“Big or small, there’s a difference only you can make.”

Loosely based on the German fairytale The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the 9th CG movie in the Barbie Cinematic Universe introduces us to twelve princesses with a variety of interests and personalities. After a visit from his cousin, Duchess Rowena, King Randolph begins to worry that his daughters aren’t proper ladies… especially without the guidance of their deceased mother. Duchess Rowena offers to teach the girls to be proper ladies.

Rowena strips the palace of color, music, and joy in the hopes of breaking the girls spirits. However, through the power of their late mother’s favorite story, the girls discover a portal to a magical land… right in their bedroom!

Rowena grows suspicious of the girls late night adventures and they grow cautious of her true intentions as their father becomes ill. With the help of the royal cobbler Derek, the princesses are able to save their father, Rowena is (hilariously) punished for her actions, and the girls are allowed to be themselves again!

(And Derek/Ken and Genevieve/Barbie get married… weddings are a staple in the older CG films…)

Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses is one of my favorite Barbie films. The world is whimsical, the story is engaging, the animation is good (for 2006), and the music is beautiful! This movie is NOT a musical, but the score is gorgeous and perfectly fits with the graceful dances shown throughout the film.

Even if you’re not a fan of Barbie, I think this film is worth seeing at least once. It’s a great reminder, to young girls especially, that you’re allowed to have interests outside of what’s considered normal. Whether you like dancing, music, books, sports, or bugs… your worth as a person should never be based on those things alone. Everyone is different! Uniqueness should be embraced!