I’ve had some time on my hands (as you can tell), so I’ve been able to create a string of articles about my thoughts and feelings on doll brands over the past few years. I haven’t been updating with videos yet, but I plan on relaunching a new Youtube channel to do just that in the near future. So, stay tuned!
Today’s topic is a much-asked for take by my readers: What do I think of the new Alwayz Bratz dolls and other new Bratz information announced for the Bratz brand for 2024? Ya’ll asked. I’m going to deliver my message.
First off, I’d like to say that while I have been a huge Bratz fan since the year 2000 (if you’re a long-time reader, you know saying ‘2000’ was not a mistake; I was a fan before their launch in 2001), it’s no secret that I haven’t been a fan of the Bratz’s current 2020s reboot and the decisions that have been made for the brand going forward. I talked about this in-depth in my article and video Bratz Comeback is a Mess. While that video came out in 2021, during the pandemic, and now about 3 years ago, I still hadn’t seen much improvement with Bratz, according to my standards, in all of that time. I’ve realized, though, that’s not the response many modern-day Bratz fans want to hear, and I’m not someone who constantly wants to rain on parades or debate people’s preferences. So, I’ve quietly just stopped talking about the brand. As I say, even “bad press is press nonetheless”. And I just don’t want to give air to what I feel is the garbage that has been released for Bratz. It has been better for me to just stay silent, especially if there are equally many people who believe I’m wrong and will have egg on my face when this brand “pops off”.
There are other doll brands that have piqued my interest, so I haven’t had the time nor the energy to just constantly complain about one Bratz disappointment after another. Plus, I have had my own harsh hard life changes, physically, emotionally, and financially. The last thing I want to do is constantly harper on all of the less important disappointments I’ve had over the years.
Right now, though, I have time.
Let me start by just giving my opinion on these new dolls in one summation: meh. They’re not ugly, but they are not inspirational or fabulous, either. Like many of the Bratz dolls being released nowadays, the quality looks rather cheap. Yes, inflation is sort of responsible, but it also feels like a rushed release (as MGA has been known to do in the past, in order to rush to meet demand).
While some of these dolls do look better than what they’ve been producing lately for Bratz, they just don’t hold a candle to the quality and inspirational vibes of the former dolls. They also lack any mix-and-match potential because they only come with one outfit. I am glad they come with accessories, but, to me, the line is underwhelming for a doll brand that has (supposedly) been back for three years now. It’s like they still don’t get what fans want and it also seems like no one understands what actual people wear anymore. What is actually fashionable.
Cloe probably has the best look of them all, which doesn’t surprise me because she’s White.
I don’t know any Black person that would wear what Sasha is wearing, and I don’t see how it pays homage to modern (or even classic) hip-hop at all. It looks like a generic hip-hop outfit without any sort of vision or creativity. I’ve already mentioned before that I hate when they put “jigaboo” makeup on the Black dolls, too. Her hair style is lazy when Black hairstyles have been coming out of sister brand LOL Surprise OMG much more elaborate and creative.
Jade’s aesthetic is pretty fitting for her character, but it seems like they have taken advantage of her cutting edge aesthetic to just put anything unusual on her. I don’t get the wellies she’s wearing, I don’t understand the shorts with the fishnet leggings. I remember Jade being far more visionary than what they’ve decided to place on her in this line.
Yasmin’s outfit is apparently directly inspired from an outfit off the runway, but it definitely isn’t of the same quality. It doesn’t even have the same sassy cuts on the skirt that the runway outfit has. Hayden Williams’ dolls had more quality than this, even if the outfits weren’t everybody’s taste.
And honestly, being inspired by the runway has been Bratz’s problem since their comeback…
I also still can’t adjust to these head molds. I still prefer traditional methods of sculpting. I hate UV Head Sculpt. It may make the work easier, but the results aren’t as polished. The plastic also clearly looks and feels different, too.
Now, my standards might be way too high for what the company can produce in this inflated economy and with the 3+ brands MGA is trying to balance (Bratz, LOL Surprise, Rainbow High, etc). Yet, I can’t help but still feel like it would be a waste of my money to purchase any of these new dolls when I still actually desire to continue scrounging around for the old ones I haven’t collected yet. Anyone can take a look at the older dolls and find that the fabric of the clothes feel real and authentic. The styles are drool-worthy even to this day. The facial screenings are sassy and gorgeous. The plastic used for the older dolls had a nice smooth touch to them. The accessories were interesting and also not cheap, many of them coming in real fabric. Compared to what I’m used to getting from the Bratz, these new Alwayz Bratz dolls just feel like all the other fashion doll brands being released from MGA Entertainment. I get the same thrill, if even more so, from L.O.L. Surprise OMG dolls now. What is Bratz offering me that the OMG dolls do not? Legacy? That’s not enough for me to open my wallet.
Aside from this release (which they’re oddly calling a “comeback”), there are still several things that concern me about the Bratz brand that also worry me about the future of it.
Future Quality
Ever since the re-release of the 1st Edition Bratz reproductions in 2020, I haven’t been too optimistic that the company is capable of remastering the beauty of the older dolls. They failed with the Rock Angelz return as well, one of the most anticipated reproductions since the Bratz have come back. I’ve tried to watch their latest reproductions, and they’ve been sad. I was especially disappointed in the Series 2023 dolls that included Fianna and Tiana. There was a clear difference in the quality of their outfits, and the new dolls didn’t even come with the accessories the original had. So why would I buy them? The whole purpose of fans asking for repros is so they don’t have to buy what was once a beloved and detailed line from the competitive and horribly expensive secondary market. But if the dolls are going to look this bad and not be exact replicas of the original, why would anyone care to buy them? Just to have them? Maybe I’m projecting, but I didn’t buy it. I went back to searching for the original. The new one didn’t give me what I was looking for. I still want the handbag and the satin top.
2004 Fianna2023 Fianna
One of the biggest perks I envisioned with a Bratz comeback was a re-release of all of the old lines, exactly as they were, for modern consumption. I also anticipated a release of unreleased Bratz (such as the Fashion Pixiez prototypes and Carousel that can only be visualized through artwork). This would’ve been the start of a fabulous “Adult Collectors” side of the brand while also making new dolls for playlines that can be on shelves for everybody else (mostly kids). Now, I’m not so sure MGA can deliver it the way they would’ve 20 years ago.
I’ve seen the release of Pretty N’ Punk Sasha and was not impressed by the plastic. She seemed far more light-skinned and the hair seemed really cheap. Like she’s wearing a really bad wig. A struggle wig. No one ever liked Sasha with the skunk hair streaks, not even in the 2010 reboot.
The first outfit seems like they borrowed from Hayden Williams’ 2018 Collectors doll look and threw on a Union Jack flag top. It looks lazy. The second look is more promising, like a nod to Balenciaga, but I can’t really see the “punk” in this collection. I’ve seen punk styles, and I can’t imagine anyone in the punk community that would wear any of this. It doesn’t even give a nod to punk styles from Y2K, either, which would have really driven me to Sasha. They should’ve released the Pretty N’ Punk outfit that was promoted in the Bratz series, as much as I hated that series that ruined my childhood, since I’m sure that’s what most people were expecting when they thought of asking for this line to be reproduced. It also would have been stylistically my preference. Someone should have done the research to find out what punk styles looked like in the 2000s so that Sasha would seem to merge well with the other girlies.
I’ve heard an LOL Surprise designer was brought on to create her outfit, which doesn’t surprise me. Bratz hasn’t had a solid design team in who-knows-when.
The highlight of last year, 2023, was the Tweevils dolls, and honestly, since I’m not a fan of the Bratz series, I could care less about them. I also had no desire to buy twin dolls (despite the fact I’m a twin) that are wearing the exact same thing (essentially) and in the most basic of styles and cheapest of fabrics. There’s a reason the Bratz clowned them in the series; they don’t have fashion sense. They aren’t supposed to have fashion sense. So, why would I buy their dolls? They don’t appeal to me. Their only pull is nostalgia and the desire to have every Bratz line (Tweevil line?) that has ever existed. I would’ve rather bought Meredith from the Bratz live action movie. She has more interesting fashions than the Tweevils.
If I get to the point when I have disposable income, and have all the dolls I really want, maybe I will buy the dolls that are mediocre, just to have them in my collection, from the secondary market. But as it stands, it’s not a priority and I just don’t see the point.
I have also been frightened by the collectors’ dolls in collaboration with designers and big-name “celebrities”. Jimmy Paul was bad enough. I wasn’t a fan of his take on Pride. First off, it takes place in the Summer (for most people), so I never understood why Nevra wore that big, heavy, big-bird jacket in the line. Roxxi’s outfit didn’t even look aesthetically like her. Her style was all off. I know Jimmy Paul is very vibrant as a person, but his style didn’t feel like a “fit” for two of the most edgy characters in the brand. To be honest, I like the Secret Date fashions for Nevra better and felt it was much more attractive for a romantic line. I know Pride dolls aren’t all about romance, but it is about love. These dolls could’ve been a lot more fierce in the right hands. It’s bad enough I hate the pairing (considering I’ve been a MeyganxNevra shipper my whole life and will die on that hill). At least convince me that Pride fashions can look fabulous throughout it all. I also still have a bit of a side-eye at MGA donating to the Trevor Project when they still haven’t paid Carter Bryant, the gay original designer of the Bratz, what he is owed and reportedly (according to Carter Bryant) treated him like dung.
The Mowalola dolls’ outfits were hardly wearable on the dolls themselves, let alone any real people wanting to be caught dead in these horrendous outfits. I still don’t understand Jade’s “star” detailing and how this works. The outfit don’t look stable. I also don’t get what is “mix-and-MATCH” about these dolls. The shoes and accessories only match Look 1, not Look 2. These are probably fine on a high fashion runway, where most people like to show off their art and craftsmanship. But for fashion doll fans, these outfits are not it. The facial screenings are not it. The hair is not it. This line screams disaster. As much as I love outrageous and cutting-edge fashion myself, I still have standards.
The Cult Gaia dolls released in 2022 were the best designer dolls, and the best Bratz dolls, to come out in years and, of course, it only had the MGA “darlings” Cloe and Yasmin. I mean, the CEO’s daughter, Jasmin Larian, had a hand in the design, and Yasmin is her namesake. Still, why couldn’t they release Sasha and Jade with one of the best lines to come out of the company? These were the only dolls to get me excited. However, they ran up to 100.00, so it seems that in order to get quality Bratz dolls nowadays, they have to be expensive.
Cult Gaia CloeCult Gaia Yasmin
I didn’t have as much of a problem with the Kylie Jenner dolls as most people I’ve spoken with. Yes, she and her Kardashian-Jenner clan are known for their problematic behavior on what people perceive as a “trashy reality show”, their materialistic and privileged ways of seeing the world, and their “Black-fishing” influence. However, I do recall that if it weren’t for Kylie Jenner mentioning that the Bratz were her inspiration, they wouldn’t have (honestly) gotten the viral attention they did back in 2017-ish to even make a comeback possible. Now, maybe, Kylie’s influence is dwindling, but back then, she was a powerhouse, and greatly got casual everyday people to recall their childhood Bratz dolls collections. Those people have now jumped onto the bandwagon and are now calling themselves “fans”.
Still, Kylie aside, her two basic dolls for “Day and Night” were not impressive. I expected more. Her day and night outfit had the same color, which made it a bit boring for me. I would’ve liked more mix-and-match accessories between the two outfits she came with. As hard as they were stating they would campaign for this release with “Bratz World” at Walmart, it did little to really drive the Bratz brand forward. Isaac Larian made this collaboration out to be the biggest thing to come out in 2023, and it really wasn’t much of a big thing. I did like her Walmart exclusive doll, though. However, it’s 100.00, and it needed to be that expensive to be buyable apparently.
