Barbie as Rapunzel

Barbie as Rapunzel is the second installment in the Barbie movie series. It is based on Rapunzel, a fairy tale first published by the German scholars Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The film is CGI animated and was released in fall 2002.

Official Summary
"Long, long ago, in a time of magic and dragons, there lived a girl named Rapunzel, who had the most beautiful, radiant hair the world had ever seen. But Rapunzel's life was far from wonderful. She lived as a servant of Gothel, a jealous, scheming witch who kept her hidden deep in a forbidding forest, guarded by the enormous dragon Hugo and surrounded by an enchanted glass wall.

"However, in a twist of fate, Rapunzel's discovery of a magic paintbrush leads her on a journey that will unravel a web of deception, bring peace to two feuding kingdoms, and ultimately lead her to love with the handsome Prince Stefan. She succeeds with the help of Penelope, the least intimidating of dragons!

"Barbie as Rapunzel shows that love and imagination can change the world..."

Starring the Voices Of

 * Barbie/Rapunzel: Kelly Sheridan
 * Gothel: Anjelica Huston
 * Penelope: Cree Summer
 * Hobie/Palace Guard: Ian James Corlett
 * Stefan: Mark Hildreth
 * Hugo/General: David Kaye
 * Otto/Skinny Swordsman: Peter Kelamis
 * King Frederick: Russell Roberts
 * King Wilhelm: Christopher Gaze
 * Fat Swordsman/Baker: Terry Klassen
 * Kelly/Katrina: Chantal Strand
 * Tommy: Danny McKinnon
 * Melody: Britt McKillip
 * Lorena: Jocelyn Loewen
 * Silversmith: Dale Wilson

Plot
The story is being told by Barbie to her little sister Kelly, who does not have confidence in her painting abilities. Rapunzel lives as a servant to the witch Gothel, who resides in a manor isolated in the woods. She grows up believing that Gothel saved her from abandonment as an infant. Rapunzel finds companionship in Penelope, an outgoing dragon, and Hobie, a worrisome rabbit. Rapunzel spends what free time she has painting.

The story begins with Rapunzel painting a beautiful picture of a seashore where she dreams she can go to be free one day. Hobie soon alerts her of Gothel's approach and Rapunzel just manages to get things ready in time. However, Gothel notices a smear of paint on her cheek and accuses her of that appreciating everything that she has done for her.

While preparing tea for Gothel, Penelope accidentally finds a secret staircase which, leads to an old room below the manor. In it they discover a gift from her parents who allegedly deserted her: a silver hairbrush engraved with the following: ''“Constant as the stars above, always know that you are loved. To our daughter, Rapunzel on her first birthday. With Love Forever, Mother and Father.”'' These words leave the young artist questioning her past for the first time. Her diversion is quickly interrupted by Gothel’s call for tea.

After serving Gothel her meal, Rapunzel and her friends revisit the cellar where Penolope exposes yet another secret: a tunnel leading to the nearby village. Rapunzel takes this path to the small kingdom and is able to rescue a princess named Katrina from a pitfall. Soon after, Rapunzel is introduced to Katrina’s elder brother, the handsome Prince Stefan. He explains to her that the trap Katrina managed to escape was put there by King Wilhelm, the ruler of an opposing kingdom. Enchanted by the mysterious maiden, Stefan asks to meet her again, to which she agrees, though their meeting is ended abruptly before Stefan could tell her his name when she quickly rushes back to the woods to avoid being discovered by Gothel. Unknown to Rapunzel, Gothel's pet ferret, Otto, has witnessed the entire exchange.

Angered, Gothel demands Rapunzel tell her the boy's name. Rapunzel insists that she does not know it but Gothel does not believe her, thinking she has been lying to her, despite that she knew his existence. Rapunzel tells her that she cannot keep her locked away forever to which Gothel responds: Watch me. Gothel destroys Rapunzel's paint and paintings before transforming her bedroom into a tall tower and stations Hugo, Penelope's father, outside. Gothel refuses to let Rapunzel go until she tells her the name of the boy she met.

That night, Rapunzel has a dream that Prince Stefan found her tower. He came up by climbing her long hair. When up there, they are about to kiss, but Gothel shows up and separates them. Rapunzel then wakes up and reads the engraving on the hairbrush. She realizes that there is still hope. Going back to sleep, a shower of light turns the hairbrush into a paintbrush.

It is revealed that Gothel is the fiendish puppetmaster of the whole feud and is enjoying watching the two kings attempt to destroy one another.

Rapunzel is left alone with Hobie and Penelope, who cheered her up with new paints to replace the ones taken away from by Gothel. Hobie discovers the paintbrush and Rapunzel begins to paint. It soon becomes clear that she doesn't need paint and whatever she paints becomes real. Rapunzel paints the village and then steps through, arriving at the palace gardens and meets Stefan.

She shows him the brush and asks for help to find its maker but insists that he never tell her his name. She meets a silversmith who says his brother made it, who lives in Wilhelm's side. The silversmith has not seen his brother in years, making him very upset. Stefan realizes that the feud is hurting the villagers more than he realized.

Afterwards, Stefan asks Rapunzel to a masquarade ball. She replies that she will meet him there. He tells that her hair is a 'beautiful give away.' Penelope soon arrives explaining that Gothel is coming and they must leave so that Hugo will not be hurt. Rapunzel leaves and paints a way out.

When back at the tower, Rapunzel uses the paintbrush to paint herself a beautiful gown. Hobie and Penelope provided a mask. Unfortunately, the paintbrush's light can be seen and Otto sneaks in. He quickly steals the invitation without their notice and presents it to Gothel.

Angered, she arrives at the tower and slices off Rapunzel's hair and breaks the paintbrush into pieces. She also manages to destroy the painting of the village. Because she thinks Rapunzel refused to tell the truth, Gothel puts a spell around her tower, which holds people who lie forever and can never be broken. Gothel then storms to King Frederick and Stefan's castle, intent on destroying them. Back at the tower, Rapunzel manages to escape with the help of Penelope and Hugo, as the spell only works if the prisoner is a liar, and rushes to save Stefan.

Stefan is lured away by Gothel who is disguised as Rapunzel but Gothel reveals herself and begins her attack. Wilhelm appears before Frederick, hoping to end the feud by force. It is revealed the source of the feud was because he believes Frederick kidnapped his daughter, who has been missing since she was an infant. Frederick replies that he planned nothing of the sort and he has no idea where Wilhelm's daughter is, to which Gothel reveals that she's the one who took Rapunzel because Wilhelm "loved" her but married another woman, as he saw her only as a friend. Rapunzel arrives just in time to stop them from fighting and Wilhelm recognizes her as his daughter.

A battle ensues, and Gothel begins to attack Rapunzel with magic. As Rapunzel runs into the royal maze she remembers the magic painting of the tower and trick Gothel into running into it—which Hugo reminds her she can't escape as she has a lying heart.

Rapunzel is reunited with her father and mother, and marries Stefan, thus their fathers reconcile to re-unite their kingdoms, with Hugo, Penelope, Hobie living in the castle with them. It is revealed that Otto now serves Gothel but it is implied that she eventually died soon after. And a shot is seen of the couple walking along a beach, which is the same one as Rapunzel painted with a castle in the distance, implying her dreams came true.

The scene becomes the painting Barbie had been working on. Kelly now feels better and begins painting with blue which turns into the credits.

DVD Special Features

 * Rapunzel's Art Gallery
 * Dress-Up Rapunzel Game
 * The Artist in Me Documentary
 * DVD ROM Sampler
 * Barbie in the Nutcracker trailer

Music
The music in the film was produced by Arnie Roth, including themes from Symphony by No. 9 (New World) by Antonín Dvořák. All additional music was composed, arranged and orchestrated by Roth, and he conducted The London Symphony Orchestra, who performed the music. Roth won "Best Original Score" at the DVD Exclusive Awards in 2003.

"Rapunzel Theme" was peformed by Becky Taylor, with music by Roth. Roth and Rob Hudnut collaborated on the lyrics and music for "Constant As The Stars Above", which was performed by Jessica Brown. "Wish Upon A Star" was sung by Samantha Mumba, and the lyrics and music are by Niclas Molinder, Joacim Persson and Pelle Ankarberg. It was produced and arranged by Korpi & BlackCell for Murlyn Music, with guitar by BlackCell. All three songs were nominated for "Best Original Song" at the DVD Exclusive Awards in 2003.

Merchandise
To view photos of the merchandise of Barbie as Rapunzel, click here.

Trivia

 * Gothel was nominated for "Best Animated Character Performance" at the DVD Exclusive Awards in 2003. The film as a whole was nominated for "Best Animated DVD Premiere Movie", "Best Director" and "Best Visual Effects".
 * Botticelli the horse is named after Sandro Botticelli, an Italian painter who lived from 1445 to May 17, 1510, whose most famous work was The Birth of Venus. Being named after a painter goes with the art theme of the film.
 * Barbie as Rapunzel was one of the four Barbie films directed by Owen Hurley, the others being Barbie in the Nutcracker, Barbie of Swan Lake and Barbie in the Pink Shoes.
 * According to Hobie, this film is set in the 17th century (the 1600's)
 * As an easter egg, there is a portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaïkovsky on a wall in Barbie and Kelly's house. There was also a portrait of him in Clara's house in Barbie in the Nutcracker. Tchaïkovsky composed the music for The Nutcracker, which Barbie in the Nutcracker was based on.
 * This is the first Barbie film to be based off a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm.

Goofs

 * When Rapunzel was walking through the draft, she accidentally threw the candle right out of her hand when a mouse ran by. In real life, the fire would be supposedly gone, but in the movie, it's not.
 * When she was about to paint the wall with the Magic Paintbrush, you can see the image is blurred. As it was 'pixelized'.
 * Rapunzel's hair is short after Gothel cut it with her spell, but in the end of the movie, when Rapunzel was married, her hair is still long as the previous.
 * After Penelope puts her foot through the floor, Rapunzel looks down the hole and decides to jump. She lands on the floor, and the fallen wood from the hole is nowhere in sight.
 * Just before Gothel cuts Rapunzel's hair, Rapunzel is turning to face her, but when Gothel cuts it in the next shot, Rapunzel has her back to Gothel.

Also Known As

 * French - Barbie Raiponce
 * Italian - Barbie Raperonzolo
 * German - Barbie als Rapunzel
 * Greek - Barbie ως Rapunzel
 * Albanian - Barbi Raperonzola
 * Portuguese - Barbie como Rapunzel
 * Serbian - Барбие ас Рапунзел
 * Russian - Барби в роли Рапунцель
 * Polish - Barbie jako Roszpunka
 * Finnish - Barbie kuin Rapunzel
 * Swedish - Barbie som Rapunzel
 * Persian - راپونزل و قلم جادویی
 * Turkish - Barbie Rapunzel Masalında
 * Spanish - Barbie Princesa Rapunzel
 * Dutch - Barbie als Rapunzel
 * Mirandese - Barbie cumo Rapunzel
 * Georgian - ბარბი და დრაკონი
 * Thai - บาร์บี้ เจ้าหญิงราพันเซล
 * Croatian - Barbie Matovilka