Barbie as the Island Princess (2007)
On October 14, 2023 by CrescentBarbie as the Island Princess is the second musical in the Barbie film catalogue, and it’s a powerful next step into the genre. This movie belongs as a musical on the stage, but for now, I am more then happy to appreciate its current form. It has more than earned that love and more.
Story
Island Princess follows the story of Ro, a girl who washed up on an island after a storm years ago. She has since been raised by her friends Azul, Sagi, and Tika. When another human arrives on their island, Ro and her friends decide to follow him to civilization to learn more about her past. On the path to the truth, Ro is caught up in a tangled web of questions, conspiracies, and love.
The storyline of Island Princess is interesting from the start, gladly introducing the viewers into the daily routine of the main cast immediately. The story works well with what it’s trying to do, and the music only accentuates its developments. In fact, the storytelling excels in the songs in a way that moves the plot along just like you would expect from a stage musical. The music and dialogue weave together expertly to create a story that leaves you excited to see what comes next.
The pacing of Island Princess is great too, and the music goes a long way with that. Since the songs do such a great job of moving the story forward, it never feels like the story is stalling for the sake of a musical number. Everything takes exactly as much time as it needs, and nothing overstays its welcome. All things are best in moderation, and Island Princess knows this well.
The story of Island Princess is a lot of fun from beginning to end, and the music helps perfectly to expand upon the story.
Story: 9/10
Characters
Ro is a somewhat deceptive Barbie because of how headstrong she seems at first, but when you peel back the layers, this isn’t the case at all. In fact, Ro is on the timid side out of the leads of these films. She struggles massively with feeling insecure and out of place, and her initial confidence and curiosity are forced out of her throughout the movie. It takes time for Ro to come back to herself and realize that she needs to love herself no matter what others think, but it’s still very satisfying. Her arc is incredibly strong, and I adore it.
Antonio’s love for Ro is deep as well, and the two have a lot of chemistry that helps to make their romance feel more believable. On the other hand, Antonio’s lack of chemistry with the shy but sweet Luciana works well to establish all three of the characters and their relationships. Antonio is driven by love and ambition, and he will not yield on either.
Ariana is one of my favorite Barbie villains. She’s dramatic but conniving, and it’s easy to see how she managed to gain so much power in so little time. Her song does a great job of expressing her desires as an antagonist and only elevates her in my eyes. Ariana is also the perfect contrast to Luciana, her quiet daughter who struggles to stand up for herself. She only finds her footing after her mother is defeated, and seeing Luciana finally succeed in the way she wants to is lovely.
Antonio’s parents are an intervening force that feels natural. They may be opposed to what Antonio wants, but it never crosses the line into feeling contrived. They really help to illustrate the idea of everyone having their own goals in all of this, expanding the various ambitions at play and adding more to the story.
For the most part, I love the animal companions. Azul is dramatic and campy, stealing the spotlight whenever he’s onscreen. Sagi is Azul’s natural opposite, staying grounded and focused no matter what. Tallulah is spirited and refined, and it’s nice to see her drop her guard around Ro and the other island animals. With companions like this, you would think the movie’s cast was perfect…
And it would be if not for the existence of Tika. She’s so overwhelmingly childish that she seems to poison the screen whenever she appears. Tika’s selfishness keeps Ro from Antonio and causes a lot of the problems in the second half of the movie. She repeatedly acts petty and self-centered without ever thinking of the happiness of her friend. Tika can get pampered by the little girls at the castle all she wants, but if Ro spends time with Antonio, then she’s suddenly the villain. When she gets upset, Tika guilt trips Ro and is validated for her selfish behavior every single time. I understand that we’re supposed to sympathize with her because she’s the baby of the group, but Tika is so ridiculously childish and self-absorbed that she actively ruins the story when she appears. The story is still generally good, but she makes everything so much harder. She gets over her jealousy of Antonio in the end but still can’t pull herself away from Ro for long. It feels like she barely learns anything, and after how she acted the entire movie, it’s very unsatisfying.
Save for Tika, the cast of Island Princess is fantastic all around. It’s a shame one really bad character had to drag everything down.
Characters: 8/10
World Building
The opening of the movie takes place on the island where Ro grew up, and it really feels alive and vibrant from the start. This is no doubt thanks to the opening song showing off a day in the island life. Regardless, the island is a very fun setting, but unfortunately, we don’t spend much time there.
The bulk of the story takes place in the kingdom of Apollonia. This kingdom feels alive in very different ways from the island, but it is still a really fun location. The kingdom has a history too, one that is revealed in Ariana’s song. Apollonia is a place of political drama both in the present and past, taking an already well-established and exciting location and raising it to the perfect backdrop for the story. Apollonia is one of the most fleshed out kingdoms in any Barbie movie, and I love it dearly.
The settings of Island Princess vary wildly in screen time, but they are both great locations that I adore seeing from beginning to end.
World Building: 10/10
Themes
The theme of Island Princess is… Interesting. I don’t know if I would call it a theme at all honestly. The theme just takes a few lyrics from the final song and calls it a day. I would consider the underlying theme that love will always stay with you instead, and I think this is a much better representation of the story. Ro remains loved and loving even after leaving her island behind, and the love of her friends helps her to push on in the face of hardship. The theme the movie provides is not the best, but the overall idea of love in the film feels strong enough to offset this, at least to a degree.
Themes: 7/10
Production
As is to be expected, the animation is only getting better, and this is a definite step up from Magic of the Rainbow. Tika looks a bit unsettling, but if I’m being honest, I don’t think there’s a way to fix that. How could an elephant not look uncanny in an art style like this? Much like with the characters, the animation is great as long as you’re willing to ignore Tika.
The music and voice acting of this movie are great as per the Barbie standard, but they are both only elevated through the presence of the songs. I adore the musical soundtrack of Island Princess, and every vocal track is tons of fun to listen to. It makes me want to see this movie as a Broadway musical. Other Barbie musicals have good soundtracks too, but Island Princess is easily one of the best. The songs only help to elevate the characters and story, doing so far more effectively than plain dialogue or exposition ever could have. I love this soundtrack more than anything, and I cannot recommend it enough.
The animation may be lacking in one glaring area, but this is easily cast aside in favor of a stunning set of songs that any viewer is bound to adore.
Production: 9/10
Overall
Barbie as the Island Princess is tons of fun from beginning to end. The characters, story, and songs are highlights among the Barbie universe, though the first two are unfortunately held back by a very poor principal character. Even so, I would highly recommend Island Princess to any Barbie fan. This movie is fantastic… Though your mileage may vary where Tika is concerned.
Overall: 8.6/10
Silly Superlative: Barbie movie with the most key changes in its music
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