Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale Movie Poster Image

Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale

age 7+
(i)

 

Product tie-ins overshadow this fashion travel adventure.
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  • Review Date: October 7, 2010
  • Rated: NR
  • Genre: Family and Kids
  • Release Year: 2010
  • Running Time: 83 minutes

What parents need to know

Educational value

Counting in French and simple French expressions are featured.

Positive messages

Any positive messages, such as "magic happens when you believe in yourself" are overshadowed by the focus on selling the products that appear in this movie.

Positive role models

Barbie's Aunt Millicent acts as a positive and supportive role model, though she has given up on her dream because her critics do not appreciate her work. Plus all the women in this film appear unnaturally thin and long-legged.

Violence & scariness
Not applicable
Sexy stuff

Barbie and Ken share a lengthy kiss after saying they love one another. Ken's pants rip and the audience gets a glimpse of his underwear.

Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

Everything in this movie has a product tie-in. From all of the dozens of outfits featured on the "runway," to the magical wardrobe furniture, to the pets and their outfits. Barbie also promotes her other movies by mentioning them, or standing in front of a movie poster. Even the limousines that pick the cast up at the end of the show -- decked out horse-drawn carriages with big-screen TVs inside-- are available for sale.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie is a feature-length advertisement for clothing, toys, and accessories displayed within the film. While some positive messages about believing in yourself run through the movie, the overarching concentration on fashion, appearance, and consumerism overwhelm everything else.

What's the story?

Barbie is starring in a movie about the Princess and the Pea, when she is fired from the set because she has expressed her opinions. Voices on the Internet slam her performances and she decides to quit her career as an actress. To top things off, Ken breaks up with her over the phone, so she decides to take drastic action and visit her Aunt Millicent in Paris. With a little help from three "flairies," she saves Aunt Millicent's fashion house by helping to design a new fashion line.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Barbie has gone from star of the Nutcracker, to Musketeer, to problem solver in her movie career, but this movie finds her dumbed down and shallow. She says things like "wickedly mindblowing," "mega huge," and "beyond ridonkulously" when expressing her excitement. The cutesy content is a bit over the top: the scene depicting Barbie flying on an airplane to Paris with her poodle, Sequin, sharing a laugh in the seat next to her is one thing. Watching Sequin the poodle sit at a sewing machine to create a fashion ensemble is another. 

There could have been some moments of inspiration in this movie, but unfortunately, it depends a little too much on magic of selling Barbie products, and not enough on substance.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about whether this movie focuses more on material stuff than other Barbie movies. Which Barbie movies have more meaning? Which Barbie movies are about shopping?

  • Barbie and her friends are super skinny and have perfect hair and teeth. Do all teens look this way? Read more about how girls are affected by the images that they see in movies and on TV.

  • Why has Barbie given up on her acting career? Why has Millicent given up on her designing career? How can critics influence the way artists and performers value themselves?

Movie details

DVD release date:September 14, 2010
Cast:Adrian Petriw, Tabitha St. Germain
Director:William Lau
Studio:Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:83 minutes
MPAA rating:NR

This review of Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale was written by

Joly Herman
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Kid, 9 years old January 21, 2011
age 4+
This movie is ok but i would say the barbie age (3-7)MIGHT not get the fashion theme because fashion appeals to 9-20 year old girls! also the magic theme as many people say to much magic will make the movie worse the "Flairies" are based on MAGIC although the last garnments they say "Those dresses were perfect we just sparkled them up a little bit Also Ken would give up after all that they MIGHT catch a flight to paris but not getting his sweater ruined and fixing a flat tyre
What other families should know
Too much sex
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Kid, 10 years old April 20, 2011
age 10+
You Go Zoe Grace1!
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much consumerism
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Parent Written byjocelynaus August 24, 2014
age 7+

Romance, boring, shallow and mean

We've been enjoying a few barbie movies lately starting with a Pony tale and the Christmas one. This one is awful. Barbie is sacked in the start, then the viewer thinks ken dumped barbie meanly, with weird social media references. Racquelle does her best hooker frenemy to orchestrate the break up. Barbie goes to paris with long and boring sequence where barbie is sad when she sees randoms coo-noodling which is very confusing for your viewers. Then an alien/fashion baddie accosts her before she finally reaches her broken insane aunt. Where they find a soul sister in the message "if people don't like what you do just give up" I'm not even paraphrasing much there. Ken even mocks a child to tears, no guilt/outcome he just has a "oh dang I made this kid cry and now they are loud." Look. When he finally reaches barbie to clear up the Raquelle orchestrated break up Barbie just accepts it and throws her broken heart out the window. It's a woeful movie. Truly woeful Do not assume because the modern pithy Life in the Dreamhouse or wholesome Pony Tale are a hit with your kids that the barbie back catelog will surprise in any way but how many inappropriate boxes it can tick.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much consumerism
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