Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Borget
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Barbie musical promotes friendship and positive messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams
What's the Story?
In BARBIE: BIG CITY, BIG DREAMS, Barbie Roberts (voiced by America Young), dreaming of a Broadway career, travels from Malibu to New York City for a summer program at a performing arts school. When she gets there a day early, she discovers her roommate from Brooklyn is also named Barbie Roberts (Amber May), and the two quickly hit it off. They nickname each other "Brooklyn" and "Malibu" and both endure a summer of hard work to compete for a spotlight solo. Along the way Malibu struggles to keep up with the class, but keeps a positive attitude and doesn't give up. The talented teens learn it's better to lift each other up to try their best instead of tearing each other down to win at all costs. But when Brooklyn is injured in a dancing accident and someone accuses Malibu of sabotage, it's up to the friends to find the truth and discover who's earned the spotlight solo in the end.
Is It Any Good?
The Barbie franchise continues to evolve and showcase Barbie surrounded by a diverse cast and positive messages with talented girls and women. This movie takes it a step further by introducing not just another friend of Barbie, but an equally talented teen known as Barbie Roberts herself. But this Barbie is from Brooklyn, has dark skin, wears her hair in braids, and even wraps her hair at night. It's refreshing to see two heroines immediately hit it off and decide to help one another instead of seeing each other as rivals. Themes about friendship over competition are simple enough for the youngest viewers to understand. They may also enjoy the various elements of a performing arts school, with classes from band to dance and even fencing. The R&B and pop songs in Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams are catchy. This and the easy-to-follow plot makes it a cute story that should entertain its intended audience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about a time they've had to work hard at something new. How did it feel in the beginning? What went into getting better? How did it feel when you got better?
How did Malibu Barbie respond to not performing well in her classes? What do you notice about her attitude? What does she do to get better?
Malibu Barbie Roberts and Brooklyn Barbie Roberts had a lot in common besides their name. What were some of their similarities? How were they different? Who was your favorite character, and why did they stand out to you?
What was your favorite musical number in the movie? Why?
What character strengths did the main characters display?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 10, 2022
- Cast : America Young , Amber May , Giselle Fernandez , Greg Chun , Kirsten Day
- Director : Scott Pleydell-Pearce
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Arts , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 63 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate