# Barbie: Star Light Adventures - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=80130[/img] 
*Title: Barbie: Starlight Adventure* 

*Movie:* :3stars:
*Video:* :4stars:
*Audio:* :4.5stars: 
*Extras:* :2.5stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*77




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=80138[/img]*Summary*
Well, it’s about time! I’ve been waiting for Barbie to go Sci-fi! Ok, maybe that’s not completely true, but with the Barbie franchise branching out into adventure, and super-secret spies, then a shift to outer space isn’t completely out of the question. This time we’ve got Barbie having to deal with crisis that are just a bit bigger than herself, but really its more of the same thing (which isn’t a bad thing if your daughters like the movies that came before). She’s got to be a bit timid and shy, and then come into her own confidence and win the day while making new friends. It’s a simple formula, but one that has worked so far and probably will continue to for quite some time. 

Barbie (still voiced by Erica Lindbet) is no longer on Earth. She’s living on the outskirts of the galaxy on a nature reserve planet, living with her single father. This all changes when she’s selected by King Constantive (Dwight Schultz, who is most famous for playing Lt. Barclay on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Voyager”) to participate in a mission to the stars thanks to her hover board skills. You see, the stars in the galaxy are falling out of alignment and have been doing so for the last hundred or so years. If they get any worse soon the galaxy will be in disarray and life as we know it will vanish (at least that’s what has been said during the film, there’s no real backstory on the how or why of the situation). 

Taking to the city capital along with a cadre of other people, including Prince Leo (Robbie Daymond), a pair of telepathic twins, and Sal-Lee, the world famous hover board champion who happens to make Barbie just a little self-conscious. With them assembled the King lets them in on his little secret. He has devised a machine that will shock the planets back into alignment, but only if they can get to the center of the galaxy. A place that is protected by heavy magnetic storms and he needs a group of young people to help him get there (why choose young people instead of seasoned pilots? Well this IS a Barbie movie). As is the norm with these types of situations, things go a bit awry. Barbie is a bit different than the rest and her ways of interjecting thoughts and ideas into solidified plans don’t always go over so well with the king. However, once the going gets rough, her unique abilities will soon become invaluable to saving the galaxy. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=80146[/img]“Barbie: Star Light Adventures” is most obviously made for young girls, and it’s this viewpoint the movie should be judged. We aren’t going to be sitting down with the guys and grabbing a six pack and cheering to it, but neither is it ever meant to be. “Star Light Adventures” shifts the setting and the stakes to an intergalactic scenario, but very little of the actual “Barbie” formula is really changed. We still have the classic, sweet Barbie who just wants to make something of herself in the world (this time Galaxy). She runs into the typical road blocks thrown in her way, and then the standard rising above all the rest with the support of her friends. It’s simple, it works, and the kiddy winks love it. Not much more you say about that.

“Star Light Adventures” is a bit more colorful than some of the recent outings, but not by a whole lot considering the amount of color that is injected into each and every one of these films. The plot is simplistic and overly cheery and upbeat, but compared against any of the previous outings, and it’s just par for the course. Erica Lindbelt has voiced Barbie for quite a few movies, and the familiarity of having her come back movie after movie makes them flow together a bit more cohesively, despite the character in each movie basically being Barbie in name only (none of the movies can ever reference back to the other as they are wildly different and would have Barbie to have the most split of personalities). 





*Rating:* 

Not Rated by the MPAA





*Video* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=80154[/img]The 1.78:1 AVC encoded Blu-ray disc looks quite good for a Barbie film. If you’ve seen one of these movies, you’ve seen them all, and as usual the colors are off the charts. Bright purples, pinks, blues and every shade in between saturate the entire film, from Barbie’s home world, to the brightly lit palace of King Constantine. The fine detail is excellent throughout, with great line definition and individual items such as fur on Popcorn (the animal, not the food) or the hairs on Barbi’s head. There is a bit of softness that is fairly evident throughout the film, as it sticks around quite a bit, but it’s never too obtrusive or detracting from the details. Blacks are strong and deep, showing off plenty of shadow detail amidst the stars and the disc is free from major artifacting. 








*Audio* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=80162[/img]The Barbie movies have always been solid performers on the audio front, but usually never really excel. This track, however, is a stunner. Dialog is crystal clear and well balanced, and the surrounds get heavy use with the copious amount of auto tuned pop songs and aggressive noises of Barbie and Sal-Lee facing off on their hover boards. I was actually a little surprised at HOW aggressive it was in fact. The LFE is tight and powerful, adding weight to the Starlien footsteps, as well as the roar of the boards. Not to mention the good midbass attached to the pop songs. Directional shifting is quite common in the film, especially when the group are at the center of the universe with the ship and during the test when Barbie and the rest of them show of their board skills. 








*Extras* :2stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=80170[/img]
• Music Video: Firefly
• Music Video: Shooting Star
• Lyric Video: Firefly
• Lyric Video: Shooting Star
• Bloopers
• Barbie Dreamtopia Pt 1
• Barbie Dreamtopia Pt 2








*Overall:* :3.5stars:

“Barbie: Star Light Adventures” isn’t going to break any world records or make any intellectual discussion that much deeper. It’s filled with the same story tropes and trappings that is familiar to every Barbie fan, even if the setting has changed. Children will find it equally as entertaining as the rest of the series, although adults will naturally shy away from it. Still, the audio and video are a step above the rest in this release (decently so I might add), but the extras are just the fluff additions that are standard with the series. Pop songs and lyric videos for the most part. Recommended for the young girls in your life.



*Additional Information:*

Starring: Erica Lindbeck, Robbie Daymond, Kimberly Woods
Directed by: Andrew Tan, Michael Goguen
Written by: Kacey Arnold, Katie Boutilier
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish, French DTS 5.1
Studio: Universal
Rated: NR
Runtime: 79 minutes 
Blu-ray Release Date: September 13th, 2016




*Buy Barbie: Star Light Adventure On Blu-ray at Amazon*






*Recommendation: For the Girls​*








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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for the review and heads up.. This one along with the rest of the "barbie" franchise are a "must buy" per my daughter. lol. Although to be honest, their movies are not too bad in terms of storyline and the animation is usually very good and they often have a good moral story so worth watching for the young kids.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

yeah, they're suprisingly palatable for kids fare. at least they're not as wince worthy as the "Monster High" films


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