Barbie: A Perfect Christmas

Also available in a Spanish-language version, this latest title from the computer-animated series based on the popular toy franchise finds Barbie and her sisters like, totally excited for a trip to visit Aunt Millie in New York. Barbie wants to see a Broadway show, Skipper can't wait to hear a pal's band play a song she wrote, Stacie digs going ice skating, and Chelsea is stoked about a special zoo sea lion feeding. Alas, plans are changed when snowy weather leads to an unavoidable layover in Minnesota, and the girls find shelter at the Tannenbaum Inn, where they meet Christie Clauson and the Elif family, who are organizing a large gift drive. Though the younger siblings are discouraged at the thought of missing out on the trip to NYC, Barbie helps them see the bright side of things, and the gang enjoys playing with “reindeer” shelter dogs (and a frisky husky pup named Rudy), engaging in frozen lake sliding, and creating a musical variety show (although they experience a few bumps along the way due to Chelsea and Stacie's constant bickering and Skipper's refusal to let her big sister help: “I don't want this to be a Barbie thing!”). Featuring five original songs (with vapid lyrics such as “every minute, custom-made for me”), DVD extras include outtakes and a music video. Given that this glitzy candy-colored holiday tale is sure to be popular, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)