Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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113 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, even if you are a manly man., October 22, 2004
When my wife called me to ask if I minded her getting this video for my three-year-old daughter, I of course told her that it was fine. I knew I would be stuck watching it over and over because my little girl loves to watch things with her daddy. We sat down before bedtime and popped it in the VCR, and I committed myself to being a good daddy and to spending some quality time with my little one. The movie opened with a rip-roaring musical number, and the quality of the computer animation was very impressive. Being a Mark Twain scholar (I did my thesis on Twain), I was expecting a goofy, silly movie adaptation of the story. After all, Barbie is about as interesting to me as fly vomit. However, what I found was a wonder. The story was excellent, but the songs were the best part of the film. The quality of the musical numbers rivals that of any Disney production. The VHS tape came with a CD with all of the major songs on it. My little girl sits and sings them to me and even asks her dad to join in on the "boy parts" of the song. What struck me about the movie most was the excellent character development in this short film. It was, I have to reluctantly admit, wonderful. Princess Annaliese, Erika, King Dominick, Julian, and the two cats are wonderfully portrayed. However, the stand out character is most definitely Preminger. This is a top-notch villain because he dosen't fit the established mold. He is prissy, vain, and feminine. However, he is also sly, conniving, and cruel hearted. His musical number "How can I refuse?" is among the best "villain songs," I have ever heard...bar none. There is also a great subplot involving the cats. Even the minor characters stand out. I've watched the film over and over with my little girl, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it every time. And I don't feel a bit unmanly at all.
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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely Done, September 28, 2004
I just saw this one and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I knew my daughter would love it, but I didn't expect to like it as well. The story was sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My daughter was particularly delighted with the singing. She loves to sing, and musicals lend themselves for repeated encores by my daughter who learns songs faster than I ever could. If you have never watched a Barbie movie, I would recommend you give them a try, especially if you have a little girl in your home. They are much better than what most people who have not watched them think they are. The messages in the movies are positive, and the movies themselves are captivating and well made. As a parent I can say that I do not get as tired of the Barbie movies as I do of most other cartoon movies when forced to watch them repeatedly by my child. That is a big plus in my book. Barbie Princess and the Pauper is a nice follow up film to the other Barbie movies. We look forward to the next installment in the series.
Also recommended: Barbie and the Nutcracker, Barbie as Rapunzel, and Barbie in Swan Lake
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love watching it!, October 11, 2005
A Kid's Review
It is simply fabulous! I like the cool graphics and animations! Barbie is in a dual role as Princess and a pauper. I have brown hair and brown eyes like Erika the pauper but I think that Annelise is prettiest! I think King Dominick is the most handsome and romantic, though. Annelise wants to be free and she doesn't like doing her daily lessons but she gets BREAKFAST IN BED!!! Erika wants to be like Annalise and be a princess. Barbie is very pretty in both roles. Here is some more helpful information:
Special features:
You can choose a chapter that you were up to last time and you can 'sing with barbie'. You can have a preview look at the songs, too! The special features were better with 'Barbie in the Nutcracker', but this is still COOL!!!
Clothes:
Mainly pretty dresses. Erika is poor but I adore her aqua blue dress, but not as much as Annelise's sparkly baby pink dress! (I ADORE pink!) They are covered with frilly bits and roses and all kinds of pretty stuff!
Make-up:
Hardly any! Just a dab of blusher and a sprinkle of eye-shadow here and there! But Barbie is spotless! (she must use moisterising cream!)
Time:
Over an hour, and thats an hour of watching a VERY enjoyable and relaxing film, with songs that simply stick into your mind!
The time it is SET IN is not too modern, because you don't get too much princesses nowadays and not a huge palace. They speak modern, though! But the houses aren't too modern either, and the dress shop that Erika works in doesn't have any modern machines in.
Brightness:
Nice and colourful, as with all Barbie films, but not too dark so you stare, or too bright so you squint!
Compactness:
Well, the DVD is small, so it is easier to carry around than a video, but it is still rather large.
Goodies:
You get a little magazine tucked inside the case! It is small but it tells you good Princess & the pauper toys and magical pink blurbs about the toys and BEAUTIFUL animated pictures on CGI! I like that little mag!
Durability:
So far, my disk hasn't a single scratch! It can't be handled by toddlers, though, because they would smudge it with greasy small fingers or snap it!
So, I say, GET THIS!
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