Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia

Barbie dives into another computer-animated fantasy as Elina, the flightless fairy who earned her wings in Fairytopia (VL-5/05). This sequel finds Elina just getting the hang of her newfound appendages, when she's suddenly summoned to Mermaidia to rescue her friend Nalu. The Fungi have kidnapped the merman prince as part of a plot by the evil Laverna to harness the magical power of the so-called “immunity berry,” which will make her invulnerable to all magic and thus able to take over Fairytopia. Finding Nalu won't be easy, so Elina tries to team up with the mermaid Nori—who considers Elina a rival for Nalu's affections, but the pair join forces after the Oracle reveals that they must work together if they hope to save Nalu (the Oracle also tells Elina that she will have to make a sacrifice—her wings!). While the computer animation here is nowhere near Pixar quality, Mermaidia does conjure up an enchanting underwater kingdom that's all pinks, blues, and purples, populated by fantastic new characters (the Fungi are distinctively designed comic villains, while the return of scene-stealing Bibble the puffball will tickle Fairytopia fans). DVD extras include a trio of games. Given Barbie's popularity, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)