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Parents' Guide to

Barbie: A Perfect Christmas

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

The Christmas spirit saves this Barbie-marketing musical.

Movie NR 2011 74 minutes
Barbie: A Perfect Christmas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 4+

Based on 4 parent reviews

meydiana.rizki
meydiana.rizki Parent of 18+-year-old
February 21, 2022
age 5+

Meh... Boring movie!

The storyline and message is passable but the voice acting leaves much to be desired and the singing is TERRIBLE. I understand that they wanted Barbie to be more "modern" so they had a casting change from the original woman who voiced Barbie. But if she is going to sing she should still have a gorgeous, stunning voice. The singing voice of Barbie (and every other character) is disappointing. The songs had so much potential but I can barely stand listening to these average voices. Especially considering the singing voice Barbie used to have (Kelly Sheridan). What a let down, I hope the producers take note. Barbie is supposed to be what everyone else deems as the perfect person...good at everything...except apparently singing. Sure, her voice is more raspy and "modern" now but being modern doesn't mean you need to sing like an amateur. And what's with the child's voice? She is what, 6 or 7? Why isn't a child of that age portraying her? The animation has also gone downhill since A Mermaid Tale and Fashion Fairy Tale. I hope this is a one time flub and Mermaid Tale 2 will bring back the awesomeness of the other films. And please, if she's going to do another film where she is singing, BRING BACK KELLY SHERIDAN. What you have done to Barbie is not awesome, cool, trendy or modern. You are making her boring, average, shallow and untalented.
nickmartinez
nickmartinez Adult
February 3, 2021
age 4+

Good

Its a nice movie to watch on christmas time with catchy songs and great messages about the value of Christmas and family.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Four sisters -- Barbie (voiced by Diana Kaarina), Skipper (Rachel Harrison), Stacie (Lauren Lavoie), and Chelsea (Ashly Drummond) -- are headed to New York City to spend Christmas with their wealthy Aunt Millie (Patricia Drake). They all believe it's going to be their "perfect Christmas," since they each have big plans (Barbie has tickets to a Broadway show, Skipper is going to play in a band, Stacie wants to skate in Central Park, and little Chelsea can't wait to spot the sea lions at the zoo). Unfortunately for Barbie and her younger sisters, their cross-country plane trip makes an emergency weather-related landing in Minnesota. Stuck in the Midwest, the girls wind up at the Tannenbaum Inn, where the innkeeper and her friends are all super-infused with the Christmas spirit. What looks like the worst Christmas ever for the girls turns out to be a magical holiday after all.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (5 ):

Surprisingly, this Christmas musical isn't nearly as obnoxious as some of the other Barbie tales. This time Barbie isn't trying to get a makeover at a princess school or transform into a mermaid; she's just an oldest child attempting to make the holidays special for her younger sisters. The plentiful musical numbers are catchy (each actress has a professional to sing the original songs), and the storyline is actually pretty sweet, which is notable given that many of the Barbie movies are focused solely on fashion and romance.

The animation in these films is never anything to compare to the quality of theatrical animated features, but at least this particular movie has filled-in backgrounds and snowy landscapes. With its Christmas theme and memorable tunes, this is one Barbie adventure that not only entertains kids but will teach them an important lesson about holiday giving.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's messages about the holiday season. Should kids be focused on themselves or on others? Kids: Why is it important to give and not just receive?

  • In this movie, the four sisters each have a special wish for Christmas. It doesn't necessarily come true exactly as they planned, but they still have a wonderful experience. How is this applicable to real life? Are there times when things don't happen as we imagined but everything still works out?

  • Even though this is a "Christmas movie," it's also made to make kids interested in Barbie products. Find out how to deal with consumerist messages in movies and TV shows.

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