Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006)
On October 9, 2023 by CrescentThe first ever sequel in the Barbie cinematic universe was Mermaidia, the follow-up to Barbie: Fairytopia. This is the second film in the trilogy as well as Barbie’s first underwater adventure… And in my eyes, it is the best in both categories.
Story
After saving Fairytopia, Elina has returned home to her regular life in the Magic Meadow, but this peace is not to last. Laverna’s henchmen, the fungi, have kidnapped Nalu, one of Elina’s companions from her first adventure. To save him, Elina travels to his home of Mermaidia and teams up with his longtime friend, Nori. Together, the two must work to overcome their differences and save Mermaidia from Laverna’s wicked schemes.
Much like with the first Fairytopia movie, the plot of Mermaidia is fairly straightforward. While it may not span the entirety of a realm to stop the forces of evil, Mermaidia feels a lot more personal and down-to-earth because of its comparatively limited scope. Its simple story accentuates its characters, helping Elina thrive and reach her best point in the trilogy thanks to the challenges sent in her direction.
Mermaidia has a minor pacing problem though, and it comes in the beginning of the movie. It takes a while for the story to get off the ground, but once it does, it never looks back. The second half of the film is some of the most fun you’ll have in any Barbie movie, and I absolutely adore it.
While it starts off slow, Mermaidia builds upon itself to a truly incredible climax that makes this underwater adventure a lovely ride from start to finish.
Story: 8/10
Characters
Out of all three Fairytopia films, I believe Mermaidia is where Elina is at her best. She returns with her newfound confidence after saving the realm in the first movie, but this time, that belief in herself is challenged with questions about who she is when her new wings are taken away from her. Elina is left figuring out who she is and who she wants to be, and she emerges from the journey an even better person because of it. This film worked wonders for Elina’s storyline, and she thrives here in a way few other Barbies ever have. Bibble is at his funniest here too, and the two bounce off one another perfectly.
Nori is one of the best companions in all of Barbie, and she and Elina clash and then meld together expertly. Nori is stubborn and confrontational, but that eventually gives way to a soft sense of strength that fits perfectly as a foil for Elina. The two are wildly different but still find a way to work together, and I found myself rooting for the two of them way more than the primary couple of the movie. They’re a perfect pair, and I love them to bits.
Nalu received a much greater role in this movie, and he really came out of his shell (pun fully intended) by proving himself to be clever and witty. He has come a long way since his cameo in the first Fairytopia movie, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better from him.
This doesn’t mean the cast is all perfect though. Laverna is no longer the main antagonist and is instead replaced with Fungus Maximus, the leader of the fungus minions. He has much less stage presence than Laverna, and while he’s certainly threatening in his own right, he remains a step down from his superior. He’s still fun to watch, but the audience will likely find themselves missing Laverna.
I have one other issue with this cast, and that would be the lack of returning characters. Azura and Dandelion from the first movie appear very briefly, but they don’t really impact the story. Hugh and Dahlia are entirely absent as well. I can excuse this since they live in different parts of Fairytopia and certainly wouldn’t belong in Mermaidia, but I miss them even so.
Overall, the cast of Mermaidia has some incredibly strong leaders in Elina, Nori, and Bibble, but the villain is a notable downgrade from Laverna.
Characters: 9/10
World Building
As one might expect of a Fairytopia movie, the world of Mermaidia is named by its title. The underwater cove that was only described in passing in the first Fairytopia film is fleshed out in full here, and we get a peek into the civilization and its darkest corners. The underwater world is vast and filled with many exciting locations between the Depths of Despair, berry cave, and the city of Mermaidia itself. I loved all of these setting, and they fit in perfectly with the narrative journey at hand.
I have one problem here though, and that comes in the form of the civilization itself. We spend very little time in the city where the mermaids all live, and it feels somewhat barren in our brief trip there. I know it would have been difficult to work in too much more in terms of time spent in the city, but I wish we had been able to see the other occupants of Mermaidia in more than just passing.
The underwater realm of Mermaidia is an interesting one with many standout locations, but it feels somewhat barren, especially given the lack of secondary characters.
World Building: 8/10
Themes
The theme of Mermaidia is to trust your true self, and I must admit that it took me a little bit of searching to figure out how this tied in. While one might think this is somewhat tacked on in the climax, closer examination will show that Elina was struggling with her identity throughout the entire movie. She didn’t know who she was without her wings, and it wasn’t until she grew and thrived alongside Nori that she began to understand who she is as a person. The theme might not be overt, but it works very well here as the culmination of this leg of Elina’s journey.
Themes: 9/10
Production
As soon as I began watching this movie, I noticed the massive upgrade in animation from the first Fairytopia movie. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Mermaidia has the best animation we’ve seen up to this point and some of the best in the entire franchise. Given the fact that the story follows a few central characters and lacks much of a supporting cast, it makes sense that so much care and time could be put into making it really shine. The animation is very polished, and it goes a long way to bring the characters to life.
The voice acting in Mermaidia sets a high bar just like all of the other Barbie movies. Bibble is at his best in terms of vocal performance, adding tons of extra life to his character. Chiara Zanni voiced Dahlia in the first Fairytopia film, but she is much more at home as Nori in this one. Nori’s performance is incredible, and it really elevates her character even higher than it would have been otherwise.
The music of Mermaidia is certainly a step away from the typical fantasy affair, but I absolutely adore it. The score matches the underwater world perfectly in a way I can’t quite put to words. It sounds perfect for the setting and matches a mermaid movie very well. The soundtrack has no particular standout songs, but it is still very good.
Mermaidia is a new high in terms of animation and voice acting, and it is accompanied by an impressive score.
Production: 9/10
Overall
Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia is the highlight of the Fairytopia trilogy. The characters are at their best, the animation is better than it’s ever been, and the story is fast-paced and interesting in the buildup to the climax. It’s rare to see the second part of a trilogy outshine what precedes and follows it, but Mermaidia is glad to be an exception. I highly recommend this movie to any Barbie fan out there.
Overall: 8.6/10
Silly Superlative: Barbie movie with the best rivals to lovers story
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