|
 The most
popular fashion doll in the world stars in her third
direct-to-video feature film, Barbie of Swan Lake. This
CGI-animated full-length film presents a contemporary adaptation
of an old German classic fairytale, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
Barbie plays as Odette, a modest young woman who discovers her
courage after following a beautiful unicorn (named Lila) into an
Enchanted Forest. When Lila becomes entangled in the wood, Odette
pulls out a crystal to help free the unicorn. Viewers learn from
the forest’s Fairy Queen that it had been foretold that the one
who freed the crystal would overcome Rothbart, an evil wizard
intent on ousting his cousin, the Fairy Queen, and taking over the
forest. Odette doesn’t believe she is brave enough to go through
with the task, but a
confrontation with Rothbart, who transforms her into a swan,
forces her to confront her own fears. With the help of the Fairy
Queen (who counters the spell so that Odette can keep her human form
by night), some wonderful forest friends, and Prince Daniel (Ken),
Odette embarks on a fantastical (and musical!) adventure that is
brimming with humor and suspense.
The characters
in the movie are endearing. A troll guard, for example, appears to
be an intimidating creature but turns out to be a lonely and very
hospitable troll. Ken plays Daniel, a prince who is expected to
find a bride. Rothbart’s evil plan to lure Prince Daniel into
the forest to shoot the swan (Odette) backfires as the beauty of
the swan entrances Daniel. Daniel falls in love with Odette by
night, and has the power to break the spell on Odette if he
pledges his true love to her and no one else. Despite Rothbart’s
trickery, Odette and her friends manage to triumph over evil and
save the day.
The music is
truly enchanting, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and
the film features rather lengthy and intriguing dance scenes,
choreographed by Peter Martins, Ballet Master in Chief of the New
York City Ballet. Kelsey Grammer (from "Frasier") does a
fantastic joba as the voice of
Rothbart and Maggie Wheeler (Janice on "Friends") plays the
irritating and spoiled Odile (Rothbart’s daughter).
The DVD edition
features an especially child-friendly menu and includes a “My
Favorite Scenes” option that allows kids to jump to key chapters
in the movie, such as “Daniel’s Archery Practice”. Kids can
also watch an inspiring segment entitled “The Music in You”,
explore the stars and constellations (such as Cygnus the Swan) in
an interactive way, and play some games with the DVD edition.
Like the first
two feature films (Barbie in the Nutcracker and Barbie
as Rapunzel), the CGI animation is well done, the story is
modernized and politically correct, and the movie has something to
teach children. In the case of Barbie of Swan Lake,
children are introduced to the beauty and grace of both classical
music and ballet. In our review of Barbie as Rapunzel, we
cautioned that some of the scenes of good vs. evil may have been
overwhelming for younger and more sensitive viewers. However, less
focus on these types of struggles in Barbie of Swan Lake
makes it pleasant fare for children approximately 4 years and up.
This film is truly enchanting!
[For more information, or to
buy: Barbie of Swan Lake
(VHS) or Barbie of Swan Lake
(DVD) at Amazon.com]
Back to Video/DVD Guide
| VHS/DVD |
Artisan Entertainment |
Ages 4-up |
|
|
See also:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barbie - Swan Lake
Buy this Poster at AllPosters.com
|
~~Coming Soon~~
 Barbie
fans can look forward to another CGI-animated direct-to-video Barbie movie,
Barbie As The Princess and the Pauper. This time around
it's a musical, featuring seven original songs. Like Barbie of
Swan Lake and Barbie as Rapunzel, the graphics are rich
and the story is a modern re-telling of a classic tale. The DVD
and video are due on September 28th.
[For more information, user
reviews, or to pre-order: Barbie As The Princess and the Pauper
(VHS) or Barbie As The Princess and the Pauper
(DVD) at Amazon.com]
|
|
|
|
Buy
Buy