Is there anything more iconic than Barbie? From revolutionizing the toy market all the way back in the late 1950s to the massively popular 2023 feature film directed by and starring and , Barbie is a household name who has now become synonymous with everything hot pink and hyper-feminine. Of course, Barbie is not without her fair share of criticism, with her anatomically incorrect and extreme hourglass figure as well as her strict adherence to traditional and Euro-centric beauty standards for women, not aging well throughout the years.
All of this aside, no one can deny Barbie's bright and everlasting star power, and it's clear that she isn't going anywhere soon. A big part of her success, especially during the early 2000s, was her multiple CGI-animated films that depicted classic fairytales, ballet, and literature that have since become cult classics for the now grown-up millennial and Gen-Z audiences. . With the success of Gerwig's , fans looking for more may want to binge-watch the very best movies from audiences' childhoods that introduced the beloved character.
The eight installment in the series took on a different approach from its previous movies, and decided to focus on Barbie as a normal teenage girl, rather than a fairy, a mermaid, or a princess, like many of the other films. But don’t worry, isn’t without its whimsical moments. The movie follows Barbie and her friends as they navigate their sophomore year of high school. During a shopping trip, Barbie and her friends get charm bracelets, and Barbie’s just so happens to come with a diary. Barbie begins writing down her thoughts and hopes in the diary, and soon the things she writes about begin coming true.
While not a typical Barbie movie in the sense that there’s no big journey to go on, and no princes trying to win Barbie over, The Barbie Diaries is still ignant one for those who grew up on the Barbie movies. The Barbie Diaries depicts Barbie and her friends as they navigate high school and face everyday issues such as making new friends, dating, and gossip. All the while learning the importance of friendship, and being kind. —Samantha Graves
While the Barbie franchise is still alive and kicking, many of the films that are considered the best were the early movies, particularly before 2010. Much of this is due to its nostalgic value, where Barbie films often recreate famous ballets or fables to give messages of hope and determination to young girls in particular. is a post-2010 film that takes us back to its roots, joining together several famous ballet stories, including Swan Lake, Giselle and the Snow Queen. Barbie features in this movie as Kristyn, a ballerina who dances to her own beat and is criticized for it. After wearing a pair of magical pink shoes, she and her friend are transported to a world where these three stories intertwine, leaving it up to her to find her own rhythm.
While the narratives in Pink Shoes are certainly not new,. It's a fascinating way to engage with art from a modern lens, all why retaining the sense of magic and wonder that we always go into a Barbie movie hoping for. And, of course, leaving with that sense of empowerment that makes us believe we too can "listen to the beat of [our] heart." —Jasneet Singh
The original and iconic mermaid Barbie movie title will likely always lie with , but the franchise's second attempt to expand their underwater repertoire is still a fun and worthy watch. Merliah (Barbie) rides a wave into on her surfboard and with a passion for the sport until she finds out she is also half-mermaid (not to mention a princess). When Zuma, a talking dolphin, approaches her to help save her mother and her kingdom, Merliah's ocean-related world becomes deeper than she could ever imagine, .
The movie was also successful enough to garner a second installment that continued Merliah's life as a half-surfer and half-mermaid. With themes of struggling with identity, family loyalties and the ever-present self-confidence, A Mermaid Tale makes for another timeless Barbie film, with a sprinkle of obligatory magic and royal whimsy. —Jasneet Singh
It wasn't until recently that we have gotten the surge of Barbie and Her Sisters films, where she is accompanied by the tech-savvy Skipper, sporty Stacie, and glitter-obsessed Chelsea. While Barbie has had siblings before, most iconically in , it isn't until that we are introduced to the three staples. However, the first time the recent title format was used was in , one of the most underrated Barbie films.
It essentially was a precursor to all these recent Barbie and Her Sisters (puppies mostly), but this time, the four sisters visit their aunt's riding academy. Things take a turn when Barbie finds a mysterious, legendary horse breed called Majestiques in the forest, leading to a wholesome animal-bonding film where the dynamic duo also take down greedy villains. While there is less overt magic in this film, it draws upon the magical experience of bonding with an animal, especially one that has mythical roots—. —Jasneet Singh
Premiering on Nickelodeon in November of 2009, is the 16th entry in the film series and features the character as Corinne D'Artagnan. Corinne is a young adventurer who wants nothing more than to become a musketeer, and she gets the chance to do so alongside her friends Aramina, Renée, and Viveca, who join her efforts at foiling an evil plot.