To me, it seems to me that everyone who has been designing Bratz has been pushing their own vision of fashion, basically their own brands. Back in the 2000s, earlier designers for the brand didn’t try to push their own brands; they tried to observe what brands were actually popular with the public, especially tweens and teens, and tried to recreate that in doll-sized form. This is what made Bratz seem to wear things real people would actually wear. Designers were more observant and cared what the public would think. They had demographic research groups, real kids and fans come in to test these dolls and give feedback.
These new designers are too unapologetic, when their sorry outfits are why they need to apologize. They just design how they feel and think that’s all that should matter when selling to the public, like all of us have money to throw away when we have rent and food to buy.
What designers should put on a fashion doll is what they would want everyday people to wear, something they would sell in their own fashion boutique, something they’d even think their friends and family would wear. If a designer wouldn’t possibly sell some of these looks in their own boutique, there is no way it should be on the Bratz dolls. No one can convince me those Mowalola looks are being sold in their fashion boutique. These outfits seem too inspired from the runway, and everybody knows most runway outfits are not “ready to wear”. Bratz is not the brand for that. In fact, Bratz was always about that street fashion. Carter Bryant, the original designer, observed what everyday teens were wearing, not looking through high fashion magazines for the answers. That’s because everything we see on the runway, realistically, isn’t what people actually like or can even wear on the day-to-day for that matter.
With all of this being said, my hope for the future of the Bratz brand is pretty bleak. I have pretty much stopped keeping my hopes up sky-high just to be let down. I’ve pretty much lost faith in the brand, and it’s going to take a lot more than a basic cheap Bratz line to gain my trust again.
Who is Bratz For Exactly?
One of the other reasons I’m still iffy about supporting Bratz going forward is because I dislike the adult direction they’re going in. I also talked more about this in Bratz Comeback is a Mess. More like, I don’t like the way they are going about it. For me, being an adult doesn’t mean I want everything to be inappropriate, raunchy, and gritty. What I wanted was dolls that retailers refused to allow on shelves and unreleased doll lines. That would’ve made the best collectors’ dolls for me (if done beautifully). I want something I can pass along to my children, something I can share with them. This new “adult direction” they’re trying isn’t my cup of tea. I still prefer toys to be relatively wholesome.
Yet, I also can’t quite determine if the adult direction is the true direction they’re actually going in, either. People might ask me why I’m confused. Hadn’t MGA made it clear they want Bratz to be for adults?
In 2020 and 2021, when the most inappropriate stuff was coming out of Bratz social media, the company and social media team constantly kept having to remind people (and even inform people, even fans, because they never released a formal statement before these wild posts) that this brand is now for adults.
So, even when news outlets and parents became outraged at the controversial posts (such as the Bratzified reimagining of Jennifer’s Body), fans could comfortably correct these folks and tell them that Bratz is now for the generation that grew up with them.
In my opinion, the adult direction is not a largely profitable direction to take a doll brand (despite some fans thinking it makes the Bratz wildly popular now). Yes, fans are buying it, but what kind of large income can MGA gain from a few adult fans? They can’t bring in the millions they once did, and they certainly can’t bring in enough money to float the brand. This is partially why some people think the Bratz is responsible for why Rainbow High is getting a reboot and LOL Surprise OMG seems to be on hiatus. People believe MGA is tapping into their sister brands’ resources to fund a Bratz comeback.
Returning Bratz to a family-family brand would make sense; at minimum, they just need to dial it back a little bit. Direct this back to Tweens and Teens. Make it PG-13. Bratz needs to be for everybody, a general audience, to really be acceptable. Personally, when I “touch grass”, and talk about Bratz with the public, people still think Bratz is a thing of the past. I went to a shop to sell my Bratz Babyz Felicia in 2022 (unfortunately, a decision I deeply hated having to make), and the shop owners told me that these dolls haven’t been around since the 2000s. He asked me “Who would buy them?”. His co-worker asked me “Weren’t they replaced with LOL Surprise?”. If it was really the major success the online vacuum states it is, the brand would be a household name right now. The brand is only popular in doll circles. But it can’t compete with the bigger well-known brands, the ones the kids (and their parents) actually know. The kids drive sales of dolls. Let’s be real; most adults do not buy toys. And there are more doll brands for Bratz to compete with (even in-house) in the doll market than there were in the 2000s.
My younger cousin, Generation Alpha, doesn’t even know what Bratz are. Even when I’ve tried to introduce her, she’s more interested in Barbie. She likes to imagine herself as a Barbie girl. She is 7 years old. Plus, her mother doesn’t like how Bratz is looking on social media and doesn’t want her daughter heavily into them. Because that generation doesn’t even know who the Bratz are, and the parents absolutely loathe them, the brand is sure to fizzle out of cultural consciousness when Gen Alpha comes of age. The fact that MGA has done little to promote Bratz to kids shows how there is a lack of foresight with the company when it comes to this brand, and also how they really don’t care about the future of it. They care about what they can gain from it in the moment, which means anything goes and anything can change.
And yet, I still found peace with the fact that maybe Bratz was meant to be just for adults.
That is until just recently.
First, the release of that super childish video game Flaunt Your Fashion.
Not only was this game rated “E” for “Everyone”, it was created by Outright Games, a gaming company known to make child-friendly games for shows like Bluey. If anyone were to visit their original website, they promote themselves as a “Family-friendly video games publisher”. This game was released in 2022, amidst the company “claiming” the Bratz is for adults now.
The other thing that’s been baffling me is how they’ve been able to push their Series dolls onto retail Walmart and Target shelves, in toy aisles with other children’s toys, despite their toys being “for adults”.
They’re also trying to rerelease Bratz Babyz. I mean, they might just be for collectors, but it feels a little strange.
These new Alwayz Bratz dolls seem like they’re also going to be on toy shelves with kids’ toys supposedly. Sasha doesn’t even remotely wear what adults would wear. She looks like she’s coded as a teenager or tween. Maybe even a kid. I’ve read about parents (who don’t know what the brand has been looking like on social media) saying they’re going to buy them for their nieces. It’s like people are living in two different worlds. One where the Bratz dolls’ comeback means new fashion dolls for their kids, and the other where fans get to consume all of the inappropriate adult material Bratz has to offer on Instagram and Tik Tok.
I also find it weird that these dolls are being promoted by Isaac Larian as a “comeback”. Where have the Bratz gone where they need to “come back”? They’ve been around since 2021 with the 20 Yearz Anniversary launch. Dolls have been released from the brand as recent as last year, even if they weren’t up to par and seemed to be for collectors. Does he mean the Bratz are getting another soft reboot and will come back the way they used to be? Targeted to kids? Does he mean they’re going to be creating more playlines instead of collectors’ editions?
The Alwayz Bratz Tik Tok series makes the release of these “playline” dolls even more baffling, since they are of the same name. It is literally promoted as an “adult series” where the Bratz characters deal with more mature content and even use profanity. It almost seems like a completely separate creator works on the series, and is in no communication with those producing Bratz at the main headquarters…
Even some people commenting in the comments sections of posted videos of the Tik Tok series seem a bit upset that they placed “profanity” in a show they still are convinced are for kids…
Yet, I don’t think this ambiguity is a mistake; it seems to be by design. MGA seems to be teetering the line and seeing whichever sticks harder. They don’t seem to want parents to know Bratz is for adults so parents can buy these toys for kids and won’t make a stink about the dolls being on kids’ toy shelves, but they also seem to want to let adult fans think this brand is still for them, too. But they aren’t graceful about it at all, so I believe things will hit the fan soon.
I have my opinions on the Barbie movie (which I will also share later down the line), but I would say that Barbie at least warned parents in clear wording that the movie was not going to be good for kids under the age of 13, despite some parents thinking it was perfectly fine for their kids around age 9. Alwayz Bratz launched without much fanfare, so most people don’t even know about it anyway (at least when I ask people in my neighborhood about it, “touching grass”). But those who have seen the show haven’t seen a clear warning as to who it’s for. When the show starts, it doesn’t say “Warning: The following content might not be appropriate for children under 13”. It just plays on Tik Tok like it expects its audience to know what’s happening. It doesn’t account for the dozens of newcomers that find themselves suddenly discovering Bratz after many years of growing out of them. It doesn’t account for the kids who might stumble on a CGI animated show and think it’s for them. It doesn’t account for the parents who might be excited to share the show with their kids only to be taken off-guard by some of the more adult themes and profanity. The show seems designed by an amateur fan who is releasing Alwayz Bratz videos as “content”, not a real show that has to abide by guidelines.
This brings me to the other news I haven’t discussed: this new Bratz movie. This news is only an assumption and rumor. Technically, Issac Larian only said “something big is coming”. Most fans, though, believe it will either be a new series or a new movie because Isaac Larian said he had to thank the Barbie movie for this new idea, as I mentioned before. They also believe it may be a live action movie.
I know fans have been begging MGA to make more Bratz movies and a real TV series, possibly like Monster High got on Nickelodeon. I’m pretty curious as to how this movie or series is going to pan out, though. Unlike Monster High, there’s not a children’s network that would take adultified Bratz, and there’s not an adult network that would see a “cartoon” by a doll brand as fitting for their target demographic.
Part of the success of the Barbie movie had to do with it being Barbie’s first live action. Bratz has already had a live action in the 2000s. The new one has a lot to live up to. Despite the old one not really being up to snuff, winning the Raspberry Award back then, it is now a cult Bratz fan classic with actors that have become huge. Is a new live action really what fans are asking for? If you look at the former actors’ social media, they have grown followings now based on that original live action movie, showing the fans’ attachment to it.
That brings up another point: In what direction is the movie going to even go in? What could the story possibly be about? Will it be for kids, for families, like the Barbie movie, or will it be like the Alwayz Bratz series on Tik Tok (with the Bratz using profanity and such)? And what’s the storyline? The high school thing was already done with the first movie. What now? A reimagining of the start of Bratz Magazine might do, but would it be as popular as the Rock Angelz movie?
Mattel struck a gold deal with WB, investing in this Barbie project for years, and they made sure Barbie had a strong cast consisting of Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, and so many other talents on the project to make the movie super appealing long before people even went to see the movie. Barbie brought back all of her old outfits for the film, leaned into her pop culture references, and the movie produced an almost-satirical and cynical take on the Barbie universe and the doll franchise as a whole, which has always made her the butt of comics. People’s perceptions of Barbie make for content that’s fitting for a comedy. It helps that she’s now characterized as an adult, just with a child-like and rosy world-view.
The feeling of the Barbie movie felt like it stepped out of the 1990s and early 2000s (like the first live action Scooby-Doo or Josie and the Pussycats mixed with Life Size and Legally Blonde), movies that made fun of tropes but also gave them meaning, had innuendos for adults but fun elements for kids to enjoy, according to viewers. But Bratz isn’t the kind of light-hearted cheesy brand to deliver that kind of fanfare anymore, nor does it have the overt craziness that makes for a good satire. I could easily be wrong about this, and many people could go watch the movie just because Bratz is attached, but I don’t think the Bratz movie will do as well. They certainly can’t call it “Bratz” anymore since that movie name has already been taken. What will the movie even be called? I can also see people comparing it to Barbie and calling it a desperate copy-cat.
And what would bring buzz to the movie if Alpha barely knows who they are, Gen Z has a fuzzy memory, and Millennials, quite frankly, don’t care? Barbie has never retired, been on hiatus, and hasn’t lost her pop culture power. If they can’t put big names behind the Bratz project (which I doubt MGA has the finances and connections to do, unlike Mattel), this movie will be a hard sell. At worst, it will be rated a C-level movie (I guess, for adults?) on par with the one released in the 2000s.
To add, if they budget for a big movie or series, that would mean they would essentially have to cheapen their brands to put in for this movie or series. It’s possible they need to start focusing on the Bratz since Rainbow High has lost its main creators and had to reboot. They probably think Bratz is the only brand that can make up for the losses. But a big movie or series this soon, without much planning and without much investment in the dolls first, is asking for trouble. This “big thing” is said to be coming in 2026, which is 2 whole years from now. A lot can change in-between, and they haven’t even attempted to make the Bratz dolls’ “comeback” successful yet. I would rather that money be put towards a strong budget for the dolls so they don’t look cheap anymore.
I also want to point out that Isaac Larian hasn’t been known as someone to keep his word when it came to “big things coming” for Bratz. Remember that Bratz High series that was supposed to come out in Fall 2021? We never saw it. There’d even been evidence they were trying to hire a creative director for the show. That show hasn’t been talked about since.
Granted, when it comes to any big productions, things can change, especially due to budget costs. WB has completely scrapped movies, like Batgirl, that were near completion. Doll companies, even more so, often have to let go of projects they can’t fund. So, for me, this will be a rumor until I see physical evidence that it’s not. Even Isaac Larian’s statements don’t make it confirmation. It just might not even happen.
In fact, it might not even be the “big thing” people think it is, like a movie or series. The last time Isaac Larian said something big was coming in 2023 for Bratz, it was the Kylie Jenner dolls and the Alwayz Bratz Tik Tok series, neither of which were considered big news to fans.
Honestly, I’m more excited to watch that juicy new “Bratz v.s. Barbie” Netflix series coming soon, which is inspired by the book You Don’t Own Me: How Mattel V. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie’s Dark Side by law professor Orly Lobel. It aims to talk about the origins of both doll franchises and their nasty court battles the last 20+ years, revealing how cut-throat the toy industry can be.
In Conclusion…
It’s sad that I’m not as excited for Bratz as I would like to be, but the brand has failed time and time again to impress me the last few years, the company has broken so many promises, and has made the brand’s direction extremely confusing. I’m at the point that I’m exhausted with trying to figure out what’s going on at this point.
I always say I’m just one person. I don’t make the rules, I’m not the gatekeeper, and all of these releases could very well go on to be huge successes. These are all just my opinions as a long-time consumer of the Bratz. I can only say I’m not paying for what MGA is selling, and it’s going to take a lot to earn my trust back as a fan and consumer.
That’s all. Leave me a comment and let me know what you all think about the Alwayz Bratz dolls and the rumored Bratz media. Do you find the dolls to be underwhelming or are you super excited? Do you believe the movie or series will release in 2026, and be the push Bratz needs? Or do you think the movie/series either won’t happen or won’t do much to push the brand forward? All opinions and comments are welcome.
Greetings GenNext readers! This are my first-year thoughts. I can’t believe I’m saying it’s a new year.
For this year, I would like to reflect on my favorite doll brand, the one I will be watching and preparing to put money towards, the doll brand I personally feel is winning. This is no shade to other doll brands that more than likely have been doing well financially, but I’ve become a new fan of L.O.L. Surprise in the last year and a half. Since then, I haven’t looked back. I feel that L.O.L. Surprise is what new brands should look at as a blueprint for the future.
While L.O.L. Surprise has many places to work on for improvement (and the company is a bit sketch), it is one of the most genius doll brands of the 21st century and I believe it works remarkably well for something that is battling the Internet Age. I have to hand it to MGA Entertainment for this one.
Here are 5 reasons doll fans, collectors, and kids alike should love L.O.L. Surprise and keep their eye on this brand.
True Diversity
No, diversity doesn’t always make a brand good. Just having token characters of color or LGBTQ+ characters of various body types doesn’t make a brand great. It’s important what a company does with those characters and how they reflect the people they’re meant to represent.
While every company in our capitalist society is guilty of performative pandering to whoever will buy, even if the leaders of the company may not always truly believe in true equality or often contradict their messaging, L.O.L. Surprise at least gives the illusion that someone cares about how it’s done. I’m sure there are some dedicated designers in the company that don’t all think alike, and they may have had a hand in designing some of these dolls.
First off, it’s important to note that over half of the characters in the L.O.L. Surprise brand are not White.
Second, colorism isn’t much an issue because there are many characters with dark skin. Still, there are also many Black characters of many other skin tones, too, showing the rich diversity within the Black community. There are even characters with vitiligo. This brand is beautiful when it comes to Black representation. This applies to other characters of color, too, but I mention Black characters more, not only because I’m Black, but because Black characters are normally the most underrepresented, poorly promoted, and under-designed in doll brands (and within other media, too). It’s no secret that most companies hardly pay attention to their Black characters. Most companies simply give up on them, pointing to low sales as evidence that the public doesn’t want Black dolls. And sure, as long as racism exists, White dolls primarily will sell higher than Black dolls. But L.O.L. Surprise doesn’t let that stop its huge list of Black characters from flowing out.
Not only are there many Black characters, they don’t all fall into Black stereotyping and caricatures of Blackness. Sure, even in this brand, you might find a lot of Black dolls embracing Hip-hop and Pop music icons. But anyone could equally find Black dolls dressed as angels, pageant queens, rock stars, sports stars, and more. There’s a personality and style for many different types of Black characters, even though they all share skin, features, or hair in common.
Speaking of hair, it’s nice to see Black dolls with hairstyles that relate to Black people. In the past, when I was growing up, American Girl’s Addy Walker and Magic Attic Club’s Keisha were the only Black dolls I saw with textured hair. Kenya was the only doll that promoted Black hairstyles. L.O.L. Surprise, better than the others, unapologetically displays a variety of hairstyles that Black girls can try and fall in love with. From afros, to microbraids, to cornrows, to Bantu knots, Black women can be seen through these dolls. On their Youtube, they even had a short series dedicated to Black girls getting their hair done for picture day.
The House of Surprises series on Youtube portrays the Black characters in very multi-faceted and nuanced ways. One episode only had Black characters as the main leads in it. In that one episode, young Black girls got to see themselves portrayed in a variety of ways. The fun part about the episode was that it was centered on hair (something very relatable to me). The writing for the Black characters seems authentic, and they don’t use the Black characters for drama, like this is some trashy reality show on MTV, BET, and VH1. I think anyone can relate to these characters. It’s also worthy to note that many of the voice actors are also women of color, which is hard to come by in the voice acting industry. The show portrays them in ways that relate to Black people’s humanity, which makes it gold in my book. I teared up when I first watched the show because this was something I would’ve wanted as a little girl. I’m very happy that the younger generation gets to enjoy and experience this kind of brand. This is the kind of brand I want my children to grow up on.
It’s also nice to see that this brand celebrates curvier body types. In fact, it was probably the first doll brand of its kind to embrace a curvier body, something people have been coming down on other doll brands for years about.
What I also love about this brand is that it doesn’t shove romantic relationships down kids’ throats. Within the stop-motion series, there were a few “tots” crushing on one another. Sure, there are 2-pack dolls released in pairs (Tough Dude and Pink Chick from the Movie Magic Collection). But primarily, in the House of Surprises especially, romance is hardly mentioned or encouraged. There are plenty of characters for me to relate to, as a result. Everyone in the brand maintains healthy friendships most of all. The love between family is also emphasized. As a gray-asexual-pansexual person, I feel comfortable with this brand. I don’t feel uncomfortable while watching or engaging with this brand. I can engage with it without ridiculous and messy shippings, something I’ve found too often in other doll brands (and they usually end up ruining the brand, too). I think anyone, on any spectrum, can find this brand fun and wholesome without feeling left out. I’ll bet children also wouldn’t feel pressure to date or involve themselves in adult romantic affairs with this brand. This brand helps kids focus on developing the proper relationships they need to at their age.
While this brand might still have more work to do when it comes to representing all types of people, the best part is there is potential for more.
Playset Packaging
Last year, I’ve had to do some serious budgeting, so I couldn’t afford all of the beautiful dolls I wanted to purchase. I’ve been creating my wish lists for this year. So far, I’ve been clearing a path for L.O.L. Surprise. One of the perks that drew me into this doll brand was the packaging.
As a long-time Bratz fan, the sister brand, I’ve always loved the detailed packaging that came out of MGA Entertainment. But L.O.L. Surprise takes it to a whole different level entirely. The goal of L.O.L. Surprise was for it to have unboxing value. I must say watching a few unboxings online drew me into wanting to buy these dolls.
My favorite dolls have been the Movie Magic, The Fashion Show, and the Dee-Lish Diner dolls. The packaging for these dolls are phenomenal. They set the scene and give an immersive experience without having to buy a separate playset.
Back in the day, doll collectors would balk at having a cardboard playset. But L.O.L. Surprise sells it really well as a feature and charm of getting an everyday doll from this brand, not as an exclusive once-in-a-lifetime deal.
The tots come wrapped in balls and some of them have fun instructions on what to do once the dolls have been unwrapped. It’s really exciting to see.
I think what makes L.O.L. Surprise tots such a gold mine for the company is the fact they are primarily painted on and plastic. They are probably not expensive to make, yet they can still engage a kid. Many can be dipped in water to get a new look. It’s simple, yet effective. If a doll collector or child wants something a little more elaborate or sophisticated, they can always buy the taller fashion O.M.G. or Tweens dolls.
Turning boxes into playsets is also a cheap way to make playsets, which is a pretty clever way to get around inflation.
That Pop Culture, Tho
Another reason I’m obsessed with L.O.L. Surprise is because of their really fun, funny, and interesting pop culture references. The references tell me, honestly, that this brand isn’t just for little kids, who may not get these references half the time, but also for adults who would appreciate them more. Then again, with internet, many pop culture moments have been living on infinitely.
As a Millennial myself, I’ve enjoyed releases that pay homage to Jerry Lewis, Audrey Hepburn, Cher, Marilyn Monroe, TLC, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, the Spice Girls (my personal favorite), the Godfather, Sgt. Pepper, AC/DC, Riot Grrrl, Texas (the Lonestar State), and so much more. I’ve even learned about some pop culture icons I didn’t know before (because they were even way ahead of my time). It has been really enjoyable to find the connections each doll makes to some special moments in cultural history.
Unfortunately, this has not come without some controversy. Lately, MGA has been using pop culture references and re-named high fashion brands as a tool to generate interest and revenue from their dolls. There is a tricky line between parody and inspiration and literally copying someone’s likeness without consent. I’m in favor of believing that when anyone becomes a public figure, they put themselves at risk of being an inspiration for others. Still, I also do believe people should have control over their image as well.
However difficult this may be, it still is a guilty pleasure.
The Media
I find the media to be wholesome in a very entertaining way. Sometimes, I don’t want to watch something gritty, raunchy, and overtly edgy. I just want to watch something heartwarming with a feel-good moralistic ending, something opposite from what I constantly hear from the news. I also get tired of watching problematic and dramatic characters that do random ridiculous things to keep a show temporarily interesting.
L.O.L. Surprise has many characters to work with, which makes their movies and shows full of potential. I like how empowering the characters are, but also how much they care for their friends, their younger siblings, and their pets. The characters are never truly annoying or one-dimensional. I especially found this to be the case in the Winter Fashion Show movie.
The other fabulous part about the brand is their music. I can’t help but dance to the songs. The songs are really motivational and inspirational. I’ve had my own personal dress montage while playing these songs, I admit.
The Fashion
L.O.L. Surprise dolls have an unmistakable and hard-to-ignore aesthetic about them. They’re basically “Extra” gaudy, colorful and extravagant. Their outfits are loud and bold, and it’s clear the designers decided to dress them in as many busy patterns, eclectic accessories, and wild hairstyles and colors as they could fit onto one tiny model. There is also a slight sass to them.
But this only enhances their appeal. The dolls send a message that tells those from the extreme and unusual side of life that it’s okay. It’s okay to stand out for being different, especially if being different doesn’t hurt anybody.
No one can deny that the dolls’ outfits are bursting with creativity. Anyone can tell the designers had a lot of fun coming up with these toys. I find this especially to be the case when it comes to OMG and Tweens dolls. But even the tots look amazingly flamboyant and sassy.
In Conclusion…
If it’s not obvious, I’ve been using my holiday time to enjoy my latest favorite toys. This year, I aim to really invest in L.O.L. Surprise (if possible and if they continue on a good path).
I invite readers to share their views on L.O.L. Surprise or to share some of their favorite dolls from last year and the dolls they plan on purchasing this year.
