2000’s Barbie movie dolls, ranked based on their gimmick
Ah, the old Barbies—the ultimate nostalgia artifacts. What wouldn’t I have given, as my five-year-old self, to get my little hands on the Elina fairy or the singing Erika and Anneliese? What you might not have noticed in your childhood, however, is that every single animated movie doll from the 2000s and beyond had some kind of fun gimmick—be it light-up wings, battery-powered singing, or a gown that magically transforms into a cape. Let me walk you through every single one in this extremely biased ranking.
1. Barbie in the Nutcracker
The Sugarplum Princess doll is one of the most beloved animated movie dolls in the Barbie collecting community, and for good reason: she’s absolutely gorgeous (except for maybe her crown, which is more of a hairclip than an actual tiara). Her gimmick is her pink dance stand that twirls her, and with nine articulation points, she’s extremely poseable. I personally love this addition because of how unobtrusive it is—you can use it to pose her with Prince Eric for their perpetual dance (since any two dolls can go on it), or you can opt not to use it at all. Maybe it’s the collector in me speaking, but I love that the doll can be washed and customized without the fear of messing up an internal mechanism.
2. Barbie of Swan Lake
My dear, dear, precious Odette! Let me start by acknowledging how absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous this doll is. I could fawn over her for hours, but that’s not why we’re here, so let’s get to the point. Her “special thing” is her wings, which “pop up” and light up and can be removed from her body altogether. I love that they can be attached and detached at will, but from my experience, they tend to fall off due to the bulkiness of the attachment (though that’s just me being a nitpicky adult, I suppose).
3. Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia
The Fairytopia movie spawned so many dolls that I lost count—it practically became a franchise of its own. Out of the many Elina dolls, the Mermaidia version is my absolute favorite. Her wings are enormous and made of thin fabric, which you can "transform" into a mermaid tail by pointing them downward and covering them with the tail piece. That’s what I call ingenuity, Mattel! There are only so many things you can do with doll wings, but this was such a clever invention that didn’t compromise the doll’s appearance. My only gripe? I usually don’t like molded clothing, but since molded tops and mermaid/fairy characters go hand-in-hand at Mattel, I’ll let it slide. Besides, the doll is gorgeous.
4. The Barbie Diaries
Can I start by acknowledging the fact that “Real Life” is the best song ever made? And can I continue by stating that all four main dolls from this line are absolutely mugging? What exactly was the reason for giving this Barbie the Mackie face—just to outmog every other doll? Anyways… Among other accessories (which is very unexpected since movie Barbies usually only have one or two), this doll comes with a guitar and a butterfly-shaped stand that plays three songs. Again, I love that the gimmick is external—the music comes from the stand and not the doll’s body. As a collector, I never have to worry about damaging the doll with water, but imagine being a child: you take your favorite singing doll to the bath, and the next thing you know, your beloved Anneliese is permanently mute.
5. Barbie Presents: Thumbelina
Okay, hear me out! I know the Thumbelina doll is not technically a Barbie, but she’s the main character of a Barbie movie with a gimmick, and that’s what we’re discussing here. I will not be talking about the singular Barbie doll that was released—yes, she also has a gimmick, but she’s a side character, and the doll is ugly. Case closed.
Now, back to Thumbelina. This little lady is overlooked by everyone; she’s not in high demand among collectors, and I don’t recall much hype around her release either. However, her wing gimmick is another instance of clever design. The doll is nestled inside a flower, her wings acting as petals, which “bloom” to reveal her. Adorable! Sensational! Never-seen-before! Conclusion: Stop sleeping on Thumbelina.
Oh, and a side note—don’t you think the doll looks a bit similar to Winx’s Enchantix forms?
6. Barbie and the Three Musketeers
Out of all the “gown transforms” dolls, this one is, in my opinion, the best. The dress transforms into an entirely different outfit—revealing a Musketeer uniform of a top and skirt underneath—which is fantastic. Bonus points for the fact that the top is not molded onto the doll (though the tights are), meaning the dress can be removed entirely. Even her tiara can be pushed down to turn into a mask. Very fun and imaginative, if you ask me.
7. Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses
Even though I don’t personally like this doll much, I have to give credit where it’s due—the spinning skirt gimmick is unique and hasn’t been repeated elsewhere on this list. I haven’t seen the doll in person, but from what I know, it lights up like a disco ball and spins at a high speed, which seems a bit excessive. Still, I can see how it would be fun for a child. The activation button is on Genevieve’s calf, which makes me suspect that the skirt isn’t removable, but I can’t confirm. Nine points of articulation for a ballerina doll is always a nice touch, though.
