Barbie: Dolphin Magic

"This is our story, what's yours?"

– Barbie

Barbie Dolphin Magic is the 36^th Barbie movie. It was originally a Netflix-exclusive Barbie special, released on September 18, 2017, but it was later released on DVD. The movie follows Barbie and her sisters as they visit Ken during his marine biology internship at a research facility. Barbie meets a mermaid named Isla, who is trying to rescue her dolphin friend from the facility. The movie's theme song is "Treasure". The movie is followed by the series Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures.

Description[]

Netflix[]

"While visiting Ken and exploring a coral reef, Barbie and her sisters make an amazing discovery and meet a mysterious new friend."

DVD[]

"Join Barbie™ and her sisters Skipper™, Stacie™, and Chelsea™ as they go on an adventure to a tropical island where Ken™ is doing a marine biology internship. While snorkelling, they discover a young dolphin trapped in an enclosure—but this isn't just any dolphin; it's a beautiful bright green Gemstone Dolphin! Barbie then meets a mysterious friend named Isla, who turns out to be a magical mermaid! Soon after, the girls discover that the dolphin is being held by Marlo, the biologist Ken is interning with. Her intentions are to make money by exhibiting the dolphin for its unique traits. They must work together to free the dolphin so he can be reunited with his Gemstone Dolphin family before Marlo sends him away."

Story[]

One summer, a mermaid named Isla goes swimming with her friends, the Gemstone Dolphins. The youngest dolphin, Emerald, is captured by Pete. As the dolphins get separated, their distinctive markings disappear. Emerald is put in captivity in a marine research facility on an island. Ken is doing a marine biology internship at the facility, so Barbie and her sisters visit him. The girls bring their puppies with them. Barbie, Ken, Skipper and the puppies use a speedboat to go to the reef. The puppies wait on the boat while Barbie and the others go free diving.

Skipper uses her Skipper's camera to take photos of Barbie and Ken exploring the reef. She catches a glimpse of Isla, who is searching for Emerald. Skipper takes a blurry photo of Isla, and suggests to Barbie and Ken that they follow her. At the resort, Stacie and Chelsea use binoculars and see Emerald at the facility. They go there to get a closer look and arrive at the same time as Barbie and the others. Isla hides when she hears the speedboat approaching.

Ken says the island locals talk about the myth of the Gemstone Dolphins. He says Emerald is in the pool for sick or injured animals, but Barbie thinks he looks fine, so he probably got in by accident. Barbie tries to open the gate, but she is stopped by the facility owner, Marlo. Ken asks Marlo if Emerald is a Gemstone Dolphin, but she says they don't exist. Marlo says Emerald needs to be checked by a vet after getting caught in a fisherman's net, so a vet will fly in from the mainland the next day.

Marlo tells everyone to leave, but Barbie has to go back to get the puppies. Barbie meets Isla, who has used a magic necklace to turn her mermaid tail into human legs. Isla asks Barbie to help her free Emerald, and tells Barbie that Emerald is green because he is a Gemstone Dolphin, not because he is sick. She also mentions that there are more Gemstone Dolphins. Barbie says that a vet is checking on Emerald the following day, and it's better to wait until they are sure Emerald is fine before he is released. Barbie and Isla make a deal that Isla will wait for the vet to check Emerald, as long as Barbie doesn't tell anyone about the other Gemstone Dolphins.

Barbie invites Isla back to the resort and introduces her sisters to Isla. Skipper says she can't stop looking at her blurry photo of Isla as a mermaid, and Barbie suggests that it may be a Gemstone Dolphin. Isla reminds Barbie that she agreed not to mention Gemstone Dolphins, so Barbie apologizes. Barbie says sisters tell each other everything, and she thought Isla only meant not to tell Marlo. Isla tells Barbie not to tell anyone else because you can't trust humans. They all go to the resort's sandwich bar, and Isla tries bread for the first time. She loves the dry texture, which Barbie thinks is quirky.

Marlo phones a man named Hugo and asks him to come to the facility early the next day. She tells the Gemstone Dolphin that it is going to make her a lot of money. Isla, Barbie, and her sisters go back to the sandwich bar in the evening, and they meet up with Ken. Skipper takes a group selfie. Barbie and her sisters make up a song about their relationship, and then they ask Isla where she will sleep. Isla says she would sleep on the beach, so Barbie invites her to sleep over at the resort. Isla quickly falls asleep when she lies on a human bed for the first time.

The next day, Barbie goes swimming with Isla. The Gemstone Dolphins find them, and one of the dolphins touches Isla's magic necklace. Her legs turn back into a mermaid tail. Isla asks Barbie not to tell anyone, including her sisters, that she is a mermaid. Isla teaches Barbie how to swim like a mermaid. At the resort, Stacie sees Hugo arriving in his helicopter. Marlo waves him in, so Stacie assumes he is the vet. Barbie's sisters try to find her so they can tell her the vet has arrived. The puppies go with them.

