Barbie Swan Lake is nostalgic bliss. It has a very sweet and timeless nature that still makes it enjoyable to me over ten years later (even if the animation has dated slightly).
The mystical atmosphere in this movie is incredible and is by far my favourite aspect. Everything from the music, to the dancing, to the fairies and the Enchanted Forest is mysterious and interesting. Some of it is slightly weird (like Lila and the troll) but in a good way. Sure, some of the characters are strange but they are never unlikeable.
The characters also have their strengths. Odette, in particular, stands out for her grace and her eventually bravery. Her courage comes from goodness and wanting to do the right thing, which I think teaches an important moral about bravery. She's kind and caring and willing to help strangers, even if she is naturally shy or introverted. I do have one complaint, which is that she feels a little like a Clara rehash, but that is a minor thing.
Perhaps I would have liked to see more about her family. The baker (her father) and her sister get very little screen time (maybe because the focus was on Daniel's family instead). Marie is really interesting! She's adventurous and an adrenaline-junkie, who loves to dance. With her courageous nature, she could easily play a role in the climatic battle against Rothbart. Again, this is something of a nitpick.
The Fairy Queen and all the other magical creatures are really engaging. The Queen is wise and gentle, but not all-powerful - which makes her character a lot more interesting to watch. She is one of my personal favourite mentor figures in a Barbie movie. The other fairies are cute and I really love Lila. Lila is spunky but completely lovable.
In addition, I like the romance. You could argue it is underdeveloped, but I think the connection between Daniel and Odette is clear. I love their candlelit dinner and their wedding was the stuff of fairytales (literally, I suppose).
As mentioned earlier, the animation is a little clunky. The one thing the third generation does better than the majority of the second generation is breathtaking animation. The colours in Swan Lake always seem too dark and too earthy. However, I still think all the animated dance scenes in the movie are stunning.
In terms of villains, Rothbart is a little two-dimensional and his daughter is more so. That being said, he is still genuinely threatening and entertaining to watch. I would really like a prequel featuring him and the Fairy Queen as children, but I guess I'm just going to have to be satisfied by the small exposition sequence in the movie.
Overall, despite the strangeness of some things, this movie is magical. It embodies everything I love about the second generation.
