There isn't a more iconic toy than Barbie, and she has sparned a franchise where every Barbie movie seems to be completely different from the ones that came before. Anyone who has never seen a Barbie movie likely has no idea what they could be in store for if they sat down to watch the best ones. However, this ranges in time, as there have been four different eras in Barbie movies. The movies started in 2001 and featured some of the zaniest and out-of-this-world stories with Barbie going into space, to the depths of the ocean, and living a life that subverts any idea of what an animated princess is all about.
However, things changed in the early 2010s when Barbie became an actress, and the movies showed roles that she played, with the two prominent ones as a mermaid and a fairy. These ended up followed by a series of movies that took the entire franchise and geared it toward very young kids of pre-school and elementary levels, with life lessons told in more straightforward stories. However, in 2017, things changed again when Netflix began airing every Barbie movie and offered a mix of zany and kid-friendly options. With a new Barbie live-action movie coming soon, the best might be yet to come.
42 Barbie In Princess Power (2015)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
This Barbie movie involves a few themes that don't seem like they fit together: a princess and a superhero. The princess and the superhero, Super Sparkle have to fight the villain Baron Von Ravendale to save the kingdom. The biggest problem with this movie was that the great animation that every Barbie movie is known for was not on display here. The plot here was also rather generic, although as with all Barbie movies, it had solid lessons about friendship and working together. This was the time period when Barbie movies dropped in quality, leading to Netflix eventually taking over.
41 Barbie And The Secret Door (2014)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
In this film, Barbie plays Princess Alexa, who finds a secret door in her castle garden that leads to a magical world outside the only one she's ever known. She has to battle with the evil Malucia, who wants to take over control of the lands. The setup here was that it was a coming-of-age movie, where Princess Alexa could learn more about herself and grow. Instead, it is just about her leaving her home and finding magic and not really learning anything in the process. On the positive side, the Barbie villain Malucia was a treat and had the best lines and songs in the movie.
40 Barbie Diaries (2006)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
This film answers the question, "What if a diary could grant the wishes of a high school sophomore?" When Barbie discovers that her diary can do just that, she uses it to get ahead in her dream of being on the high school TV station and getting together with Todd, her rival's ex-boyfriend. This was unusual compared to every Barbie movie because here Barbie is a typical American teenager and that really took away what makes her special. It also is highly comparable with better romantic comedies of the same era, and this animated movie falls short in that aspect.
39 Barbie Spy Squad (2016)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
Totally Spies may be one of the better shows of the early '00s Cartoon Network, but Barbie Spy Squad is its Mattel equivalent. Barbie and her friends suit up to fight crime as a trio of spies solving a gem robbery in this fun flick. Honestly, the best description is that this is a Barbie version of Charlie's Angels, with three Barbies in action fighting crime. However, unlike that movie (and before that television) franchise, this is mostly a generic action movie with Barbie and her friends using acrobatic skills to stop bad guys and that is about it.
38 Barbie Princess Adventure (2020)
- Streaming now on Netflix
In a movie that is a lot like the Princess Switch Trilogy, Barbie switches places with Princess Amelia to see how the royal half lives. Although, instead of another Barbie lookalike trying to sabotage things, it's a prince from another land. Sadly, this movie brought back memories of the 2004 Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper movie, which was better in just about every way. While Netflix has done well since taking over every Barbie movie, this was a slight letdown, as it felt more like a Disney Princess movie and less like the Barbie movies that subverted those tropes.
37 Barbie: The Pearl Princess (2014)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
Barbie plays a mermaid named Lumina who has the power to change the color of pearls and make them dance. She was raised by her aunt and by a mishap and an adventure, she discovers that she may actually be the lost princess of the kingdom. The movie has the basic themes that fans of the franchise want, from a princess who doesn't know her roots, a magical land with animal (or fish) friends, and friends that seem to love each other. However, the franchise was not at its best here, and there are many Barbie movies that are more entertaining to watch.
36 Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday (2021)
- Streaming now on Netflix
Another Barbie movie featuring her family, this film follows Barbie and Chelsea as they try to celebrate Chelsea's seventh birthday which gets skipped by the two traveling over the international dateline. This is a movie meant for the little kids, which is a little unusual for the Netflix releases. However, the lessons learned are important, as this is about giving children autonomy on their own decisions and then crediting them when they do well. As with almost every Barbie movie on Netflix, it is well-animated and has a good lesson, but it just falls a little below the rest in of storytelling.
35 Barbie Presents: Thumbelina (2009)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
Countless classic fairytale stories have been retold set in the modern-day, and Barbie added her version to the roster and added their own spin to the story. Thumbelina has to save her home from being dug up at a construction site, with a message about preservation. The movie is mostly aimed at younger kids, as the themes in this tale are self-belief and that even the littlest of people can still make a difference in the end. That is also shown when Barbie, a teacher, narrates the story to her class.
34 Barbie: A Perfect Christmas (2011)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
Even Barbie needs a trope-filled holiday rom-com. Barbie, Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea want to go to a rock concert to see their favorite band during the Christmas holidays, but the snowy weather causes them problems. This is a different tale, with Skipper as a blogger who writes songs and hopes that some band will agree to play them. The movie is a sweet and cheery Christmas tale, and the main message here is that being together with loved ones during the holidays will help make everything alright.
33 Barbie And Her Sisters In A Puppy Chase (2016)
- Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
When Barbie and her sisters Chelsea, Skipper, and Stacie travel to Hawaii with their pet puppies for Chelsea's dance competition things go awry when their furry friends suddenly go missing. There are some problems with this movie and that is specifically product placement, which seems almost overkill in a movie meant to basically sell toys anyway. However, it does have talking puppies, and that is always fun. It also has great dialogue, realistic obstacles getting in the hero's way of succeeding, and realistic characters that aren't just stereotypes. It is a decent release in an otherwise lackluster period for every Barbie movie.
