Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Barbie's excellent musical debut features first-rate voices and songs, and a captivating story about love, responsibility, and freedom. Based on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, the 85-minute computer-animated adventure is about two almost identical girls who, though born into very different circumstances, are amazingly alike. A chance meeting between the young women becomes significant when Princess Annaliese is later kidnapped and (pauper) Erika suddenly becomes a crucial component in the search for the princess and her captor. The princess's confinement and Erika's glimpse into the life of a princess leads both girls toward a new compassion for the other and a serious contemplation of the conflict between one's sense of duty and the desire to be free. Adding to the general confusion is the princess's intended, the handsome King Dominick; her devoted tutor, Julian; and the Queen's evil advisor, Preminger. (Ages 3 to 9) --Tami Horiuchi |
Customer Reviews
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Better than the Traditional Tale!, May 6, 2023
Why are the Barbie movie versions of the fairy tales BETTER than the traditional tales? Simple. They're more feminist. Traditional tales portray female characters as helpless weaklings who need to be rescued by Prince Charming. In Barbie's versions, the female character is not only the heroine; she is a headstrong girl who saves the day.
This, Princess and the Pauper, is my favourite. It's the most original of the movies, and it's got great songs, and an excellent story plot. Cool movie! When Princess Anneliese is kidnapped, pauper girl Erika must pretend that she is Princess Anneliese, to help save the day. Mind you, this is a brave thing to do, because Erika could be jailed for it. Erika is the main singer in the story, and that shows that it's not just blondes who can sing, because Erika has dark hair! Yay! A brunette Barbie! get this, even if you are an adult, you will ove it.
And people complain about how Barbie never gets angry. That's wrong. She does get angry - she just finds better ways of letting it out than screaming at whoever she's mad at, like talking calmly. That's the exmple we want to set for children.
The animation is beautiful, and the characters are well-developed. Adults, don't hate this movie because it's labelled 'Barbie'. In fact, no mention on the character of Barbie is made. This movie is just like your old classic Disney flick "Cinderella" (Cinderella 'never gets mad' as well), except better, in my opinion. Better animation, character development, and a better story than "Cinderella" or even "Sleeping Beauty" (Aurora is hardly ever awake)!
Get this DVD for your little girl, or for yourself. Believe me, you're in for a real treat.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Wholesome and High-Quality!, Apr 27, 2023
Of all the Barbie titles, this is the one to get. The musical arrangements and vocals are top-notch. (Music is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.) Also a great story, with no foul langage, violence, sexual innuendo, or adult humor (unlike lots of Disney titles). Very refreshing! The Barbie characters are capable, smart and kind (except for the vlllain, of course!). This is a movie you won't tire of seeing over and over -- and believe me, your kids will want to! My girls are still inspired to put on the Princess and Pauper dresses they got for Christmas, twirling and acting out the story. It really is a wonderful movie; I highly recommend it!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
The Only Good One!, Apr 22, 2023
This movie is the fourth installment in the Barbie movie collection, and it is better than its precedors. The story is the most original; the characters are the most realistic, and the musical number most beautiful of all the series. If you've watched the other Barbie movies, and you think this one will suck, then I don't blame you. But don't give up hope on this one! Even adults will enjoy it like Balto or E.T.! That's right! E.T.! Princess Anneliese is kidnapped before her wedding. Can the pauper Erika pretend to be her until she is found? The story is very different from the original story of 'The Prince and the Pauper," which may upset literature fans, but take a chill! It was not meant to be a real adptation of the story, so don't complain! In fact, I like this one better! The songs are - oh - so beautiful, you just have to sing to every song! I know - usually songs in movies suck - but this is an exception to that rule! If you haven't seen it yet, and even if you are a Barbie hater, see it! It's truly a marvel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
the best film in the world MORE THAN 5 STARS, Apr 5, 2023
The princess and the pauper is the best film ever. i loved the end bit best and it continues on the CD [different story] I am mad on the princess and the pauper. I begged my dad to buy princess and the pauper stuff and in town my mum tries to find princess and the pauper but it's all sold out now. I loved the film when it first came out and i love the singing the songs. First i sang with them then without them .Anneleise is the best my nanna Joyce made it for me it's pink my favourite colour .Erika is an beautiful singer. I look a bit like Anneleise myself. I love the DVD
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Not a bad offering, BUT..., Apr 3, 2023
I was forced to watch this while over at a friends place. Her 5-year old is definitely into the whole princess thing and did like it a lot. I didn't hate it and the story was more interesting than I would expect with something with Barbie as the main character. The only thing is that I'm at a loss to see us inundating our little girls with the whole "Princess" ideal - especially since the whole real life princess deal is no fairy tale - see Princess Diana's life for proof of this. Why not make a picture with young girls/women as honorable knights incognito or out to save the world a la brillian boy genius Jimmy Neutron or as "Jemma" Hawkins in a different version of Treasure Island or even a young woman version in The Three Musketeers. Can't we show girls at that very impressionable age that they can aspire to be more than mere princesses who find happiness with their perfect Prince Charmings? Give the girls better role models to look up to. My favorite kids movies when I was little were The Dark Crystal, The Secret of N.I.M.H. and The Rescuers.
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Based on 85 reviews.