June 02, 2004

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Movie review: Swan Lake

In part of our ongoing series of reviews, today I bring you a review of Barbie of Swan Lake. This is the third in the series of Barbie movies that has taken the little girl world by storm. Featuring the voice of Kelly Sheridan as Barbie and Kelsey Grammer of the baddie, Rothbart, this follows the same formula as Nutcracker and Rapunzel (the first two in the series). The story itself is sandwiched between a short vignette of Barbie mentoring young Kelly, in order to teach an important life lesson. Sort of like that TV show Doogie Howser, MD, where the young Doogie would type the show's moral/theme just to make sure you understood what it was all about.

This movie continues using the London Symphony Orchestra and the NY City Ballet. This will result in you accompanying your daughters in a rough approximation of the ballet appearing on the screen. They will be in the Barbie role, while you will be the Prince. DO NOT attempt to play the Barbie role yourself. The music is actually very good and faithful to the original. The ballet is good too, I think. It's hard to tell when you've got a unicorn doing pirouettes.

The plot is simple: Barbie plays Odette, who finds herself in the magic forest, best friends with a unicorn and trying to save the Fairy Queen and the cute animals from the clutches of the evil Rothbart and his nasty daughter. The baddie turns Barbie into a swan but luckily Prince Whats-his-name narrowly avoids killing his one true love and in fact helps save the day. Yes, they live happily ever after with a magical wedding scene. What they don't show is the messy divorce 6 years later when the Prince goes and shacks up with that tart from Shrek.

The reviewing panel has a range of views on this one. The younger members like it, placing it somewhere between Lilo and Stitch and Pochahontas on the rotation pile. For adults the music, reasonable story and adequate direction helps alleviate the similarities with the oft-watched others in this series. The Barbie crew know they're on a good thing and stick to the tried and true formula.

I rate it 3.5 stars out of 5.

posted by Simon on 06.02.04 at 02:29 AM in the




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Why I Hate Mogley
Excerpt: Simon is off his rocker with a review of Barbie of Swan Lake. It sucks. The hind tit. The problem is this...with all movies for kids, you can never watch them just once. I mean, I can't get my kids...
Weblog: Various Orthodoxies
Tracked: June 2, 2004 10:41 PM


Comments:

OK...one on topic comment, one off.

First, Barbie of Swan Lake stinks. Not as bad as a Caillou DVD, but pretty bad. And the think about movies for kids is that you don't just watch them once. It's over and OVER and OOVVEERR! About the twentieth time that I see Odette fall to the ground as the prince declares his love for the odious daughter of Rothbart, I'm ready to commit seppuku.

Off topic...rumor has it (i.e. It's on Helen's site) that you are going to meet Helen tonight! Your readers expect a full and complete report! Complete with pictures.

posted by: Jiminy on 06.02.04 at 10:31 PM [permalink]

By the way...does that "Commercial posts are welcome if you pay $250" thing really work? I get spam comments all the time, and it's a real pain.

posted by: Jiminy on 06.02.04 at 10:32 PM [permalink]




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