Barbie in Swan Lake (DVD)

Barbie shines in her third animated movie, an adaptation of the classic ballet Swan Lake. A young girl named Odette (played by Barbie) follows a beautiful unicorn into the enchanted forest and picks up a magic crystal that proclaims her destiny as savior of the enchanted forest. Odette, hampered by an overwhelming sense of insecurity, proclaims herself unfit for the job and sets out to leave the forest when the evil wizard Rothbart (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) turns her into a swan. Bolstered by the powers of the magic crystal, Odette vows to defeat Rothbart. Meanwhile, love blossoms between Odette and the town's Prince Daniel and, eventually, Odette finds a courage within herself that, combined with her intelligence and the true love between her and the Prince, proves powerful enough to defeat Rothbart. The computer-generated animation in this 83-minute presentation is vivid and lifelike, the London Symphony gives a wonderful performance of Tchaikovsky's original music, and the choreography and dancing is nicely done thanks to Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet.