It does seem like they're just trying to modernize the Princess and the Pauper. There are plenty of good stories out there, why are they doing something they've already done before?

I'm seriously starting to get so embarrassed to call myself a Barbie Movie fan. Wth is Mattel doing? I tell you, next month when I've finish my internship, I'm writing them several letters because I'm pissed. Their earlier movies (the "classics") were a hundred times better than any of this crap they're spewing out today. I'm not happy with the voices, the storylines or the CGI. And I intend to let them know this.

*Also, the Princess and the Pauper is tied with Rapunzel as my favourite Barbie movie, so I'll take this retake very personal if it's shit.

Same here. I think that's why I've started drifting off from this fandom somewhat. I liked Princess Charm School and the newest Christmas movie but I'm getting pretty tired of the glamour emphasis in the newer movies. As Velle said, a princess and a popstar's life are pretty different from your average girl's, and I can't say I can relate to being bored of touring and performances.

Princess and the Pauper is also my all time favorite. I actually like the newer movies and voices but re-doing their own classic seems to be a little iffy. Plus, did you realize that they seem to be re-doing themselves next year? I mean Mermaid tale 2 is just the same character going on a different adventure which I bet will be real similar to the first and this piece of new is obvious. Any Barbie movie fan should be doing this right now " 0.o"

My favorite is probably Rapunzel, tied with 12 Dancing Princesses. I remember seeing Rapunzel, it was the first one I saw, we rented it from Blockbuster :).

Guh, they are really missing the mark I think. My niece is nine and she is quickly losing interest in the Barbie movies. She liked the new Christmas one, I wasn't overly impressed with it but it was cute (I think because they said it was a musical I was hoping for Christmas music, not just songs that sounded slightly similar to me at times).

I suppose they might be thinking the generation that watched their original ones are now grown out of them and are trying to get a new crowd of young girls, but I think the older ones had more heart to them than the newer ones. I mean, this one could be good, but somehow I doubt it will get purchased for my niece, she didn't even want the Charm School one.

Although I always look forward to seeing the dolls, they are always pretty.

I love seeing the dolls as well. If anything I wish they would sometimes bring out more dolls, like some of the more obscure characters. That would be really nice.

Also I love your icon!

Agreed on the more obscure characters. I'd love a Miss Privet doll, for instance.

Me too! I loved her! I'd buy her in a heartbeat!

Me too! I want obscure dolls. I would buy both school girl Isla, princess Isla, and Henns anytime.

I still wonder why they didn't make an Isla doll, she was such a wonderful character, so unique. She would have made a lovely doll!

Ugh, what more can I say? I already wrote a gigantic rant on the Flickr link you posted (and I have the same username, too).

However, you're right about the "two roles" thing. In fact, they made a similar claim about "Nutcracker" in one of my old promotional leaflets, claiming Barbie plays two roles - Clara and the Sugar Plum Princess (presumably to avoid spoilers).

I wish I could see your leaflets. I have some promotional ones but they are more like the inserts from the DVDs. I like that they include those in there, it shows me all of the merchandise, and sometimes I miss seeing some of it at the store so I like looking through and seeing everything they made.

They were part of some promotional material I bought on EBay. I keep meaning to scan it and take pictures. I'll definitely try and get round to it.

Yeah I agree with you. Even the name sounds like princess and the pauper. I'm guessing that there will be some nasty lady who wants to plagiarize(that would make me miss Preminger a whole lot more). Even the name sounds familiar. Wait...no REAL similar. Pauper, popstar? It is sad that they seem to forget that barbie already had two roles in princess and the pauper. Oh Mattel *shakes head*. Even if this movie turns out fantastic I will be disappointed. I mean come on you basically re-wrote yourself. So wait let me get this straight, is this going to be a musical? Oh and now what is the acronym for Princess and the Pauper? LOl I'd like to see people with no knowledge go, "wait there are two movies that do this, I thought there was one.."

to be honest i'm not that bothered that this is kinda a remake, i mean they have done that before.
Fairytopia Mermaidia and Magic of the Rainbow were just the same character going on another adventure. And Mariposa was essentially a rehashing of the original Fairytopia.
I know a lot of people will point out that a princess and a popstar have very different lifestyles to normal girls anyway, but maybe the aim of this movie is to make the point to young girls that being a princess or a popstar isn't all it's cracked up to be? The grass is always greener...

I'm interested in this even if no one else is, I'm starting to drift away from the fandom now anyway, I still enjoy the movies I'm just fed up with the fans. There is so much negativity in this community

I'm starting to drift away too, actually. It's not really anyone's fault, it's just that I'm not so interested anymore. I just can't get excited, and there are other things I'm more interested in.

Also, this is somewhat random, but have you seen "A Perfect Christmas" yet?

no i haven't, i didn't realise it out

I've seen A Perfect Christmas, have you gotten a chance yet? I thought it was good, there is a part in it that made me so sad (I won't put what it was yet to avoid spoilers, but if you've seen it I'll post it after your reply.) I thought the message was very nice and I liked the inclusion of all the dogs. I really love Christmas movies in general, and the dolls that come in a group and sing together are so awesome, I'm really glad they made them as a set. I remember someone had posted photos of their dolls and they had a set of the sisters that sang together from some time ago. This movie and the set they released with it reminds me of that. What did you think? I'd write a little more but I'm afraid to spoil the movie for others.

Well, I don't want to spoil it, but I liked it; much more than I thought I would. It's a cute film, definitely worth a look. Haven't seen the dolls, though.

I was really hoping for a Mariposa sequel (I know that was pretty much knocked over years ago but I can hope?) :). I think that is a good point, maybe it is also aimed to show not to take things for granted, or to appreciate one's own life?
Barbie on the cover of this book reminds me of another cover that I can't seem to remember, from Musketeers? I don't know but I can't put my finger on it. I like the way she came out and I'm especially interested in the purple popstar, I really love purple and that's one of the reasons.
What I'm really curious to see is the kingdom Barbie will be princess of. I am assuming it will be kind of like Princess Charm School, I really liked how they showed that one, so maybe something like that? Something kind of mysterious/obscure/unknown but also modern.
One of the things I really like seeing is, like Noelle above mentioned, the dolls and other things they make for the movies. I've been trying to get a Barbie Princess Charm School doll (not the large one but the one in the school uniform) and I saw her when the movie came out but can't find her anywhere now. I wonder what kind of dolls they'll have for this one.

I always hoped for a Mariposa sequel too, or a new Fairytopia. I love Elina.

have you looked on amazon for those dolls? i saw the uniform ones in Asda a couple of weeks ago if that helps.

I love Elina too! Today I finally found Magic of the Rainbow, that's the one I've been looking for for so long and finally I found it today for $5 dollars at Big Lots! I was so excited. I'd love to see more of her, and I really like Bibble, he is so cute.

I just looked just now on Amazon and she is there! At one of the cheapest prices too. I think I am going to see about getting her this week or next, Wow and there is also a Princess Playset with a sort of bedroom, I don't think I've seen that one in stores before. They also have Delancey and Hadley in their uniforms, I haven't even seen those in the store. Thanks!!

I was focusing mainly on Wal-Mart and Target in my searches (and sometimes eBay but they are so much more expensive on there).

:) Bibble for the win. He's awesome.
I always check amazon, mianly because there is a much more varied range there.
Amazon was where I managed to get I Can Be...Computer Engineer. I've only seen that one in shops once, odly at the same time I saw the new Architect one...

Where'd you find the architect one? I've been looking for her.

Asda
it was a few weeks back and in the Bradford one so I can't comment on other stores

I remember I would check amazon constantly but for a few of the dolls I have been searching at stores like Wal-Mart and Target, but sometimes I never think to search for amazon but you're right, they do have a wider variety and everything always comes up there so it is a really good source.
I love the Computer Engineer doll! :)

I think I know which cover you are referring to. I'm thinking Diamond castle?

I think so! I don't know if the outfit was also pink but it was a similar pose I think?

I'm also kind of drifting. There doesn't seem to be very much hype here lately.

that's kinda why i'm drifiting to be honest.
every new film or whatever is just met with negativity in this community and yells of "do not want".
i feel like no one is prepared to give anything new a chance anymore.

