Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper | |
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![]() DVD/VHS Cover | |
Directed by | William Lau |
Written by | Cliff Ruby Elana Lesser |
Based on | The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain |
Produced by | Jesyca C. Durchin Jennifer Twiner McCarron |
Starring | Kelly Sheridan Mark Hildreth Alessandro Juliani Ian James Corlett Kathleen Barr Martin Short |
Narrated by | Kelly Sheridan |
Edited by | Greg Richardson |
Music by | Arnie Roth Megan Cavallari |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | North America: Lions Gate Home Entertainment ( Family Home Entertainment ) Overseas: Universal Pictures Video [1] UK and Ireland: Right Entertainment [1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes [2] |
Countries | Canada United States |
Language | English |
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is a 2004 animated musical fantasy film. It was released to video on September 28, 2004, and made its television premiere on Nickelodeon on November 14, 2004. [3]
This film is the first musical in the Barbie series. It was directed by William Lau and stars the voice of Kelly Sheridan as the Barbie protagonists, Annalise and Erika. The plot is loosely inspired by the 1881 Mark Twain novel The Prince and the Pauper , [4] and it is the first Barbie film that completely excludes fantastic elements (fairies, magic, mermaids), which were a usual part of Barbie franchise. It is generally regarded as one of the best films in the franchise and has secured a strong cult following. [5]
Songs for the film were written by Amy Powers, Megan Cavallari and Rob Hudnut, who also executive produced the film. The film was nominated for six DVD Exclusive Awards. [6]
In an unnamed kingdom, a blonde princess and a brunette pauper are born at the same time. Several years later, Princess Anneliese (played by Barbie) is betrothed by her mother, Queen Genevieve, to the wealthy King Dominick (played by Ken) to save their nearly bankrupt royal treasury; however, Anneliese is in love with her young tutor Julian (also played by Ken). The Pauper, Erika (also played by Barbie) is an indentured servant, working off her parents' debt at Madame Carp's Dress Emporium, which supplies the palace with clothes; however, she dreams of becoming a singer and seeing the world.
Unbeknownst to the Queen, the reason behind the kingdom's bankruptcy is that her adviser Preminger has been stealing gold and emptying the royal mines. Upon learning from his henchmen, Nick and Nack, that the Queen has arranged Anneliese's marriage to King Dominick, he decides to make Anneliese 'mysteriously disappear'. Preminger plans to pretend that he has found the Princess, earning a betrothal to her, which would allow him to become king himself.
Julian takes Anneliese for a day out into the kingdom so that she can be free for once; there, she witnesses the poverty caused by the kingdom's bankruptcy. Anneliese hears Erika performing in the street to earn money but Madame Carp steals the earnings. Anneliese and Erika bond and learn that they are identical, apart from their hair color and the crown-shaped birthmark on Anneliese's shoulder. That night, Anneliese and her cat Serafina are abducted by Nick and Nack, who leave a forged letter saying she ran away.
Julian, doubting the letter, asks Erika to impersonate the Princess, saving the engagement while he investigates. Preminger is surprised when Erika, disguised as Anneliese, presents herself at the palace. Over time, Erika and King Dominick fall in love but Erika worries about what will happen if she is found out.
The real Anneliese escapes but the guards, having seen Erika, mistake Anneliese for an imposter. Mistaking Anneliese for Erika, Madame Carp forces Anneliese into her shop and locks her inside. Julian overhears Preminger's plans but is discovered and captured.
Anneliese has Serafina take her ring and a tag from the dress shop so someone can find her; unfortunately, Preminger and his dog Midas intercept her. Preminger takes Anneliese to the mines, where she is imprisoned with Julian after Nick and Nack cause a cave-in. Preminger returns to the palace, where he exposes Erika as a fake and has her imprisoned. Preminger convinces the Queen that Anneliese has died and that he has supposedly come into great wealth during his travels. With no other options, she reluctantly agrees to marry him to save the Kingdom.
