Barbie: Mariposa

Barbie: Mariposa, also known as Barbie Fairytopia: Mariposa or Barbie: Mariposa and her Butterfly Fairy Friends, is a 2008 direct-to-video computer-animated fairy fantasy film released on February 26, 2008. Directed by Conrad Helten, the film is the 12th entry in the Barbie (film series) and the 4th installment of the Barbie: Fairytopia series, but is not a canon sequel to the previous films. It is followed by a 2013 sequel Barbie: Mariposa & the Fairy Princess.

Barbie: Mariposa
DVD cover
Directed byConrad Helten
Produced byNancy Bennett
Luke Carroll
Written byElise Allen
StarringChiara Zanni
Tabitha St. Germain
Alessandro Juliani
Kelly Sheridan
Nicole Oliver
Kathleen Barr
Erin Mathews
Music byEric Colvin
Edited byMarc du Pontavice
Production
company
Mattel Entertainment
Rainmaker Entertainment
Distributed byUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Release date
February 26, 2008
Running time
75 minutes
CountryUnited States
Canada
LanguageEnglish

The film tells the story of Mariposa, a shy butterfly fairy, who went on a dangerous adventure to save their queen and their land of Flutterfield. The name "Mariposa" came from the Spanish word for "butterfly", and it is also the street name of Mattel's creative design center. The character, Mariposa, is played by Barbie although she was voiced by Chiara Zanni, since Kelly Sheridan voiced the Fairytopia heroine, Elina (also played by Barbie), who has a cameo appearance.[1] However, Sheridan did return as the voice of Mariposa in the sequel.[2]

Plot

The story is told by Elina to her puffball, Bibble, who is worried about meeting his friend, Dizzle's, other friends.

Mariposa is a book-loving and introverted butterfly fairy who lives in Flutterfield, an island-kingdom on the outskirts of Fairytopia. At night the butterfly fairies would be hunted by their predators, the skeezites, until Queen Marabella decorated the trees with glowing flowers, scaring off the light-fearing skeezites. Mariposa and her best friend, Willa, work as lady's maids to spoiled twins Rayna and Rayla, both of whom hope to woo Prince Carlos at the party that night. While everyone else is in the palace, Mariposa, opts to read outside instead where she bumps into Prince Carlos; the two bond over their favorite books and their curiosity about the outside world.

The next day, Carlos sneaks into Mariposa's house and tells her that the Queen is dying from Ilios poisoning, without her the Flutterfield lights will go out, putting everyone in danger of the skeezites. Carlos hands Mariposa a map that will lead to the Ilios antidote. Mariposa informs Rayna and Rayla, who insist on leading the journey themselves with hopes of being rewarded with the Prince's hand. The trio fly across the lake surrounding Flutterfield and arrive on the opposite shore by nightfall where they are chased by skeezites, losing the map in the process. Guided instead by Mariposa's favorite constellation, the archer, they narrowly escape.

Meanwhile, Willa, who was left behind, is told to meet Prince Carlos who has been placed under house arrest for his own safety. At the palace, Willa finds out that the Queen is being continually poisoned by her attendant, Henna, who plans to take the throne for herself. Willa frees Carlos and they follow Henna to a secret cave where they find that she has been colluding with the skeezites, promising them a feast of butterfly fairies in exchange for helping her take the throne, while controlling them with light orbs of her own concoction. When Henna leaves, Carlos takes a sample of Ilios as evidence while Willa copies Henna's method to make more light orbs.

Mariposa, Rayna, and Rayla meet a playful, flying rabbit (called a "meewah") named Zinzie who agrees to help them in exchange for snacks. Finding their next clue from a pair of mermaid sisters, they are told the antidote is in the cave of reflections. The group enters a skeezite-infested cave. With Zinzie distracting the skeezites, the group enters the cave of reflections unharmed.

In the cave, they encounter a tiny sprite known as the Fairy Speck who tells them at different intervals that one of them must remain behind, which Zinzie and Rayla choose to do. As Mariposa and Rayna press on, they are confronted by their reflections on the cave walls. When the Fairy Speck tells them that only one may receive the antidote, Rayna is tempted by her reflection with promises of being rewarded with the Prince, however, Rayna chooses to stay behind. Mariposa is taken to a galaxy full of stars and must choose the correct one in order to receive the antidote. Despite being chided by her reflection, Mariposa looks to the archer constellation which points to a lone and isolated star. Mariposa correctly chooses it and is rewarded with the antidote, with her wings magically growing bigger as well. The group is reunited and the Fairy Speck transports them back to Flutterfield.

Queen Marabella is near death and the lights have almost completely gone out. Prince Carlos returns to the palace and reveals Henna's plot to Lord Gastrus, which Henna gleefully confesses to once the skeezites appear; Willa arrives soon after, bringing more light orbs to fend them off. Mariposa arrives as well, and she and Henna chase each other around the throne room. Mariposa reaches the Queen, allowing her to take the antidote. The Flutterfield Lights suddenly reignite and the Queen awakens. Afraid of the light, the skeezites flee with Henna in tow, and Mariposa and her friends are hailed as heroes.

As the story ends, Bibble learns the importance of being himself and is soon greeted by Dizzle and her friends who fly away with him.

Voice Cast
gollark: You would also have to *catch* enough copies afterward.
gollark: Although they'd probably be outcompeted by stuff which didn't waste resources replicating DNA it doesn't need.
gollark: An ecosystem of competing backups of things would be *interesting*.
gollark: I think you would mostly want to move it onto an electronic system as fast as possible to avoid any weirdness.
gollark: Random, but okay?

References
  1. The official website is literally called "Barbie as Mariposa"
  2. Kelly Sheridan returns as Mariposa
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