Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz

Review

Common Sense Media says

Overly sexy characters compete in fashion reality show.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the trademark Bratz girls' obsession with looks, clothes, and makeup is alive and well in Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz. They pose, they strut, they "ooohhh" and "aaahhh" over diamond boots, frosted hair, and ruby red pouty lips. The characters are designed with doe-eyes, breasts, thin but curvy bodies, large heads, and have decidedly sexualized ways of walking and moving. The short film is a part of vast franchise directed at young girls and tweens, cross-promoting dolls, toys, accessories, and programming. Mild suspense in this movie comes from a ghost-cowboy, highway mishaps, and getting out of harm's way when a subway train bears down upon them.

  • Educational value0
    Intended to entertain, not educate.
  • Positive messages1
    While most of the film promotes superficial values such as looking good, dressing well, being popular, and "makeovers," there are a few positive messages thrown into the mix: It's desirable to take risks and express oneself; each person has his or her own style; and "everyone has a special something -- it's just a matter of bringing it out." And, the characters who cheat and sabotage others to get ahead do learn the error of their ways. A few cautionary messages, too: Don't pick up hitchhikers; don't talk to strangers; don't take rides from strangers.
  • Positive role models0
    Positive Bratz traits: loyalty, compassion, and persistence. Their values and physical appearance, however, are questionable. The girls are passionate about good looks, trendy fashion, and their friends -- in no particular order. They're designed with curvy bodies, long shiny hair, wide eyes, and puffy lips -- all presented as a feminine ideal. The girls frequently wear very high heels, very short skirts, and tight tops with lots of midriff exposure, all created to maximize their femaleness. Most adults are portrayed as clueless, shallow, and/or manipulative and selfish.
  • Violence & scariness1
    Some eerie music and mild suspense run through the film as the ghost of a masked cowboy appears to stalk the girls. Two vans on a road trip across the country have mishaps; flat tire, faulty brakes send them careening off the road. A climactic final sequence finds two of the Bratz trapped in a subway tunnel with a train getting closer. Surprising confrontations with a space ship and aliens, with flying cows, and with an ambitious contestant who will stop at nothing to win.
  • Sexy stuff2
    No overt sexuality, however the Bratz characters are designed to accentuate their feminine attributes: legs, breasts, hair, and facial features. They wear lots of skimpy clothing and frequently strike poses, walk and move seductively. They can be counted upon to pout, flutter their eyelashes, and entice those from whom they want something.
  • Language1
    An adult female insults her teen assistants (i.e., "dopey," "twit").
  • Consumerism4
    Bratz is a trademark for heavily promoted and cross-promoted games, dolls, toys, TV/movies, and products.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What's the story?

The Bratz girls, representing Bratz Magazine, are finalists in a nationally-televised reality show competition! A Simon Cowell-like host (called "Byron Powell" here) leads the search for America's best teen fashion designer. The Bratz and their opponents (a cut-throat bunch from Your Thing Magazine) must bring their best candidates to NYC for the season finale. In vans on their way across the country, the competitors run into obstacles and suspense when they encounter a masked ghost-cowboy, a stop-at-nothing ambitious teen stylist, and the TV host himself whose drive for publicity and big ratings leads him to stage the most outrageous trip possible.

Is it any good?

 

At the risk of damning with faint praise, it's accurate to say that this Bratz movie is a step above many of the others. The plot is less meandering and illogical; there's very little of the scariness or bizarre mysticism seen in some other Bratz movies; there is less abrasive music and even fewer annoying characters (the ones we see are as annoying as ever, but there are fewer of them).

Still, the Bratz girls are interchangeable, the dialogue is flat, the "valley girl" dialects are trite and overused, and, most importantly, superficiality and empty-headed girls pretending to be role models continue to rule.

Explore, discuss, enjoy

  • Families can talk about watching reality TV contests. What do you like about them? Why do you think they are popular?

  • Why do people get makeovers? What would you tell someone who said you needed a makeover?

  • Are Cloe, Jade, Yasmin, and Sasha role models? Do their positive traits balance out the negatives?

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Topics:friendship
Studio:Lionsgate
Director:Mucci Fassett
Cast:Olivia Hack, Soleil Moon Frye, Tia Mowry
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:73 minutes
DVD release date:September 26, 2006
MPAA rating:NR
This review of Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz was written by
 
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