Barbie: A Fairy Secret

In a vacuum it's a 2/10. But since it's so much fun to mock it while watching it, it gets a boost.

It's one of those movies that leave you wanting more. The development between Barbie and Raquel was better than I expected. I liked that it didn't just focus on Barbie. Ken's little segments were always a joy. I do wish we got more world building and logistics but this is a Barbie movie. The fashion fairies were fun. I will say I want more of this and I was left with questions about the villain. I feel like they could've done more with her character too. I think this is a really fun and funny movie to watch with friends. The characters are intriguing. Ken was not all that though. TLDR really good, wanted more but that doesn't matter.

I think I understand the messages they were trying to get across with this film, women can be heroes, forgiveness and that you have to make an effort with friendship, but all they imaged to get across is that the important things in life are shoes, dresses and boyfriends. Barbie doesn't even care when her two friends leave at the end of the film.

The writers just took the storyline and the characters from Mariposa and A Mermaid Tale, added Ken and some inane dialogue to make it sound clever - "ugh, too many apps". I assume the action figures and merchandising are already available in the foyer??

All the things that made the early Barbie thing special - character development, original storyline, catchy songs, emotion, humour etc are missing. All we're left with is an empty, shallow 70 minutes of bright noise.

Avoid. For your children's sake.

I wanted to like A Fairy Secret, and tried to. But I just couldn't. And this is coming from somebody who actually likes the Barbie movies(especially Nutcracker, Diamond Castle, Island Princess and Prince and the Pauper). But although I haven't yet seen Fashion Fairytale, despite hearing a lot of negative press about that one, I can't imagine until I see it that it will be worse than this. The only redeeming quality for me of A Fairy Secret was the catchy soundtrack, and even that is nowhere near as good as those for Nutcracker, Rapunzel and Swan Lake. I disliked the animation here, entries like Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Diamond Castle have beautiful animation that is full of colour and fluidity, but here the colours are lifeless, the backgrounds blocky and the character designs at their most plastic. The writing focuses far too much on fashion(seemingly fashion is like the most important thing in the world) and behavioural snobbery, and the story instead of being charming with good messages is formulaic and rushed with values of stealing boyfriends and vanity. The characters are no longer cute, but now act like childish brats, especially Ken. Barbie in another of her as...roles is no longer resourceful and kind but now a stereotypical teenager, the anti-thesis of her persona in the first place, in other words she's at her least likable. The voice work is stilted, nobody sounds natural as their characters, granted I wasn't expecting any big names to pop up and practically embody their roles like in Nutcracker, Rapunzel, Swan Lake and Three Musketeers but at least the voice actors could've sounded as though they were bringing some kind of life to the proceedings. Overall, a huge disappointment, I'm expecting little from Fashion Fairytale but I just pray that it isn't worse than this. 2/10 Bethany Cox

This movie is incredible, it changed my life. About 10 years ago or so, i went to prison for tax evasion (yes, like shakira) and just recently i had gotten out and the first thing my newborn daughter (she was a miracle as i was in prison and my wife still got pregnant 😁) wanted to see was this movie. I fell in love with it. Its the only thing i watch now. I watch every it night before bed and at every meal and every single morning. This movie has influenced my life in a way jail never will. Im a changed 43 year old man now.