Barbie: A Christmas Carol

Barbie: A Christmas Carol is a captivating animated movie that breathes a new life into the legendary Christmas story portrayed by Charles Dickens. It stars the talented voice cast including Kelly Sheridan, Leanne Araya, Morwenna Banks, Kathleen Barr, Prudence Edwards, Shauntia Fleming, Fabrice Grover, and Pam Hyatt. The animated film, released in 2008, is filled with cheer, heartwarming moments, beautiful music, and stunning animation that are sure to bring joy to viewers of all ages.

This animated holiday classic tells the story through the iconic character, Barbie; Kelly Sheridan lends her voice to this lovable character. Using the timeless tale from Charles Dickens, the narration takes a gender-flipped approach and provides a fresh perspective to the well-known story of transformation and redemption on Christmas Eve.

Sheridan's Barbie is a story-teller in this version, narrating the Christmas story to her younger sister Kelly, voiced by Morwenna Banks. The main story revolves around Eden Starling, the glamorous singing diva from London’s theatre scene in the Victorian era. Eden, voiced by Morwenna Banks, is a self-absorbed woman who forces her theatre company to abandon their holiday plans to rehearse for a performance scheduled on Christmas. She embodies the classic character of Ebenezer Scrooge from the original Dickens story.

Leanne Araya gives her voice to Catherine Beadnell, Eden’s humble and warm-hearted costume designer and childhood friend, who is also the Bob Cratchit character in this twist to the tale. Catherine is the only person who stands up to Eden with her kindness, in hopes to bring back the sweet Eden she once knew in their childhood.

As the story progresses, Eden is visited by a series of Christmas spirits on the eve of Christmas, just like the original tale. Here comes into picture the character of spirit of Christmas Past, voiced by Pam Hyatt, Christmas Present, voiced by Fabrice Grover and spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, Kathleen Barr gives her voice to this future spirit. These spirits take Eden on a journey through time, revisiting her past, showing her the reality of her present, and giving her a glimpse into her gloomy, loveless future.

Further adding to the charm of this magical journey is Barbie's pet cat, Chuzzlewit, voiced by Prudence Edwards. Chuzzlewit rebelliously transforms into a Cheshire like cat that guides Eden through her transformation.

Shauntia Fleming lends voice to the beautiful and compelling musical elements of the film. The movie weaves together famous Christmas carols and original songs that are sure to linger in the hearts and minds of the viewers long after the film is over. The power of music in this movie cannot be stressed enough as it underscores the transformative power of kindness and the Christmas spirit.

The film cleverly swaps the traditionally male lead from the original tale with a female protagonist. This gender-flip lends a modern feminist touch to the classic story, reinforcing the idea that women can be just as complex and multi-dimensional as male characters.

Barbie: A Christmas Carol is much more than a holiday movie. It’s a beautiful lesson about the importance of generosity, kindness, compassion, and the spirit of Christmas. This family-friendly version maintains the essence and moral of the original story, while also keeping viewers engaged with its vibrant animations, memorable characters, and enchanting music.

This Barbie movie successfully deploys a well-loved Christmas tale to create something charming and novel. Through its captivating voice cast, the movie not only entertains but also imparts the timeless lessons of Dickens' classic, making it a must-watch during the holidays.