Barbie Diaries (2006 Video) User Reviews

Barbie Diaries ...

[fishesrcool69 · 6/10 · 17 May 2008]

I'm not an ignorant child, nor am I a parent, so this may vary from other opinions. Children and parents have gotten used to seeing our Little Miss Perfect Barbie as a princess who ends up living 'happily ever after'. This movie, however, strayed away from the usual Barbie magic approach and went into the real world. It was almost refreshing. Many high schools are not how they are portrayed in the movie, but some do match the one as seen in The Barbie Diaries. I think the film isn't one for young children, possibly under seven, but is good to show Barbie fans. We can't have children growing up thinking the world is strictly a wonderful place and that they're going to be turned into a swan or something along those lines— they need a small taste of reality.

So overall, the movie was okay and a nice way to stray from the usual Barbie expectancies.

Not as bad as Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale but pretty lame

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 1 June 2012]

I say this as a 20 year old female who actually does like the Barbie movies, especially Nutcracker, Diamond Castle, Prince and the Pauper and Island Princess, Rapunzel, 12 Dancing Princesses and Swan Lake I also have a soft spot for. But I didn't care for Barbie Diaries. It is better than Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale, unlike those two while lame it isn't completely awful. The soundtrack was great, the ending with Barbie redeeming herself was nice and the voice acting was good, unlike the two I just mentioned Barbie Diaries actually has the advantage of Barbie being voiced by Kelly Sheridan. However, the animation is not as vibrant or as detailed and at times even looks rough. The writing lacks heart and is corny a lot of the time, the story is shallow and predictable, I didn't like the messages of vanity and obsessing about being popular and boys and the characters while not as bratty as Fairy Secret and Fashion Fairytale are not very likable and are very stereotypical. All in all, pretty lame but not the worst. 4/10 Bethany Cix

A Teenage Drama Queen in Barbie

[Angels_Review · 4/10 · 11 April 2014]

Oh my god… this movie is really bad. I get that they are trying to bring the idea of Barbie as a teenage girl in high school but they pretty much made diaries of a teenage drama queen in CG. Not only has it been done many times before, but it's not even done that well. Between the CG and the script, I just feel like it was way to rushed compared to the other Barbie shows.

The story is so cliché. So cliché that it just makes me a little sick. I was never a fan of those shows because its always about the semi-fashion crazy girls who are trying to get the most popular guy in school, rocks out with a band, and tries all she can to be popular. It really couldn't be farther from what I went though. I was considered an outcast and lived in that moment. I never cared what I wore, who I dated, or even 'rocking out' with a band. It's hard not to break from what I was like and all the cliché stuff that was happening. I felt like I was watching an Avril Lavine movie. It feels like a cop out to the Barbie franchise that even though the movies were for the younger audience, they had a sort of magic that didn't feel like just a cop to other shows that were already out there.

Oh my god the CG. They really made this look bad. I can't believe how sad the characters look and the way they played with the hair. It's almost like the hair was just pasted on the characters in the ugliest way. It's grouped together so that when they move, the hair moves in rather strange groups and not very fluid at all. They tried to do a bunch of cell shading but make it look real life. That really doesn't work because even as a teen, Barbie's proportions look as though her head is inflated. Her body is way too small to keep that overgrown head up. The same goes for all her friends and even the guys somewhat. When characters move, they feel really stiff and not as fluid as they should be.

The only thing I think they did well was some of the music, making it sound like something a typical teen would sing. The voices are also similar to the other movies to where I thought that it was the same voice actor (might have been, don't really know).

I feel as though this was the lower end to the Barbie series.

Not up to usual Barbie standards

[Jedser1 · 1/10 · 17 May 2006]

I have daughters 6 and 8 that love the other Barbie movies, Nutcracker, Princess and Pauper, Swan Lake, etc. These were surprisingly wonderful. Great animation, scripts, production values, camera angles, and most importantly they had stories with character values that you want your daughters to have. You wanted your daughters to grow up Courage, perseverance, loyalty, kindness, sensitivity, intelligence were valued even more than physical beauty in Barbie and her friends. Barbie was a great role model that parents could hold up as an example. She often rescued the boy or saved the day. In Princess and the Pauper, Barbie left the guy to pursue her dreams and only returned much later. Barbie had come far from her days of saying, "Math is hard!" My wife and I bought the Barbie movies with confidence.

