Three Barbie movies to watch this weekend to forget about the fact that we’ve been in a global pandemic for a whole year.
Ah, the early 2000s. It’s a time I remember blissfully little of due to my being born in 1999. Something that has stuck with me, however, are three of the best films of my early existence.
In my memory, these films were a groundbreaking use of CGI and complex storytelling culminating in something truly beautiful.
Maybe it was the CRT blurriness or just plain nostalgia that cemented these movies as cinematography masterpieces in my toddler mind, but I was shocked to find out that (at least visually speaking) these movies have aged like milk.
That being said, I can’t help the warm heaviness in my heart that accompanies watching these films. So pull out your old VHS tapes and get some popcorn popping as we go through my top 3 favorite Barbie movies from early childhood.
3. Barbie of Swan Lake (2003)
Like the original story of Swan Lake, Barbie (as Odette) is cursed by a sorcerer to spend her days as a swan and her nights in human form. The sorcerer seeks to put his daughter, Odile, into power on the throne instead of Odette. With the help of the fairy queen and a few other friends, can Odette regain her human form permanently?
Though it’s a simple story, it’s a classic tale that works well with the format. No one could fault you for pouring yourself a glass of red wine and settling into the couch for a rewatch. Honestly, this movie isn’t even that bad in terms of CGI for the majority of the film. However, what’s bad is really, incredibly awful.
If you haven’t watched this movie lately, let me forewarn you on one thing: Odile, the anti-Barbie of the film, is something straight out of a nightmare. The scene below is akin to minute 75 of the next Ari Aster film. It’s kind of beautiful.
2. Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004)
A spin on the classic Mark Twain tale of the prince and the pauper, princess Anneliese and pauper Erika are pseudo-twins born at the same time, the only visual difference being their hair colors. Due to shenanigans, Erika must impersonate Anneliese and experience a completely different side of life.
As the most recent movie of the three, it is definitely is the most visually solid and honestly looks pretty similar to how I remember. As the first musical Barbie movie it is also the only one on the list with a true OST, and what an OST it is. Nearly twenty years later I still remember every word, apparently.
1. Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
Barbie definitely went though a bit of a ballet phase in the early aughts, but who didn’t? (I suppose me, after getting kicked out of a dance class in 2003 for horseplay. They did give me a consolatory bag of Doritos, though.)
Clara (Barbie) ends up being shrunk by magic after waking to find a battle between her new nutcracker doll and the Mouse King. According to the nutcracker, they must race to find the Sugarplum Princess and reverse the magic.
While it was a close decision between Barbie P&P and the Nutcracker, it only takes the first few opening notes to this soundtrack for me to be spirited away back to a simpler time. Some of Tchaikovsky’s truly heart wrenching music features in this film; I’m not ashamed to admit that the closing dance number is enough to nearly bring me, a grown adult, to tears every time.
This was Barbie’s first full-length feature film, and while some of the artistic choices raise questions (How many layers of inception are going on between real life Barbie, film Barbie and Clara? Why did they make the nutcracker hotter than the actual human man?), the movie still certainly holds up twenty years later. If you choose to only watch one movie from the list this weekend, throw on some pajamas and go on a bit of a Christmas journey.
