I bought the Barbie the Movie Disco Barbie on a high after seeing Barbie the Movie. I eagerly anticipated the movie, as did countless women across the country who played with and loved Barbie as children. Barbie the Movie did not disappoint. Barbie the Movie Disco Barbie Doll did.
Barbie the Movie Disco Barbie (henceforth referred to as Disco Barbie) retails for $50.99. I bought mine from Walmart.com.
Disco Barbie is pretty, I’ll give her that. Her hair cascades into long spiral curls. She wears a headdress of either petals or a butterfly, I’m not sure which.
Disco Barbie is part of the Barbie Signature line, which is another way for Mattel to justify the higher price tag. She even comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. The Certificates of Authenticity that came with both Disco Barbie and the Barbie the Movie Fashion Packs are printed on thin paper, almost like copier paper, rather than heavier card stock like Integrity Toys certificates. Even Barbie certificates are declining in quality.
A few things that could almost justify Disco Barbie’s price tag: 1. Metal snaps.
2. Better quality (but still plastic) earrings.
3. Better quality (but still plastic) bracelets.
4. Painted fingernails. Basic movie Barbie doesn’t have painted nails. But the paint on Disco Barbie’s nails is spotty and inconsistent.
Cons: 1. As with the basic movie Barbie, the shoes on Disco Barbie won’t stay on her feet. Is this a trend with Barbie dolls these days? I remember when I played with Barbie as a child, Barbie had two styles of shoes (not counting her lace-up knee boots): chunky square-toed pumps, and, later, those strappy Superstar Barbie heels that fastened in the front. These shoes stayed on Barbie’s feet better than the shoes that come with contemporary Barbies.
And these are how the shoes came out of the box. First of all, the heels are so spindly that it would be impossible for the doll to stand up in them. But one of the heels got bent out of shape, due to the weight of the doll, before I even took it out of the box.
2. The B50 Poseable Body. I don’t like it. While I appreciate the articulation as opposed to the Fashionista or Model Muse bodies, I hate the thick, dull matte plastic it’s made from. It feels like the quality is only a few grades up from 3-D-printed plastic. I thought Disco Barbie would come on a Made-to-Move body, given her $50 price tag, but she didn’t. She came on the same B50 Poseable Body, a.k.a. the Gigi body, as the $24.99 basic Barbie the Movie doll. Sure, Disco Barbie’s outfit and accessories are more detailed than those of basic movie Barbie. Oh, and it does come with a stand. But Made-to-Move Barbie dolls cost $16.99 with no accessories. Using a MTM body for Disco Barbie probably wouldn’t have greatly affected the price of Disco Barbie, just the profits.
It’s Girl’s Night (every night is Girl’s Night), and some of the other Barbies are coming over to the Dreamhouse.
Barbie Fashionista #59 stopped by to – wait for it – Dance the Night Away! I put her on a MTM body for extra poseability when dancing. She’s wearing a jumpsuit from the defunct Avastars doll line.
Having bought two Barbie the Movie dolls so far, I have to say I’m just not “feeling it” when I play with and photograph them. I can see in them how the quality of Barbie dolls has declined while their prices go up. I didn’t find joy in these dolls like I once did with Barbie. Maybe that’s why I’ve been buying more dolls from other lines like Rainbow High and Monster High. Considering Monster High dolls are also made by Mattel, I’m surprised at how much more creative and fun they are compared to Barbie. In fact, I’ve been having a lot more fun with Monster High dolls since their comeback last October.
Dollsville, USA 