Rating: 4.5/10
Director: Conrad Helten, Michael Goguen
Writer: Kacey Arnold, Kristopher Fogel
Stars: Alex Barima, Kathleen Barr, Natasha Calis
Runtime: 1h 15min
Genre: Animation
Released: 18 Oct 2016

Synopsis: Barbie and her sisters discover everythingâ€ôs better when you do it together in this splashy, sun-kissed adventure! After the girls and their pets arrive at an island paradise for Chelseaâ€ôs big dance competition, they decide to make a quick side trip to see the nearby Dancing Horse Festival. But when their furry friends go missing at the event, itâ€ôs up to the sisters to find them before Chelseaâ€ôs show. While the puppies are out having an adventure of their own, the girls must use their imaginations and work together to find their furry friends in this tail-wagging good time!
Parents need to know that Barbie & Her Sisters in a Puppy Chase is an easy-to-follow adventure that finds Barbie, Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea on a trip to a beautiful tropical island. Because of an innocent mistake, the girls become separated from their four adorable (puppies and must find them in a hurry. No one is ever in danger, and there are no villains here. The mild suspense comes from obstacles that delay their reunion with the pups a washed-out bridge, a mishap in a golf cart, conquering fear of a zip line) and their hurried efforts to get Chelsea to a dance contest on time. Meanwhile, the pups are in good hands, onboard a van with a band of lovable animals. Barbie is strictly “big sister” in this story, with no distractions to get in the way of her protective, encouraging care of the younger girls. It’s a wholesome story in which the girls are faced with some challenging tasks and find they’re quite capable of succeeding in all of them. Of course, Mattel has an array of “Puppy Chase” merchandise to sell: dolls, play sets, vehicles, and accessories.
It’s nice seeing Barbie and her little sisters vaulting over gorges, scaling cliffs, and jumping horses over a crevasse; mainly, it’s a far cry from fashion-obsessed Barbies of yore. And Barbie & Her Sisters in a Puppy Chase is a gentle story. No evildoers along the way, just simple missteps and unexpected situations that get the crew in enough hot water to provide them with a mildly suspenseful, scare-free adventure. The too-adorable puppies may be a bit much for older kids, but the little ones will love them. With the Barbie & Her Sisters franchise, Mattel has covered the kid market from toddler to tween. Every new DVD has new dolls, toys, play sets, and accessories attached. At least this movie is pleasant enough, with sisters who genuinely like each other, behave well, are competent, and look up to their wonderfully aware big sister. It’s OK for even the youngest viewers.