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- Barbie in the Nutcracker
- Artisan Home Entertainment
It's Barbie's world, and we're just Ken. Long before Margot Robbie was a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, the 2000s dominated the Barbie movie landscape with its expansive animated cinematic universe. Kelly Sheridan heads up the animated feature-length films voicing Barbie, who plays various characters in the films. So essentially, they're movies within movies and Barbie is the star (obviously).
Just like Barbie herself, the films are chock full of magic, whimsy, and a message that young girls can be whatever they want to be regardless of the roles they're expected to play. Some installments adapt classic stories like The Three Musketeers and The Princess and the Pauper while others have original storylines. But no matter what script Barbie follows, she always makes it her own — in heels no less.
- 145 VOTES
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004)
What's Barbie Up To? If you grew up reading fairy tales, this Mark Twain story should be pretty familiar. Barbie's Princess Anneliese strikes up a friendship with her doppelganger Erika - AKA the Princess and the Pauper. The duo are tasked with uncovering the schemes of the queen's advisor Preminger. Why are royals' most trusted advisors always scheming in movies?
Why Fans Love It: Like most Barbie movies, the film snagged a star to play the villain. Martin Short plays Preminger, who manages to sing, maniacally laugh, and growl (justice for the dogs and cats his character disrespects). To boot, Anneliese and Erika perform the iconic original song “I Am a Girl Like You,” which is frankly good enough to appear in a Broadway soundtrack. We said what we said.
- 223 VOTES
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses (2006)
What's Barbie Up To? Who needs a wicked step-mom when you can have… a wicked cousin once removed? In this Footloose-esque animated tale, the widowed King Randolph tasks his cousin with teaching his 12 daughters the Mrs. Manners etiquette of the kingdom. Yet she goes ten steps further when she mandates that all dancing and singing cease within the castle. Of course, the princesses aren't going to go down without a fight (or a dance).
Why Fans Love It: The fashion in The 12 Dancing Princesses is impressive in its own right. With her monkey in tow, Rowena's floor-length blue gown and Queen of Hearts-adjacent hair stand out against the castle backdrop. Speaking of Rowena, the effervescent Catherine O'Hara voices the villain. These days, she's most known for her iconic performance as Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek, and she nails any role she takes on. The dancing princesses' colorful Disney-caliber ball gowns also stand out.
- 326 VOTES
Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006)
What's Barbie Up To? We've heard the tale of the mermaid saving a human prince, but what about a fairy saving a merman? In the second movie of the Fairytopia series, Barbie's Elina befriends the mermaid Nori to save the merman Nalu from our favorite green-haired fairy villain Laverna.
Why Fans Love It: It's mermaids, come on. The reverse-The Little Mermaid tale features more than a few bright glimmering tails with flowers, rose-filled bodices, and a mermaid necklace that would make any ‘90s kid jealous. The coral reefs and rainbow in the movie are equally mesmerizing. And if you can’t decide whether Bibble's surprise operatic ballad is the best or weirdest part of the movie, you're not alone.
- 410 VOTES
Barbie as The Island Princess (2007)
What's Barbie Up To? Barbie's character Ro finds herself stranded on a beautiful island where she comes across a prince who shows her around the landscape. But Ro just might have more connections to the island than she realizes.
Why Fans Love It: The abundant creatures in this movie are frankly adorable. Between an elephant that can make hearts melt, dolphins, a red panda, and a colorful peacock, each scene is adorned with some kind of cute sidekick. The picturesque landscape of the blue sky, crystalline water, and palm trees adds a nice backdrop for the fashion - including a blue peacock-inspired ball gown and a white dress with a hibiscus hair accent. But the best moment is probably when Ro sings the "Right Here in My Arms" lullaby to the elephant.
- 538 VOTES
Barbie of Swan Lake (2003)
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What's Barbie Up To? Barbie is yet again living her best fairy tale life as she plays Odette, a baker's daughter, who makes the mistake of wandering aimlessly into a magical forest. Bad move, kid. Naturally, she gets turned into a swan by the villainous Rothbart, who's hell-bent on taking down the Fairy Queen. Not on Odette's watch.
