There are more than 40 Barbie movies, and we ranked them all
Real Barbie fans know that the iconic blond fashion doll has had a long cinematic career, decades before Greta Gerwig’s satirical live-action movie Barbie. Barbie’s movie roots started in 2001 with the direct-to-VHS feature Barbie in the Nutcracker, and she’s since gone on to star in 41 animated movies.
Float into our DreamHouse: Barbie World is Polygon’s dive into everything Barbie, from her legacy as an iconic toy to her presence in games and movies.
People who grew up as Barbie fans after 2001 probably have their Barbie movie, the one they watched over and over again as kids and have practically memorized. But there’s more to Movie Barbie than our specific childhood favorites — her film career has gone through many different phases, from straight-up fairy-tale adaptations to hard science fiction. And also fantasy movies featuring mermaids. There have been a lot of Barbie mermaids. But one thing is constant across all Barbie movies: She’s the hero of her own story, saving the day (and often the world!) with her best friends, all while looking super cute.
So which movies hold up? Which ones truly embody the Barbie energy that has been in the zeitgeist over the past few months? Which are worthy of checking out when you exit the theater in a post-Barbie high?
As is my nature and my calling, I sat down and watched every single Barbie movie, from Barbie in the Nutcracker to 2023’sBarbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure, and ranked every single one of them.
Quick note: I made the executive choice not to include Gerwig’s movie in the ranking. It was made with a different audience in mind than any of the films below, and more importantly, it had a much bigger budget. It just doesn’t seem fair to compare a bunch of
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