Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)

***Barbie as Rapunzel*** is a 2002 computer-animated fairy tale film directed by Owen Hurley. It was released to video and DVD on October 1, 2002, and made its television premiere on Nickelodeon on November 24, 2002.

The film is the second entry in the Barbie film series, and features the voice of Kelly Sheridan as Barbie. The story is adapted from the German fairy tale "Rapunzel".

*Barbie as Rapunzel* was nominated for eight DVD Premiere Awards, winning Best Original Score and Best Animated Character Performance for its main antagonist Gothel.

## Plot

The story is told by Barbie to her younger sister, Kelly, who is insecure in her painting abilities.

Rapunzel is a young woman with long, floor-length hair who lives as a servant to the wicked witch Gothel, residing in a magically secluded manor in the woods. She finds companionship in Penelope, a young dragon and Hobie, an anxious rabbit. She spends her time painting pictures of places she dreams of going when she is free one day; Gothel disapproves of this, accusing Rapunzel of being ungrateful to the witch for supposedly saving her from abandonment as a baby.

One day, Rapunzel and her friends inadvertently open a secret passage to the basement where Rapunzel finds a gift from her birth-parents: a silver hairbrush engraved with a message affirming their love for Rapunzel; this leads Rapunzel to question Gothel's story. Through a tunnel, Rapunzel is led to the kingdom outside, where she saves Princess Katrina from a pit trap with the help of her older brother, Prince Stefan. He tells her the trap was set by King Wilhelm, the ruler of an opposing kingdom who has an ongoing feud with Stefan's father, King Frederick. Rapunzel leaves in a rush without learning Stefan's name to avoid Gothel discovering her disappearance. However, Gothel's pet ferret Otto, who had followed her, informs his mistress of Rapunzel meeting a man. When Rapunzel insists she doesn't know who he is, her paintings are destroyed and her room transformed into a high tower with Penelope's father Hugo tasked with ensuring she doesn't leave. As Rapunzel sleeps, the hairbrush magically transforms into a paintbrush.

When Rapunzel attempts to use the brush, a mural of the kingdom magically appears on her wall which acts as a portal. Rapunzel uses it to meet Stefan again, though she insists he never tell her his name for fear of Gothel. Stefan gives her an invitation to the masquerade ball that night. Back at the tower, Rapunzel paints herself a beautiful costume. Unfortunately, Otto swipes Rapunzel's invitation and takes it to his mistress. Gothel cuts off Rapunzel's hair, shatters the paintbrush, and destroys the portal to the kingdom. When Rapunzel once again cannot give Stefan's name, Gothel puts a spell on the tower to never release its lying prisoner.

With the help of her friends, Rapunzel escapes the tower as she never lied about not knowing Stefan's name. At the ball, Stefan is attacked by a disguised Gothel wearing Rapunzel's hair; King Wilhelm also infiltrates the castle and accuses Frederick of kidnapping his daughter many years ago—the source of the feud; Gothel reveals that she was the one who took Wilhelm's daughter, Rapunzel, due to her unrequited love for him, wanting the kingdoms to destroy each other. Rapunzel arrives and Wilhelm recognizes her as his daughter. Rapunzel tricks Gothel into running into her painting of the tower, where she becomes permanently imprisoned for her lies.

Rapunzel is reunited with her biological parents and marries Stefan. The feud ends and the two kingdoms are united. In the end, Kelly feels better and begins painting after Barbie reminds her that creativity is the true magic in art.

## Characters

* Barbie
	+ Rapunzel
* Kelly
* Princess Katrina
* Gothel, the witch
* Prince Stefan
* Penelope
* Hugo
* General
* Hobie
* Palace Guard
* Otto
* The Skinny Swordsman
* King Wilhelm
* King Fredrick
* The Baker
* The Fat Swordsman
* Melody
* Lorena
* Tommy
* the Silversmith

## Cast

* Kelly Sheridan as Barbie / Rapunzel
* Chantal Strand as Kelly / Princess Katrina
* Anjelica Huston as Gothel, the witch
* Mark Hildreth as Prince Stefan
* Cree Summer as Penelope
* David Kaye as Hugo / General
* Ian James Corlett as Hobie / Palace Guard
* Peter Kelamis as Otto / The Skinny Swordsman
* Christopher Gaze as King Wilhelm
* Russell Roberts as King Fredrick
* Terry Klassen as The Baker / The Fat Swordsman
* Britt McKillip as Melody
* Jocelyne Loewen as Lorena
* Danny McKinnon as Tommy
* Dale Wilson as the Silversmith