Why Fans Love It: It's always fun when the Barbie movies introduce young fans to classical music and ballets, fostering a love for these art forms later in life. In this case, the film centers on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. With a unicorn in tow, the Fairy Queen even teaches Odette a relatively easy dance number that fans can try themselves while they watch the movie. And let's not forget about the swan.
Barbie of Swan Lake even snagged Cheers star Kelsey Grammar to play the evil magic-wielding Rothbart. Friends fans also might clock the voice of Maggie Wheeler: the owner of Janice's infamous laugh from the '90s sitcom.
- 638 VOTES
Barbie: Fairytopia (2005)
What's Barbie Up To? Be honest: We've all had a moment (or 500) when we wished we could fly. That's certainly the case for Barbie's Elina, who spends the movie trying to snag a pair of her own wings to match those of her fairy friends. The 2005 movie is the first of the Fairytopia series, set in Fairytopia's Magic Meadow. During Elina's pursuit to fly, she stands up against Laverna - the green-haired fairy weakening the rest of the fairies for her own gain.
Why Fans Love It: The uplifting song “A Rainbow in Your Eyes” drives home the message that we can all make the world a better place, which is a useful reminder at any age. Each set of fairy wings is uniquely colored and designed, offering eye-catching pops of color to every scene. Additionally, if you've watched A Bug's Life, the creatures in this particular Barbie flick will give you some nostalgic flashbacks.
- 743 VOTES
Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
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What's Barbie Up To? If you guessed that this movie is a Barbie adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, you'd be correct. Kelly Sheridan voices Barbie, who plays Clara: a young woman who gets miniaturized to defeat the dastardly mouse king and find the Sugarplum Princess alongside her nutcracker Christmas present.
Why Fans Love It: Not only does it kick off Barbie's feature-length movies, but it's a pretty iconic one to start with. If you're not lucky enough to visit the ballet in person or can't swing a trip to NYC to see the Rockettes, this movie is a pretty magical alternative. The film puts a spin on the classic Nutcracker ballads, giving Barbie fans a fresh and fun take. There are dancing fairies, a nutcracker, a castle, and a horse-drawn carriage - all covered in a blanket of snow. Of course, classic horror icon Tim Curry voices the Mouse King, making the character as menacing as an evil animated mouse can be.
- 834 VOTES
Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)
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What's Barbie Up To? Hey, Barbie - let down your hair, girl. Barbie's Rapunzel puts a spin on the classic tale as the imprisoned princess uses painting to escape her wicked captor and pseudo-mother, the witch Gothel. Rather than being a damsel herself, Rapunzel fights her way to her love interest Prince Stefan with the aid of her merry band of furry (and scaled) friends.
Why Fans Love It: The dragon in this movie is giving serious Spyro vibes (‘90s kids know what’s up). And who could be better to take on Gothel than the iconic Anjelica Huston, who brought The Addams Family's Morticia to life? Barbie's gorgeous braided hair is to die for, as is her glittering purple gown. And as can be expected with Rapunzel, the princess's melodic trilling will make any kid beg their parents for vocal lessons.
- 921 VOTES
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (2005)
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What's Barbie Up To? Honestly, warlocks really need to chill and stop harassing teenage girls. Aren't there any people their own age they can torment? In Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, Barbie's Princess Annika has a nasty run-in with a warlock. Naturally, she befriends a pegasus named Brietta to find Cloud Kingdom and save her family.
Why Fans Love It: How many kids told Santa they wanted a pegasus instead of a pony when this gem came out? Contrary to popular belief, unicorns aren't known for flying - but pegasuses are. Look at the glorious Brietta, who puts every My Little Pony to shame. Just don't make us choose between the her and the adorable bear.
We love a sassy queen, and Princess Annika is here to hurl sarcastic zingers at anyone who ticks her off. And let's not forget the dimly lit and beautifully animated ice skating scene that even nails subtle figure skating swooshes.
