Barbie and the Diamond Castle

When the ladies at Mom Central asked for volunteers to review the new Barbie and the Diamond Castle DVD, I jumped at the chance. Moe loves the Barbie DVD's and had been begging for it already. Plus, it would give us something else to rotate into the mix of Barbie Mermaidia, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Swan Lake and Rapunzel. She was very excited and asked everyday "when is Diamond Castle coming?" She was very disappointed when the shipment was delayed.

But the day finally arrived and within moments of it arriving at the door, it was in the DVD player and she was on the couch. The first week we had it, we watched it 625 thousand times. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but it was watched numerous times. So much, in fact, when Moe and I were snuggling on the couch after lunch, watching it yesterday, Moe was singing all the song's along with the DVD. It was so cute, to hear her sing Connected.

While I initially did not get the girls into watching the Barbie videos, they have come to find a home here. They are fairly easy to take and the girls love them. The plot lines are usually similar, with Barbie as the heroine, but overall, the movies have all be great.

Barbie and the Diamond Castle was no disappointment. The girls were captivated by the singing and the castle at the end. The story is about two friends, Liana and Alexa, who befriend a girl named Melody who is trapped inside an enchanted mirror. To save Melody, they need to find the Diamond Castle and reach the magical instruments, freeing the two muses before Lydia (the third muse, who wanted the Diamond Castle to herself) can stop them. Along the way, the girls find two lost puppies, befriend twin brothers and have their friendship tested by the temptation of a mansion in the middle of nowhere. When offered the gift of the mansion, Alexa chooses to stay and live in comfort, while Liana wants to continue on her quest to save the Diamond Castle. Unknown to them, it was a trick by Lydia to try and tear the girls apart. Without the crystal to help her, Alexa falls under Lydia's power and Liana must choose who to save, her friend or the Diamond Castle. In the end, the girls make up and save the castle. Melody is rewarded for her part and made the third muse.

While I would recommend this movie to my friends, it seems like the lesson it is trying to teach is more geared for older children. My four year old (and even my six year old) certainly don't have the level of friendships that gets tested at the beginning of the movie. While friendship is important and I agree with the message, it seems like my kids were out of range of their target audience. Regardless, they love the movie anyway! The top of their Christmas lists include merchandise from the movie (specifically the horse and carriage) and the new Barbie Christmas DVD. I'm sure if there is a Wii game, that would be a highly coveted item as well!

Overall, the meaning of the movie was clear. Friends may have their differences and may not always agree, but friendship is a very important thing to have.