Barbie's sisters get a closer look at Hugo's helicopter. Chelsea notices that it has a walrus logo, which Skipper thinks is weird for a vet. The girls overhear Marlo talking to Hugo. Marlo says she wants to transport Emerald to the mainland facility in an hour, and she will make a fortune off of Emerald. Barbie's sisters realize that Hugo is not a vet, so Skipper takes a photo of his logo and tries to find Barbie.

Isla and the dolphins find an underwater cave, so Isla tries to explore it. She tells Barbie that the cave contains a confusing maze of tunnels, so she keeps getting lost. Barbie and Isla realize the Gemstone Dolphins are missing. Isla assumes they have headed to the facility, so she goes there with Barbie. The Gemstone Dolphins find the facility, so Marlo gives Ken a code to unlock the gate to Emerald's enclosure. The dolphins swim over to Emerald, and their distinctive markings reappear. Marlo orders Ken to close the gate before the dolphins can escape, and then she leaves to phone Hugo.

Barbie's sisters eavesdrop on Marlo again and hear her tell Hugo that she will need more nets. After putting a filter on the blurry photo of Isla, the girls see that Skipper took a picture of a real mermaid. However, Isla's face is not visible. Barbie and Isla arrive at the facility, and Isla is upset that all the dolphins are trapped. Barbie asks Ken to unlock the gate, but Marlo has already changed the code. Isla is upset that she trusted Barbie, so she decides to figure out how to get the dolphins out by herself.

Barbie's sisters find her at the facility and tell her that Marlo and Hugo are suspicious. Skipper says she looked up Hugo's logo on the internet and found out that he is a criminal who runs a sideshow company. Ken tries the code again but gets locked out of the system. A new code is sent to the master device, which is a remote that Marlo carries around. Barbie comes up with a plan, but she needs everyone's help, so she finds Isla and apologizes. Isla agrees to help, and everyone goes to the sandwich bar, where Marlo is eating.

After Ken, Chelsea and her puppy Honey distract Marlo, Chelsea takes the remote and gives it to Skipper. Skipper syncs it to her tablet and gets the new code. Isla distracts Marlo further by splashing her tail in the water. Stacie uses her binoculars to watch over the plan and is confused when she sees Isla as a mermaid. After getting the code, Barbie's sisters get the remote back to Marlo, but she notices it is dirty. Realizing she has been hacked, she reprograms the device before Barbie, and the others can get back to the facility.

At the facility, Stacie asks Isla how she looked like a mermaid. Barbie says it was special effects. Isla thanks everyone for their help, and she gets in the pool with the dolphins and reveals that she is a mermaid. Skipper tries the code, but it fails. Marlo arrives, so Isla and the dolphins hide underwater. Marlo says she will be transporting the dolphins by helicopter. Barbie lies to her that the dolphins have escaped, so Marlo leaves, hoping to spot them from the air.

Isla and the dolphins resurface, and Isla says they were hiding in a tunnel. She thinks it may be connected to the cave she found earlier, but they found it too confusing to navigate. Barbie suggests using a signal from the cave, so Isla takes a shell off her necklace and gives it to Barbie. Isla says that if they both hold a shell from the necklace, it will create a current of light and color that can be followed underwater. It is how merpeople and friends of mermaids find each other in the ocean. Isla says the light will lead her to Barbie.

Barbie and Stacie go to the cave, and Stacie keeps an eye out for Marlo. Barbie touches the shell, and both she and Isla's shells light up. From the helicopter, Marlo sees the dolphins escaping and tells Hugo to chase them. Ken gets in the speedboat with the others and drives to Barbie. Stacie tells Barbie to hide from the helicopter, so Barbie covers the shell. The magic stops, but Isla and the dolphins make it out in time. Ken arrives on the speedboat, so Barbie and Stacie get on with Isla, who has turned her tail into legs.

The dolphins swim alongside the boat as Ken tries to out-maneuver the helicopter. Isla says they should head towards a fast-moving current so they can get away quickly. Barbie says goodbye to Isla, and Isla tells Barbie to keep the shell from her necklace. When the water gets shallow, Isla turns her legs into a tail and swims with the dolphins. Marlo sees her and decides she wants to capture Isla instead of the dolphins. Barbie quickly puts on her diving flippers gets in the ocean. She covers herself in seaweed and swims like a mermaid the way Isla taught her.

After mistaking Barbie's underwater silhouette for Isla, Marlo captures Barbie in a net. The helicopter lands, and Marlo says she is going to make a lot of money. She sees that she accidentally captured Barbie, and Barbie says Marlo will lose her research facility because she exploits animals for money. Barbie's sisters cheer and say goodbye to Isla, who swims away safely with the dolphins.

Later, at the beach, Skipper tells Barbie that she won a photo competition. She submitted all the photos from their trip, except for the one of Isla as a mermaid. Skipper deletes the photo, saying it's not their story to tell. Barbie says she misses Isla, so Skipper suggests using the shell again. Barbie tries using the shell. Isla finds her, and they hug. Isla says she wouldn't have found Barbie if she hadn't kept trying the shell, but she was able to get closer every time. Barbie says she would never give up on Isla, and they watch the Gemstone Dolphins swim nearby.