- 107 VOTES
Barbie Mariposa and Her Butterfly Fairy Friends (2008)
What's Barbie Up To? Take traditional fairies and then up the ante to butterfly fairies. Barbie's frequent character Elina teams up with a bunch of butterfly fairies to find the cure for the queen's mysterious illness. But to do so, they have to go further than they've ever gone before.
Why Fans Love It: Of course, the uniquely designed butterfly fairy wings are a highlight in this movie, as are the flower-like dresses that match each fairy's wings. Prince Carlos's wing/outfit combo might even be the coolest of all, with dragonfly-like wings in hues of green that match his princely getup. The song “Only One Breath Away” stands out as the fae make their way to Shimmervale.
- 1112 VOTES
Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow (2007)
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What's Barbie Up To? The villainous green-haired fairy Laverna is back at it again in the third Fairytopia film, Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow. Our protagonist Elina, played by Barbie, attends a fairy school to brush up on fairy magic and dance. In this universe, fairies are the ones responsible for creating rainbows via a ritual dance performed annually to invite the first rainbow and flower bud of the season. Naturally, Laverna tries to stop them.
Why Fans Love It: There are plenty of fun songs in this installment, including, “It's Nasty Being a Toad” - a fun and slightly gross jaunty jam. While Barbie usually leads a bulk of the musical numbers, Linden helms the duet, “You Are the Most,” an uplifting ballad about being capable of doing anything. Of course, “Magic of the Rainbow” is particularly relevant in this installment of the series.
- 129 VOTES
Barbie Presents: Thumbelina (2009)
What's Barbie Up To? Hans Christian Andersen inspired more than a few Disney movies, and the same can be said for Barbie Presents: Thumbelina. In this iteration, Barbie narrates her version of the story that actually centers on environmental preservation with Lorax energy. Thumbelina is a type of sprite called a Twillerbee, with thumbs so green they can make plants grow at will. Thumbelina has to contend with both an obnoxious human girl and her family's construction company that threatens her forest.
Why Fans Love It: If you loved Sid from Toy Story, you'll love Makena: a selfish young girl who manhandles the fairies with the same zest for destruction as Sid. Not only is the story based on an already beloved tale, but the 2009 movie was released during a time when people were making massive strides to enact regulations to protect the environment. Sadly, that necessary component of the need for environmentalism hasn't waned, making it more relevant than ever.
- 1312 VOTES
Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2008)
What's Barbie Up To? Barbie isn't just a modern girl. In this throwback film, she heads back to 17th-century France as Corinne: a teenager set on becoming a Musketeer to follow in her father's footsteps. As is typical for Barbie, she has to shatter glass ceilings to defy the rule that women can't be Musketeers. Corrine and a trio of maids band together to save the prince as they learn sword skills that take them closer to their Musketeer dreams.
Why Fans Love It: We need to talk about the dancing cat musical number in this movie. In what is arguably the most iconic moment in the Barbie Cinematic Universe, the cats break out in song and dance on a stage with a spotlight, jamming out to their own version of EMF's 1991 song, “Unbelievable.” It gets even better when a horse starts dancing on its hind legs. Who wouldn't love to be a fly on the wall when this scene was pitched? Tim Curry also shines as the villain Philippe, in his second (and last) role in the BCU.
- 148 VOTES
Barbie in A Christmas Carol (2008)
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What's Barbie Up To? You know the story. A grumpy Scrooge gets visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future to learn a lesson about being a jerk. Barbie puts a spin on this classic tale when her sister Kelly is being a brat. Barbie regales her with the story of a Victorian singer named Eden, whose story mirrors Scrooge, to encourage her sister to rethink her selfish behavior.
Why Fans Love It: Who wouldn't love a Barbie-fied version of a classic Christmas tale? Of course, the real show-stoppers in this particular adaptation are the whopping 11 classic Christmas carols that Barbie performs throughout the movie. People might expect the songs to be corny or mediocre, but as with all of the Barbie movies, the songs are impeccably performed with jazzed-up orchestral backings - like “California Christmas” and “Joy to the World.”