Shortly after I created the article Top 5 Characters The Rainbow High series Assassinated, news released that Rainbow High is going to be “re-branded”, which basically translates to mean to me that they’re getting a reboot. MGA Entertainment, the company that produces the doll franchise, released this statement:
In spring 2024, we are re-introducing the brand in a new light.
Introducing the NEW & MORE PLAYFUL, Rainbow High™ Fashion Dolls. Discover and play with your favorite Rainbow High™ dolls in a new magical way. Every doll comes with a fantastical and adorable pet, DIY sparkle slime, a crystal shaker, and customizable fashion.
Make Sparkle Slime! Each doll comes with DIY sparkle slime; and it’s super easy to make. Just pour the powder into the crystal shaker, add a little bit of water, and then shake it up to reveal a color explosion. Let it sit for 15 minutes. And then you’re ready to play with your slime. And for those that love their slime to sparkle, you can add a little or a lot of shimmer powder to make it just the way you want it.
And for the first time ever, EVERY Rainbow High doll comes with a PET that you can customize by filling their head with the DIY slime. And you can even fill and customize your handbag and shoes. Just add slime to change the color. Kids will love playing with their favorite Rainbow High™ dolls, their Pets, Fashion, and slime over and over again.
The last time I heard this type of statement was when MGA Entertainment decided to reboot their sister brand Bratz back in 2015. The results were not pretty (though back then some fans tried desperately to defend the move).
When I read this statement about the direction Rainbow High is going in, it sounds like they’re trying to make this brand more “kid-friendly”.
In fact, it seems like they’re trying to return to this brand’s earlier days when they were called Rainbow Surprise, an extension of MGA’s Poopsie Slime Surprise toys. Does anyone remember those dolls?
Notice that Amaya looks like the former Rainbow Dream (which also became the name of a band in the Rainbow High series). Violet looks like the former Amethyst. Skyler looks like the former Blue Skye. The now-Rainbow High official website was actually once the website for the Rainbow Surprise dolls. That’s proof that these dolls are connected. Honestly, Rainbow High was the reboot. It’s actually G2 (Generation 2) of the franchise.
Rainbow World is now G3, and it feels like they are trying to revive an old method of selling these “Rainbow” dolls. The new dolls are going to come with slime and “poopsie” pets, too, similarly to the original ones.
But what’s worthy to note is that those old dolls didn’t last beyond one wave. They were apparently a flop. Granted, it is possible that the toy industry climate is different than what it was when those old dolls were released, so maybe there’s a second chance in there, but what physical evidence does MGA have that makes them think re-branding Rainbow High back into (basically) Rainbow Surprise again would make the brand more successful?
There are other noticeable changes with this launch. Poppy Rowan, the orange doll who’d been released with the initial Rainbow High Series 1 line-up, is missing. It appears they dyed Amaya Raine’s hair a mix of orange and pink to make her appear like a replacement. There’s still a bit of fan animosity towards this character, since the series “assassinated” her character arc, but in reality, among kids, she may actually have the higher physical sales. The kids apparently don’t care about the series, or what happened with her was not enough to stop them from liking her as doll.
There also seem to be some personality changes. Violet, who is mostly glam, is seen with a sweater tied around her waist. Jade appears a bit more feminine than she was at her initial launch (where she was almost identical to Billie Eilish during her “Bad Guy” days).
With these few changes being leaked, the question everyone has been grappling with is…Why?
Rainbow High had become far more successful after they dropped Rainbow Surprise. It’s especially popular among adult collectors. The Rainbow High dolls were far more fashionable, had a more interesting and relatable Youtube/Netflix series, and had so much potential to expand. For example, I wanted a Rainbow Union playset, dorm room playsets that showed all of the characters’ bedrooms, and some information about Shadow High’s headmistress (who’d still been left a mystery by the end of the series). It also would’ve been interesting to have some world destination lines, prom attire, and more. All of that potential has been wasted. There had been so many unreleased items that would’ve been great ideas. I’d also thought the Rainbow Vision Season, Season 3, drove sales of the Kpop-inspired dolls, which I thought would’ve increased sales for the brand overall. They even had a Roblox game to promote it. They got millions of views on Youtube and millions of listens on Spotify.
So, as I was sitting here, wondering why MGA Entertainment would suddenly reboot a brand that seemed successful, with so much potential, after just barely four years on the market, I’ve come up with four different theories.
The Sales Weren’t Hot
To any doll enthusiast, this might seem like the least likely conclusion, but I’ve learned that online communities do not reflect the outside world, when we all “touch grass”. The internet can be a vacuum of thought, especially since every bit of social media is influenced by algorithms. Depending on what fan groups or spaces you frequent, they can get you thinking anything. In the right spaces, they can have you believe these dolls are wildly popular with amazing sales figures. In another space, they can have you believing these dolls are not doing so hot.
The truth of the matter is, in this social-media driven climate, I’m likely to believe that, while the initial response towards the line was favorable, there’s so much online that can distract people and get them interested in other things. I believe keeping the momentum going has been challenging. I personally don’t believe Rainbow High’s sales were that great for the last year and a half. I especially think they didn’t do as well as the company hoped it would. Rainbow High was already internally competing with sister brand L.O.L. Surprise. With the Barbie movie’s success making the Barbie doll a top seller again, they are now having to compete from that angle as well. The company that produces Rainbow High is possibly struggling with trying to keep the brand fresh, with trying to get the brand to go viral, and with trying to get kids largely interested.
The Rainbow High Youtube series might have sold the brand initially, but they have had four seasons, with views dropping off between seasons, and it’s mostly on Youtube. There are other competing social media platforms now, and the younger kids are now on Tik Tok. Rainbow High hasn’t largely moved over into the Tik Tok arena because, technically, that app/website isn’t supposed to be for kids. Yet, that’s where the kids are.
Kids are also watching other shows based off of other toy franchises, and some of these shows are airing on kids’ networks and are on popular streaming platforms (Monster High is an example).
To add, I’m sure the Rainbow High show developers are running out of ideas. It may be possible they can’t think of a better story for another season and want to expand the brand outside of the same-old school setting so they have a wider way to promote the franchise. “Rainbow World” can ensure they can create any worlds and settings that they want to. This opens the potential for many different fashion lines, too.
Overall, I think MGA Entertainment has been struggling with actually trying to make Rainbow High into a mega-success. Nowadays, it isn’t enough to have moderate success. The brand needs to be a huge hit in order for companies to find the investment worth it. The same old methods of promoting and pushing doll brands don’t work anymore. The methods have been constantly changing and fast, and the company seems to be struggling to adjust to the changes.
I’ve felt, since the beginning, MGA has been completely clueless as to how to sell these dolls. First, when they released them back in 2020, everyone noticed the lack of dark skin representation, so the dolls didn’t have a positive beginning. Second, I’ve already shared why I felt the web series assassinated some characters’ personalities (interrupting the sales of some of these dolls) for the sake of drama (which they mistakenly believed would bring enough attention to the doll franchise to drive sales).
But there have also been some interesting doll concepts in the series that they’ve waited years to actually produce something from (such as the Final Runway collection) in doll form. Before the series came out, how could they not have known fans would want doll lines, playsets, and items from some of the concepts in the series? It baffled me that many outfits and playset-potential locations, vehicles, and more appeared in the series back in 2020, 2021, and 2022, but weren’t released until THIS year, 2023, way after they’d appeared in the series. In some cases, they didn’t produce some potential ideas at all (like the Rainbow Union Café and the individual Dorm rooms). And they produced some playsets that had nothing to do with the series at all (like the Rainbow High House).
They’ve also failed to add character-specific accessories in the boxes for extra play value, especially in the beginning. I’m still trying to understand why Ruby never came with any Graphic Design tools, Jade with no makeup items, Poppy with no DJ turntables, etc. Later, they tried to add more accessories to certain dolls, but a lot of them felt hollow and generic rather than “character-specific”. The Rainbow High Runway dolls they released included designer sketchpads for each character, but most fans were under the impression some of the characters they actually included in the collection (Ruby, Sunny, Violet, Poppy, and Jade) were not fashion designers based on their boxes including their real majors/focuses on them. The spin-off Shadow High Project Rainbow dolls all came with water bottles, laptops, and make-up, but hardly any of these items were even emphasized in the actual season they made an appearance in and didn’t relate to the characters’ interests in fashion design. Where were the sewing machines? Or the Project Rainbow playset? Some of the more major dolls that actually came with items, like Amaya’s Hair Studio and Avery’s Fashion Studio, sold very well, yet they were treated like special edition exceptions, not the rule of thumb.
The packaging was also boring, especially in comparison to L.O.L. Surprise, MGA’s biggest money-maker. The packaging was too sophisticated for children walking down toy aisles (which, believe it or not, still impacts the sales of dolls). Experts have proven that kids are more drawn to bright colors. They’re also drawn to whimsical designs. There was also a lack of individuality between them. For a brand that’s supposed to be about color and diversity, why was the packaging so dull? I would have liked graphic design packaging for Ruby, green packaging with scary eyelashes on it for Jade, and a fuzzy packaging with animation doodles on Sunny’s, as examples. Why didn’t they individualize the packaging at all? Especially if you’re not going to put any interesting items in the boxes?
The only thing selling the dolls was their connection to high-fashion designer brands (since their outfits were knock-offs of familiar brands like Chanel, Supreme, Moschino, etc), and only adults care about that. Eventually, the dolls toned down with trying to look too high fashion and started looking more and more generic. In any case, adult collectors, believe it or not, do not make up the bulk of the toy-buying consumers, though the internet can have people in their vacuum believing otherwise. Children drive the million-dollar sales of toys, and they didn’t care.
Shadow High, the “darker and edgier” spin-off, brought some temporary buzz, but the two seasons they appeared in assassinated some of these characters’ personalities, too, essentially making them the “villains” of the series (and not all in likeable ways). Also, when we “touch grass” and step into reality, most children do not gravitate towards “dark dolls” unless they have cute aspects to them (like the new Monster High dolls, who seem to make Halloween look “cuter” rather than “edgy”). Their parents might not like them, either.
Some Rainbow High fans could never really embrace the “monochrome” appearance of the Shadow High dolls’ skin color and hair.
I’ve heard that fans were complaining about Rainbow High at every turn, especially regarding cultural insensitivities. The Lila Yamamoto character was criticized for lumping all Far-East Asian countries together. Maria Garcia came under fire during her release for sporting a Spanish-style flamenco dress (not a Mexican-inspired one), with no marigolds and a strange color, for Día de Muertos. Also, they hated it for the price point. I’m not sure why Barbie’s pink dress got a pass, but it’s true that Rainbow High fans are different from Barbie fans. Also Maria was more expensive than Barbie’s doll. People are also tired of Day of the Dead dolls being so expensive (though inflation has made it impossible to create a decent doll without the high price point, otherwise the dolls would look even more disrespectful).
Multi-fan doll collectors are also of more value to a company nowadays, and they are holding companies accountable, measuring each doll company based on their competition. “Doll influencers” are more valuable than “Rainbow High influencers”. This is because “doll influencers” can bring many doll enthusiasts to a brand rather than someone who goes hard for one brand. By following the general doll enthusiast, this also keeps companies abreast of what their competitors are offering. This is why so many fans that were promoting one brand on their social media have switched to talking about all the major dolls in the industry. Fans today are more aware of the competition, and if a doll is not up to snuff, they will compare the doll to the competitor, using it as an example as to why they won’t buy. If I had a dime for every comment I’ve seen where a fan that hated a doll line said “I’m over this. I’m not collecting anymore. I’m going to start collecting [x, y, z]”, I’d be rich. In fact, I’d put in a dime for myself, because I’ve been saying the same thing. And fans should be able to go towards the companies that reflect their values, especially if using their own money. But companies that started off with very little competition back in the day aren’t used to this level of competition and doll enthusiasts’ higher standards. So, when companies get any sort of criticism, it’s time for a reboot.
Fans claimed they were bored with the Season 3 episodes (though it generated the most buzz and had a slew of views), and they fell off completely when Season 4 launched.
