Barbie Mariposa starts as it means to go on, with the famous doll’s gentle greeting: “Welcome to the world of butterfly fairies.” There are no surprises in this straight-to-DVD film, which is crammed with pink and purple, pretty dresses and, of course, all things Barbie.The film opens in the magical kingdom of Flutterfield, where butterfly fairies go about their daily business, flitting about the trees in a haze of sparkles and light.
Everything is perfect, providing they don’t leave the kingdom: beyond the protective city of lights, the ugly (and somewhat stupid) Skeezite monsters lurk to eat any fairies who may stray.Mariposa, the film’s heroine, wants to see the rest of the world, but her time is taken up with attending two demanding butterfly fairies, Rayna and Rayla. In fact, between keeping her friend and fellow employee, Willa out of trouble, and getting the fairies’ dresses ready for the never-ending round of balls, Mariposa barely gets a moment to herself. Taking some time out from a ball, she bumps into Prince Carlos and ends up hiding him from the Royal Guard, who want to lock him up “for his own protection”.
Clearly all is not well in Flutterfield.The Prince manages to pass on news of the Queen’s poisoning to Mariposa, along with a map locating the antidote. The shy butterfly fairy has two days to save the Queen and Flutterfield. When Rayna and Rayla find out about Mariposa’s contact with the handsome prince, they are determined to join her in an effort to win his hand. And so the three set off into the Bewilderness to find the elusive white flower that will cure the Queen. On their quest, they come across a host of magical creatures, some cute and cuddly, others less amiable. Using knowledge acquired from reading, it’s up to Mariposa to outwit the monsters and save the day.
Barbie Mariposa will tick all the boxes of girls aged six and under. They’ll be enthralled by the pretty fairies, the burgeoning romance between Mariposa and the Prince, and the sugary sweet sentiment. At 70 minutes, the film might lose the attention of the very youngest viewers, but those in primary school will have no trouble watching to the conclusion. There’s no need for parental supervision during the film’s more dramatic moments: the monsters aren’t remotely threatening and the peril is, to say the least, mild.
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