Barbie as the Island Princess

Barbie as the Island Princess
DVD cover
Directed by	Greg Richardson
Written by	Elana Lesser Cliff Ruby
Produced by	Jeyca C. Durchin Jennifer Twinner McCaron Shea Wageman
Starring	Kelly Sheridan Christopher Gaze Susan Roman Brian Drummond Steve Marvel Alessandro Juliani Andrea Martin
Edited by	Colin Adams
Music by	Arnie Roth
Production companies	Mattel Entertainment Rainmaker Animation
Distributed by	Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release date	September 18, 2007 (2007-09-18)
Running time	85 minutes
Countries	Canada United States
Language	English

Barbie as the Island Princess is a 2007 Canadian-American computer-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.

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.

Plot

Sagi the red panda and Azul the Indian peacock live on a tropical island in the South Seas. They discover a little girl and a chest of belongings washed up after a storm, and take her in and name her "Ro", the only two letters left on her chests' broken nameplate. Ten years later, Ro has learned to speak to animals and grows up to be a beautiful young woman, spending her days playing on the island with Azul, Sagi, and a baby elephant named Tika.

Prince Antonio is out exploring the South Seas, and finds himself on Ro's Island. She saves him from a float of crocodiles, and Antonio invites her to return with him to his Kingdom of Apollonia, so she can search for clues as to her forgotten past. Ro agrees, bringing her three friends with her. On the journey, Ro and Antonio begin to fall in love.

In Apollonia, King Peter and Queen Danielle are shocked when they meet Ro. Peter had arranged a marriage for Antonio while he was away to force his son to settle down and stop adventuring. He takes an immediate dislike to the "Wild Island Girl" for disrupting his plans. However, Antonio's three little sisters, Rita, Sofia, Gina, and Danielle's pet rhesus monkey Tallulah, immediately befriend Ro and her animals.

Antonio's betrothed, Princess Luciana, and her mother Queen Ariana arrive, so Antonio can meet them. Unbeknownst to everyone, even Luciana, Ariana's parents committed treason and were demoted to swineherds by Peter, long ago. Ariana married an elderly king to become queen and now is seeking a way to enact revenge on Peter; seeing Ro as a threat, she works to sabotage all Ro's attempts to fit in. However, Antonio falls more and more in love with Ro, and Luciana herself, being kindhearted, feels sorry for her.

Ro, demoralized by her 'failures', thinks about returning to the island. Tallulah, Sagi, Azul and Tika cheer her up and help her get dressed up for a royal ball. At the ball, everyone is impressed by Ro's beauty and grace, and Antonio privately proposes to her. However, Ro refuses, reminding Antonio his duty is to obey his father.

Antonio argues with Peter and eventually abdicates the crown to one of his younger sisters. He leaves a note for Ro to say he will run away with her. Tika, afraid to lose Ro, overhears and hides the note. 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. King Peter, concluding Ro and her animals brought the "disease", imprisons them.

Peter strikes a bargain with Antonio – he will free Ro if Antonio marries Luciana. Ro and her animals are sent off on a ship, and Tika, realizing her mistake, confesses to Ro about the note and is forgiven. A sailor, bribed by Ariana, knocks them all overboard. In the water, Ro remembers the shipwreck of her childhood, and that her real name is Rosella.

Returning to the Kingdom with the help of some dolphins, Ro learns from a little bird that Ariana 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, remembering her mother forbade her to eat anything after the wedding, defends Ro. Ariana flees in a carriage, but is wrecked and flung into a pigsty.

When Ro reveals to Antonio she has remembered her full name, a wedding guest, Queen Marissa of Paladia, comes forward, saying she lost her daughter Rosella at sea many years ago. Ro and Marissa sing a lullaby from Ro's childhood together, confirming the truth of the story. Peter begs Ro's forgiveness and thanks her for saving their lives, and she and Antonio are married, while Luciana meets a handsome prince at the wedding. Ro and Antonio then sail off to find new adventures, with Tika, Sagi, Azul, and Tallulah in tow.

Voice cast

Cast as per the closing credits:

• Kelly Sheridan as Speaking Voice of "Ro"/Princess Rosella of Paladia (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 pompous, flamboyant and self-important Indian peacock.
• Susan Roman as Tika, a sweet baby elephant who looks up to Ro as an older sister or mother, and is very 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, who disapproves of his son's adventuring.
• Patricia Drake as Queen Danielle, Antonio's mother and the doting owner of Tallulah. Drake also voices the Mama Pig.
• Bets Malone as Tallulah, a 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 Rita (played by Chelsie), Antonio's little sister.
• Carly McKillip as Gina (played by Becky), Antonio's other little sister.
• Chantal Strand as Sofia (played by Kelly), Antonio's other little sister.
• Andrea Martin as Queen Ariana
• Candice Nicole as Princess Lucianan (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." 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".

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.

Video game

Barbie as the Island Princess
Barbie as the Island Princess cover art (North American Wii version)
Developer(s)	Human Soft
Publisher(s)	Activision
Director(s)	Greg Richardson
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance
Release	NA: November 1, 2007 EU: December 1, 2007
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player Multiplayer

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 Human Soft and published by Activision, it is a collection of 28 different mini-games.

See also

• List of Barbie films

External links

• Official Website
• Barbie as the Island Princess at IMDb
• Barbie as the Island Princess at AllMovie
• Barbie as the Island Princess at Rotten Tomatoes