Parents' Guide to

Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses

By Teresa Talerico, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Barbie fan's dancing dream is sometimes too scary.

Movie NR 2006 81 minutes
Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 9 parent reviews

toadbud
toadbud Adult
August 17, 2021
age 11+

Homophobic Undertones

This is a great movie; it features beautiful art and a stunning discography. The story is engaging and realistic. But there are some unfortunate prejudices that shouldn't be overlooked. The princesses are color coded, and yet there are 4 purple princesses. A third of them are purple, but there is no yellow princess. Mattel's hesitation to complete the rainbow reflects their homophobic ideologies, which I feel like sends a hateful message to young children. also I'd like to put the monkey in a cement mixer full of glass shards and tumble him for miles

This title has:

Too much swearing
meydiana.rizki
meydiana.rizki Parent of 16-year-old
October 29, 2020
age 5+

Very Charming

Very charming I do get some pleasure out of the Barbie movies, and the 12 Dancing Princesses is no exception. The animation is mostly full of lovely colour, fluid backgrounds and nuanced facial expressions. True, the animation in the dance sequences is not very inspired, but none of it is bad as far I could see. The music is whimsical and catchy, the dialogue is decent with some fun moments even with some corniness, the story has a lot of charm and heart making an existing story fresh in terms of storytelling and while the characters are not much different from the types of characters from the previous Barbie movies they are likable still. The voice acting is solid from all involved. Overall, a very charming movie. 10/10

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BARBIE IN THE 12 DANCING PRINCESSES stars Barbie (voiced by Kelly Sheridan) as Princess Genevieve, one of 12 high-spirited sisters who are doted on by their father, King Randolph. But the widowed royal worries that he doesn't know how to raise proper young ladies, so he enlists the help of his cousin, Duchess Rowena. The duchess has ulterior motives, which is immediately obvious from the second she arrives at the palace with her dilapidated carriage, evil-looking eyebrows, and creepy pet monkey. She bullies the princesses, even banning dancing, singing, and bright colors from their home. She's also poisoning the king with her deadly brew of tea. In perfect timing, the sisters discover the secret entrance to a magical world of dancing -- a special gift from their late mother. But they realize that they must return home to save their father from Rowena and her minions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (13):

Although it tries to be a magical fairytale for little girls, this Barbie story steps on its own toes a bit. On the one hand, it's an innocent story about sisterly love and ballet dancing appropriate for girls 5 to 7. On the other, it incorporates an ominous subplot that might be frightening to that same age group. The CGI animation is similar to a computer game. As a result, the dancing scenes (choreographed by the NYC Ballet) feel artificial. Other animation is more lifelike and detailed.

The older princesses are, of course, Barbie-slim and look almost exactly alike, except for hair and eye color, as do the younger sisters. Most of their personalities aren't well developed, with the exception of Genevieve and four of her sisters. The lighter side of this movie is probably too simplistic for older kids, but the poisoning scenes and other scary moments may be too much for younger ones.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the sisters work together to save their family. Although escaping into the magical dancing land is fun, why is it important for them to return home? If you had a magical land to go to every night, what would it be like, and would you bring your siblings with you? Would your magic place require a tiara and a dress or comfy PJs and play clothes?

Movie Details

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