I think it’s clear that Rainbow High needed a fresh new start to their approach. I’m not sure if Rainbow World is the right new approach, but it’s pretty clear something was missing before and something new needs to be done.
Inflation
Honestly, the sales of the dolls and inflation aren’t mutually exclusive topics. I’ve talked about how inflation has crippled many doll franchises, including Rainbow High’s sister brand Bratz, for a while now. Due to world events, prices for everything have skyrocketed. The cost to make high-quality dolls has risen along with everything else. It doesn’t help that people no longer support the toy industry unless there is some nostalgic pull or some social media buzz on the right platforms, and at the right times. New brands suffer even more. Unfortunately, sales numbers that might have been fine 10 to 20 years ago are not enough to float a brand today. Or companies think they can get the public to believe that so they can drive higher prices while producing cheaper dolls, keeping money in their pockets while producing subpar material. The answer might be somewhere in the middle.
Many doll brands were, in fact, hurt by the pandemic, though. They had to rely exclusively on online sales, and now people have become accustomed to making their purchases this way. This took away extra sales from brick-and-mortar stores. People also lost their jobs and didn’t have disposable income. They only invested in the things they felt were worth it. Then, global wars and political unrest have been influencing how dolls are produced, manufactured, and sold, since we have all been globalized and rely one one another for resources.
And unfortunately, over the last few years, it hasn’t been the physical quality of a doll brand that has sold a doll, actually. It has been the nostalgic pull of it, the references to pop culture it could make, and whether the biggest influencers online cared enough to talk about it. That has decided the “value” or whether something was worth the purchase. I say this because I’ve heard “fans” say they will buy dolls that are ugly, of low quality, and sub-par, as long as they’re getting “more of this brand”, mostly referring to old-time brands. On my Youtube channel, someone said they’d rather buy the cheaper-looking Bratz Holiday Felicia instead of the expensive Felicias, being sold on the secondary market, produced back in the older days, and were of higher quality. But why buy any Bratz at all if neither one are delivering? Just to keep the brand around? For what? For some strange reason, people want to keep old struggle brands alive even when it’s clear they’ve outlived their glory days (Bratz is an example).
But when it comes to new brands, people do not support it even when they do like what they see and when the effort is actually there. They don’t support it until it isn’t around anymore, has some years to marinate, and can drive nostalgia. It doesn’t help that, because of fragmented media, creating divided fan spaces, fandoms have been fragmented. There are just too many fan communities. Yet, companies have settled with focusing on promotions on the platforms that have the higher numbers, not focusing on the platforms that are struggling to gain a following. This leaves many people not even aware of releases or new items if they’re not on the bigger social media platforms. Commercials also don’t sell things like they used to, and people are paying to block ads.
Companies can’t afford risk nowadays. The cost to make the “high-fashion” type of doll Rainbow High was promoted as is just too high right now. With that being said, it feels like the “Rainbow World” re-brand is MGA’s sign that they need to reduce the cost of making these dolls. MGA is balancing two big brands; one of them will suffer.
There have also been people asking for the prices to be lower. In order to make affordable dolls, they have to make the dolls cheaper. Once they make the dolls cheaper, the quality will decrease, so they have to use other embellishments to make them sell, and that could be a lot of color, glitter, and “poopsie” pets. I have a feeling that’s what’s going to happen with these dolls. I think it’s also worth noting that MGA emphasizes that they want these dolls to be more “playful”, implying the original dolls were not playful enough. It was obvious the original dolls lacked play value, but their solution seems to imply they couldn’t afford to make the dolls they already had more “playful” and so they have to cheapen the dolls in order to do so. We haven’t seen the quality yet, but the vibe already screams cheap.
No One Cares and fans don’t matter
When Monster High was rebooted into Generation 3, hard-core fans whined and complained about the major changes the brand underwent, with even whole characters, story, settings being changed tremendously. But did it stop the success of these new Monster High dolls or the Nickelodeon series? No.
Bratz dolls have shown a lack of effort with ugly and problematic collaboration projects and failed reproductions. Yet, the brand still has influence on social media, with people apparently purchasing some of these low-hanging fruits, and even demanding more dolls, more video games, and a real TV series.
What can be drawn from this is, as I’ve stated before, people will buy something, even if they disagree with the direction, just to keep a brand around. Why?
One reason could be the influence of toy and doll social media influencers. Influencers will promote a brand because most of them actually get paid to do so. Even if they aren’t getting paid directly by the company, their views come from people who want to hear their opinions on new dolls, and these views turn into monetary value. If people stopped being interested in these dolls, they lose their money. So, they try to convince people that these dolls aren’t “that bad”, try to find the good in them, and keep pushing for people to support the brand anyway. When someone tells you something positive enough, groups of people will begin to believe it. This influences groups of people into supporting a brand, even if they don’t like the direction it’s going in.
Then, some people just want to belong to a community. When a brand fails, so does the community. That means they no longer have something to do or invest in. This was especially the case during the pandemic where people were first experiencing a “lonely epidemic” as well.
It’s also just easier to be positive and to have fun with things rather than see the bad in something all the time. Some people just feel it’s not worth it.
With that being said, companies know they can re-brand any doll franchise they have, and the fans will still try to be positive and support it. Thus, the company can successfully cheapen the brand and still reap the same rewards. Now that Rainbow High has built a steady fanbase, MGA knows there will be some hard-core fans that will buy it just to review it on Tik Tok and Youtube, just to say they have every single item from the Rainbow High brand, and this indirectly acts as soft promotion. Other people will tune in to watch these videos just to hear the opinions of these influencers, which will be paying them, whether the reception is negative or not. The saying “any press is good press” applies here.
Hardcore fans no longer matter either. Back in the past, fans were the gatekeepers. Heck, there was a thing called gatekeepers. Now, you get public shame for trying it. They influenced the success of every product back in the day. Nowadays, fans can whine and complain until they’re blue in the face. Companies don’t need fan support to drive the sales of a product anymore, they just need people talking about it, no matter how random that person or entity is. Somehow, some way, people who really weren’t passionate about the brand to begin with will find their way to the product because of social media. We are finding “casual observer” influencers pop up. There is a difference between a passionate die-hard fan and someone who is a casual observer. A casual observer is someone who makes commentary on many different topics that cross their minds, with superficial observations, and a lack of true interest in the product. Yet, their approach is entertaining because they aren’t so passionate. It makes their “newcomer” lens appear humorous. A casual observer could also be someone who remembers something they grew up with and decides to suddenly revisit it casually for the moment. If their casual visits get big enough on social media, they might “observe” it a little more and more often.
Someone can do plenty of videos on a topic, casually engaging with a brand because their viewers asked them to, and not be a die-hard fan. Yet, thanks to social media, the “casual observer” with the biggest online following is translated as a “die-hard” fan to companies because there are more casual observers than fans, and those with wide-ranging and huge followings can help drive viewership and sales of products more than the small niche group of fans (especially those without social media power) ever could.
And actually, I’ve found that the more a “casual observer” makes fun of a brand, the more attention it brings to a product. For example, in My Little Pony’s case, the “brony” movement started as a cynical joke. However, it actually drove the sales of the franchise for awhile, making it increase in popularity. Whoever started the movement didn’t actually have to like the product, have knowledge about it, or be a long-time fan. They just needed to get people talking about it online, and, in truth, those people matter more to the company because it made the brand more popular. Long-time fans’ opinions have held less and less power.
Heck, the Barbie movie was the most “anti-Barbie” Barbie film ever, actually making fun of the Barbie world and insisting she live in the “real world” instead of in the world of her own. Yet, because of people’s commentary on its relation to our “real world”, it made everyone want to buy Barbies even more, despite the message of the movie kind of encouraging people not to be disillusioned. People who loved the movie and talked about the movie on social media didn’t care to dig deeper into the actual history, character, and storyline of Barbie, like a hard-core fan would’ve done. Not even the writer Greta Gerwig did. Yet, no one cared what a hard-core Barbie fan thought about it.
Casual observers don’t care about the past of a project. They care about what it is now. Those who don’t care about the past of a project can embrace its future, but they fail to embrace the quality of the content. Therefore, this produces a whole new generation of casual fans that can drive sales, no matter what old-time hard-core fans think, and take brands in whatever backwards direction companies want to take it. It’s just like that Winx Saga reboot. Fans complained and whined about all the horrible changes it made, but somehow it was a success. That’s because average people, who knew nothing about Winx from the past, watched it because it was accessible on Netflix and something to talk about for the “casual observers”, and they drove viewership. So did hard-core fans’ opinions really matter? No.
Kids especially can’t tell the difference between the original property and a reboot, either. To be honest, most kids couldn’t see the difference between Generation 1 Monster High dolls and Generation 2 Monster High dolls back when the first reboot happened. They believe the new Nickelodeon dolls are the first time the brand has experienced a reboot. And some kids can’t even see the difference between even now and then at all!
In Rainbow’s case, when kids walk down an aisle, all they will care about is whether Ruby, Sunny, Skyler, Amaya, and their other faves are there, waiting for them. The only people who could see the difference are adult collectors, which are growing in numbers but, again, are not the primary driving sales consumer. So, who knows. Generation Alpha might fall in love with this newly revamped Rainbow World series. Some fans might, too, embrace the change for whatever reasons they decide, and so there will be nothing anyone could do about it.
One thing is for certain: now that Rainbow High is rebooting, people are talking about it. Come 2024, people will be curious to see what it looks like. Plus, people will eventually get over it and move on. It will draw in a new fanbase, one that probably hated the original dolls, and they will tell old-time fans to shut up. If MGA thinks this is the cheaper route, and they know fans and casual observers will buy it anyway, they’re going to go for it.
Parents Hated Them
I haven’t heard many parents complaining about Rainbow High (at least, not the way they’ve been complaining about sister brand and now-adult brand Bratz). Yet, I’ve watched one adult Youtuber mention that they hated Season 3 of the Rainbow High series because it wasn’t as “wholesome” as the first season. Rainbow High never struck me as the most “wholesome” children’s show ever. Yet, even I admitted that a lot of unnecessary drama unfolded as the series progressed. Some characters were ruined by the storyline, and I was left wondering why.
It’s possible some parents didn’t think the dolls were wholesome or appropriate enough for kids. We are especially in the “Anti-Woke” climate of culture right now, so the inclusion of gay-coded or femme boy characters like Rexx possibly turned more conservative parents and their retail communities away. From the beginning, the brand has been associated with Pride, considering it embraces the “rainbow”. Parents might not be saying anything online about it, because they know they will be checked and dragged online, but they are letting their money talk. It is possible that people feel the brand was or was getting too “mature” for kids.
Let’s just be honest; colorful pooping pets and lots of glitter are easy sells and don’t cause any controversy. With a re-brand, they get to rewrite all of the characters’ stories and make the hated characters likeable. They have completely cleansed the slate, and it appears they want to zero in on the main characters everybody loves rather than releasing new characters of different colors all the time, which was their former method.
Company Issues
I’ve mentioned several things about MGA as a company in articles and videos regarding the Bratz. Based on Glassdoor, Indeed, and other job website reviews, former workers do not find it a very nice place to work. Yes, it’s natural to be bitter of a company when you’ve been let go, but the reviews are all almost-identical to one another. People find the company toxic. There’s some truth in the middle.
With that being said, it’s probably highly likely MGA can’t keep consistent workers. What if, and this is just a theory, the creative director or original designer of Rainbow High quit? If that happened (as it did with Bratz back in 2015), it would make sense that MGA would try to reboot the brand to remove all traces of the original designer. They may have also lost many team members along the way, since many people claim they can’t stay more than two years with the company, so the loss of workers means they have to produce less than they’ve been producing. But this is just a theory.
According to a few influencers, who seem to have connections to MGA, there was a fracture in the team. In a post to viewers, the fan influencer Clawdeena9 stated this:
“Thank you for sharing your thoughts based on the video!
