Barbie Mariposa and Her Butterfly Friends Review

The journey for a Barbie character that I approve of for my young daughter to play with as a toy or watch as a DVD continues (since Barbie and the Diamond Castlewas a collosal failure).  Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friendsbegan as a DVD rental, to become one of the most cherished of DVD's in my children's DVD collection.  

Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friends is an animated story, with a slightly "Hispanic" tone, as many of the characters have a Spanish accent, and of course, the term Mariposa -- which if I get this right means butterflies (plural) in Spanish. The cost of the DVD is $14,99 brand new, but we purchased it as a previously viewed DVD for $4.99.

Storyline of Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friends

Mariposa is a personal assistant to two other butterfly fairies, (think Mean Girls and you can see them).  She feels like she doesn't "belong" or fit in because she wants to travel and read books and do things the others don't.  During an evening at the castle she and the kingdom's prince stumble upon each other as they are both trying to avoid the party.  Drama strikes the kingdom when someone poisons the Queen, and Mariposa with information she gets from the prince goes on a journey with her two employers, who now have almost a friendly relationship with her,  to find the cure for the poison.

Moral to the Story of Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friends

The three butterfly fairies must follow through with the clues that lead them to the antidote for the poison that could kill their Queen. They encounter unusual creatures as well as the predators who like to feed on them, the "Skeezites."  After successfully obtaining the antidote, Mariposareturns with her friends just in time to administer the antidote. While she is gone the young prince finds out who is poisoning his mother and of course there is a happy ending.  The moral to the story is that, "It's ok to be different,"  as Mariposa's differences (such as her knowledge of the world outside their kingdom) helped them on their quest for the antidote.  Along the way, Mariposa learns not only to accept her differences but also to gain some self esteem and confidence as she makes choices to protect herself and her friends.

My Viewpoint: While "Barbie" would not be my first choice for my daughter's to play with or view, Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friends the DVD is quite enchanting. The animation and colors are vivid.   Some of the "actors" sounds like they are from "B" rated movies, but this isn't a feature film and the girls don't seem to mind.  There are several very important lessons or thoughts that the movie, Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friends advocate.  Mariposa learns to accept herself for who she is, even with all her differences.  She leans to appreciate those differences and celebrate them, as well as gain self esteem and confidence.  The Mariposa character doesn't rely on someone else to save them as many fairy tales do, but the three butterfly fairies solve the problem together and learn to appreciate each other.  No prince saving for these girls.

But, beside all that, my daughters love the movie Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Friends. It is possibly their favorite, next to WOW WOW Wubzy (look for that review soon).  It has been used so much that it is actually worn out, and this time round I think I will go ahead and purchase a new one, maybe it will last even longer.  The girls get the animation and entertainment they desire, and I get to know they the movie actually does teach them something, even if they are too young to know it now.