Watched this over and over again as a kid and didn't totally live up, but there's nothing wrong with it. The theme about continuing to pursue your dream despite criticism and obstacles bothered me because of the situations presented. All we're told about Millicent's situation is that she has lots of bad reviews presumably because the boutique next door is stealing her designs, but it's so vague that it could be that she's just terrible at her job and refuses to listen to critics because "hater's gonna hate". In her search for a new hobby she gives up immediately when she isn't instantly great at something and is reluctant to let the girls even try to save the studio, let alone help. Does she even really want to have a fashion studio? She seems incredibly resigned to her fate when the fashion studio was being sold to the hot dog place. We have no reason to root for her except her worker being talented and Barbie's nostalgia.
And Barbie's situation of criticism was asking the director of a film she's working on to stop ruining the simplicity of the Princess and the Pea with zombie peas, which is something she gets fired for. First of all it's not even her job, she's the actress. It's clear that the production of the film is all over the place with the director adding whole plot elements that weren't in the script, and being so sensitive to criticism that he would fire the main actress when she said anything something slightly negative so it was probably for the best. But the point is that Barbie got fired from something that she wanted to do and it's an obstacle to pursuing her dreams so it makes sense she was hurt, however the problem wasn't hate. The film compares this to Millicent's situation which is a false equivalence. It was an ultra sensitive incompetent man firing her from a dead end job compared to Millicent's entire career ending.
There's also Ken's going to Paris to meet and apologize for Raquel recording lines of him breaking up and sending them to her as a grand gesture, but having a bunch of blocks in the road, but that's mostly just an opportunity for laughs and the epic ending.
The plotlines with the pets and the flairies didn't add anything except pad out the length and sell merchandise and it's boring.
I also like how the film acknowledges that the world, read capitalism, rewards cheaters, and it's only down to the villain's lack of paying attention that it goes wrong for them.
And Barbie's situation of criticism was asking the director of a film she's working on to stop ruining the simplicity of the Princess and the Pea with zombie peas, which is something she gets fired for. First of all it's not even her job, she's the actress. It's clear that the production of the film is all over the place with the director adding whole plot elements that weren't in the script, and being so sensitive to criticism that he would fire the main actress when she said anything something slightly negative so it was probably for the best. But the point is that Barbie got fired from something that she wanted to do and it's an obstacle to pursuing her dreams so it makes sense she was hurt, however the problem wasn't hate. The film compares this to Millicent's situation which is a false equivalence. It was an ultra sensitive incompetent man firing her from a dead end job compared to Millicent's entire career ending.
There's also Ken's going to Paris to meet and apologize for Raquel recording lines of him breaking up and sending them to her as a grand gesture, but having a bunch of blocks in the road, but that's mostly just an opportunity for laughs and the epic ending.
The plotlines with the pets and the flairies didn't add anything except pad out the length and sell merchandise and it's boring.
I also like how the film acknowledges that the world, read capitalism, rewards cheaters, and it's only down to the villain's lack of paying attention that it goes wrong for them.