. While there’s not much novelty in its plot (), it somewhat makes up for it by emphasizing the characters’ positive traits and why they deserve to be called role models for younger audiences.
is a spin-off to Fairytopia and follows Mariposa who lives in the kingdom of Flutterfield, which is filled by Queen Marabella’s shimmering lights. However, one day, the lights begin to flicker, spelling danger for the fairies that reside in Flutterfield. When the Queen falls ill, it’s up to Mariposa and her friends to save the day, and undergo a journey far away from the safety of Fairytopia in search of an antidote that will save their Queen.
Much like Fairytopia, , and though it may not be quite as strong of a movie as its predecessor, the journey is still fun to go on, and Mariposa’s friendships are the highlight of the film. —Samantha Graves
The sequel to , , sees Elina and Bibble go off to Fairy School. Elina has been selected by Azura to be her apprentice and learn the “Flight of Spring,” which will allow them to create the first rainbow of the season using magic. But the evil Laverna has different plans and attempts to stop the Flight of Spring, which will plunge Fairytopia into a ten-year-long winter.
, and of course brings back Bibble, who is no doubt a fan-favorite. But it also gives us a in the fairy school, where we meet lots of new fairies, each with their own unique gifts and abilities, that all come together to save the day and fate of Fairytopia. —Samantha Graves
If you've looked at the hints, you would have always known that Barbie, as a character, is an actor. From the blooper reels at the end of a film to the way titles are worded, Barbie takes on different roles to bring classic stories to life. But is one of the first films to address this directly, . This includes the opening scene, where Barbie is fired from the set of a particularly bizarre rendition of Princess and the Pea, and we see posters in her trailer for previous films. Later, when she travels to her aunt's Parisian fashion house and helps designer Alice with creating a line to keep the house open, she references the secret passageways of The Three Musketeers.
Another appeal of this magical fashion adventure is that. He goes through a series of misadventures to give Barbie a grand romantic gesture, in his own awkward heartthrob way. But does so without taking the spotlight off of Barbie. The film strikes a beautiful balance between inspiration, friendship and romance, allowing each aspect to shine independently. —Jasneet Singh
Of all the Barbie movies of the 2010s, is definitely one of the peaks, giving us an original yet still familiar coming-of-age tale. Blair (Barbie) is chosen through a raffle to attend the prestigious Princess Charm School where young women are trained to be either princesses or ladies-in-waiting. Throughout Blair's journey of finding herself and discovering her family history, we are delivered a beautifully-scored tutoring montage, an interesting mystery around a tiara and tiny fairy helpers (Hogwarts needs to be taking notes).
Like many Barbie films, , with a healthy side of etiquette lessons that we probably sorely missed from . Sure, the movie relies on classic coming-of-age tropes and nostalgia just as many Barbie films of the 2010s did, but that doesn't make it any less of an enjoyable watch. —Jasneet Singh
, Elina (Barbie) seeks support from a hesitant mermaid called Nori, and the duo set off to rescue a merman held captive by the villainous Laverna. Elina must soon use her newfound powers to save both the merman (Nalu) and the entire ocean from Laverne’s evil plans.
Mermaidia cashed in on the hype surrounding everything about mermaids back in the 2000s. While it fades into the background when compared to that saturated subgenre, it does stand out among the Barbie movies for its underwater setting that allowed for more creative—if not somewhat dated—visuals.
features the character as Rosella (or Ro), a young girl who is stranded on an island after a shipwreck. There, she grows up among the animals and is treated like family, until Prince Antonio finds her and introduces her to the rest of the world. Together, they hunt for clues about Ro’s past in the Kingdom of Apollonia.
. Its score, composed by with songs written by , perfectly complements its tropical and then royal setting. Does it make up for its uninspired plot that relies on overused tropes? Only a rewatch will help fans decide for themselves.
The sixth entry in the film series, , was also the first to be released in 3D. Released in 2005, the movie follows Princess Annika on her quest to save her parents after an evil wizard named Wenlock turns them to stone. On her journey, she befriends a beautiful winged horse named Brietta, who flies her into the cloud kingdom, where they embark on her quest together.
Magic of Pegasus was only the second Barbie movie that wasn’t based on previous material, such as other featured installments on this list. It also has one of the most gorgeous Barbie worlds, thanks to the ethereal cloud kingdom. With soft blues and purples making up a lot of the film's color scheme, . —Samantha Graves
(the in-universe roles of the dolls, Barbie and Teresa), who one day receive an enchanted mirror. This signals the start of their challenging journey to the diamond castle, which will test their dedication and love for each other.