Erika escapes the dungeon by singing a lullaby, causing the guard to fall asleep so she can take his keys. She is aided by King Dominick, who suspects Preminger of lying. Meanwhile, Anneliese and Julian find out how to restore the kingdom's resources with some geodes filled with crystals; the two then confess their love for each other. Erika's barking cat, Wolfie, unearths a mine shaft, and the group escapes by flooding the room and floating towards the surface in a barrel.
At the Queen and Preminger's wedding, Anneliese arrives, proves her identity with her birthmark, and reveals the truth about Preminger. After a brief chase, Preminger is arrested along with Nick and Nack. Anneliese tells her mother that she wants to marry Julian and that they can help save the kingdom. Soon after, the kingdom's prosperity is restored thanks to the crystals in the mine. Madame Carp is no longer patronized by the palace and goes out of business; with her debt finally paid, Erika leaves to become a renowned singer. After touring the world alone, Erika realizes where her heart truly lies and decides to return home to marry Dominick. Anneliese and Erika have a double wedding, and they and their husbands ride off in a carriage together.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is the first musical in the series of Barbie CGI films. It features seven original songs written by Amy Powers and Megan Cavallari with an original score by Arnie Roth, performed by the London Symphonic Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. [8] The entire soundtrack (including popular duets and the opening orchestral theme) can be found on the "Barbie Sings! The Princess Movie Song Collection" CD, released by Mattel in 2004.
The songs in the film are, in chronological order, as follows.
The DVD and VHS was released on September 28, 2004, and distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The film was re-released on January 5, 2010, by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD also included a CD containing seven songs from the film soundtrack.
Entertainment Rights secured non-American TV and home video distribution rights to the movie in March 2004, releasing the film on VHS and DVD through Universal Pictures Video worldwide, alongside their Right Entertainment subsidiary in the UK and Ireland. [1]
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper received generally positive reviews from entertainment critics. Steve Evans of DVD Verdict called it "wholesome entertainment" with "sweet songs tunefully sung" though lacking in grown-up humor. [9] D. Liebenson of The Video Librarian praised Barbie's "virtuoso performance", and wrote, "If not altogether faithful to the source material, this impressive production is still a class act, and another jewel in Barbie's crown." [10] Reviewing the film for the South China Morning Post , Karmel Schreyer noted a "a girl-power twist" on the original Mark Twain tale, and wrote that "the story includes all the elements that make it a worthwhile watch: duty, responsibility, compassion, free will – and, of course, a love interest." [11] Describing the story as "a fascinatingly nuanced line between following one's heart [...] and doing one's duty", Brendan Howard of Video Store praised the film's animation, music and voice talent as "top-notch", but was disappointed with the DVD extras, which he called "essentially a serving of karaoke and commercials". [12]
James Lileks of the Star Tribune wrote favourably of the film's "hummable tunes with clever lyrics, fine characters and a scathing indictment of the inequities of the feudal system" and jokingly dubbed it "the " Citizen Kane " of the [ children's film ] genre" due to its unusually high quality. [13] Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly scored it a B+, noting a generally "feminist" story. [14] TV Guide 's Robert Pardi scored it 2.5/4, praising the "peppy score" and classic story as distinguishing an otherwise "ordinary Mattel-icized version of the classic tale". [15]
Reviewing the film for Common Sense Media, Tracy Moore found the animation quality was improved from previous CGI Barbie films, and advised that parents "may appreciate attention drawn to class inequality, and the precious few scenes focusing on girls liking science, books, and less passive pursuits." Moore wrote that the film "almost succeed[s]" in updating traditional models for girls' entertainment, as Princess Anneliese and Erika are shown "putting [their interests] first over romance [...] But the big finish still centers around them pairing off, fairy-tale style." [16] In The Dallas Morning News , Nancy Churnin praised the lead characters as "bold and brainy" and found, "one of the sweetest aspects of this film is the utter absence of jealousy between Anneliese and Erika. Good things happen, ultimately, because of their mutual friendship and support." [17]
Year | Award | Category | Work(s) | Recipient(s) | Result | Reference |
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2005 | DVD Exclusive Award | |||||
Best Animated DVD Premiere Movie | Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper |
| Nominated | [6] | ||
Best Director (of a DVD Premiere Movie) | William Lau | Nominated | ||||
Best Original Score (for a DVD Premiere Movie) | Arnie Roth | Nominated | ||||
Best Visual Effects (in a DVD Premiere Movie) | Tricia Jellis | Nominated | ||||
Best Animated Character Performance (Voice and Animation in a DVD Premiere Movie) | Preminger |
| Nominated | |||
Best Original Song (in a DVD Premiere Movie) | "To Be A Princess" |
| Nominated | |||
A video game for Game Boy Advance, PC, and Macintosh was released in 2004 by Vivendi Universal Games. In the Game Boy Advance title, the plot follows that of the movie: players must thwart Preminger's attempt to take over the kingdom by marrying Anneliese. Players control four characters: Anneliese, Erika, Serafina, and Wolfie.
