Run Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Summary(amazon.com): Barbie stars as Merliah, a surfer who learns a shocking secret: she's a mermaid! She and her dolphin friend set out for an undersea adventure to rescue her mother, the queen of Oceana. My Review: When I first picked up this movie from the library, I was a bit skeptical that it was going to be too juvenile. However, as soon as the first few minutes of the movie started, I became hooked!
What I loved about the movie is that it had a similar vibe to the movie "Aquamarine" as well as "The Tempest Trilogy" by Tracy Deebs and "The Mermaids Mirror" by L.K. Madigan . The movie had a fun Malibu/ Summer time feeling! When Merliah enters the underwater kingdom of Oceana, I thought it was fun that the creators of the movie made Bloomingtales and Seaphora, which are popular make up and clothing stores. I also loved the animation, which was bright, vibrant, and colorful!
Two things that I didn't enjoy about the movie was that the story line began a little too fast. I would've liked to see more of Merliah's life before discovering that she is a mermaid. Also, I found that some of the mermaids were a bit airhead-ish, and it got annoying after a while.
Kids will also learn two major lessons; one, that the ocean needs to be cared for to survive and keep other creatures happy and healthy; and two, accept what makes you different and unique! This movie was absolutely fun, bright and I believe any mer-girl or mer-dude will love this movie. I give this movie (*****) 5 stars -Sirenita The Selkie