Quite frankly, Barbie will have to regain our trust after this movie. A teen-aged Barbie giggles her way trying to get in with a popular crowd. The script was not good and the animation seemed off and difficult to watch. Barbie did redeem herself somewhat in the end, but most of the movie was painful at worst and boring at best.

The only saving grace was that watching this movie with our daughters gave us a chance to show them how NOT to behave.

I hope the producers read this and return to previous form.

oh,my God, this is appalling

[slfisher-2 · 1/10 · 17 September 2006]

As another poster said, the Barbie fairytale movies are pretty good. Yes, she typically ends up with a guy, but it's not the be all and end all of her life.

This is like Barbie Hills 90210. She's a sophomore in high school (yet somehow can drive) and is totally absorbed with being Popular and getting a guy to Like her and completely ignoring her regular friends and the nice guy who likes her, and she gets dissed for doing well on a test and wrecking the curve, and her friends suggest she throw a test so she can be more popular (oh, they're kidding, but still).

My daughter's only six. She'll be having to deal with this soon enough. I don't want her having to deal with it now.

A Barbie mean girls take

[dianamarinelli · 7/10 · 6 January 2021]

Overall a good take on a teenager Barbie movie. In this movie barbie is relatable wants to stay out as a crowd and have a few friends which is relatable. The popular clique is so relatable that popular pole just gossip and it's a clique. It's a shame this movie is underrated

Awful animation

[marcin_jozik · 2/10 · 25 August 2021]

Seriously, this movie looks like it was made in "The Sims".

Not so Typical Barbie Movie

[BigSis22 · 8/10 · 24 June 2006]

Okay Barbie is the typical role model for little girls aged 3-9. She can be a SuperStar, Malibu Girl, Businesswoman, Just about anything!

The other movies were cute but they all had the same point. She has a few friends (dragons, nutcrackers, fairies, etc.) and she fights off the "Bad Guys" with a little magic.

This movie is different. She is totally a normal girl. She has a crush, she is in a band, she gets dumped, then wins the guy back! Gosh, I did that stuff when I was young! She is normal in this movie and it kinda reminds me of a little kid version of "Mean Girls" so its pretty cool.

As for the acting, they did pretty good using "not so famous" people. It did not influence little kids to watch it just because their "idol" was in it.

Its a fun movie and is cute for young girls.

The story could've been told better in my opinion.

[JadePixieonIMDb · 7/10 · 30 March 2023]

The Barbie diaries is definitely not the best Barbie film in its franchise but nor was it the worst. This film is different from previous Barbie movies as its not a fantasy film but more of a realistic look at modern American teenagers and it's mainly based on reality. This movie has a couple of good morals lessons but I felt the film itself was too similar to the Bratz movies and animation series which was undoubtedly much better than this movie itself in story telling. I wish their was a bit more focus on Barbie's friends & give the Jock who Barbie has a crush more of a personality & a role.

Just Watch Something Else

[usonose · 1/10 · 13 November 2017]

This movie is every plot you've ever seen about a high school. I could not finish this movie it was so awful. If you're just looking for something to show your kids I would still tell you to look elsewhere. The other Barbie movies are more tolerable and better looking than this sad excuse of a film. Please do yourself a favor and watch something that has even a little bit more artistic value than Barbie Diaries.

Genuinely funny, engaging plot, what's not to love?

[sparkletasticcookiedough · 8/10 · 20 July 2021]

Unlike other Barbie movies, I didn't watch this one when I was a kid. I was really surprised when I watched this. It was really good: a lot of neat jokes, a pretty good plot.

It's a bit cheesy, and the animation isn't that great, plus the songs aren't the best, but this movie is really enjoyable.

Different lmao

[rubidiummoon · 2/10 · 21 November 2021]

Barbie Diaries is definitely a different breed compared to the other Barbie movies. It's like a combination of Mean Girls 2 and those really old PS2 princess games. The animation isn't great, but it is easy to make fun of and a bit fun to watch. It definitely is a lower quality Barbie movie, but if you're desperate I suppose it's an optionl.

