Barbie as the Island Princess is a 2007 animated musical film[1] 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.[2]

The score was composed by Arnie Roth, with songs written by Megan Cavallari, Amy Powers and executive producer Rob Hudnut. It was released direct-to-DVD on September 18, 2007, with a television premiere five days later on Nickelodeon.[3]

Plot

Sagi the red panda and Azul the Indian peacock live on a tropical island in the South Seas. One day, they discover a little girl washed up on shore after a storm, and decide to take her in. A chest washed up with her has the letters "R-O" on its broken nameplate; the animals name the girl Ro, and she grows up playing with them and an Asian elephant named Tika.

Prince Antonio of Apollonia is out exploring the South Seas, and finds himself on Ro's Island. Ro, now a young woman able to communicate with animals, saves him from a float of crocodiles. Antonio invites her to come to Appolonia so she can research her past. Ro agrees, bringing her three friends with her. During the journey, Ro and Antonio begin to fall in love.

In Apollonia, Antonio's parents, King Peter and Queen Danielle, are shocked by Ro's arrival. While Antonio had been away, Peter had arranged a marriage for him to force him to settle down and stop adventuring. Peter immediately dislikes Ro for disrupting his plans; however, Antonio's little sisters Rita, Sofia, and Gina, and Danielle's pet rhesus monkey Tallulah, all immediately befriend Ro and her animals.

Antonio's betrothed, Princess Luciana, arrives in Appolonia with her mother Ariana so that Antonio can meet them. Unbeknownst to everyone present, even Luciana, Ariana is secretly the daughter of a couple of nobles whom Peter demoted to be swineherds after they committed treason. Ariana had moved abroad, married an elderly king to become queen, and has now returned to enact her revenge. Sensing that Ro may be a threat, she sabotages all Ro's attempts to fit in; however, Antonio only falls deeper in love with Ro, and Luciana comes to feel sorry for her.

Ro, demoralized by her "failures," thinks about returning to her island. The animals cheer her up and help her get dressed for a royal ball. At the ball, everyone is impressed by Ro's beauty and grace, and Antonio privately proposes to her. Ro declines, unwilling to defy Peter.

Antonio argues with Peter and abdicates the throne to Rita. He leaves a note for Ro, saying he will run away with her. Tika overhears and hides the note, fearing she may lose Ro. Meanwhile, Ariana sends her pet rats to spread "sunset herb" through the kingdom. The poison causes all animals who ingest it to fall into a coma, including Tallulah and Azul. Peter imprisons Ro and her animals, believing they brought the "disease" to Apollonia.

Peter strikes a bargain with Antonio – Ro and the animals will be freed if Antonio marries Luciana. Antonio reluctantly agrees. Shortly after, Ro and her animals are sent away on a ship. Tika realizes her mistake and apologizes for hiding the note, and Ro forgives her. A sailor in Ariana's pay knocks them all overboard; shortly before being rescued by dolphins, Ro has a flashback to the shipwreck in her childhood, and remembers her name is Rosella.

Returning to Apollonia, Ro learns from a little bird that Ariana had put sunset herb in the wedding cake to kill Peter and Antonio. Ro makes an antidote to wake Azul and the other animals, but is stopped by guards. Tika disrupts the wedding and gets Antonio to come to Ro's rescue, while Sagi takes the antidote to Tallulah, waking her. When Ro accuses Ariana, no one believes her; until Luciana reveals her mother had forbidden her to eat the wedding cake, claiming it was bad luck. Ariana attempts to flee in a carriage, but is wrecked and flung into a pigsty.

Antonio proposes to Ro, who is at last welcomed into the family. When Ro reveals her full name, one of the wedding guests, Queen Marissa of Paladia, comes forward and says that her daughter, Princess Rosella, had gone overboard in a shipwreck while they were at sea many years ago. Ro and Marissa sing a lullaby from her childhood together, proving they are related. Ro and Antonio are married, and Luciana meets a handsome prince at their wedding. Ro and Antonio then sail off to go on new adventures, with Tika, Sagi, Azul, and Tallulah in tow.