I wish I’d worded myself differently and emphasized certain parts more based on this feedback, because the true reason Rainbow High rebooted is allegedly because of the constant criticism, the design team fractured, and from there MGA hired a new head to market the brand which caused the line to undergo significant changes. With the original designers off the brand, there was no one to advocate and fight for the brand to maintain its key elements, in other words the balance between creative and corporate began to weigh too heavily in corporate territory. Allegedly the new marketing head refused to allow any designs to have the color black be used in any designs, and if there was black it had to minimal, this first started with Shadow High series 3 & the “new friends” line, with this new marketing head ridding the line of any dark or edgy colors, and cutting shadow high entirely from the “new friends” line. Another example of marketing holding power is the Maria Garcia controversy, many fans called MGA out for what they felt was a misrepresentation of Dia De Muertos and traditional symbols, allegedly, the marketing team made Maria Garcia undergo significant changes based on what sells best, marketing claimed that Roses sell better than Marigolds, and Red & Purple sell better than the color orange, hence why the doll was made red in a Spanish style dress. Marketing teams are focused on the “business” they are the “suits”, my initial goal of the video was to convey that marketing and design teams need to work in harmony in order have the best product but many bits of my video had to be cut and removed though I now wish I’d had featured some of the key points I mentioned above to avoid creating further confusion.”
There is also rumor that Rainbow High (and LOL Surprise) are both being downgraded so that the company can invest in a Bratz “relaunch”.
In Conclusion
At this moment, we don’t know the true reason why Rainbow High is getting a reboot. MGA will probably never properly explain the reason. We also don’t know what the dolls will look like and if they will sell just as well (or better) than the originals. Time will tell. What we do know is MGA felt the need to do this, and fans online don’t seem happy about it. But will fans put their money where their mouth is and avoid supporting these dolls to send a message? Or will they just overlook the changes to keep the brand around for the sake of having a community and getting paid as a doll influencer?
Leave me a comment and let me know what ya’ll think!
From The Outer Haven Article: Comparing The Tekken 7 Base Roster Against The Tekken 8 Base Roster
The Tekken series is a fighting style game series, initially developed and published by Namco (which is now Bandai-Namco) in 1994. Competing with other gaming franchises like Mortal Combat and Street Fighter, it is a feat that Tekken has managed to stand the test of time against others, making its mark as one of the most popular fighting games of all time. One of the best features of the Tekken series has always been its graphics, interactive arenas, in-depth story telling and character building, as well as its diverse fighting styles that serve to give each character distinction.
The highest selling Tekken game is 2015’s Tekken 7, surpassing 1997’s Tekken 3 as the previous holder for that title. One could argue that its popularity had to do with it having a lot of new content promoted throughout the years, despite being a 7 year old game. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the shut down surrounding it also saw an increase in various people playing this game’s content, as newer games weren’t being developed as quickly. Yet, despite the fact that I loved Tekken 7, some of its features (or rather the results of it) are definitely an example of how bad off the gaming industry is or will be for people who play games for fun and not just for cash.
In fact, it is reflective of many trends I and many others have seen in gaming for the last 10 years due to the rise in “professional gaming”. Many have been desensitized to it all because of their own need for stream revenue (many people are professional streamers now) or to play professionally in other ways. The need to continue the legacy of a childhood franchise, or to have anything new, even if it doesn’t come with the all of the best features, are also some reasons for gamers’ dismissal.
Of course, I was a lot more hopeful for the future than many would give me credit. I had hoped that Tekken 8 would be a huge turn around mainly because the base roster in Tekken 7 was a fantastic mix of old and new characters, story-liners and throwaways, and as much as I hate DLC (downloadable content), many of the characters that came with the package were actually really good characters, ones that I had hoped would become base characters eventually in future games.
But I cannot help but feel a little disappointed by Tekken 8’s character roster. I’d honestly go on to say that it is one of the most disappointing roster reveals since Tekken 4. This is not to say the line up is worthless; we do see the return of some older characters like Jun Kazama and we also get some new characters such as Reina Mishima, who seem to be in line to be a lot more important in Tekken lore than previous new characters.
However, I feel skeptical about the introduction of the new characters in Tekken 8 and whether or not these characters will have any meaning to the series going forward. After all, there were various new characters in Tekken 7 (excluding guest characters) that did not even make the cut for the next installment which is odd considering new characters (especially base ones) in the past were usually given a chance to be in at least one more game before being given “the ax”. But with Tekken 7 to 8, that was not the case. I’d wager most of them won’t be returning even as DLC characters either.
Upon reviewing this article from The Outer Haven by Editor Keith Mitchell, there was a comparison he made with the line up of base characters in Tekken 7 vs Tekken 8:
Tekken 7 list Of base characters Included:
“Alisa Bosconovitch (returning), Akuma (new to the series), Asuka Kazama (returning), Bob (returning), Bryan Fury (returning), Claudio Serafino (new to the series), Devil Jin (returning), Dragunov (returning), Eddy Gordo (returning), Eliza (returning), Feng Wei (returning), Gigas (returning), Heihachi Mishima (returning), Hwoarang (returning), Jack-7 (new to the series), Jin Kazama (returning), Josie Rizal (new to the series), Katarina Alves (new to the series), Kazumi Mishima (returning), Kazuya Mishima (returning), King (returning), Kuma (returning), Lars (returning), Lee Chaolan / Violet Leo (returning), Lili (returning), Lucky Chloe (new to the series), Ling Xiaoyu (returning), Marshall Law (returning), Master Raven (new to the series), Miguel (returning), Nina Williams (returning), Panda (returning), Paul Phoenix (returning), Shaheen (new to the series), Steve Fox (returning), and Yoshimitsu (returning).”
Then there’s Tekken 8 base characters which include:
“Alisa Bosconovich (returning), Asuka Kazama (returning), Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo (new to the series), Bryan Fury (returning), Claudio Serafino (returning), Dragunov (returning), Devil Jin (returning), Feng (returning), Lili (returning), Hwoarang (returning), Jack-8 (new to the series), Jin Kazama (returning), Jun Kazama (returning), Kazuya Mishima / Devil Kazuya(returning), King (returning), Kuma Mishima (returning), Lars Alexandersson (returning), Lee Chaolan (returning), Leroy Smith (returning), Leo (returning), Ling Xiaoyu (returning), Marshall Law (returning), Nina Williams (returning), Panda (returning), Paul Phoenix (returning), Raven (returning), Reina Mishima (new to the series), Shaheen (returning), Steve Fox (returning), Victor Chevalier (new to the series), Yoshimitsu (returning), and Zafina (returning).”
Now there are a few notable characters that have returned to Tekken 8 that were new characters in Tekken 7. Shaheen and Claudio, who were base characters, are returning, and then Leroy Smith (who was a DLC). But you will notice that all of the returning “new” characters from Tekken 7 are male.
What Happened To The Female Characters?
In Tekken 7, there were a handful of female characters introduced in the series: Josie Rizal, Katarina Alves, Master Raven, and two new female DLC characters: Kunimitsu II and Lidia Sobieska. To be very honest, the first two base female characters were underwhelming, but I did feel like they had potential. While Josie is considered by fans to be an annoying crybaby, she did offer something unique to the roster—she was the first female Muay Thai fighter (which the fighting style is notably absent from the Tekken 8 base roster) and the first character from the Philippines. While eventually Tekken 7 would introduce another new DLC Muay Thai fighter named Fahkumram, seemingly to replace the less popular female character as a Muay Thai character, it would have been nice if they had given her another chance in Tekken 8 and given her room for growth, becoming less “whiney” and a little more self-assured.
Considering her interest in joining the Tekken Force, it would have been interesting to see where her story went from there. She was a new character, and many new characters in the past needed time to grow and evolve. So why not her? Yet, the potential to expand on that story seems lost. And, to be honest, I do not think she will return even as a DLC.
Even Katarina Alves, who was the first Savate fighter in the series, did not get a fair shot to flourish. While Katarina’s story could be considered a Tekken cliché at this point (the “vanishing parent” and the fighter’s need to search for them is by no means a new concept in Tekken lore), I think they took a very unique approach with her character. She is definitely not the standard Tekken female archetype; Most other Tekken females are either youthful (Ling Xiaoyu, Lucky Chloe, Lili Rochefort), Docile (Jun Kazama, Alisa Bosconovitch, Julia Chang) or seductive (Anna Williams, Christie Monteiro). The only brassy, tough girl characters we have are Nina Williams and Asuka Kazama (Leo Kliesen does not count because they do not have one specific gender according to director Katsuhiro Harada). So it was refreshing to see characters like Katarina Alves.
And let’s not forget about Master Raven, our first black female fighting character in the Tekken franchise. To be honest, I preferred her design more than the original Raven character and her customization options were worth it. Plus, the commands seemed to have landed better with her (maybe because she is actually the boss of the original Raven). I actually wanted to see more of her because, on rare occasions, do we see a kick-ass black female in a fighting game. Yet, with the return of original Raven, I doubt she will be given another chance to shine. I would be greatly surprised if she returned as a DLC, though I’m more convinced they will prioritize older characters like Eddie Gordo, Armor King, Anna Williams or characters based on older characters like Kunimitsu II.
Of course, most of these female characters are not exactly as integral to the story as the ones in the current base Tekken 8 roster. But the one female character that surprised many fans by her absence on the T8 roster was Lidia Sobieska. Lidia is a prime minister from Poland who was on a mission to take out the Mishima Zaibatsu organization due to their worldwide destruction and chaos. Although Lidia was released very late in the game (she was the final character released in 2021), by her introduction trailers alone, it was pretty obvious she would be an important part of the story. After all, in lore, she challenged Heihachi to step down from the Mishima Zaibatsu, and it was he who challenged her to join his tournament if she wanted his removal.
Being an actual political figure, you would think she would have been one of the heroes to stand against such a corporation going forward (even after Heihachi’s death) and be one of the core characters in the fight for world peace. Even her fighting style, Polskie Karate, would have been a great addition to the roster, giving more realistic fighting styles to add to the diversity of gameplay (which I will discuss later). On top of all of the interesting things about her, the Tekken director Harada himself seemed to be hinting in an interview two years ago that her role as a Polish Prime Minister was very important for the “future storyline”.
Lidia’s Launch Trailer
However, upon reviewing the Tekken 8 base roster, Lidia is no where to be found. And before anyone says “Well, Lidia is not well-liked or played as a ‘main’ at tournaments”, just remember that Shaheen made the cut.
Momentary Cash-grabs And Leveraging Content
Tekken 7 introduced a slew of characters for gamers to pay for as downloadable content. Along with guest characters from other games (Negan from the Walking Dead series, Geese Howard from SNK’s Fatal Fury, and Noctis from the Final Fantasy role-playing game series), this also included long-time returning characters, like Anna Williams, Lei Wulong, Julia Chang, Craig Marduk, Eddie Gordo, Ganryu, Zafina, and Armor King. Along with those, we also got new characters: Leroy Smith, Kunimitsu II, Fahkrumum, and Lidia Sobieska, all of which turned out to be more popular than the new base characters like Josie, Katarina, Shaheen, Claudio, etc.
The popularity of new DLC Tekken fighters has been due to a number of reasons. First off, it was filling in new in-game content to continue the main story-line while everyone was waiting for a new game (that wouldn’t come until seven years later). Secondly, the DLC characters introduced had more interesting back stories that didn’t follow a cliché. Leroy Smith, a Black New Yorker, was a victim of gang violence that turned out to be orchestrated by the Mishima Zaibatsu, the corrupt organization of founder Heihachi Mishima, who had always served as the series’ antagonist. Leroy is a street hero and has a compelling underdog story. Not to mention, his design is the most unique to date, making him possibly one of the flashiest male characters accompanied in every fight by his dog companion Sugar.
As mentioned before, Lidia is also one of those new characters with a compelling backstory, one that the director seemed to hint was “very important in the future of the storyline”. However, as stated before, unlike Leroy Smith, who clearly makes an appearance in the new base roster, Lidia does not. It makes me question why she was introduced in the first place. Why would they boost her up to be important just to do nothing with her?
