“Barbie, I can be anything I want to be, what do I want to be?” is a chant all 2000s kids heard on televised Barbie commercials. It might seem like a childish way of thinking, but digging deep into the movies included in the Barbie filmography brings an overwhelming sense of empowerment and positivity.
I can say with 100% certainty that no matter your gender, age, and love (or lack of love) for girly things; there’s something for you to reflect on after watching the Barbie movies. Whether you’ve never watched a Barbie movie before or you just want to rediscover some nostalgic childhood memories, here are 5 of the best Barbie movies with a deep meaning!
Barbie & the Diamond Castle
This 2010 film was the first Barbie I ever watched and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
This movie tells the tale of two best friends named Liana and Alexa who are peasant girls and have very little to their name, but they share their love for music and each other. A magic mirror reveals a plan to destroy the diamond castle and the existence of music, so the two friends go on a journey to save the kingdom (and I am eternally grateful if they hadn’t done this, we wouldn’t have the 2023 live action Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken“!).
Ultimately, this was a feminist-themed movie, as at the end, the friends realize that they don’t need to live their lives for a man because they are both strong, independent women.
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale
In this movie, Barbie OWNS what it means to be an intelligent, hard-working woman. Barbie gets dumped by Ken, but she works hard to overcome this setback. She travels to Paris, saving her aunt’s dress shop from closing in just one week. She believes in herself and her dreams come true, so this taught all viewers that you too should work hard no matter what life throws at you.
Barbie: Princess Charm School
This movie takes place in a kingdom (surprise, surprise) where the king and queen were assassinated, but their young daughter was left alive on a stranger’s doorstep. After 17 years, her adoptive mother gets sick, so her sister enters her in the lottery to go to the Princess Charm School in an attempt to secure her an upper-class royal position.
On a televised announcement, the princess learns that she won and has the opportunity to go to the school in an attempt to get money for her mom. Once she gets to the school, she realizes that the students are disconnected from the reality of non-royals and peasants. They believe they should tear down their communities to make their kingdom look better. Barbie later discovers that she is a princess and that her parent’s death was staged in her aunt’s attempt to claim royalty.
Overall, this movie teaches lessons of bravery, selflessness, and social awareness. Although you might not live in a fantasy kingdom, these are lessons that still apply to everyday life.
Barbie & the Three Musketeers
Similar to the classic story The Three Musketeers, in this movie, a girl named Corinne travels to Paris to become a musketeer. She meets three other girls who also dream of becoming musketeers. They work together to save the prince, showing that girls can be the knight shining armor for the boys rather than the other way around.
This movie is filled with great songs including this cat’s cover of Unbelievable, which I think about it at least three times a week.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper
Just as the name The Princess and the Pauper suggests, the movie shows that close bonds can be formed no matter your social class or economic level. By loving others no matter their wealth, but for their personal qualities, the power of strong friendship can change lives.
go barbie & happy watching!
I hope this sparked some self-confidence and good memories! Have fun with your Barbie movie marathon!