Worst Barbie Movie!

[natashasarin · 2/10 · 28 July 2019]

Without a doubt. It's just awful. The animation is ugly, the storyline is cliché, the characters are so cringe.

Cinematic masterpiece

[emmabk-33802 · 10/10 · 31 March 2022]

This movie objectively is terrible the animation is bad, the story line is stupid, and no one talks like this in high school If you take this movie seriously you will not enjoy it but if your with your friends and need a laugh this has to be one of the funniest movie I've ever scene. The chaos in this movie and the things that make it bad only add to its comedic effect. So if you're having a bad day or you need a laugh you need to watch this.

The Movie is awesome...

[xteenxvx-2 · 9/10 · 9 May 2006]

Okay, I'm 15. Where I live, it is usually not a good thing to watch Barbie. Of course, you could ask anyone that knows me, if I'm a little weird...bingo, I am. I'm somewhat known to have the interests of an 8 year old. But still, this movie was awesome.

Kelly Sheridan, one of my favorite voice-actresses, once again stars as Barbie. Matt Hill, from "Ed, Edd, and Eddy", is Kevin. They did an excellent job. The humor wasn't even that lame, it was actually entertaining.

The movie is a softer version of Mean Girls. Notice I say softer. It doesn't fail to show how girls can be and gossip is spread. Mothers of wee little ones, I suggest showing them the other Barbie movies instead. I think it's just a little too mature for probably 7 and under. In my opinion, viewer discretion is advised for the little ones. Read some of the reviews on amazon.com for more information.

Amazing movie

[katrinagmarek · 10/10 · 19 April 2014]

Okay, so I'm a 16-year-old, and I watched this movie when I was younger, and it was practically my favorite movie, and honestly probably still is.

This movie is fantastic for so many reasons, one of them is it's difference from other Barbie movies. This movie is real. Stuff in this movie really happens in high school, and it helps young children realize how cruel the world really can be, but also how you can get over it. People say it "scares" kids, or makes them "deal with something they don't have to deal with as young girls". But, honestly, by watching the movie, the viewer isn't being harassed by the kids in the school, they are just understanding how high school works.

Another reason I love this movie is because it is practically a G-rated version of Mean Girls, which is a fantastic movie with a great lesson to be learned, just like this movie.

Thirdly, there aren't a lot of super famous people in this movie, making it even better. The movie isn't aimed to show the top celebrities playing Barbie and her friends, making the movie more raw and able to spread it's message better. Additionally, the music isn't by very well known artists, especially at the time it came out (i.e. Ke$ha sings one of the songs, but she wasn't very popular in 2006). However, it's still fantastic. The music is mostly sung by the singing voice of Barbie, Skye Sweetnam, who is now one of my favorite artists because I seeked out her work after falling in love with this film.

People say this movie is cliché, and it is, but it's played out so well. It's cliché without being annoying, and any kid who would watch this doesn't know it's cliché, so what does it matter? Simply, this movie is aimed for a young audience, and the producers definitely achieved their goal there.

Lastly, the humor in this movie is great. There are jokes I still find funny, and practically anyone will.

For anyone who wants to trash this movie, it's really not worth it. It's a Barbie movie. It's not meant for the theaters, it's meant for young kids to watch and learn from.

Living The 2000s Aesthetic Highschool Life Of Barbie World

[kervindonngo · 8/10 · 12 October 2023]

Back in the days when I was a kid my sister always loved Barbie, she had a disc with all the collections in one for all of the Barbie movies. One movie that stands out and got my attention is Barbie Diaries.

One of my favorite parts of the movie and my favorite song on the soundtrack is This Is Me by Skye Sweetnam. That intro is just so amazing to hear that I can't stop thinking about that song until now. As for today, this song gave me absolute nostalgia as a kid and is my favorite original Barbie song. It brings me back to my childhood memories of the Y2K Era.

For the movie, the graphics didn't age through the years because mostly it's the background that looked like it was a PS2 Game back in the day. Still, it gives a fitting Y2K aesthetic and I mostly loved the clothing of the characters in the 2006 high school generation. I give points for making the characters change their clothes in different styles rather than just having the same characters wear the same clothes every day.