Well, there are a few reasons possible for this. She was introduced so late in the last game that the developers might have thought no one would miss her. Unfortunately, I’m more inclined to believe that
She was a momentary “cash-grab” character with no real plans to put her in future games.
They are leveraging her as a character because of her popularity, and deciding she would be better as a DLC because of it.
Many may not think there is anything wrong with what this company is doing. But I hate the precedent it sets: that in order to have great characters with great storylines you have to pay more money than you already have paid (Tekken 7 was almost 100 USD 7 years ago, including tax…imagine how much it will cost now).
What’s worse is I hate that we will be paying for new characters that will ultimately have no meaning in the future. As mentioned before, Tekken 7 introduced a slew of new characters, half of which won’t be returning as base characters (which is unusual for a Tekken game). Maybe the company introduced too many new characters to fill the roster; there are many returning characters that are too popular to be replaced, especially for tournaments.
Speaking of tournaments, that is another issue at play. Tournaments drive the way fighting games are developed now, unfortunately, which means that the characters introduced are made to be suitable for them. Their creativity doesn’t matter. Their relevance to the story (if you are interested in the lore) doesn’t matter. How fun they are to play (or challenge against) doesn’t even matter any more. What matters is if these characters are played as main fighters in tournaments. This makes many of the new characters dispensable, and that is exactly what it seems the company wants these days.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with tournaments. However, Tekken does have a dedicated fanbase of players outside of it, so it would be nice if there was a little more balance. For example, almost all new characters are DLC. I miss the fun of fighting to unlock new characters, and it would be nice if some characters were unlockable for in-game content. Playing to unlock characters (and other things) not only pushed me to perfect my skills as a gamer, but it rewarded me for playing. I felt accomplished. What is rewarding about buying a character for a game? It’s just not the same. Of course, it is pretty obvious that this makes it easier for tournament players. Instead of focusing on dedicating time to unlocking characters through gameplay, it’s easier for them to just pay and immediately begin the process of “maining” them as characters. I guess in the mind of game executives, though, if you really want a character you’ll pay for it, right?
This has caused them to abuse DLC, though. Because they know it is there whenever they want extra cash, they hold on to good content long enough to see how badly people want it. It’s possible that Lidia is that type of character. She is popular enough to leverage as a DLC for fans because of her interesting storyline (which they boosted up themselves in interviews upon her release) so her absence will make the heart “grow fonder” for payers. Sadly, we may not see characters like Lidia as a DLC until years after the game is released, like what happened with Tekken 7. That’s what is even more bothersome about DLC abuse and how lazy and uncreative it is. Where we could have easily had many of these new DLC characters in a brand new game, the developers spent years milking the same game, just with new DLC content to get money from.
Or worse yet, Lidia and other DLCs like her could very well have been just one of those random characters that the Bandai-Namco’s creative directors had no real intention of using in the future and only promoted as such to release her as a momentary cash-grab at the tail end of Tekken 7’s era.
The Lack Of Diverse Fighting Styles
Upon reviewing the Tekken 8 roster, I noticed that the characters this time around includes three ninja-style characters, three Kazama-style fighters, and a lot of the other characters on the roster that do not have any well-known, traditional fighting styles like in previous games. This is not to say that Tekken has only ever had traditional fighting styles, but it does become more obvious when a lot of the fighting styles are repeats or look more similar to others. I’m sure each character will have their own personal flair and combo moves specific to them, but I really do miss some of the characters with traditional fighting styles battling it out.
Notably absent are characters that perform Muay Thai and characters that perform Capoeira. My favorite characters in the franchise are Eddy Gordo, Tiger Jackson, and Christie Monteiro because they use Capoeira style fighting techniques, and I love Capoeira style fighting even in real life. So you can imagine my disappointment when even Eddie Gordo wasn’t released as a base character in the Tekken 8 roster. Worse yet, they haven’t exactly introduced any new characters that can replace Eddie Gordo with the same or similar fighting style, like they would have in the past.
With the new Muay Thai characters Josie Rizel and Fahkrumum introduced in Tekken 7, you would think that at least one of them would have made into the Tekken 8 roster. Sadly, that also has not come to fruition, and I’m not exactly sure if either of them will make an appearance as a DLC either.
This uncertainty is what I hate about it. The developers lead you on with a “maybe” where you hold on to hope that by buying this game, even if you don’t have your favorite fighters now, you might be able to play your favorite fighters “later”. But sometimes they don’t end up in the game (RIP Christie Monteiro) at all. Yet, you’ve still paid a lot of money to buy the game in hopes that maybe a DLC will come with the characters you love. What’s worse is that the characters may show up but, as I mentioned before, it may take a few years like what happened with many of the Tekken 7 DLC characters.
Overall, I wish we could have new characters with some traditional fighting styles or at least have some of the older ones with those styles to return to the main roster so we don’t have to wait over time for these types of characters. One of the amazing things about Tekken is seeing people with these real-life inspired fighting styles battle against each another. There are so many fighting styles in the world that I am surprised only one of the new characters (Acuzena) has it. More importantly, expanding on new fighting styles could help the developers come up with a new character focus, country or cultural focus, and story focus. Plus, aren’t we tired of the company “nerfing” or weakening some beloved characters like Asuka Kazama, just so we can make room for another character with almost the same fighting style, like Jun Kazama? I get that she was in the Tekken series long before Asuka, but what is the point of having two characters with almost the same fighting style?
Perhaps, instead of focusing on simply providing new and diverse aesthetics, it would be more advantageous to focus on the mechanics of the characters used in fighting, and use that as a jumping off point to the characters’ background, vibe, and persona. Otherwise, the game will be all look with no substance left.
In conclusion
Tekken is overall a solid franchise. So far, Tekken 8 looks like it will be a fun ride. The design and mechanics of most of the characters they do have are great. But even with great games, there is always room for improvement. To add, I think it is good to examine how the future of gaming will be affected by the overuse of DLC on game quality. Hopefully, some rewards of gaming can come from actually playing the game and not just after buying a ton of useless, meaningless, pointless characters.
Some of the readers have been curious as to whether the writers of this blog are interested in Rainbow High. The answer is YES. As a long-time fan of many of the products coming out of MGA Entertainment (Bratz, Project Mc2, Moxie Girlz, LOL Surprise), Rainbow High has caught my attention since its launch in 2020. The idea of each character representing a different color of the Rainbow? Of course, I love.
Since becoming a huge fan of the dolls, I’ve also decided to watch the Rainbow High Youtube Series (also apparently on Netflix). I must say the show is…interesting. The show is meant to focus on the main Rainbow High girls and their time at this elite and drama-filled school. The girls navigate the cut-throat, intense, and competitive atmosphere to prove themselves in their particular craft. The series hasn’t shied away from propping up diva-like and over-confident characters, pouring in some really mischievous ones, neither does it always make its main cast of girls innocent. I do appreciate that the characters are flawed and all have to be taught life lessons, just like normal people. The episodes have also been really engaging, especially after the introduction of Shadow High during Season 3, Rainbow Vision.
However, I’m going to be honest. I’m not sure if those who are writing and producing the show realize that the show is meant to support and promote the dolls. It seems to me that, while trying to make this really popular and drama-filled show, they’ve done a lot more harm to the sell of some dolls (and characters) than good. I would definitely say that they’ve assassinated the character of many popular and wonderfully designed dolls.
What does character assassination mean? According to Google, it’s the malicious and unjustified harming of a person’s good reputation. In this case, a doll’s good reputation. A few characters in the series fit this bill. They were introduced as likable and loveable characters only to be flipped over and made into annoying and horrible characters later. Some dolls were released without much of a reputation but with really attractive dolls. When they were planted in the series, however, their character turned out to be wholly unlikable. Let me break down 5 characters who really got destroyed by the series.
The following will contain spoilers.
Amaya Raine
At one time, during Amaya’s doll release with the Hair Studio, she was reported to have sold so well and was so popular, she was a Toy Book 2021 Doll of the Year Finalist along with the other Series 1 dolls. So, it’s only natural that MGA would want to promote her in their series somehow, and as quickly as possible.
However, they didn’t do this gracefully. For half of the first season, the initial group of girls were Bella, Ruby, Poppy, Sunny, Jade, Skyler, and Violet. The episodes were centered on building these girls’ friendship and teamwork, especially for their “Final Runway”, their first major project at this school.
Suddenly, in the midst of everything, the “Pink” one, Bella, decides she wants a summer internship so badly with her idol, Ramona Barnes, that she’s willing to break a major rule at her school. That rule forbids students from taking photos of student work and sending it outside of the school (though I don’t know how this works with so many Photography and Digital Media focuses, but okay. Maybe there’s specialized permission for that?). Bella gets caught, of course, and is expelled from Rainbow High. Shortly after, she is replaced with Amaya Raine.
Now, keep in mind, not only was Bella’s chemistry with the main girls very strong, she also had a BFF among the group, Jade, who people even shipped together with her (though any romantic relationship between them has been debunked by the company). No one actually wanted to see Bella go. Her development was too good.
Then, in is shoved Amaya Raine, and the hatred towards her began from there. Not only did she feel responsible for the break-up of BFFS Jade and Bella (with Jade literally and not easily warming up to her in the series), she didn’t seem to care that she was only called in to replace another student, shaking up the vibe of the team. She insisted they “be nice” to her and asked to feel apart of the group without allowing them time to process their feelings.
To many people, too, it didn’t help that she seemed to be pushed forward into being the main character from then on, getting a love interest, more dolls, more screen time, and a dramatic “Final Runway” moment. Some argued she was designed to be a “Mary Sue” main character with no real flaws except the fact she “doesn’t fit in”. It was too soon and too fast for her introduction, not allowing fans to process the lost of a beloved character before having to get to know a new one.
Though all of this was not Amaya’s fault (Bella did make the choice to break the rule), the chemistry between Amaya and her teammates never fully blossomed to most viewers. This was so bad, they literally did bring Bella back in Season 2, and with her own Series 2 doll as well. Amaya, on the other hand, never seemed to bounce back from that initial introduction. Though she’s had a make-over and many bonding moments with her team, many fans still do not like this character. I think it’s worth noting she didn’t even appear in the Rainbow Rush video game.
The thing to blame is bad writing. They tried so hard to make this series dramatic, they didn’t seem to care about the damage it would do.
River Kendall
Though most people were not fans of Amaya Raine, the one draw of her character was her cute romantic relationship with football and Performing Arts star River Kendall.
Introduced as a “Teal-colored” doll with Series 2 and as a character in the series in Season 1, Amaya was smitten with him as soon as she met him during the Cheer Challenge. Eventually, the two of them began going out, and people actually began tolerating Amaya a little more due to this being the first romantic pairing in the series.
Fast-forward to Season 3, the Rainbow Vision arc, and he is preparing to audition with his boy band for the music competition. Not only did he decide to form a boy band with the unlikeable Colin (who basically cheated on Skyler with Ruby, breaking her heart), but all of the amazing talents he was boasted to have, including his dancing abilities, were shoved to the side. He performed this weak acapella-style boring song that had him fail his audition.
He was so insecure, so frustrated, and apparently so humiliated, he blew up at Amaya and dumped her. His reasons appeared unclear. Maybe he felt he couldn’t handle a relationship while he was trying to manage his professional career. I guess.
But, the fact of the matter is, this made him very unlikeable. While he and Amaya appeared to be on good terms by the end of the season, some fans found his behavior to be unacceptable towards Amaya, and they can’t forgive him for angering her for little to no reason. Some even considered his reaction to be toxic.
As a boy who claims “his mom and sister taught him how to be a good person”, I’m not sure what happened to that person during the music competition. It was certainly an out-of-character moment, for the sake of drama. It was also the result of bad writing, especially since no clear explanation was given to justify his behavior, not even towards the end of the season.
