''Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper'' is a 2004

computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...

. It was released to video on September 28, 2004, and made its television premiere on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

on November 14, 2004. This film is the first

in the Barbie series. It was directed by William Lau and stars the voice of

Kelly Sheridan Kelly Sheridan is a Canadian voice actress best known for being the voice for Barbie in the ''Barbie'' film series from 2001 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2015. She had also voiced in numerous animations and English-language dubs of Japanese animati ...

as the Barbie protagonists, Anneliese and Erika. The plot is loosely inspired by the 1881

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

novel ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''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. Set in 1547, ...

'', 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 the best film in the franchise and has secured a strong

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

. Songs for the film were written by

Amy Powers Amy Powers (born 1960) is a lyricist, songwriter and producer who writes songs for film, television, and theater. Career Early life Powers graduated from Vassar College, and then attended Columbia University (M.B.A) and Harvard University law de ...

, Megan Cavallari and Rob Hudnut, who also executive produced the film. The film was nominated for six DVD Exclusive Awards.

Plot

In an unnamed kingdom, a blonde princess and a brunette

pauper Pauperism (Lat. ''pauper'', poor) is poverty or generally the state of being poor, or particularly the condition of being a "pauper", i.e. receiving relief administered under the English Poor Laws. From this, pauperism can also be more generally ...

are born at the same time. Several years later, Princess Anneliese is betrothed by her mother, Queen Genevieve, to the wealthy King Dominick to save their nearly bankrupt royal treasury; however, Anneliese is in love with her young tutor Julian. The Pauper, Erika, is an

indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an " indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensation or debt repayment ...

, 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 Preminger ( he, פרמינגר) is a surname of Jewish origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Eliezer Preminger (1920–2001), Israeli politician * Erik Lee Preminger (born 1944), American writer and actor * Ingo Preminger (1911–2006) ...

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 Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it ...

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 A geode (; ) is a geological secondary formation within sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Geodes are hollow, vaguely spherical rocks, in which masses of mineral matter (which may include crystals) are secluded. The crystals are formed by the fill ...

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.

Voice cast

Songs

''Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper'' is the first

in the series of ''Barbie'' CGI films. It features seven original songs written by

and Megan Cavallari with an original score by

Arnie Roth Arnold Roth (born April 28, 1953) is an American conductor, composer, and record producer. His work includes conducting concerts for video game music. He is also a classically trained violinist and a member of the Grammy Award-winning music gr ...

, performed by the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. 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. #"Free" – Julie Stevens (Erika) & Melissa Lyons (Anneliese) #"How Can I Refuse?" –

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He ...

(Preminger) #"Written in Your Heart" (Prelude) – Julie Stevens (Erika) #"I Am a Girl Like You" – Julie Stevens (Erika) & Melissa Lyons (Anneliese) #"To Be a Princess" –

Alessandro Juliani Alessandro Juliani (born July 6) is a Canadian actor and singer. He is notable for playing the roles of Tactical Officer Lieutenant Felix Gaeta on the Sci-Fi Channel television program ''Battlestar Galactica'', Emil Hamilton in ''Smallville'', Ja ...

(Julian) & Julie Stevens (Erika) #"The Cat's Meow" – Julie Stevens (Erika) #"If You Love Me for Me" – Julie Stevens (Erika) & Mark Luna (Dominick) #"How Can You Refuse?" (Reprise) –

(Preminger) #"Written in Your Heart" (Finale) – Julie Stevens (Erika) & Melissa Lyons (Anneliese) #"I'm on My Way" –

Sara Niemietz Sara Niemietz () (born June 7, 1992) is an American singer/songwriter and actress based in Los Angeles, California. She has performed on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, and the Grand Ole Opry. A substantial portion of her YouTube offerings ...

Release

The DVD and VHS was released on September 28, 2004, and distributed by

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered in ...

. The film was re-released on January 5, 2010, by

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...

. The DVD also included a CD containing seven songs from the film soundtrack.

Reception

Critical response

''Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper'' received generally positive reviews from entertainment critics. Steve Evans of ''

DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...

'' called it "wholesome entertainment" with "sweet songs tunefully sung" though lacking in grown-up humor. D. Liebenson of ''The Video Librarian'' praised Barbie's "

virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...

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." Reviewing the film for the ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...

'', 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." Describing the story as "a fascinatingly nuanced line between following one's heart ..and doing one's duty", Brendan Howard of ''

Video Store A video rental shop/store is a physical retail business that rents home videos such as movies, prerecorded TV shows, video game discs and other media content. Typically, a rental shop conducts business with customers under conditions and terms a ...

'' 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". James Lileks of the ''

Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'' 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 ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...

''" of the nowiki/>children's_film.html" ;"title="children's_film.html" ;"title="nowiki/>children's film">nowiki/>children's film">children's_film.html" ;"title="nowiki/>children's film">nowiki/>children's filmgenre" due to its unusually high quality. Mandi Bierly of ''Entertainment Weekly'' scored it a B+, noting a generally "feminist" story. ''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". Reviewing the film for

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

, 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 in updating traditional models for girls' entertainment, as Princess Anneliese and Erika are shown "putting heir interestsfirst over romance ..But the big finish still centers around them pairing off, fairy-tale style." In ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'', 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."

Awards

Video game

A video game for

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

, PC, and

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

was released in 2004 by

Vivendi Universal Games Vivendi Games was an American video game publisher and holding company based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1996 as CUC Software, the publishing subsidiary of CUC International, after the latter acquired video game companies Davidson & Associ ...

. 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.

References

External links

*
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper
' at the

portal * * * {{authority control 2004 direct-to-video films 2004 computer-animated films 2000s American animated films 2000s musical fantasy films Barbie films 2000s children's animated films 2000s English-language films Films about princesses Films based on The Prince and the Pauper Lionsgate films Lionsgate animated films American children's animated fantasy films American direct-to-video films American children's animated musical films Canadian direct-to-video films Canadian independent films Canadian animated feature films Animated films based on novels 2000s children's fantasy films American musical fantasy films Canadian musical fantasy films Animated films set in England Films set in palaces Films directed by William Lau 2000s Canadian films