Okay, okay, there was another gimmick Genevieve doll that I have to mention. It’s not part of the ranking, but I’ll make sure to share my opinion. The Let’s Dance Genevieve doll is not as grandiose as the previous one, but it’s definitely the more entertaining kind. The doll has three settings: the performance mode makes the doll dance to music; the teaching mode makes the doll demonstrate dance moves along with using speech prompts; the dance-along mode makes the doll follow along with the girl’s dance. The doll comes with three bracelet controllers for the girl that are to be put on both arms and a leg. This is a great gimmick, and as a child, I’d be thoroughly entertained. I wish the doll itself was prettier. If I were to rank it—the atrocious outfit aside—I’d put it maybe above Thumbelina.
8. Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow
This Elina doll is—prepare yourself—a remote controller for a DVD game she comes with! What! That’s so silly and genius at the same time. It’s kind of one of those “one and done” gimmicks—so you finished the game, now what? There’s not much going on in terms of the outfit—attached wings, molded top and accessories, no shoes. As far as I can see, only the skirt can be taken off. Still, you have to admit—a doll-shaped controller is pretty sick. The doll can also be purchased as a stand-alone, without the DVD. I wonder if that version can still be used as a controller.
Now, let’s address the Elina in the room, another gimmick doll released for this movie—the Rainbow Lights doll. Yep. it’s what you think it is—the Odette wings, recolored. Uninspired, out-of-place, boring. Boo! 0/10. Next.
9. Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper.
Everyone’s favorite doppelgangers are in the middle of my list, but don’t forget! I’m ranking based on the gimmick! The dolls sing the “Just Like You” song and can sync into a duet if you have both Erika and Anneliese. I love the dolls, but if you couldn’t tell already, I’m not a big fan of on-the-nose gimmicks—plus, the song can’t be fully enjoyed unless you have both dolls. I’ll let it slide because two dolls singing a duet was innovative enough.
10. Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus
Even though this movie is my favorite, the dolls (and especially the packaging) are a bit underwhelming. The Annika doll has a “transforming” gown gimmick—except both dresses, mind you, look nearly identical. Her main feature is the light-up wand that comes with her. Personally, I love that they included it, because let’s be honest—we all wanted one. Still, the doll itself feels somewhat undercooked, like something is missing—especially compared to other animated movie dolls.
11. Barbie as Rapunzel
Don’t get me wrong, I love Rapunzel, and the doll is gorgeous. However, the gimmick of her hair “growing” by pulling a string in her head was poorly executed. Turn the doll around, and you’ll see two sections of hair at different lengths—atrocious. The idea was there, but the execution… not so much. That said, I can appreciate how fitting the gimmick is for the movie.
The Cut & Style Rapunzel doll released in 2008, in my opinion, is the superior version—even though her dress was dumbed down. Well, I suppose asking for a beautiful doll and a properly executed gimmick would be too much.
12. Barbie: Fairytopia
Oh, how I loved this Elina doll as a child. I never had her, but I remember so vividly when my friend—who was also named Elina—brought her doll to kindergarten, and I just stood there, marveling at it. Gimmick-wise, let’s not forget that we already had a doll with light-up wings.
13. Barbie & the Diamond Castle
Ah yes, the tale as old as time—two best friends so inseparable that they are together in every universe, singing about their deep connection… Anyway, Liana and Alexa are, of course, sold separately, but just like Erika and Anneliese, both are needed to complete the singing gimmick. In addition to that, their gowns “transform” into… slightly different-looking gowns? Pretty boring. But I suppose two gimmicks are better than one.
14. Barbie as the Island Princess
Rosella’s dress “transforms” when you lift the peacock feathers, and she also sings two songs. Meh—a bit underwhelming, if you ask me. Still, I think the doll is beautiful and unique, which keeps her from ranking lower. If I weren’t rating purely based on gimmicks, she’d be much, much higher.
15. Barbie Mariposa
Big wings, not much else to say. I guess they ran out of ideas.
16. Barbie in A Christmas Carol
No gimmick. How dare they.
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Phew! That concludes the list. I'm extremely interested to hear everyone else's opinions on those dolls!
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