Funnily enough, in my experience, every newer movie STARTS that way, then we hear a bit more about it and suddenly it doesn't seem so bad. Take Princess Charm School, for instance; a lot of people were dreading it when we first heard about it, but now it's pretty popular. (And yet for some reason I keep forgetting that and repeating the whole cycle when a new one turns up... I don't know...)

I guess the truth is, the newer films just never appeal to me at first. (I can only speak for myself.) I suppose it's because the style of marketing doesn't grab my attention. I've never been into pink and sparkles and obviously glamour isn't my thing, so I guess I just feel bored. The last time I got really excited for a Barbie movie from the get-go was three musketeers, I think. I do miss the movie discussions, though; I'm surprised there wasn't one for Perfect Christmas yet.

I think that is me as well. I think my excitement for the movies has more or less been kind of steady, I was a little more excited for Princess Charm School than, say, Fairy Secret, but I have found they all have at least some good things about them, be it the music or a character. What has been happening with me I've noticed is that my excitement for the dolls/merchandise has skyrocketed. I don't know when this happened and I tried to pinpoint when but I realized that my excitement for dolls and doll collecting in general has gone up, so my excitement for the movie merchandise has also gone up. When I first saw the image of Barbie from A Perfect Christmas and her dress that looks like a candy cane I loved it, for example.

The only dolls I can't really say this for is Mermaid Tale. While I loved the movie the majority of the dolls I saw were the ones with just the bathing suit which looked like a regular doll (like not one from a movie) so I didn't get them even though they were so low priced. With this upcoming movie, Princess and the Popstar, one of the first things I thought was "that purple girl is going to look so cool as a doll!" I've even been starting to think about making custom dolls, just like your Major Mint. I'm seriously considering Miss Privet and Isla, they wouldn't be too hard to make I don't think (I hope).

I've been trying to think of topics/news to post so there will be more excitement in the community. I've been working on a Barbie Diaries merchandise post for what seems like ages that I hope to post soon.

Making a custom Miss Privet doll is actually pretty hard; or it was in my experience. I had a go at making one, and it was finding the right clothes that was the real problem. You don't realise how hard it is to find clothes like that until you have to go and look for them.

I'm not sure how much I'm interested in the dolls, if I'm completely honest. I think the real problem is A. My favourite characters never seem to be made into dolls and B. I never seem to go for the sparkly dresses. I think that's one of the main reasons I've moved towards collector dolls now.

That is where I have been getting stuck. The only doll I can think of that I have seen with a suit is the Barbie I Can Be News Anchor doll (http://shop.mattel.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4032106). But then I would have to dye the suit blue. Do you think that could work? Or would it be best to look for a blue suit?

I wish they made more of the characters into dolls as well. The ones I think of often include the characters from A Christmas Carol, I would have loved a Catherine doll.

Yeah first off, I REALLY miss making a topic and just talking about it. I love when we hear about a new movie even though we think it will be crap at first. The thing with this movie though is that it is so similar to the princess and the pauper that I find it hard to have respect for it. I mean if it was something completely different, I would totally give it a chance.

Well see here is the thing for me. I rage at first because I can't stand it but in the end I gave the last three movies a chance. Have I ever told you that I LOVED fashion fairytale? I thought I was going to despise it. All this negativity is really just uncertainty. I think what makes the new one so controversial though is that it completely ignores all that it has worked up to. I think that is why I'm having a hard time.

Oh you know I have another thing to say, the princess's outfit looks very similar to Blair's. This kinda also ties into how Mattel can't seem to get a grip anymore. As well, the veggie tales one sounds suspiciously similar to this. Hm...Makes me feel that Mattel has lost any idea of a new storyline. Goddamit just do something like Snow White and Rose Red already!.

That doesn't surprise me. A lot of the princess dresses look the same now.

As for Snow White and Rose Red, that'll probably never happen now. Not modern enough, I reckon.

I just wanted to comment, I love your icon!

is your icon from Monster High?
my two little neighbours are mad for those dolls

Yes, it is.

Well I am sure they will never do that and it was a bad rumor but I was being somewhat sarcastic there. I wonder if Mattel will ever go back though.

yeah, that does kinda seem silly. It will probably bite dust. Mattel needs to stop being so weird in their plots and go back to their story roots. Personally, I'd love to see a Barbie Secret Agent movie. anybody else?

shut up you all barbie movies are great and this shoore will be a huge hit