We Need to Talk About Netflix Missing Out on Barbie of Swan Lake
It's a pep talk in the form of a movie, after all.
(SPOT.ph) At some point in your life, you might have dreamed of being a princess, a ballerina, or even both. That crossover is exactly why Barbie of Swan Lake has remained close to our hearts even as we struggle on through this adventure called adulthood. And who can blame us? This 2000s flick is mesmerizing, heart-fluttering, dreamy, and, unfortunately, terribly underrated. Case in point: This title isn't among the Barbie bangers Netflix dropped on streaming in August. Okay, sure, maybe it wasn't a preference; legalities are up there, too, but the void has only made us miss this movie more.
Barbie of Swan Lake was released in theater houses way back in September 2003 but it’s still making waves in the Y2K kids’ zone (a.k.a. the kids at heart) and the legit kids who are die-hard fans of our well-loved doll. With the sudden drop of nostalgic Barbie movies on Netflix, the feel-good vibe has only gotten bigger—only, for some reason, this absolute banger didn’t make it to the list. Which means we have to pick up the slack and remind the world why we need this movie.
Also Read:
10 Classic Barbie Movies From the 2000s Ranked by How Badly We Want to Rewatch Them
Y2K Kids, These Classic Barbie Bangers All Drop on Netflix This August
Barbie of Swan Lake: Everything You Need to Know
What’s It About?
Barbie of Swan Lake is a retelling of the classic ballet from a more lighthearted point of view. It starts with a story-within-a-story: Kelly, Barbie’s sister, is nervous about a big race she’s competing in, at the same time she’s heading to an overnight camp; suffice to say she doesn’t feel 100%.
To help allay her worries, Barbie tells her about a girl named Odette. Odette is a village girl who loves to dance, but only does so in private. Her dad is her sole audience and encourages her to step things up and share her talent. Even Marie, her sister, adamantly pushes her to come with her to the village but that’s still not appealing enough for the shy village girl.
Odette’s life does a 160-degree turn when she encounters Lila, a unicorn, whom she helped while hunters were after it. And then her life takes an even stranger turn when it turns out Odette is the one chosen to fight a villain. And because this is a Barbie story, a fairy queen joins her in her adventure of self-discovery, self-love, and through the steps needed to fight her insecurities, all while rescuing a small town at the same time.
The Voices Behind
For a peek at what goes on behind the magic, we round up the main characters and their voices.
Kelly Sheridan is the voice behind Odette and Barbie (see the coincidence?). Sheridan has taken on the role of Barbie several times since 2001, so whenever you think of the doll, chances are it’s her voice you hear in your head.
On the other hand, Maggie Wheeler voices Odile, the black swan personified. Think of Odile as Odette’s evil counterpart, in a manner of speaking. Her name sounds familiar because she’s also Janice from the well-loved sitcom Friends.
Mark Hildreth voices Prince Daniel, Odette’s love interest. If you’re into the Gundam series (more specifically Gundam Wing), his name might ring a bell as he was working closely with this team in 1995. We’ll leave you to do the math.
Kelsey Grammer stars as Rothbart, the Fairy Queen’s cousin and archenemy. He’s an Emmy Award winner, not just once, twice, or thrice—we’re talking six times. Grammer is also a musician/singer and a restaurateur when he’s not doing voice-acting gigs.
The Production Team
Owen Hurley directed the 81-minute film. Shelley Tabbut and Jesyca Durchin produced the movie, while Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser worked together to write about it. Cris Velasco was in charge of the original music. As for the ballet music, well no surprises here, it’s from famous Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaïkovsky.
Mainframe Entertainment is the studio used for the production of the movie. Artisan Entertainment and Mattel worked hand in hand to distribute the film.
Where to Stream
As of writing, Barbie of Swan Lake is available on several platforms, including YouTube, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Apple iTunes, and Redbox. Netflix has yet to announce if the show will join the ranks of its “sister shows” that are already on the streaming provider: Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse and Barbie Dolphin Magic are just two of those ready to be included in the list of shows to binge-watch.
Barbie of Swan Lake is a movie that speaks of courage and the power within that can unlock your inner potential, all wrapped up in nostalgic, and yes, hilarious, early 2000s computer animation. Sure, it seems like a light watch, but we say there's a lot more to it, enough that we can't wait to see it up on Netflix. Hopefully.
Check out the Barbie of Swan Lake Trailer
If you think this show is not up your alley, you can always check out other movies and series we have and see if something piques your interest.
this strange new world.