Barbie is a true icon revolutionizing the toy market since the 1950’s. While she represents fashion and feminism, she serves style and everything hot pink. As a true Barbie lover, I have become enthralled with Barbie’s everlasting glamor. A substantial part of Barbie’s iconic fame is her cinematic universe. Over 30 plus animated movies depict the many adventures of Barbie. From fairy tales with mermaids and magic to princess charm schools, the Barbie movies prove to arguably be one of the best cinematic universes out there. Although each movie is iconic in its own way, which ones reign truly superior over the others? It is crucial to note that each movie is loved and cherished in its own way. Many of us have our own personal preference when it comes to favorite Barbie movies; however, I fear they can’t all be winners. It should be drawn to the reader’s attention that this is my own personal ranking, and with extensive research, I will be ranking the ten best Barbie movies in my opinion.
- Barbie as the Island Princess (2007)
Barbie as the Island Princess features a young girl, Rosella, who is stranded on an island after a shipwreck. She grows up under the watchful eyes of her animal friends until the arrival of Prince Antonio. He introduces Rosella to the real world as they uncover clues from Rosella’s past. In my opinion, this movie has a great soundtrack and Barbie’s peacock dress is truly iconic. The reason for its number ten placement is due to the talking animals. Tika,the elephant, not only causes too many problems, but she also has freakish human looking eyes.
- Barbie: Fairytopia (2005)
Barbie Fairytopia focuses on a flower fairy, Elina, as she searches for a guardian fairy to save the enchanted land, Fairytopia. Elina overcomes numerous obstacles in her path caused by an insidious fairy, Laverna. This movie features many loveable characters, such as Bibble the blue and purple puffball loved by many. I find this movie to be the best out of the Fairytopia trilogy. The art and beauty it encompasses is truly magical despite the off-putting anthropomorphic character designs.
- Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
Barbie in the Nutcracker is the first movie that started off the entire franchise. This movie centers around the plot of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet, The Nutcracker. As this is the oldest animated Barbie movie, the animation is very dated and displays rather poor quality. Despite the animation style, the movie still manages to capture the magical Nutcracker storyline through the eyes of Barbie.
- Barbie in a Mermaid Tale (2010)
Barbie in a Mermaid Tale is an iconic movie. I, for one,watched this movie many times as a child. Everything about this movie enchanted me. This movie has one of the most popular songs out of all the Barbie movies, “Queen of the Waves”. The movie centers around a Malibu surfer, Merliah, who is one of my favorite Barbie protagonists. Her life turns upside down when she becomes a mermaid and has to battle conflicts in and out of the water.
- Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses (2006)
This movie is another absolute favorite of mine. Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses is a wild movie about twelve rambunctious princesses and their evil stepmother. Chaos and adventure encompass the plot of this movie as the princesses set out to stop their stepmother before she tries to poison their father to obtain the throne. Of course, the princesses take action to stop their stepmother through dance magic. Yes, dance magic. This is quite normal when it comes to the Barbie franchise. Overall, the music and the visual aesthetic in this film are gorgeous. Although the premise is a little out there, it is a very creative and entertaining movie.
- Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (2005)
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus follows the story of Princess Annika who has to save her parents after an evil wizard, Wenlock, turns them into stone. Annika is then befriended by Brietta, a magical and magnificent pegasus. Together, they set out to break the spell by attempting to build a magical wand of light. This movie is definitely one of the more fun and adventurous choices out of the Barbie movies, not to mention the love interest is actually likable. The movie takes many turns and takes you through a wintery kingdom adventure.
- Barbie of Swan Lake (2003)
This movie is the definition of a Barbie classic. I loved everything about this specific Barbie movie. Beautiful ballet music and adorable woodland creatures not only add to this spectacular movie, but the romance makes for a sweet story. Barbie of Swan Lake follows a young woman, Odette, as she turns into a swan while battling against an evil sorcerer. It is truly a dazzling and magical film with lots of dancing and frolicking.
- Barbie: Princess Charm School (2011)
This is one of the newer Barbie movies compared to the others in this ranking, and putting it at number three may be controversial, but I feel like it is an underrated movie. It follows the protagonist, Blair Willows, as she attends a prestigious charm school that teaches princesses to their fullest potential. The movie involves an intriguing mystery, which makes it all the more entertaining. In the end, the message centered around this movie is sweet and uplifting. Also there is no one more iconic than Blair Willows herself.
- Barbie and the Diamond Castle (2008)
Barbie and the Diamond Castle centers around two flower shop owners, Liana and Alexa. The movie begins as the two lead characters come across a magic mirror. This discovery signals the start of a strenuous journey for the brave duo to the Diamond castle. Their quest is to prevent a wicked plan from being enacted which would destroy all music. The movie emulates the power of friendship as the two girls find their dedication to and trust in each other tested time and again. This don’t-miss movie is particularly known for the two iconic puppies who have become quite an internet sensation.
- Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004)
This movie is arguably one of my all-time favorites. The characters, animal sidekicks, and musical scores all come together to build a captivating plotline. This movie follows a wealthy princess, Anneliese, and a poor servant, Erika. The two girls look amazingly alike and decided to swap lifestyles. Conflict arises, but together the two girls come together to fight against the evil but iconic villain, Preminger. Again,this is one of the many peak Barbie movies. I feel everyone needs to watch this at least once in their lifetime, not to mention the songs go so hard.
May this glorious Barbie-Movie Ranking find you encouraged to discover more about these iconic movies and their inspirational characters, relatable plots and enduring themes. Each movie is filled with adventure, whimsical music and artfully-balanced, uplifting animals. Of course, there are many more astonishing Barbie movies out there. Whatever Barbie movie you choose, you will find yourself on a journey you won’t regret taking.
