Customer Rating:  
Summary: Another good continuation of this series
Comment: My 7-year old daughter really enjoys this movie, and had watched it at least 5 times in the first 2 weeks. The first time she watched it, I watched it with her, and at no time was I completely bored with the story. The animation in this series continues to improve with each new release. The voice-acting is good, and the story is enjoyable, with characters that keep the viewer interested.
In this release, Elina relates a story to Bibble -- so it's not actually a "real-time" story about Elina, but rather a story about a new fairy. The perspective changes from the story Elina is relating to scenes of Elina talking to Bibble. This actually helps break the monotony.
If you have a young daughter who enjoys the other animated Barbie series, you will probably want to add this to your collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Terrible video for kids
Comment: I couldn't believe what I was allowing my 3yo to watch. Thank goodness I watch the movies with her to make sure they are okay. Well this one was not. Very poor representation for the female gender - has valley-girl -speaking fairies whose main purpose is to be google-eyed over the prince. I did not care for the "crying babies" that awaken the sea creature either. I thought it was a poor story and definitely not one that is for my daughter. Too bad I purchased it instead of borrowing from the library. It went into the garbage because I would feel too guilty if someone else picked it up for their kids.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Incorrect Zone - unable to use
Comment: I recently purchased this product but am unable to play it because it is the incorrect zone for my DVD player. There was nothing to indicate the restricted zoning on the page I made my purchase from and am exceedingly disappointed I wasted my time and money. I would have thought Amazon were more customer savvy than to sell items to someone living in Australia who is no able to use them. I only gave the one star rating because it was a mandatory field that could not be left blank. The children are very disappointed, thanks for wasting my time
Customer Rating:
Summary: my daughter LOVES this!
Comment: My 3 year old daughter loves barbie! This is a good movie about adventure and believing in yourself. Even my 8 and 9 year olds watched this and didn't mind it, even though they're "too old" for Barbie! Elina from the fairytopia and mermaidia movies also makes an appearance. Cute movie.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A new heroine for the fourth "Fairytopia" Barbie film
Comment:
This fourth offering in Mattel's series of "Fairytopia" Barbie films continues the trend towards ever more beautiful animation, has a very similar plot, and introduces a new heroine. As with every previous "Barbie" video, my six year old daughter absolutely loves it and has watched it many times. As he has now reached the age where he doesn't think he's supposed to enjoy "girlie" things, her twin brother pretends not to like it, but he seems to find his way into the family TV room and sit down to watch a remarkably high proportion of the time when this film is playing.
For reference, this is the fourth in the "Fairytopia" sequence which currently consists of:
Fairytopia
Mermaidia
Magic of the Rainbow.
Mariposa and her Butterfly fairy friends
The film is bookended by Elena, the heroine of the first three "Fairytopia" films, who is telling her puffball companion Bibble the story of her friend Mariposa and how she had the courage both to overcome a threat to the fairy realm and persuade other fairies who at first did not take her seriously to do so.
As with all the Barbie films, the story is relentlessly positive and aims to encourage the viewer to strive to achieve everything she is capable of. To a greater extent than some, Mariposa also has a number of second level jokes designed to provide some amusement to mums and dads who are watching the film with their daughters.
Before we first rented one of the Barbie videos for my daughter, I was expecting them to be trite, over-commercialised, over-sugary and over here. In general, however, I have been pleasantly surprised.
Yes, they do have a lot of commercial spin-offs and a high saccharine count, but the quality of the Barbie films we have subsequently bought or rented, including all four "Fairytopia" films, was significantly higher than I had originally expected before watching any of them. These films have not just kept my children engrossed for hours - including my son as well as my daughter - but introduced them to some beautiful stories. Several - but sadly not this one - also introduced my children to some truly wonderful music.
On more than one occasion I have been listening to a CD of a classic such as Beethoven's pastoral symphony, or "The Queen of the Night's aria" from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute", and little girl has recognised and expressed appreciation of the music, and correctly remembered which Barbie film had used it. ("Magic of Pegasus" and "Mermaidia" respectively.)
I was a little disappointed that the last three of four Barbie films, including "Mariposa" did not continue this tradition: no great classics this time. This film introduces a new composer: musical scores for all the previous Barbie films had been written by Arnie Roth, who was brilliant at arranging the classics and who ranged from competent to good as a composer in his own right. Music for "Mariposa and her butterfly fairy friends" was written by Eric Colvin: it doesn't come up to the standards of Mozart, Mendelsohn or Beethoven as adapted by Arnie Roth, but is nevertheless quite easy on the ear.
The animation and backgrounds are quite stunningly beautiful: the last few Barbie films seem to get more visually beautiful each time and tbhis one continues that tradition.
There are a few extras on the DVD including some games involving dressing fairies for a ball at the fairy palace which my daughter enjoyed playing.
Those people who enjoy criticising the way Mattel operate the Barbie franchise will not have much difficulty finding things in this production to sneer at. If you, or more importantly your kids, are allergic to an excess of twee sweetness, then this film and the Barbie videos generally may not be for them.
And the female characters are all on the thin side of plausibility: I'm not worried that watching this is going to give my own daughter anorexia as she likes food too much and has a good sense of the difference between fantasy and reality. And after all, the characters in this story are fairies, complete with wings! However, if you are worried that your children may be forming an unrealistic idea about how thin a healthy female body shape is, it is not quite impossible that this film may contribute to it.
But on the plus side: it is beautifully made, it will hold the attention of most small children for long enough for the typical exhausted parent to clear the mess they have made in several rooms of the house or collapse for an hour's rest after doing so. And there are still a few more sophisticated jokes thrown in, so you won't be completely bored to death if you decide to watch it with your offspring.
Overall this is not, in my opinion, quite as good as some of the previous Barbie videos, including the first two Fairytopia" titles, but anything which can hold my children's attention as well as this film did clearly has something going for it.
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