Barbie - Fairytopia: Mermaidia

This follow up to Barbie Fairytopia was another attempt of Mattel to recapture the magic of the original Barbie movies. I found this movie to actually be superior to Fairytopia. The plot and character developpment were terrible, but the story is very magical, which made it great for little kids, and the kid in all of us. Lately the Barbie movies have been taking a step away from sexism by showing young girls that they don't have to depend on a man, because Elina, the main character does not, and she saves her home and friendsfrom danger. The whole story is very cheesy, but that is exactly what makes these movies so great. They aren't aiming for an Oscar, but just to entertain the viewers, which I thought this movie definitely did.

One of the most cinematic & breath-taking films of Barbie. I remember watching this when I was younger and feeling like I was part of the fairytale. Great & interesting plot!

First off, my daughter really enjoyed the Fairytopia movie and I have found that the other Barbie films to have some redeeming value for a young lady. However, I could tell what kind of movie this was going to be when the first thing to fall out of the DVD case was the catalog with toys from the film listed. The animation is at par with the other Barbie films (another Mainframe production). The script was clearly written during a meeting of executives at Mattel to maximize product revenue generated from the film. As overly cute as Fairytopia was, it at least had some though put into it to make it mildly entertaining. Mermaidia just goes through the paces. That all being said my daughter really likes the mermaids and Barbie. And at the end of the day it's all about her entertainment, not mine. But it doesn't stop me from grumbling when I have to sit through it with her.

I'll admit that I was a little skeptical when I saw the title. I started watching with the worst expectations. But from the very first moment, upon seeing this vibrant world that had been created, I was engaged.

This is an incredibly simple story that still, somehow, avoids talking down to its young viewership. The visual aspect of the movie is strong, with bright colors and a fairy-tale brilliance that is strong above- and below-water. Characters often proved to be expressive both visually and aurally, as animators captured realistic emotions and actors used complex character voices. Elina is voiced by Kelly Sheridan, who manages to make a rich, elegant voice sound youthful. Lee Tockar provides much of the humor of the movie with his slapstick deliveries of Bibble and Fungus 1 and 2, which are perfectly matched with more fantastic animation of expression.

All in all, this movie showed a great creativity for it's type that was not limited by the Barbie formula. Dialogue often garnered laughs from adults as well as children, and both were engaged by the classic fairy-tale world that was the backdrop for the story. All in all, this was a movie that children would watch over and over again. Don't discount it as I did, and after you've seen and enjoyed it, talk about it to your friends! It's a shame that it hasn't received the attention it deserves.

I don't consider any of the Barbie movies among the best movies I've seen, but from my perspective they are entertaining for their main target audience, and if a movie succeeds in doing that in my opinion it's done its job well. Some of them are corny such as in the dialogue, but they are charming movies mostly with some nice characters. Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia is a nice movie in my view. The dialogue does have its ropey moments and the film could've been a little longer. On the other hand, it is well animated, with the backgrounds stunning and colourful. The music is memorable with loving moments of whimsy and the story is effective in its simplicity with some good messaging and an overall charming feel to it. Elina and Laverna are good contrasting characters, and the other characters are very cute. I did like that the characters do look more human in their designs than the plastic-looking ones I can see. The voice acting is done by talented people and done with just about the right dynamic. All in all, a nice movie that is neither among the best or worst movies I've seen(this applies to all of the Barbie movies actually). 8/10 Bethany Cox