Alongside their cute puppies, Liana and Alexa’s adventure in the 2008 film makes the 13th entry in the franchise a special one. Their bond certainly reflects numerous friendships among young viewers, who learn a thing or two about the true value of those connections over material wealth.
The 5th Barbie movie and the first to have an original storyline, Barbie: Fairytopia is one of the more popular films in the franchise (that even spawned two sequels). It revolves around the experiences of a wingless flower fairy, Elina who boldly goes against the evil fairy Laverna and saves Fairytopia from her evil plans.
. While its sequels didn’t manage to top the original, viewers can at least rely on a magical viewing experience if they decide to revisit the original 2005 film.
As the , fans owe a lot to this 2001 classic that kickstarted the Barbie renaissance in the new millennium and allowed audiences to witness the doll in all her CGI glory. The film is obviously an adaption of the classic ballet, , and is a that is perfect to watch alongside some hot chocolate for some holiday fun.
That being said, , and it's sometimes a bit too much of a large distraction. Barbie's facial expressions are pretty glazed and flat and her eyes never quite look right, but it's still pretty charming and full of all the magic and sparkles that can satiate any Barbie fan.
Keeping on with the Christmas classics, is a staple. It’s, of course, tion of Charles Dickens classic tale, just Barbie-fied! Barbie stars as Eden Starling, a glamorous theatre diva living in London, alongside her grumpy cat Chuzzlewit. Selfishly, she plans to make all of the theater performers stay late and rehearse on Christmas Day, and no one can seem to talk her out of it. That is, until she’s visited by three spirits who open her eyes to the magic of Christmas, and show her what the holiday is truly all about.
We all know what is about, of course, but there’s something so charming and accessible about the Barbie version that feels especially wholesome. It’s the perfect watch for the Holiday season, or if you’re just feeling nostalgic and are looking for some good old-fashioned Barbie Christmas joy! —Samantha Graves
Another , that is guaranteed to make you want to relive your childhood dream of becoming a ballerina all over again. Everything that you would want in a fairytale is found in this 2003 Barbie film; shapeshifting, talking animals, a unicorn, with lots and lots of frolicking and dancing in the woods.
This film, as fun as it is, has not gone without well-deserved criticism, especially in terms of antisemitism and how the main villains are portrayed in the film with heavy amounts of dangerous Jewish stereotypes. This is a pretty hard fact to ignore during the film's entire run as it really is blatant, even with all the magic and fun happening. Barbie of Swan Lake is a very well-loved addition to the Barbie film repertoire, but it's safe to say that it's not only the animation that hasn't aged the best.
The ninth film in the Barbie Cinematic Universe and the first film to be distributed by Universal Pictures is of course , which is full of magical dance numbers and dazzling visuals. also voices , who unsurprisingly does an excellent job and helps to make this one of the best Barbie films in the entire franchise.
(even if their ages are slightly confusing), who may argue and disagree, but end up loving each other just the same. There's also the overlying message of the importance of solidarity and the strength of creativity still holds up pretty well.
As only the second film of the Barbie empire, it is filled with awkward animation and the same dead eyes that afflicted almost every early 2000s CGI animated media, but that just adds to its nostalgic charm. Unlike other films on this list, and the story is just as fun and compelling as it was when you first saw it.
The talking , with one of them being a literal purple dragon who has a complicated relationship with her purple dragon dad, are also pretty fun and helped paved the way for other talking animals in future Barbie endeavors, and the villain is more than a delight to watch. If you haven't seen this Barbie film you are seriously missing out, and is a quintessential must-watch.
What can be said about Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper that hasn't already been discussed? This film is undoubtedly the greatest Barbie film ever made, all thanks to an excellent idea to make the first-ever Barbie musical with songs that have since become staples of millennial and Gen-Z pop culture.
The story loosely follows the Mark Twain novel, The Prince and the Pauper, and focuses on the fabulously wealthy princess Anneliese and the indentured servant, an almost physically identical Erika, as they swap lifestyles and find love, because, of course, they do. While Erika's plight of working endlessly hard to support herself and her family is noble and understandable, Anneliese singing about how hard it is to be rich hasn't exactly aged well and it is almost laughable to equate their struggles, but it's still an excellent film and pure art.
NEXT: The Movies That Inspired ‘Barbie’, According to Greta Gerwig
