Firstly, I thought this movie was a touching homage to the original. Everything from remixes of the old songs to Keira being an anagram for Erika, it was a comforting reminder of my favourite childhood film. I also appreciated aspects that kind of made fun of it, like when Keira tries to pick a lock and says it always works in movies as a reference to the time Erika stole a key by using her hair as a hook, which never would have worked in real life lol.
I also really like Keira. I think she's really fun and rebellious while also having flaws (such as being a bit of a control freak). She likes having fun, but she's a genuinely good person. However, I don't like Tori as much. Sure, she's likeable, but her lack of responsibility irritates me - especially when duty was such a big theme in the original Princess and the Pauper. When she admits she didn't know about the famine, I wondered if she had ANY sense of duty towards her kingdom. I like that she has fun and is kind to her sisters, but people look up to her. She shouldn't be so reckless.
The villain in this film was... A little weak. Admittedly, Preminger was also over-the-top and silly - BUT at least he was cunning and intelligent. This villain is just pathetic and greedy. I do sort of like the way he was 'defeated' though. Giving the wands a role in the final chase scene was clever.
In terms of music, the songs are catchy and enjoyable. They don't have the same impact as the original, but they are more modern and good dance tunes. I love Keira's voice, especially.
One flaw of this movie (and most third generation Barbie films if I'm being honest) is that it lacked genuine emotion. At the end, when they plant the diamonds, the girls are only allowed to be sad for a few seconds before it is revealed - surprise, surprise - that the plant grew back. What if, Tori had been given a moment to feel the full consequences of her actions? Her kingdom is STARVING and now all the plants are dead because she was a little careless. I think genuine emotion and regret were missing from the scene.
Also, I think the moral of the movie could have been stronger. It had some good moments, such as when Tori plays Keira's music HER way and everybody thinks it is awesome, but the overall moral feels a bit muddled. Be yourself maybe? You can find friends in unexpected places? Swap lives sometimes? Inspiration can be found anywhere? When compared to the themes of duty and following your dreams in the original, it falls a little flat here.
Overall, I liked this movie. It is fun, colourful, sounds great and is a great tribute to the original. I prefer most of the second generation movies, but is a lot better than I was expecting. I'm hoping the other third generation movies are as good as this or better!
