I recently came across this tweet and had a magical flashback to last summer, when I saw a matinee showing of Barbie and went to The Eras Tour on the same day. I remember that day so fondly, and not just because of the movie theater soda and getting “King of My Heart” as a surprise song — it was an entire day of celebrating things I loved as a little girl. I get the same feeling from rewatching old animated Barbie movies, which I put on with my friends when we need an easy movie night go-to, or when I want to laugh at cheesy dialogue that went over my head 15 years ago. In honor of reliving old Barbie movies and childhood dreams of royalty and eternal friendship, this is my younger self’s Barbie movie watchlist, ranked.
7. Barbie: Fairytopia
If you’re an animated Barbie movie fan, or if you’ve just scrolled into the Barbie void on TikTok, you’re definitely familiar with the internet’s favorite Barbie sidekick: Bibble. Although this movie isn’t one I’m yearning to rewatch often, it’s such a treat when I do, because Bibble is somehow more hilarious to me at age 21 than at age two.
6. Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus
Princess Annika is the prime example of Barbie as a fearless leader who doesn’t take no for an answer, whether that’s ice skating on her birthday against her parents’ wishes or saving the entire kingdom from a villain. It’s the little details that make this movie come to life, like the length of Annika’s hair ribbon being the “measure of courage” and the gorgeous colors of the sunrise as she soars through the sky with Brietta.
5. Barbie: Princess Charm School
This movie takes the cake for having the best plot twist. I rewatched it with my friends on Zoom during the pandemic lockdown — my first time seeing it in years — and I had completely forgotten the plot twist and didn’t anticipate it at all. I’m also just obsessed with Barbie as Blair Wallows’s character and her academic rivalry with Delancy. Think Rory and Paris from Gilmore Girls, dropped into the plot of a decades-old royal legend.
4. Barbie as Rapunzel
If I could pick any object from a Barbie movie to own in real life, it would be Barbie as Rapunzel’s magical paintbrush that creates ballgowns out of thin air. I’d never be late for class again if I had that outfit-making technology. This movie also has my favorite Barbie animal sidekick ever, Penelope the clumsy but well-intended dragon — representation for the girls who are constantly tripping and dropping everything! A.k.a., me.
3. Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper
Sorry, I can’t hang out today because I’m busy blasting “I am a Girl Like You” alone in my bedroom and drawing a crown-shaped birthmark onto my shoulder with eyeliner. This movie wins the award for best original soundtrack in my book, and it’s an overall favorite because the invisible string concept here — unrelated strangers who pass for identical twins — is just so cute.
2. Barbie & The Diamond Castle
If I could spend a week living in any movie universe, I’d pick this one in a heartbeat, because what could be better than living in a forest cottage with your best friend, picking flowers and singing duets all day? Of all the Barbie movies I popped into my DVD and VHS players as a kid, this one had the most impactful message: loyalty, especially during challenging times, makes a good friend. Plus, it gets so many bonus points for the dancing dogs.
1. Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses
I used to leap across my bathroom floor tiles as a kid, mimicking Princess Genevieve and her sisters dancing in a pattern in their bedroom to open the portal to their secret magical garden. While rewatching this movie with my friends, I found out that they all did the same thing. We also collectively gushed about how badly we wished we owned a pair of the princesses’ color-coded ballet slippers. I had no idea how much of a shared experience this movie was, but Barbie wouldn’t be Barbie if she didn’t bring girls together by teaching us how to dream. When I think of growing up with Barbie, I think of the 12 dancing princesses.
If I’ve learned one thing from last summer — which the internet has affectionately deemed the summer of girlhood — it’s that nothing makes me happier than reconnecting with the field of dreams I had as a little girl, and watching animated Barbie movies is my favorite way to do that.