Barbie movies would not have been top of my family's Saturday
evening viewing list, but Barbie starring as Rapunzel really had
us gripped! Traditionally marketed towards a young female
audience, this elaborate fairy tale had suspense, action and
y dragons that delighted my two boys and us parents. The
quality of the animation is excellent, with a music score to
match. A cast of quirky characters pivot around the rather serene
Rapunzel, including Angelica Huston as the evil Gothel who has
imprisoned Rapunzel. You are taken on a 17th century journey
through mazes, tunnels and secret villages and you are compelled
to watch until the journey ends. Although this is not Disney, it
comes a close second. This is the only movie my two-year-old has
ever watched to the end, and he now insists upon putting "bar-bu"
on at hourly intervals! The film was y yet soothing--a
chilling mix of suspense and action and colour which held my
toddler's attention, and the jokes, asides and adventures
entertained the rest of us. Barbie as Rapunzel is a perfect
family movie, full of magic and romance with the odd fight
thrown in for good measure. Do not be put off by the pink
packaging--this is a high quality product which will entertain
small boys as well as girls. This product represents good value
for money and is a perfect gift for young children and the young
at heart. --Jo Fitzgerald
If you had told me that my five-year-old son would adore this
video, I wouldn't have believed you. But he did! And I was
expecting a complete pink tackfest, but I was wrong about that,
too. This computer animated tale is well put together and slick
looking, and while a sharp eye has obviously been kept on the
marketing rtunities (Shelley and Tommy, the revolting mini
Barbies, make an appearance) there is much more to it than that.
Rapunzel is a lovely traditional story, and while some liberties
have been taken with the plot, all the key elements of folk tales
are present, from beautiful princess to fierce dragon, handsome
prince to wicked witch. The characters are reasonably well
rounded and Rapunzel has acquired two Disney-style side kicks in
the form of a rabbit and a dragon, whose antics amused both my
children greatly.
The video begins with Barbie telling the story to Shelley, which
then becomes the film action, rather as it did in The Nutcracker,
and at then end, we return to "real life", leaving the y
witch safely back in fairy land. Like The Nutcracker, this video
boasts a soundtrack featuring the London Symphony Orchestra (and
also Samantha Mumba). We invited a girl from Joe's class round to
watch the video, and she declared it to be better than The
Nutcracker... unfortunately she also said, "Why have you got this
video? It's just for girls". This might be something to bear in
mind if you are buying for a boy who values his street cred!
--Rachel Elvidge
Rapunzel is one fairy tale Disney have not made but here Barbie
as Rapunzel provides children with a computer-animated tale about
the imprisoned maiden. The story is loosely based around the
traditional story but expands into a long journey with dragons,
magic and fantasy. Beautiful music by the London Symphony
Orchestra sets the atmosphere. Rapunzel is imprisoned in a huge
castle by wicked witch Gothel who uses Rapunzel as her servant,
to cook food, beat rugs, wash and mend clothes, polish silver and
generally keep the house in perfect order. Rapunzel has been in
the castle since she was a baby and has never seen the outside
world. Her only companions are a talking purple dragon called
Penelope, and a rabbit called Hoby. One day Rapunzel accidentally
finds a cellar which leads her to take a walk via a secret
passage to the outside world where she meets the handsome prince.
This sets the scene for the story to unfold. Using her magic
paintbrush Rapunzel, who looks just like Barbie but with the
exceptionally long hair, becomes the heroine of the story as she
becomes the girl whose paintings save her life.
The 83-minute video, which I would recommend for children aged
six years and over, features the voice of Angelica Huston as
Gothel the witch and Cree Summer as Penelope the friendly baby
dragon. This is a story where love and imagination can change the
world, where children look like computer animated dolls and fairy
tales become "Barbie pink". --Sarah McNamara
Rapunzel, Barbie's second animated adventure is as exciting and
enchanting as her debut feature length movie, The Nutcracker. It
opens with Barbie painting beautiful pictures that lead her to
tell this wonderful fairy tale. Long, long ago, in a time of
magic and dragons, there lived a girl named Rapunzel who had the
most beautiful, radiant hair the world had ever seen
and so the
story continues. Rapunzel is trapped in a fortress of magic and
held captive by a witch called Gothel. Fortunately, Rapunzel has
the company of some humorous and entertaining friends. She
manages to circumvent the magic wall and visit a nearby village
where she meets Prince Stephan. Will she ever escape from the
wrath of Gothel and the tower that is her prison? Will she find
her true family and identity?
This is a magnificently produced animated version of a much-loved
fairy tale. It has twists and turns that are unexpected but
welcome and a delightful soundtrack. As an adult I found myself
immersed in the tale and certainly wanted to follow it through
until the end as there is much to entertain adults. --Tiffany
Prescott