Barbie as the Island Princess (2007) Reviews

• Singable

  tedg2008-09-20

  I came to this because I had a bad experience watching the Disney "Cinderella," and wondered at what passed for acceptable these days. I chose what I thought would be the gene with the lowest standards. I picked wrong. I should have gone with preteen boy anime, because this is pretty darn good. The animation is actually good. The rendering isn't naturalistic, but since this is supposed to be a doll, its apt. What struck me was how natural the movements of the princess (played by Barbie) were. I think this must have been a marketing decision, because if I recall the doll itself is stiff. The decision to have the girl play with what could be sold as stuffed animals also clearly influenced the story. The story itself was pretty standard; one arc but with enough elaboration to qualify as long form. But what made this stand out was the music. This was actually a very professional assembly, on the order of production values every bit as good as your standard Broadway musical. Naturally, the songs are pulled from that formula book. There's nothing to get excited about in terms of depth; its just that this was not taken lightly. The little girls who watch this, at least get the respect of not being taken for granted. Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

• Our Favorite Barbie Movie - And an excellent movie overall...

  pokee9992008-04-23

  I find it hard to believe that these Barbie movies don't get more exposure or recognition, because I think the are all so amazing. I didn't even know that these movies existed until I let my 2 year old daughter pick out a movie at the video store. She picked Barbie & The 12 Dancing Princesses (which is also a favorite). I expected them to be silly and not to have much depth (like my son's Land Before Time movies). Boy, was I wrong! They are so good, we've bought almost all of them now. The reason I love this movie so much is that it's the ultimate love story (and not just love of a "boy & girl", but the love of family, too). It reminds me a little of the movie "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore. Sure, it's the standard 'formula' movie, but it's very satisfying and quite touching in the end (I even cried! A 40 year old woman crying watching a BARBIE movie! I can't believe I am even admitting that!). Not to mention, the songs are excellent. I am not much for musicals, but the songs in this movie really fit in. They don't just break out in song for no reason - it really meshes into the storyline (like most Disney movies I love like Beauty & The Beast and The Little Mermaid, but perhaps even more effectively than those). The woman that sings the songs also sang in the other Barbie musical movies and her voice is phenomenal. The best part about this movie is that it's not scary in any way for the small kids. My son likes Barbie in the Magic of Pegasus better (because of the scary Wenlock), but watches this one along with his sister just as intently. Keep the WONDERFUL Barbie movies coming. We are HUGE fans!

• If you like Barbie, You'll love this movie!

  melrtim2007-09-20

  That dang Barbie does it again! So far, this is the best Barbie movie to date. All the bright colors and the story line is amazing! My almost 3 and 5 year old love it....and their Mom does too!! The animals are cute. The characters are believable. The story is great! And there are fun lessons to be learned. I'm a sucker for happy endings....and this movie definitely has one. The songs are pretty and fun to sing along with. We just bought this yesterday and have watched it 6 or 7 times already! As lame as it sounds, I almost got teary eyed when Ro found her Mom. The woman who sings as Barbie has such a beautiful voice! This is a must own movie! Can't wait for the next one in Spring!

• Even my Husband LOVED it.

  knghtfxx-12007-11-28

  I have a 18 month old daughter and a 3 1/2 year old son and if there is any one video in their small collection that will keep them BOTH happy, its the Barbie series. I have a couple of them and so far, this one is the favorite of my entire family. Even my husband LOVED it, which is saying a lot since he's not into Barbie. The music is so wonderful and catchy. I had to hunt down the "I Need to Know" song for my husband's Ipod, I do encourage you to find it. You can purchase it online. There is a UK cd available as well. This is a great video and I hope they continue to produce more Barbie Musical videos. I'm already planning on a Barbie themed Christmas this year for my daughter. She may not be able to play with the toys, just yet, but she will have them when she can. I do recommend this video as well as the other Barbie vids in this series. They are great for all ages.

• great movie

  Shanz_is-12007-09-22

  this was such a great movie, I'm 17 and i still like watching Barbie movies they put such a good message across for children, this time the prince chooses the girl with personality not just looks, the songs are gorgeous the voices all go well with the movie, the women who sing all the songs in this movie have beautiful voices especially when Ro and her mother sing the lullaby,the people who voice all these characters suit there characters perfectly. i love the end song the best just before the credits, especially the lines "there may be miracles awaiting, they may be closer than we know, when we have love to guide us as we go" "you never know when you'll find,what your heart is yearning for, all you seek could be there, just a breath away" " now that i've seen the world around me, now that the answers all are clear, old concerns behind me,new adventures near, i know a chance can be worth taking, and that a family can grow,when we have love to guide us as we go"