Rating: PG-13 for suggestive references and some profanity

Cast: Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Simu Liu, Arianna Greenblatt, Dua Lipa, Rita Arya, John Cena, Michael Cera and Kate McKinnon

Credits: Directed by Greta Gerwig, scripted by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. A Mattel/Warner Bros. release.

Running time: 1:54