Barbie: A Perfect Christmas (2011)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Better Late Then Never

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I have made no secret of having a soft spot for the Barbie movies. Neither of them are perfect movies or among the best movies I've seen, but they're charming and mostly have their heart in the right place. I had mixed feelings on A Perfect Christmas. It is better than A Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale, but not as good as Nutcracker, Diamond Castle, The Prince and the Pauper and Island Princess. What I didn't like very much were the character designs which consist of big heads and eyes and tiny mouths(though thankfully Barbie doesn't look as anorexic as she did in Fashion Fairytale for instance) and the singing which not only sounded forced but completely different to the voice actors. Regarding the voice actors they aren't as stilted as in Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale but lacking the fluency of Rapunzel for example(plus Kelly Sheridan is sorely missed). And there are times where the dialogue is corny, though thankfully less "bad-attitude" driven Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale. However, the character designs aside, the backgrounds are less rough and more colourful though still not as stunning as Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Diamond Castle, and the music is very sweet and catchy. I also admired the story, which had more heart than especially Fairy Secret, and the message is of the importance of Christmas, a step in the right direction compared to the hate and vanity that Fashion Fairytale seemed to promote. The characters are well-meaning and cute in general, not as spirited as in earlier entries(Rapunzel, Three Musketeers and Nutcracker as examples) but not the stereotypical brats from Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale. So overall, passable, not among the best or worst of the Barbie movies. By all means it could've been better, but compared to Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale it could've been worse as well. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I'm going out on a limb here to say that I really did find this story to be sweet and entertaining. I'm a novice to these types of movies: I'm a 40-year-old working professional who has a 2-year-old, and I'm discovering the world of childhood video delights and travesties late in life. This was my first Barbie video experience, and I was unexpectedly delighted with it. Yes, the story is not as magical or infused with supernatural creatures as many cartoons, but it's a simple, home-spun story. A family, dreaming of a perfect Christmas in the Big Apple, get stranded in a tiny mid-western town due to bad weather. When it becomes clear they're stranded there, they're sure their Christmas will be ruined. However, it's only when they have time to reflect on what they already have that they learn the true meaning of Christmas. I thought it was very enjoyable, though very young children may not be as engaged as grade school children. It's worth checking out!

When I first put this on for my girls I thought I'd bought a rip off of a Barbie film or something! This is so unlike any of the other Barbie films. I have sat through all of them with my daughter with a little bit of guilty pleasure as the songs are usually fun and the story lines are well thought out. As another reviewer mentioned, the voice acting is awful and almost painful to listen to. The story line is basic and it just seems like they must have really rushed this film to get it out in time for Christmas as there was so little thought that went into it.They definitely need to take a step back towards their older films. I disliked the changes they made recently by giving them all giant heads (!) and they always did the classic stories very well. Having said that most of the films have been fairly fun and entertaining. This was not. They definitely need to bring back Kelly Sheridan for the voice acting. However, for a 5 year old this was good viewing. My children enjoyed it though I don't think (and hope) that it won't be one that gets chosen all the time.

It was... alright. Pros - cheap movie you can give to your little girl who'll watch it that year and never watch again. Cons - they didn't even TRY to disguise the fact that each character has a different singing voice from the speaking voice. It makes it hard to like the music in the movie. Story line is dreary - maybe Christmas movies are just spent. Music isn't memorable - again the obvious voice differences were annoying. I was surprised - the movie was actually not that great at all. Not worth it in my opinion. I really don't have any more to say about it. I would buy any other Barbie movie, hands down, but this one was not worth the anticipation. 2/10