6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Barbie and her best friends Teresa and Renee transform from hard-working gymnasts to undercover secret agents in this exciting, action-packed adventure! When their amazing gymnastics skills catch the eye of a top-secret spy agency, the girls are soon following clues to a gem-stealing cat burglar who has escaped everyone on the case. With their high-tech gadgets, glam disguises and cute robo-pets, can they prove that smarts and teamwork can get the mission accomplished? It’s girl power to the rescue.
Starring: Erica Lindbeck, Stephanie Sheh, Jenny Pellicer, Alyssa Swales, Elizabeth IrvingFamily | 100% |
Animation | 87% |
Adventure | 40% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mix up Mission: Impossible, James Bond, and Batman, paint it all pink (which is actually a trophy in LEGO Dimensions), and get Barbie: Spy Squad, the latest adventure in an ever growing line of digitally animated films featuring the world-famous blonde. Barbie: Spy Squad is everything one would expect of Barbie meets Bond, from the gadgets and gizmos to an elder British mentor. Though it features precious few original ideas beyond putting its own spin on familiar standby plot devices, action scenes, and bits of character growth, it has enough fun along the way that its enthusiasm covers up its inability to stretch the material. The result is a movie that's definitely made to fill a niche, but it might find broader appeal -- like, walking into the room and giving it a few minutes -- just because it copycats some of the more popular franchises around.
The Spy Squad.
Color is the series' trademark, and Barbie: Spy Squad doesn't disappoint. Bubble-gum pinks, purples, and blues light up the screen. There's not a lot of subtle shading, however. It's a barrage of basic shades that will have the viewer instantly identifying the franchise. Detailing is fine, but the movie's largely softer edge animation doesn't always lend itself to precision. Finer details on jeans, leather jackets, sparkling accents, and basic environments are fine, but faces are generally plastic-flat and many surfaces offer only cursory textures. Banding creeps along a few backgrounds and aliasing is more prevalent than it should be. Hair is particularly prone to a distracting shimmering effect. A few jagged lines interrupt otherwise smooth laser beams. But color dominates all, and the little ones will probably be too lost in the dazzle to care about the presentation's technical shortcomings.
Barbie: Spy Squad's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack could stand a little fine-tuning, but overall it's a serviceable-to-good presentation. Music is satisfyingly energetic, producing good definition through its Pop-Rock beats. The low end is by no means prodigious and musical surround support isn't exactly consistent, but front-side spacing is always wide. The surrounds do carry some discrete effects and very light environmental atmospherics pop up from time to time. Action scenes are never potent, but they approach "robust." Crashing pots and pans in a kitchen, for example, clatter and clank but never with anything approaching a realistic sensation. Dialogue delivery is clear and center focused.
Barbie: Spy Squad contains two brief extras. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for an iTunes/UV digital copy are included with purchase.
Barbie: Spy Squad lacks plot creativity, but there's enough support detail made up from the Barbie universe that it feels original, even if it's really not. Fans should find the movie a pleasant and abundantly colorful diversion from the largely boy-centric superhero and spy genres it imitates. Universal's Blu-ray release offers decent video and audio. Supplements are skimpy. Recommended for Barbie movie fans.
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2004
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