Barbie Mariposa and Her Butterfly Friends
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Movie Reviews of Barbie Mariposa and Her Butterfly Friends
Movie Review: my daughter LOVES this!
Summary: 4 Stars
My 3 year old daughter loves barbie! This is a good movie about adventure and believing in yourself. Even my 8 and 9 year olds watched this and didn't mind it, even though they're "too old" for Barbie! Elina from the fairytopia and mermaidia movies also makes an appearance. Cute movie.Movie Review: A new heroine for the fourth "Fairytopia" Barbie film
Summary: 4 Stars
This fourth offering in Mattel's series of "Fairytopia" Barbie films continues the trend towards ever more beautiful animation, has a very similar plot, and introduces a new heroine. As with every previous "Barbie" video, my six year old daughter absolutely loves it and has watched it many times. As he has now reached the age where he doesn't think he's supposed to enjoy "girlie" things, her twin brother pretends not to like it, but he seems to find his way into the family TV room and sit down to watch a remarkably high proportion of the time when this film is playing.
For reference, this is the fourth in the "Fairytopia" sequence which currently consists of:
Fairytopia
Mermaidia
Magic of the Rainbow.
Mariposa and her Butterfly fairy friends
The film is bookended by Elena, the heroine of the first three "Fairytopia" films, who is telling her puffball companion Bibble the story of her friend Mariposa and how she had the courage both to overcome a threat to the fairy realm and persuade other fairies who at first did not take her seriously to do so.
As with all the Barbie films, the story is relentlessly positive and aims to encourage the viewer to strive to achieve everything she is capable of. To a greater extent than some, Mariposa also has a number of second level jokes designed to provide some amusement to mums and dads who are watching the film with their daughters.
Before we first rented one of the Barbie videos for my daughter, I was expecting them to be trite, over-commercialised, over-sugary and over here. In general, however, I have been pleasantly surprised.
Yes, they do have a lot of commercial spin-offs and a high saccharine count, but the quality of the Barbie films we have subsequently bought or rented, including all four "Fairytopia" films, was significantly higher than I had originally expected before watching any of them. These films have not just kept my children engrossed for hours - including my son as well as my daughter - but introduced them to some beautiful stories. Several - but sadly not this one - also introduced my children to some truly wonderful music.
On more than one occasion I have been listening to a CD of a classic such as Beethoven's pastoral symphony, or "The Queen of the Night's aria" from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute", and little girl has recognised and expressed appreciation of the music, and correctly remembered which Barbie film had used it. ("Magic of Pegasus" and "Mermaidia" respectively.)
I was a little disappointed that the last three of four Barbie films, including "Mariposa" did not continue this tradition: no great classics this time. This film introduces a new composer: musical scores for all the previous Barbie films had been written by Arnie Roth, who was brilliant at arranging the classics and who ranged from competent to good as a composer in his own right. Music for "Mariposa and her butterfly fairy friends" was written by Eric Colvin: it doesn't come up to the standards of Mozart, Mendelsohn or Beethoven as adapted by Arnie Roth, but is nevertheless quite easy on the ear.
The animation and backgrounds are quite stunningly beautiful: the last few Barbie films seem to get more visually beautiful each time and tbhis one continues that tradition.
There are a few extras on the DVD including some games involving dressing fairies for a ball at the fairy palace which my daughter enjoyed playing.
Those people who enjoy criticising the way Mattel operate the Barbie franchise will not have much difficulty finding things in this production to sneer at. If you, or more importantly your kids, are allergic to an excess of twee sweetness, then this film and the Barbie videos generally may not be for them.
And the female characters are all on the thin side of plausibility: I'm not worried that watching this is going to give my own daughter anorexia as she likes food too much and has a good sense of the difference between fantasy and reality. And after all, the characters in this story are fairies, complete with wings! However, if you are worried that your children may be forming an unrealistic idea about how thin a healthy female body shape is, it is not quite impossible that this film may contribute to it.
But on the plus side: it is beautifully made, it will hold the attention of most small children for long enough for the typical exhausted parent to clear the mess they have made in several rooms of the house or collapse for an hour's rest after doing so. And there are still a few more sophisticated jokes thrown in, so you won't be completely bored to death if you decide to watch it with your offspring.
Overall this is not, in my opinion, quite as good as some of the previous Barbie videos, including the first two Fairytopia" titles, but anything which can hold my children's attention as well as this film did clearly has something going for it.
Movie Review: First Barbie Comedy!
Summary: 5 Stars
My 9 year old and 6 year old daughters and I have seen all the Barbie movies, and we found this one especially enjoyable. They both pointed out to me that this is the first Barbie movie that is a comedy - they particularly find the character "Willa" hilarious. I must agree - this one is a definite keeper! They have watched it several times since we got it, and although they love the musical ones (Mariposa does not have any singing), they really find this one quite entertaining.Movie Review: Good movie
Summary: 5 Stars
i watched it w/ my 7yr old niece and i thought it was a good movie. it teach kids that it's ok to be different and learn how it will benefit them.Movie Review: Great Fun!
Summary: 4 Stars
The tape is great fun. We like all the Barbie videos. They are well made and have good stories.