DVD Talk review of 'Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus 3-D' -- Don't Review the Doll
12-27-05, 05:28 PM
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DVD Talk review of 'Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus 3-D' -- Don't Review the Doll
Review URL for Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus 3-D: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=18914
I'm sorely disappointed in Ms. Worrell's review of Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. Indeed, it seemed she was so influenced by the Barbie Doll image that she failed to see the real strengths of this DVD.
"Barbie has often been criticized by feminists for promoting poor values to girls that emphasize physical beauty over brains, but one cannot deny her universal appeal."
Yes, that's the review of the doll. Note, however, that the film itself breaks almost ALL these stereotypes (except those of beauty).
In this (and all the current Lion's Gate Barbie DVDs), the roll taken by the barbie herself comes across as both an intelligent and strong female character. Neither is she simply woooed as a damsel in distress when her Prince in Shining Armor comes along. Indeed, in Pegasus, she actively refuses -- for a time, anyway -- to enlist the help of her potential prince.
And if you want to speak of values, in Pegasus, Barbie actually realizes her mistakes and attempts to set them right, with the specific desire to "tell them I'm sorry!" Indeed, she is owning up to, and taking responsibility for, her own actions. A virtue indeed!
No, the doll stands for none of the things I just listed. However, the producers only used the doll as a model (literally), while the character portrayed exemplifies many qualities we should hold dear for all our children.
While I definitely agree that the voice acting is sub-par in this particular DVD, I find but one redemptive element in Ms. Worrell's review: her mention of Beethoven's 6th Symphony anchoring the score. Indeed, all the previous Barbie movies are steeped in the fine arts. Not only can we hear the likes of Tchaikowsky, Dvorak and Grieg, we see other expressions. Here, it's ice dancing, in Rapunzel, we have painting, while Nutcracker and Swan Lake emphasize Ballet.
When I sat to watch my first Barbie movie with my daughter, indeed my head spun with all the evils of marketing and stereotype. But to my surprise, I realized I had one of the best -- if not THE BEST -- children's DVDs yet made, and the series has carried this tradition. Absolutely. When you take into account the special features, Disney can't even touch these.
Unfortunately, with the limited special features on Pegasus, we may be seeing the quality dip toward the superficial in coming installments. And then, maybe then, reviewers like Ms. Worrell will realize what a diamond in the rough these Barbie disks really are.
-Pie
I'm sorely disappointed in Ms. Worrell's review of Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. Indeed, it seemed she was so influenced by the Barbie Doll image that she failed to see the real strengths of this DVD.
"Barbie has often been criticized by feminists for promoting poor values to girls that emphasize physical beauty over brains, but one cannot deny her universal appeal."
Yes, that's the review of the doll. Note, however, that the film itself breaks almost ALL these stereotypes (except those of beauty).
In this (and all the current Lion's Gate Barbie DVDs), the roll taken by the barbie herself comes across as both an intelligent and strong female character. Neither is she simply woooed as a damsel in distress when her Prince in Shining Armor comes along. Indeed, in Pegasus, she actively refuses -- for a time, anyway -- to enlist the help of her potential prince.
And if you want to speak of values, in Pegasus, Barbie actually realizes her mistakes and attempts to set them right, with the specific desire to "tell them I'm sorry!" Indeed, she is owning up to, and taking responsibility for, her own actions. A virtue indeed!
No, the doll stands for none of the things I just listed. However, the producers only used the doll as a model (literally), while the character portrayed exemplifies many qualities we should hold dear for all our children.
While I definitely agree that the voice acting is sub-par in this particular DVD, I find but one redemptive element in Ms. Worrell's review: her mention of Beethoven's 6th Symphony anchoring the score. Indeed, all the previous Barbie movies are steeped in the fine arts. Not only can we hear the likes of Tchaikowsky, Dvorak and Grieg, we see other expressions. Here, it's ice dancing, in Rapunzel, we have painting, while Nutcracker and Swan Lake emphasize Ballet.
When I sat to watch my first Barbie movie with my daughter, indeed my head spun with all the evils of marketing and stereotype. But to my surprise, I realized I had one of the best -- if not THE BEST -- children's DVDs yet made, and the series has carried this tradition. Absolutely. When you take into account the special features, Disney can't even touch these.
Unfortunately, with the limited special features on Pegasus, we may be seeing the quality dip toward the superficial in coming installments. And then, maybe then, reviewers like Ms. Worrell will realize what a diamond in the rough these Barbie disks really are.
-Pie
