When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Barbies. As the only girl in my house, I didn’t have a Barbie dream house or the DVD box sets, but my best friends Melina and Ava did. Nearly every time that I was over at their house we would watch one. This past year, as we were getting excited to see the Barbie movie all together as adults, we prepared by rewatching all our favorites. Here are, in our opinions, the best ones.
- “Barbie: Princess Charm School” (2011)
This movie is about a young waitress named Blair who works to support her family, until she randomly wins a contest to attend the local “Princess Charm School.” The school gives Blair the difficult task of living up to her princess potential or losing her spot. Throughout her journey she makes friends, faces challenges, and eventually learns that she is the missing princess who was presumed dead in the car accident that killed the rest of her family. What truly blew me away as a kid was the tricked-out locker and personal fairy that Blair receives upon her arrival at the school.
- “Barbie: A Fairy Secret” (2011)
“Barbie: A Fairy Secret” is one of many animated Barbie movies about fairies, but in my opinion it is simply the best. In this movie, fairies kidnap Ken and take him to their secret fairy world — Gloss Angeles — that the humans are not privy to. Barbie discovers that her stylists are actually British fairies with hidden wings. The pair take Barbie and Raquelle into the fairy world, to face the Queen and get Ken back. The highlight of this truly magical film is the scene where Barbie gets to shop for her own set of wings to blend in with the fairies and learn how to fly. The theme song of the movie “Can You Keep A Secret” instantly brings me back to my six year old self.
- “Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses” (2006)
This 2006 film is loosely based on a German fairy tale that my Grandmother would read to me as a kid, which gives it a special place in my heart. At night, 12 sisters (who conveniently share one bedroom even though they are literally living in a castle) dance on these stones that happen to be in the middle of their bedroom to open up a magical gateway. The girls dance to music from magical flowers in the secret realm, and do not sleep for even one minute. They dance so much that their beautiful painted pointe shoes are worn through the next day. As a young dancer, all I wanted was to access to this kind of magical movements that these princesses had.
- “Barbie in a Mermaid Tale” (2010)
What makes this movie so special is the fact that it is not just about a mermaid. Merliah only discovers that she is part mermaid-princess (and heir to a mermaid kingdom) because she is a champion surfer. The pink streaks in her hair aren’t just making her look super cool on the surfboard, they also give her a clue about her past. This movie was the first time, but not the only time, that I got to see Barbie doing sports. I would be lying if I said that this movie didn’t make me ask my mom to go surfing.
Honorable Mention
Though it is not a movie, an obvious honorable mention is the series “Barbie Life in the Dream House.” In this series we get to see Barbie’s day to day life with her sisters, friends, and of course Ken. Barbie’s high-tech closet is frequently featured as an early warning that AI is going to take over the planet. This portrayal of Ken definitely is my favorite as he is truly dedicated to making Barbie’s life better.
If you are someone who has made the mistake of not revisiting these movies since your youth, I would highly recommend dusting off your family DVR, grabbing your childhood best friends, and exploring the magical world of Barbie. While these movies might not be winning any Oscars’, they still hold a very special place in the hearts of my friends and I, and in the hearts of girls around the world.