Barbie: Thumbelina
Barbie Thumbelina, or Barbie Presents: Thumbelina, is a 2009 American-Canadian direct-to-DVD computer-animated fantasy film directed by Conrad Helten.[1] It is the 15th in the series of Barbie animated films, and features the voice of Kelly Sheridan as Barbie. The film is a modern, environmental adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale Thumbelina.
Barbie Thumbelina | |
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DVD cover | |
Directed by | Conrad Helten |
Based on | Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen |
Starring | Kelly Sheridan Anna Cummer |
Music by | Eric Colvin |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Studios Home Entertainment Kidtoon Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 75 minutes |
Country | United States Canada |
Language | English |
Plot
The story opens with Barbie and kindergarten students walking in a big meadow, ready to plant trees. Emma, one of the children, finds a small tree and decides to plant it, but her friends laugh at her because of it, making her sad. However, Barbie cheers her up by telling her that a small tree can grow into a very big tree. Then Barbie tells the children about Thumbelina.
Thumbelina is one of the Twillerbees. Twillerbees have the ability to make plants grow faster (and as revealed later on, they can grow plants out of nowhere as well). Thumbelina is excited when there will be Twillerbabies. She creates fake wings for herself and for her two friends, Janessa and Chrysella. They will use the wings to see the Twillerbuds bloom to be Twillerbabies. When they try the wings, suddenly many tractors come to their field. Hiding in the flowers, the trio are trapped. They are brought into an apartment they never knew before.
The apartment belongs to the parents of a spoiled, wealthy girl, named Makena. The flower bed is placed in Makena's bedroom. As Thumbelina, Chrysella, and Janessa search for a way to go back to their field, Makena's dog Poofles run after them. Makena comes into the bedroom while the trio hides. Makena talks to her friend Violet from a cell phone about her parents who will build a factory on the Twillerbees field.
An upset Thumbelina scolds Makena, who is surprised, yet happy to find an interesting thing to be demonstrated to Violet. She always competes against Violet. The three Twillerbees try to escape from Makena and Poofles.
Finally, Thumbelina sends Chrysella and Janessa home. They will disturb the work in the field while Thumbelina will talk to Makena. Thumbelina makes Makena promise not to tell anyone about her and Makena must persuade her parents to stop building the factory. Thumbelina will make special things for Makena in return.
At first, Makena does not talk seriously to her parents about it. She even wants to break her promise to Thumbelina when she invites Violet and Ashlynn. She wants them to see the thing everyone in the universe cannot have which is Thumbelina. Thumbelina becomes angry at Makena and leaves the apartment, just before Makena realizes that Violet and Ashlyn are not her true friends, Thumbelina is her true friend.
Makena goes to the field and asks for Thumbelina's forgiveness. She also wants to save the field desperately and earnestly. Thumbelina, forgiving her, shows Makena the other Twillerbees and the Twillerbuds.
That night, Makena, Thumbelina, Janessa, Chrysella, Poofles, and Lola the bird works hard in the greenhouse to grow the plants. The next day, Makena asks her parents to stop the building, and Thumbelina shows herself. Thumbelina explains to them about the Twillerbuds that will bloom soon. Evan and Vanessa, Makena's parents, are convinced and try to stop Myron, the contractor, from destroying the field.
With the help of birds and other Twillerbees, Myron's workers run away, thinking that the field is haunted, But Myron is angry and determined to finish his work as he hates flowers. Ultimately, Makena and Thumbelina arrive and they stop Myron. Immediately, Evan and Vanessa arrive at the field to have the factory project shut down. A team of birds chase Myron away, and Makena and her family see the Twillerbuds bloom.
To prevent others from building factories in the field, they turn the field into a Reserved Park.
In the end of the story, it shows that Barbie and the children are in Makena's Reserved Park. Barbie says that even the smallest person can make a big difference. Makena is small, compared to the adults. And so are the children.
Voice cast
- Barbie - Kelly Sheridan
- Thumbelina - Anna Cummer
- Makena - Kelly Metzger
- Chrysella - Tabitha St. Germain
- Janessa - Cathy Weseluck
- Vanessa - Kathleen Barr
- Evan - Peter New
- Poofles - Brian Drummond
- Myron - Louis Chirillo
- Louie - Garry Chalk
- Rick - Mackenzie Gray
- Carla - France Perras
- Violet - Ashleigh Ball
References
- "Barbie Presents Thumbelina". Barbie. Retrieved 9 December 2013.