Cast[]

Erica Lindbeck as Barbie
Shannon Chan-Kent as Isla
Kazumi Evans as Skipper
Claire Corlett as Stacie
Ciana Swales as Chelsea
Adrian Petriw as Ken
Maryke Hendrikse as Marlo
Paul Dobson as Hugo
Garry Chalk as Pete

Other characters include the Gemstone Dolphins and the puppies, Taffy, DJ, Rookie and Honey.

Press Release[]

12th October 2017 - “Mattel has implemented a new content strategy for its hit brand Barbie with the nationwide release of a new feature-length film, Barbie Dolphin Magic.

The plan is to encourage children to engage with over 1300 minutes of content through 2018, three times more than in 2017.

“The new strategy puts Barbie directly where children are watching whether that’s through traditional TV, theatrical releases or on mobile, tablet or online,” said Wendy Hill, brand activation director, Mattel UK.

The new entertainment theme Barbie Dolphin Magic is supported by a hotly-anticipated product line, with key products featuring on TV, including the Barbie Dolphin Magic Snorkel Fun Friends and Barbie Dolphin Magic Boat.

In a new adventure, Barbie and her sisters Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea go on a journey to a tropical island. While snorkelling, they discover a young dolphin trapped in an enclosure, as well as a new friend Isla."

Songs[]

So Beautiful
Live in the Moment
Treasure

Trivia[]

This is the only Barbie film to be produced by Rainmaker Studios by that name and the last released under Mattel Creations, prior to the Barbie movie series going on a 3-year hiatus due Mattel concentrating on the production of Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures.
This was the first Barbie movie that went exclusively to Netflix.
This film aired on YTV on September 17, prior to its official Netflix debut a day later. The film was released in UK cinemas on October 13, 2017. The movie was released on DVD on August 6 in the UK, and September 11 in the US, both in 2018.
This is the last Barbie film to have had the quote, "This is our story, what's yours?" at the end.
When one of the puppies chases after the crab, there is a nutcracker in the crab's hiding place. King Eric, as the nutcracker, makes a cameo appearance in many Barbie movies as an easter egg.
"So Beautiful" from the Barbie: Star Light Adventure soundtrack is used in this film. The movie also features "Live in the Moment" from Barbie & Her Sisters in A Puppy Chase.
There is a goof when the sisters sing "Treasure"; Skipper's top changes from her white t-shirt to her black tank top.
This is the only movie to be dubbed in Lithuanian.
Hugo has the same character model as Greg and Bruno Romanoff from Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures.
Isla has the same character model as two Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures characters: Fairuza Ukwani, and the young mom from Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Magical Mermaid Mystery.
This was the last movie (and cartoon in general) to use Canadian voice actors, as now the animation is the only thing done in Vancouver, the voice acting is done in LA.

Also Known As[]

Arabic - باربي والدلفين السحري (Barbie and the Magic Dolphin)
Spanish - Barbie y Los Delfines Mágicos (Barbie and the Magical Dolphins)
Portuguese - Barbie E Os Golfinhos Mágicos (Barbie and the Magic Dolphins)
Czech - Barbie Magický delfín (Barbie Magic Dolphin)
Danish/Norwegian - Barbie Delfin Magi (Barbie Dolphin Magic)
German - Barbie Die Magie der Delfine (Barbie The Magic of the Dolphins)
Greek - Barbie ΜΑΓΙΚΗ Περιπέτεια με Δελφίνια (Barbie Magic Adventure with Dolphins)
French - Barbie La Magie des Dauphins (Barbie The Magic of Dolphins)
Italian - Barbie la Magia del Delfino (Barbie The Magic of the Dolphin)
Croatian - Barbie: Dupinska magija or Barbie: Čarolija dupina
Hungarian - Barbie Delfin varázs (Barbie Dolphin Magic)
Lithuanian - Barbie Delfinų Magija (Barbie Dolphin Magic)
Dutch (Netherlands) - Barbie Dolfijnen Magie (Barbie Dolphins Magic)
Dutch - Barbie Magische Dolfijn (Barbie Magic Dolphin)
Polish - Barbie Delfiny z Magicznej Wyspy (Barbie Dolphins of the Magical Island)
Russian - Барби и волшебные дельфины (Barbie and the Magic Dolphins)
Finnish - Barbie Delfiinien taikaa (Barbie Dolphin Magic)
Swedish - Barbie Delfinmagi (Barbie Dolphin Magic) / Barbie Delfiner och magi (Barbie Dolphins and Magic)
Turkish - Barbie Sihirli Yunuslar (Barbie Magic Dolphins)
Ukranian - Barbie Чарівний Дельфін (Barbie The Magnificent Dolphin) / Barbie магія дельфінів (Barbie Magic Dolphins)
Chinese - 芭比之海豚魔法 (Barbie Dolphin Magic)
Hindi - बार्बी: डॉल्फिंस का जादू (Barbie The Magic Of Dolphins)