Barbie: Fairytopia (2005)
On October 7, 2023 by CrescentBarbie: Fairytopia was the series’ first attempt at creating an entirely original story and world without any ties to a preexisting work. It was easily the most ambitious project to date, and while it didn’t quite live up to its potential, Fairytopia was still a fun time from start to finish.
Story
Fairytopia follows the adventures of Elina, wingless fairy who is mocked and shunned by her peers for being different. When the wicked Laverna spreads a magical sickness across the titular land that weakens all flying creatures, Elina is the only one who can help. She sets out on a journey with her puffball, Bibble, to find a way to stop Laverna and return peace to Fairytopia, making many new friends along the way.
At the end of her journey, Elina defeats Laverna and goes back home as an unsung hero. She is visited by the ruler of the land, the Enchantress, who thanks her for her bravery. Elina receives wings from the Enchantress, and her future is changed much like Fairytopia’s was thanks to her courage.
The story of Fairytopia is on the simple side, but it’s still rather enjoyable. It may not have the intense political intrigue of Rapunzel or the constant scheming of The Princess and the Pauper, but it does its job perfectly well. I will be the first to admit that the characters are what really make this simple storyline interesting in the end. Without them, it would probably be much less satisfying.
As a whole, Fairytopia has a simple but enjoyable story, though it feels a bit barebones compared to what came both before and after it.
Story: 7/10
Characters
When it comes to characters, Fairytopia has no shortage of winners. Elina is one of my favorite incarnations of Barbie ever, and watching her evolve and come into her own throughout the movie is a joy from beginning to end. Bibble is a perfect sidekick too, and his banter with Elina is surprisingly enjoyable given the fact that he doesn’t really talk. Laverna is an imposing and interesting villain even if she’s a bit more detached from the story than some of her contemporaries.
The secondary cast is full of great characters too. Azura is a strange and cryptic mentor to Elina, and watching her outwit Laverna is extremely satisfying. Hugh is charming and dapper in a way that admittedly caught me by surprise. Dahlia’s conflict of interest and reserved nature made her very intriguing even though she easily had the least screen time out of the major secondary characters. Dandelion was fine enough, but I don’t really think about her much.
The cast of Fairytopia is pretty good, but I wish we got more time with characters like Hugh and Dahlia. This movie is the first one of a trilogy, and those two are notably absent from both sequels, making their lack of overt arcs feel even more glaring. I had fun with them, yes, but I want more out of them at the same time. While the cast is fine here, the ensemble cast generally pushes the plot forward and doesn’t have the chance to do much else. The characters are interesting but feel a bit underutilized save for Elina, Bibble, and Laverna.
All in all, the characters are fine, but I wish there was a bit more depth to them, especially when it comes to the secondary characters.
Characters: 7/10
World Building
The realm of Fairytopia is vast and unique. I love all of the settings shown here, and while no location is the center of attention for long, every new background sucks you into the world even more than the last. Between the blooming fields of the Magic Meadow, wilting trees of the Wildering Wood, and the soothing tides of the Mermaid Cove, every setting feels like a piece of a greater whole. It helps to contribute to the overall sense of adventure perfectly, adding stakes with each new location visited.
Since we don’t linger in any one location for too long, most of the details about each setting are kept in the background. Given the focus of the story, this makes sense and doesn’t distract too much from the matter at hand. There’s no time to stay in one place for long, so the details about those locations are kept simple and scarce. It goes a long way to contribute to the fast-paced adventure across the world.
The world of Fairytopia may not be as fleshed out as other Barbie universes, but it’s tons of fun regardless of where the winds take the party.
World Building: 8/10
Themes
The theme for Fairytopia is that what makes you different also makes you special. I think the movie does perfectly well with expressing this theme… Right up until the last five minutes. Once Elina gains wings of her own, she loses what made her different after going on an entire journey of learning to accept herself for those differences. Of course, the story does more with the idea of her gaining her wings in the sequels, but as this movie stands on its own, it somewhat shoots itself in the foot at the last minute with its theme. I like the plot points and how they tie together here, and the theme certainly fits, but it’s a shame it was pushed aside in favor of the ending we got.
Theme: 7/10
Production
Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room right away: the animation is the worst it’s ever been. Since this project was so grand and ambitious, there was a lot to develop for the animation team, and it definitely shows. This is the first movie–and one of the only ones–where the animation is so poor it distracts the viewer. I’m fine with it most of the time, but it can get rather egregious, and I know others who aren’t able to move past it quite so easily. In my eyes, animation can fluctuate so long as it is serviceable, but this… Definitely needed a bit more time in the oven.
That isn’t to say the production is all bad though. The voice acting is just as great as always, and it really helps to bring the characters to life. I especially want to give props to Bibble’s voice actor for giving a sound to the most iconic Barbie sidekick in the entire franchise. It really is perfect for the character.
The music is lovely too, ranging from dramatic and stern to light and soft depending on the situation. The score feels perfect for a fantasy setting, and while it’s nothing groundbreaking, it still acts as the perfect background for the tale. The audio mixing is strong as well, and the music and voice acting balance each other out nicely.
Fairytopia has great voice acting and music, but its animation definitely leaves something to be desired, outright distracting the audience at crucial moments of the story.
Production: 6/10
Overall
Barbie: Fairytopia was a massively ambitious project that still stands out for its individuality years later. The film stands as a jack of all trades and master of none, though its world building stands out as being strong while its animation is a very prominent weak point. I suggest watching this movie if you are interested in the world or the other movies in the trilogy… Though you should probably prepare in advance for how clunky it can look at times. Still, it’s a lot of fun from start to finish, and Elina’s journey is only just beginning.
Overall: 7/10
Silly Superlative: Barbie movie with the most injury fake outs of a sidekick (Bibble)
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