Voice cast

Cast as per the closing credits:[4]

  • Kelly Sheridan as "Ro"/Princess Rosella of Paladia, Queen Marissa's long-lost daughter (played by Barbie)
    • Melissa Lyons as Singing Voice of Ro
  • Alessandro Juliani as Prince Antonio of Appolonia (played by Ken), Luciana's betrothed.
  • Christopher Gaze as Sagi, a wise and kindly red panda who takes Ro in after the wreck and acts as a father figure.
  • Steve Marvel as Azul, a flamboyant and self-important Indian peacock.
  • Susan Roman as Tika, a young Asian elephant who looks up to Ro as an older sister, and is jealous of Antonio.
  • Garry Chalk as Frazer, Antonio's traveling companion/friend/manservant. Chalk also voiced a minor character named Calvin.
  • Russell Roberts as King Peter, Antonio's father and Danielle's husband, who disapproves of his son's adventuring.
  • Patricia Drake as Queen Danielle, Antonio's mother, Peter's wife, and the doting owner of Tallulah. Drake also voices the Mama Pig.
  • Bets Malone as Tallulah, Queen Danielle's friendly but somewhat spoiled rhesus monkey who was orphaned on a South Seas island, and discovered and brought back as a pet for Antonio's mother.
  • Britt McKillip as Princess Rita (played by Chelsie), Antonio's little sister.
  • Carly McKillip as Princess Gina (played by Becky), Antonio's other little sister.
  • Chantal Strand as Princess Sofia (played by Kelly), Antonio's other little sister.
  • Andrea Martin as Queen Ariana, a woman who plots to get her revenge on King Peter by having her daughter, Luciana, marry Prince Antonio.
  • Candice Nicole as Princess Luciana (played by Summer), Arianna's kindhearted and friendly daughter, and Antonio's betrothed.
  • Kate Fisher as Queen Marissa of Paladia, Ro's long-lost mother.
  • Brian Drummond as Lorenzo, the vet.
  • Terry Klassen as
    • Butler
    • Guard
    • Horse
  • David Kaye as Guard
  • Kathleen Barr as Tiny, a little bluebird.
  • Scott Page-Pagter as Nat, one of Ariana's pet rats.
  • Ian James Corlett as Pat, one of Ariana's pet rats.

As a gag credit, Matt, the mime rat, is credited to be voiced by himself.

Songs

The songs are written by Megan Cavallari and Amy Powers, with executive producer Rob Hudnut.

  1. "Here on My Island" – Melissa Lyons, Steve Marvel, Christopher Gaze and Susan Roman
  2. "Right Here in My Arms" – Lyons
  3. "A Brand New Shore" – Alessandro Juliani, Roman, Gaze, Marvel and Lyons
  4. "I Need to Know" – Lyons and Juliani
  5. "Love Is for Peasants" – Andrea Martin and Candice Nicole
  6. "Right Here in My Arms" (Greenhouse) – Lyons
  7. "At the Ball" – Bets Malone, Gaze, Lyons, Roman and Marvel
  8. "The Rat Song" – Martin, Scott Page-Pagter and Ian James Corlett
  9. "Always More" – Lyons
  10. "Right Here in My Arms" (Reunion) – Lyons and Kate Fisher
  11. "When We Have Love" – Nicole, Kate Fisher, Malone, Marvel, Roman, Gaze, Lyons and Juliani
  12. "I Need to Know" (pop version) – Cassidy Ladden

Reception

Paul Mavis of DVD Talk wrote, "Barbie as The Island Princess is a well-executed CGI animated fantasy with a sweet, tender, believable approach to its love story that will no doubt make little girls sigh with delight."[5] Catherine Dawson March of The Globe and Mail called the film "enchanting" and considered its songs to be "on par with Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper".[6]

Common Sense Media's Nancy Davis Kho wrote of the film, "parents can rest assured that the subject matter is entertaining and kid-appropriate, and put their energies toward worrying about all the commercialism surrounding it." Kho praised the animation and "lush original score", and wrote that Ro and Luciana are positive role models.[7]

Video game

Barbie as the Island Princess is a 2007 platform video game based on the movie for PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Game Boy Advance. Developed by Lithuanian video game company Ivolgamus and published by Activision, it is a collection of 28 different mini-games.[9][10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Barbie as the Island Princess". Barbie. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  2. ^ "Barbie as the Island Princess (2007)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2008. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  3. ^ "TV listings". The Bangor Daily News. September 22, 2007.
  4. ^ "Barbie as the Island Princess".
  5. ^ Mavis, Paul. "Barbie as The Island Princess". DVDTalk. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. ^ March, Catherine Dawson (October 26, 2007). "TV For Families". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Canada. p. R38. ProQuest 383399319.
  7. ^ Kho, Nancy Davis (August 31, 2009). "Barbie as The Island Princess". Common Sense Media. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  8. ^ "Shippin' Out October 28-November 2: Guitar Hero III, Hellgate, Manhunt 2, Simpsons".
  9. ^ Overview at Game Vortex
  10. ^ Sullivan, Meghan (January 31, 2008). "BARBIE AS THE ISLAND PRINCESS REVIEW". IGN. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  11. ^ "Ivolgamus UAB's official site". www.ivolgamus.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  1. ^ Released under Entertainment Rights/Classic Media outside North America, with Right Entertainment distributing in the United Kingdom
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_as_the_Island_Princess
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