 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses
- Review Date: September 17, 2006
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Barbie fan's dancing dream is sometimes too scary.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this fairytale-based fantasy combines elements that will appeal to little girls -- it's all right there in the title -- and themes that might scare them, too: The princesses' father is being slowly poisoned by a cruel relative who also bullies the girls. Parents should also be aware of the large number of product tie-ins they'll find mentioned in the insert, featured online, and in the toy stores.
What's the story?
BARBIE IN THE 12 DANCING PRINCESSES stars Barbie (voiced by Kelly Sheridan) as Princess Genevieve, one of 12 high-spirited sisters who are doted on by their father, King Randolph. But the widowed royal worries that he doesn't know how to raise proper young ladies, so he enlists the help of his cousin, Duchess Rowena. The duchess has ulterior motives, which is immediately obvious from the second she arrives at the palace with her dilapidated carriage, evil-looking eyebrows, and creepy pet monkey. She bullies the princesses, even banning dancing, singing, and bright colors from their home. She's also poisoning the king with her deadly brew of tea. In perfect timing, the sisters discover the secret entrance to a magical world of dancing -- a special gift from their late mother. But they realize that they must return home to save their father from Rowena and her minions.
Is it any good?
Although it tries to be a magical fairytale for little girls, this Barbie story steps on its own toes a bit. On the one hand, it's an innocent story about sisterly love and ballet dancing appropriate for girls 5 to 7. On the other, it incorporates an ominous subplot that might be frightening to that same age group. The CGI animation is similar to a computer game. As a result, the dancing scenes (choreographed by the NYC Ballet) feel artificial. Other animation is more lifelike and detailed.
The older princesses are, of course, Barbie-slim and look almost exactly alike, except for hair and eye color, as do the younger sisters. Most of their personalities aren't well developed, with the exception of Genevieve and four of her sisters. The lighter side of this movie is probably too simplistic for older kids, but the poisoning scenes and other scary moments may be too much for younger ones.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the sisters work together to save their family. Although escaping into the magical dancing land is fun, why is it important for them to return home? If you had a magical land to go to every night, what would it be like, and would you bring your siblings with you? Would your magic place require a tiara and a dress or comfy PJs and play clothes?
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AGE
Fun princess story
A new fairytale told in a way only Barbie can. It's a bit of a difficulty as a parent to sit through it... however the joy it gave my daughter was well worth the purchase!
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AGE
Fits right in with all the other Barbie movies
Pretty much what you would expect from a Barbie movie. It is a little strange from an adult perspective that all 12 daughters are pretty much identical except for dress and hair color, but my 5 year old enjoys it. She does not understand the plot line involving the attempted murder(by slow poisoning) of the father however.
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AGE
Barbie proves herself a strong female character again
As in all of the Barbie movies, a strong female lead does the right thing and saves the day, with a little help from her friends. Positive messages about teamwork, family loyalty, and good winning out over evil. My four year old was disturbed at the thought of someone poisoning the father, but many young kids will miss that plot line. My daughters love to dance while the movie plays, and are not glued to it mindlessly. It may be hard for some parents to sit through, but it's aimed at young girls, not moms and dads. I can count on Barbie movies to spark conversations about topics like love, family, doing what's right even when it's hard, bravery, and kindness and compassion.
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AGE
WONDERFUL DVD
WE have and LOVE all the Barbie movies (except the "Diary" one, which I do not feel is suitable for my 5 year old).
My daughter loves to dance as she watches them (BONUS-exercise :)
And it was her introduction to classical music, which she also loves!
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AGE
the best of many
this is the best out of the many barbie movies that have been made. It is a very cute and creative stroy that young girls will love! My only concern is the vilonce and very sad moments. The evil lady who comes to the barbies castle is mean, selifish, cruel, and very little girls might find her kinda of scary due to how she acts and the fact that she posions the girls father. Overall the movie is good and somewhat kid friendly. Just bare in mind this isn't for 3 year olds.
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AGE
MOST FAVOURITE BARBIE FILM
This is my favourite Barbie film. I've seen it countless times and it still enchants me. Why don't they make them like this anymore? It's beautiful. I love all the dancing and magic. Contains NO singing (yay!) and the whole 'secret' of them running off to dance is still thrilling to me at my age.
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AGE
Careful about the use of magic
Isn't anyone bothered by the abundance of magic in this movie? We constantly have to tell our kids that magic is not a good thing, and this movie is full of magic.
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AGE
A Fantastic and Engaging Movie!
I personally love this movie, as do all of the children that I have viewed it with while babysitting. Little girls especially love dancing along with the gorgeous classical score, and I have even bought the rest of the songs ("Shine" in particular) to listen to on my own! What sets this Barbie movie apart is that there is a variety of strong female characters, as opposed to having only a cookie-cutter Barbie protagonist. My younger cousins each have a different favorite princess with interests that match their own; there are tomboys, girly girls, bookworms, and dancers, and even an amateur ichthyologist! The movie has positive messages about family, bravery, and making sacrifices to do what is right. It also has inspired some little girls I know to take dance lessons- exercise! Five years after its release, this movie is still watched frequently in my household.
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AGE
great for young kids
I have a little sister who adores this movie. she LOVES the parrot and the violence isn't all that scary. she dosn't ask any questions which means she understands the plot. i think your kids will love this movie.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, princesses and fairies |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Greg Richardson |
| Cast: | Chantal Strand, Christopher Gaze, Kelly Sheridan |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 81 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 19, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | September 19, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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