In January 2024, to commemorate the film's 20th anniversary many cast and crew members including songwriters Megan Cavallari and Amy Powers, producers Jennifer McCarron and Rob Hudnut, editor Greg Richardson, director William Lau, singers Julie Stevens and Melissa Lyons and voice actors Kelly Sheridan and Brian Drummond reunited by partaking in a 1-hour and a half livestream on YouTube on The Tammy Tuckey Show. The event had been organised ahead of time. [18]
The Prince and the Pauper is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. The plot concerns the ascension of nine-year-old Edward VI of England in 1547 and his interactions with look-alike Tom Canty, a London pauper who lives with his abusive, alcoholic father.
Sophia Myles (;) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds (2004), Isolde in Tristan & Isolde (2006), Darcy in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Erika in Underworld (2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2006) and Freya in Outlander (2008).
Julie Stevens is an American actress, singer, director, producer and studio teacher who has been performing since childhood.
Kathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is best known for voicing Marie Kanker and Kevin in Ed, Edd n Eddy and Trixie Lulamoon and Queen Chrysalis in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. She also voiced Henri Richard Maurice Dutoit LeFevbre in Liberty's Kids, Dot Matrix in ReBoot, Kaiko Nekton in The Deep, Wheezie in Dragon Tales, and Gelorum in Hot Wheels: World Race and its 4-film sequel AcceleRacers.
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus is a 2005 animated adventure film directed by Greg Richardson and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Mainframe Entertainment. It first premiered on Nickelodeon on September 18, 2005, and it was released later to VHS/DVD on September 20, 2005.
Barbie: Fairytopia is a 2005 animated fantasy film directed by Walter P. Martishius and William Lau and written by Elise Allen and Diane Duane that premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States on 6 March and was released on VHS and DVD two days later. It was distributed internationally through Universal Pictures Video and Entertainment Rights.
Barbie as Rapunzel is a 2002 animated fairy tale film co-produced by Mainframe Entertainment and Mattel Entertainment, and distributed by Artisan Home Entertainment.
Barbie in the Nutcracker is a 2001 animated fantasy film co-produced by Mainframe Entertainment and Mattel Entertainment, and distributed by Artisan Home Entertainment.
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses is a 2006 animated dance film. It premiered on Nickelodeon on September 10, 2006, and it was later released to DVD on September 19.
Barbie as the Island Princess is a 2007 animated musical film and the eleventh installment in the film series based on Mattel's Barbie toyline. The only entry animated by Mainframe Studios as Rainmaker Animation, the film stars the voice of Kelly Sheridan.
Barbie & the Diamond Castle is a 2008 direct-to-video animated musical film directed by Gino Nichele and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Rainmaker Entertainment. It first premiered on Nickelodeon on September 7, 2008, and it was later released to DVD on September 9, 2008.
Beginning with the release of an eponymous video game in 1984, Barbie, a fashion doll manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and debuted on March 9, 1959, has been featured in a media franchise predominantly consisting of a film series and media formats across technologies like television and the Internet. Since then, it has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time and has been referred to among fans as the "Barbie Cinematic Universe".
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Barbie: The Princess & The Popstar is a 2012 animated musical fantasy film produced by Rainmaker Entertainment and released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. It is the twenty-third installment in the Barbie film series and the second to be based on Mark Twain's 1881 novel The Prince and the Pauper.
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