As for the story, it's not exciting or perfect. It just remained good. As much as the movie talks about diaries it did not show much of the magic just some of the typical 2000s aesthetic high school shenanigans that I see in every Y2K high school I watched.

Barbie Diaries is not the most perfect movie to watch even as a Barbie fan but this movie brings you back to what it was like in the good old days in a 2000s aesthetic high school life.

diaries

[meydiana-65242 · 10/10 · 2 November 2020]

I actually really loved this movie, because it actually shows kids what its like in high school and the REAL truth of how people try really hard just to be in "in" with the "in crowd" and how much trouble it gets you into for not being yourself. I'm glad the movie actually was more realistic than other movies. Only occasionally does a kid want to watch a movie that has to deal with little princesses being saved and living "happily ever after" and no fights going on, because they will most likely grow up confused and thinking the world is perfect and everything out there is perfect. no kid wants to see that, so basically i really liked this movie.

8/10!

[AnnaPagrati · 8/10 · 22 August 2021]

This was a very different Barbie film than any other ones that were on at this time. Barbie was all about fairytale, princesses & castles, but this movie showed a completely different side of the character. Barbie was a student, with everything that comes along with that. I feel like this one is a very relatable film, & I like it for it.

Barbie movie for the older girls

[savinainenpihla · 9/10 · 12 June 2021]

I adore teen movies, and I had a blast with this one.

The animation has not aged well, even for the 2006 standards. It looks awkward and I can't get over Barbie's hair and how it's animated. Now that I've seen this way too many times I can see some awkward textures in the background, but it was never too much to take me out of the movie.

Barbie isn't suddenly a Mary Sue who is adored by everyone and instead has to face the worst place anyone can go to..high school! She faces the world of teenage drama and worries if she is doing too good at schoo. She has her two friends, Tia and Courtney to keep her back and they are in a band together and also Kevin who eventually develops feelings for Barbie. There is also Rachel no wait..Raquelle and her two 'minions' who take everything from Barbie and are portrayed as bullies, and Rachel as the 'popular girl'. I'm surprised they didn't give Raquelle black hair like in the other movies. They are one dimensional at times but also had their moments where they felt like real teens.

I was surprised on how good the dialogue is. I could say it's realistic but the movie is probably too old to apply on modern teenagers. They managed to sneak in a few jokes that I didn't notice until years after. (Eg, Kevin saying he recorded the cheerleading practice and managed to capture drama between Rachel and her boyfriend. He is asked why he recorded the cheerleaders and he just avoids it by saying ''Do you want to see this or not?'') I haven't seen it like this in any other teen movie. Yes my expectations are low, I'm used to these types of movies having lackluster dialogue.

Since Barbie is now in a band, there is music, and I can say that the songs her band made are either okay or good. The background songs in this are just the same three or four but it fit the 'aesthetic' of the movie well enough.

(Also this movie has bloopers in it's extras! Remember back when we had these?? This movie has really good ones!!)

The story itself...if you have seen any teen movie with a romantic plot, you have seen this one. It's a bit overdramatic but hey, teens are overdramatic and it never felt too much. And I enjoyed this despite knowing excatly what would happen just after the first 10 minutes had passed.

I can understand why the preschoolers who watch Barbie movies might want to skip this one but if you are a bit older, give this a shot. It's actually really great.

Fun Hour of A Silly Dramatic Pre-Teen Movie

[djlemon22 · 8/10 · 20 June 2022]

This film is genuinely witty and funny in a way I didn't expect from a Barbie movie. It's a silly cliched plot with no meaningful themes beyond a surface level valuing the relationships where love is reciprocated (with the whole popular kids storyline and Kevin, the boy next door friend vs Jake, the popular jock romantically involved with the snarky mean girl). I found it interesting how Barbie was going into the report on the popular kids with the wrong intentions of socially profiting off their status and the gossip that means she would be considered for head reporter. It's a friendship that starts with no interest in them as people. This means as she becomes friends with the popular kids for the expose, she gets swept up in the parts she doesn't like about them, the gossip and the fakeness of their friendships, and chooses them over her real friends who she has much more meaningful relationships with.

Anyways fun to watch but by no means high quality children's entertainment.