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Parents' Guide to

Barbie: A Christmas Carol

By Nancy Davis Kho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Less authentic take; also less to scare younger kids.

Movie NR 2008 76 minutes
Barbie: A Christmas Carol Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 6+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Beckstar
Beckstar Adult
October 31, 2011
age 7+

Disappointing

This movie disappointed me. I'm a bit of a Grinch, but I seriously did not feel enlightened or more positive about Christmas after watching it. I found it very boring. I was hoping to see more of the Barbie that featured in the very beginning, not this Eden girl or whatever her name is. The cover of the DVD is very disappointing, Barbie only features for about 2 minutes and it goes onto this other girl
1 person found this helpful.
meydiana.rizki
meydiana.rizki Parent of 18+-year-old
July 26, 2023
age 7+

Quite good!

I actually thought it was quite good I know I'm going out on a limb in saying I like this movie, as wherever I go there is always someone who looks down on the Barbie movies with scorn. Although I am not the main target audience(I'm 20) and although none are among the best movies in the world, I do get some pleasure out of them, especially Nutcracker, especially for the music and the characters. Barbie in A Christmas Carol is not one of my favourites in the franchise, but I did like that it had its heart in the right place and it is a nice movie to me. The dialogue is on the corny side, I did find the Ghost of Christmas Past annoying and the animation is not as good as that of Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Diamond Castle, having moments that are either too flat in colour or over-saturated, even then there are some nice moments still. What tempted me in the first place in seeing this movie was not just that it was Barbie, but also what they would do with such a great story that has been told so many times and of course the colourful cover. Surprisingly the story is told very nicely, parts are toned down a little to make potentially scary parts like The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come but considering the target audience this was appropriate, and the storytelling overall maintained the story's heart and sentiment with a heart-warming ending and not too much of an overly-sentimental air. Again, not one of the best adaptations of the story, but a long way from the worst. The music is sprightly and really puts you in a mood for the festive season, and the characters are great on the whole, although I liked the change of pace for Barbie from brave, strong-minded and resourceful to the less idealistic values of selfish to sympathetic my favourite character was Chuzzlewit, who is so funny in his clumsiness and adorable. The voice acting is good, Kelly Sheridan is such a talented voice actress to me, from Nutcracker she showed great promise and is getting better and better every time I hear her. Overall, quite good in my opinion.

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In her first holiday movie, BARBIE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL takes the classic Charles Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and applies a fat layer of Barbie glamour. Told as a cautionary tale by Barbie (voiced by Kelly Sheridan) to her grumpy younger sister, the story relays the saga of Eden Starling (Morwenna Banks) a famous singer in Victorian England who employs a staff of opening entertainers and her childhood friend-turned-costume designer, Catherine Beadnell (Kandyse McClure). On Christmas Eve, haughty Eden demands that her lackeys cancel their holiday plans so they can help her rehearse her new show. This triggers nighttime visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, who encourage her to examine her self-absorbed ways.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Barbie stories usually focus on a near-perfect heroine; in this case, it's refreshing that Eden seems nearly all bad. The visit to Christmas Past is especially illuminating, and the scenes of Eden celebrating the holiday with the welcoming Beadnell family during happier, if less famous, days are touching. Catherine's work with orphans who happen to sing in perfect harmony is a little over the top, but a nice chance to discuss the place that helping others has in a family holiday celebration. The computer animation is delightful, and the soundtrack, played by the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, is filled with familiar Christmas carols.

The fact that Tiny Tim, in the original Dickens story, is now Tiny Tammy is as good an indication as any that this movie is aimed squarely at little girls, but anyone who enjoys a good comeuppance will appreciate Barbie's take on the holiday tale.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Eden Starling's demand on her friends. Which of her three ghostly visits do you think was the most convincing in helping her reset her priorities? Barbie and Kelly start the movie talking about their family holiday traditions -- which are the traditions that you most like within your family's celebration?

Movie Details

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