Barbie: Fashion Fairytale marks the eighteenth movie in the Barbie movie series and marks Kelly Sheridan’s departure as a voice actor for Barbie.
Barbie questions her director’s creative choices during a Princess and the Pea adaptation, leading to her dismissal from the project. Shortly after, she receives a phone call from Ken, who wants to end their relationship.
The Story
Barbie finds solace after she is fired from her most recent acting gig and is heartbroken by Ken’s unexpected break-up by visiting Millicent, her fashion designer aunt, in Paris. Unfortunately, when she arrives there, she finds out Millicent’s firm is going bankrupt due to a rival dressmaker named Jacqueline stealing Millicent’s designs.
Barbie meets Alice while helping her aunt. With Alice comes Flairies (Shimmer, Glimmer, and Shyne). These magical fairies can add sparkly designs to any outfit by placing them into their particular closet, the Glitterizer. Thanks to them, both Alice and Barbie can make stunning dresses for their fashion show together.
Unfortunately, Jacqueline and her assistant quickly disrupt the glamour of the fashion show by kidnapping Flairies – without their magical touch, dresses no longer shine with brilliance – not to mention how their powers were rendered useless when trapped inside a box!
Barbie and Alice join forces with new friends to save Aunt Lydia’s fashion house by staging a fantastic fashion show. As Glimmer starts preparing the final outfit for preparation, her magical powers manifest and turn it into an elegant three-tiered rose-pink gown!
The film’s narrative carries an important message: While following one’s passion can be challenging, it is vitally important not to abandon it altogether. Additionally, this movie emphasizes the value of respecting individual differences and honoring other opinions.
The movie’s main characters’ voices were recorded in London and Los Angeles. Barbie is voiced by Julie Nathanson, known for appearing in films like The Princess and the Pea, and has an accent distinct from that used in Japan’s original version. Teresa, played by Alicia Silverstone since she was young, is described as being ditzy yet quiet with some odd qualities that make her a fantastic friend to Barbie. Other roles are voiced by various actors, including some who have appeared in previous Barbie films.
The Characters
Barbie is having difficulty recovering from her latest film’s success; she first loses her job and then receives an unexpected phone call from Ken, breaking up with her. To recover, she takes a vacation in Paris with Sequin as a company. Upon arrival, she finds that Millicent’s fashion house may close due to rival designer Jacqueline kidnapping the Flairies (Shine, Shimmer, and Glimmer Fairies who add sparkle to designers creations) from Millicent’s fashion house; the Flairies were saved by Alice, who convinced them all of holding a fashion show as a way out.
This film introduces several characters who will return in subsequent movies, such as Jacqueline and her pet dog, Snafu. Also featured are various fashion designers and their creations, such as Lilliana Roxelle, who dresses models to impress judges at fashion shows; Marie-Alice and her assistant Glimmer attempt to craft sparkly outfits to impress them all.
This movie’s lessons include never giving up on your dreams even when they seem impossible and having supportive friends who make you laugh. Sometimes Barbie uses phrases such as “wickedly mindblowing,” “mega huge,” and “beyond ridonkulously” to express her excitement.
However, Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale is still an enjoyable family movie to watch; its animation is vivid and reminiscent of earlier Barbie films; furthermore, it features an ensemble cast ranging from children to adults; the soundtrack is superb, but excessive use of over-the-top dialogue mars the overall experience; nonetheless it remains enjoyable family viewing for fans of the Barbie franchise but could have been better. I rate the film with 4/5.
The Music
Barbie and Sequin take off for Paris, where her aunt Millicent operates a fashion house. Although excited to meet Millicent, Barbie finds out her business will likely fail and that it may become a hot dog cafe instead. But soon afterward, Millicent discovers three glitter fairies living within the house who can add extra shimmer to any dress, along with shy designer Alice and the Fairies who work together to organize a fashion show to save the day!
The music from this movie is lively and energetic. Rachel Bearer (who performed Get Your Sparkle On in Barbie in Pink Shoes and Life Is a Fairytale) excelled with Get Your Sparkle On, while Le Parkour provided plenty of energy.
But the plot is predictable and shallow; much of this movie resembles an overt Barbie commercial. While its story has some positive messages about believing in yourself and rising above obstacles when they arise, its preachiness sometimes becomes too preachy. Also overdone is its adorableness: watching Barbie fly to Paris on her poodle’s back or Alice working a sewing machine is too much!
But the real highlight of the film lies with Teresa herself. Starting nice and quiet in Fashion Fairytale, Teresa soon blossoms into an energetic goofball who embraces life in Life in the Dreamhouse and Barbie: Princess and Popstar.
The Voice Actors
The franchise’s voice actors in Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale are familiar faces. Kelly Sheridan had voiced Barbie until Diana Kaarina took over for this movie – too much controversy initially; Sheridan eventually returned as Barbie’s voice for Mermaid Tale 2.
Millicent (Patricia Drake), our protagonist in this story, lives with her Aunt Alice and helps run their fashion house in Paris. Recently her work hasn’t been going so well, and she fears losing it; when Alice mentions hearing of magical creatures that help designers add flair to their designs, Millicent decides to look into this legend and investigate.
At her attic home, Liliana Roxelle discovers a magical wardrobe where she places one of her designs. Reciting a special chant summoned three mysterious fairies called Flairies who reside within. These fairies animated and embellished it further. Sadly if a fashion house were to be destroyed, they’d lose power. Still, luckily Liliana Roxelle- one of Paris’ top fashion critics- welcomed them after an incredible show and invited them to her Pink, White & Black Party that night!
Flairies’ time between dressmaking sessions is spent flying around on their tiny broomsticks and meeting other fashionable characters such as Raquelle (played by Teresa Moore), who attempts to commit Relationship Sabotage by falsifying a breakup call from Ken to Barbie.
A few amusing details in the movie help break it up from being just another typical cartoon. For example, all of the Flairies speak with French accents, and their costumes were particularly eye-catching (I especially enjoyed Jacques and Sequin’s outfits!). Furthermore, there was also some fun slapstick humor – Shimmer flying straight toward a company she liked before being hit by Flairies that accidentally caused it to sparkle – or trying to avoid being hit by an arrogant Jacques on a motorcycle they accidentally ran into glass windows while trying to escape being hit.