Meline Luxe/Ayesha Sterling
I’m just going to put these two girls together because they are two of one problem. Meline Luxe, Ayesha Sterling, and Sabrina St. Cloud were three dolls introduced with the Rainbow Divas line to promote Season 3 Rainbow Vision (a music competition reality show like Eurovision). They were promoted as a huge all-Blackish music group, appearing to be inspired from Destiny’s Child, En Vogue, and The Supremes. With one literally appearing like Beyoncé, it isn’t surprising that these dolls enjoyed relative popularity during their launch before the start of Season 3.
Then came Season 3, and someone thought it was a good idea to build their character arc around this colorist story of the two darker-skinned girls, Meline and Ayesha, “bullying” the light-skinned girl, Sabrina St. Cloud. Granted, the website already gave Meline a self-centered and diva-like bio. Still, it appeared she was very close with her friends Ayesha and Sabrina, and anyone would think that was just a ruse to promote the character as more interesting than she is (like they initially did with the A’s during Season 1). At least it appeared she would be attached to her besties.
But it was not a ruse. Meline and Ayesha fought for the spotlight, tried to control the actions of Sabrina, and eventually kicked her out of the Rainbow Divas, blaming her for their drama (so all that promotion for the doll line, and this is the outcome?). They may have thought they were propping up the sales of Sabrina, but all it did was make them all look like clowns.
I believe they were trying to be inspired by the real-life drama between girl groups like Destiny’s Child, En Vogue, and The Surpremes, like Dreamgirls the musical. But they approached the subject matter and the stories of those groups without examining the deeper nuances as to why they experienced such tension within them in the first place. For starters, colorism and featurism was at the root of much going on between them. The lighter skinned girls were preferred over the darker girls as a societal standard. The girls who were more “digestible” to White audiences were preferred. This caused the lighter girls with skinnier bodies and lighter voices to be pushed more to the front (like Beyoncé and Diana Ross) and caused them to make more money. This caused the girls to be at odds with one another. The other issue was sexism, and the fact that a woman’s stage value was placed based on how her beauty matched with society’s beauty standards in the first place.
Without that deeper insight into what really went down between these groups, the arc made for the Rainbow Divas, intended to reflect these real-life stories, just felt shallow, superficial, and down-right offensive. To make matters worse, the kids who probably don’t even think that deeply about it are just left thinking the dark-skinned girls are “mean”, ugly, and unlikeable, adding to colorism and even racism towards Black women and girls. It’s hard enough to sell Black dolls. Why make it harder with a story like this?
You’d think since Ayesha is the younger sister of Robin Sterling, they’d write her into the same class act she is.
Ainsley Slater
Ainsley Slater was one of two characters introduced to be the companions of Avery Styles, the only one to have a doll and playset at the beginning. In the series, Ainsley, Avery, and their boy companion Aiden are known as the “A’s”, prefects who seem to be good at everything. Initially, they were written to be stuck-up and haughty, like many of the students in the Rainbow High school.
Eventually, as Season 1 fleshed out, the “A’s” revealed more vulnerable and kind moments. Avery and Ainsley supported their friend Aiden when he had to stand in for the QB during the biggest game in Rainbow High history. Avery invited Ruby, Sunny, Poppy, Jade, Violet, Skyler, and Amaya to her Fashion Studio for fashion inspiration for the Color-Block Party they were throwing for First Year students. All seemed good, and the big wall the A’s had around them began to crumble to reveal softer and supportive spots.
By the end of Season 2, people were wondering where the Aiden and Ainsley dolls were. Sure, she and Avery had a tense moment when Ainsley decided to take up Fashion as a focus, finding herself competing to earn her best friend Avery’s approval. But it seemed they’d made up.
Well, they finally decided to release an Ainsley doll, but this time she was released with rival school Shadow High. Now, there’s nothing wrong with Ainsley being with Shadow High. While the promotion of the spin-off series seemed to be trying to make Shadow High into the villains, for the most part, they actually felt like the underdogs at the beginning of Season 3.
But the way Ainsley revealed to her friends and the whole school she was transferring was…not a good look. During the initial stages of the Rainbow Vision week, the Storm Twins (Veronica and Naomi Storm) initiated a series of pranks on Rainbow High, like they apparently do every year. This angered Rainbow High students and kicked off their spark of rivalry for the year. During this whole experience, Ainsley vaguely sent signs that she supported these pranks and antics, weakly trying to share with her close friends that she’d transferred to this school, but not quite getting it out there.
It wasn’t until Glitch, the host of the Rainbow Vision music competition, brought Ainsley to the stage that she decided to confess she was leaving, and she expressed it as if she was happy to turn on her old school. She literally said to the audience that Shadow High is going to win Rainbow Vision right after Shadow High sabotaged the competition.
What’s worse is when she returned to the audience to sit with her friends, she acted like her friends weren’t supposed to be angry with her. No, it’s not they didn’t accept she made the best choice for her art style (which she seemed to think was the problem). It’s that she assisted and supported the Shadow High pranks and take-over without even confiding in her friends she was leaving them. They had to hear it first on an enemy stage. And the fact that their trio was breaking apart was also difficult. That was humiliating and hurtful, and made Ainsley a horrible friend. Thus, an unlikeable character.
Thankfully, they all made up at the end of the season, with her friends supporting her transition. But, for some people, the A’s are just not the same without Ainsley, and it’s her fault. Or the fault of bad writing.
Reina “Glitch” Crowne
Reina “Glitch” Crowne, mostly known as “Glitch” was first introduced as a series-only character during Season 3’s Rainbow Vision arc. She won the Host-Off Competition and became the cunning, witty, and cool host of the Rainbow Vision music competition. To add, she revealed herself to be sort of an “underdog” character who struggled with stage fright after a freeze-up during her school’s showcase. Her powerful song “Found My Voice” allowed her to gain more confidence, and it transformed her into a bold individual that a lot of people could relate to. Her style and manner became so popular with fans, they asked for a doll to be released for her.
The doll was the first of the many disappointments surrounding Glitch. First, the really cool hair pins she sported in the show weren’t there. She had a basic ponytail. Second, she was introduced as a “Fashion Design” focus, like they don’t have enough of those between Rainbow High and Shadow High. With a name like “Glitch”, she’d seem to be interested in video games or technology. They should at least explain where she gets her name.
Finally, the other big issue was her appearance in Season 4, the Project Rainbow arc, a season supposed to be inspired by the design reality show competition Project Runway. Note, this season was filled with character destruction. The new doll Dia Mante was introduced as a bossy, annoying character, which is enough to make those from Detroit go on protest (since that’s what she promoted in her bio). Half of the characters that were built up to have a certain set of skills failed at the challenges that should have been their strength (such as Michelle St. Charles losing the “Out of This World” music challenge when she’s supposed to be a Music focus, or Ainsley losing the crown accessory challenge when she’s literally supposed to be an Accessory focus). Some characters were eliminated so soon, they didn’t have a moment to have their characters fleshed out, like Zooey Electra. Aiden was just released as a doll and had a pitiful run.
But no one got assassinated as badly as Glitch. During Episode 7, “Project Deja Vu”, this underdog character, who hated the De’Vious Twins for cheating during Rainbow Vision for the 3 years they were hosting, suddenly decided to cheat herself by stealing Rainbow High’s materials, their jewels, all so she could try to have a winning advantage in Project Rainbow.
While Glitch was always quite a jester and mischievous character, she didn’t strike anyone as someone who needed to cheat to get ahead. She was never developed into that kind of dramatic character. Sure, she and Rainbow High seemed to have rivalries, as she refused to work with talent agent Coco during the Rainbow Vision season because she didn’t think a Rainbow High student could get her where she wanted to.
But even throughout the Project Rainbow season, and right before Episode 7, in Episode 6, “Team Mix-Up”, she tried the “trust fall” exercise, where Priscilla literally fell into her arms and Glitch caught her. They proved they could trust each other. Even at the end of the episode, she seemed to have grown closer with Avery, with the two of them seeming to have learned they have something in common. Glitch even said Avery “got her”.
So, why, in the next episode, would Glitch throw all of that away just to win? It was a horrible assassination of her character. All of the qualities that made her a relatable and likable underdog were thrown out of the water. Why did they even bother to release a doll for her if they were going to sabotage her sales with this bad characterization?
Conclusion
The Rainbow High dolls are beautifully made, I love the outfits, and I love the colorful characters for the most part. I still wish the dolls came with more accessories like dolls used to back in the day, but I think they’ve improved on that.
But the series needs to be polished badly. They’ve destroyed some of my favorite characters (Glitch being one of them), and they’ve interfered with the sell of the dolls they’ve released. Why they think that’s a good idea is beyond me.
Anyway, that’s my spin on the character development in the series. Next time, I might analyze how the school is a reflection of our capitalist corporate system, but that’s a story for another day.
Leave me a comment and let me know of any other characters you believe were assassinated in the Rainbow High series.
American Girl has flipped the script and released their Girl of the Year 2024 character, Lila Monetti, months before their traditional release date of January 1. I guess this is so all of those moms and fan hopefuls can grab their GOTY before Christmas, since apparently that’s the only time they feel they can buy American Girl dolls.
On the other hand, for those of us who enjoy the tradition of the January 1st reveal or have been anticipating attending events on that day to commemorate a time-honored American Girl tradition, it’s one of the many let-downs this brand has been pushing through. It doesn’t always pay to listen to every single fan that begs and pleads for change. Still, if she actually sells out better, I might have to eat my words. It might pay at the cost of a touching annual moment for all fans alike. I mean, did anyone even tune into Good Morning, America for this?
With an early release comes the usual pros and cons. But I’m not here to discuss too many pros this time, unfortunately. For the first time, I honestly want to address something right at the head. As many have noticed, I’ve stopped posting much about Girl of the Year. Unfortunately, it’s because the last Girl of the Year that fully appealed to me was Luciana.
There is a big elephant in the room; they keep repeating themes. Since Girl of the Year launched in 2001, they’ve had three characters with surfing collections, three to four dancers, at least three dolls with destination themes, a few with horse themes, two with themes of fighting between passions, and many other repeats. Now, Girl of the Year is introducing their second gymnast (the first being 2012’s McKenna Brooks).
Granted, I understand that Girl of the Year is now a 20+ year-old line in the brand, so there’s bound to be some repeated themes eventually. Plus, the old characters are technically retired.
Yet, 20 years isn’t actually a long time. A 20-year-old is still considered rather young, right? So, why would that be a long time? Fans who have grown up with and collected the old dolls are still here for the most part, still collecting the new ones. It’s likely they have all of McKenna’s gymnastics items. Lila would be a hard sell to long-time fans. It’s obvious this doll isn’t for old-time fans of the brand but for newcomers who weren’t around (or even alive) when the original GOTY gymnast doll was released. I suppose they are the only people that matter. It’s easy to cash in on these people without little effort.
With that being said, they can archive and retire characters until they are blue in the face; the internet is infinite. People from all walks of life, fans or not, with a tap of their fingers or click of a button, can find out the names of all of the old American Girl characters and buy and collect them from the secondary market. They know all of the retired dolls. Everyone knows by now all of the old characters that have existed. I do understand that the secondary market is far more expensive than what would come out of American Girl in-house (if you can believe that). Still, considering there has been a demand for American Girl to re-release the old Girl of the Year characters for their Historical line, they might as well have re-released McKenna.
This brings me to another thing that’s been bothering me; McKenna makes a cameo in Lila’s story. It seems that American Girl thought that by introducing McKenna in the story it would excuse the laziness of this collection. It does not. It only worsens it. It is essentially a McKenna story, with her actually included in it. It’s basically her next book, except now she’s old. And that revelation does nothing to quell these burning thoughts of my mortality as I age.
I always feel like an outsider when it comes to addressing these “cameos”. It seems to have gotten popular and out-of-control when American Girl Historical Molly, from 1940s World War Two, was introduced in 1980’s Courtney’s story. I’ve already addressed the issues with that. However, McKenna’s introduction offers something even less acceptable for me. Having her in the story isn’t the problem; it’s actually rather cool. They implemented her in a way that doesn’t take away from her strong and independent character, and (so far) doesn’t take away from her books too negatively. Of course, this is only from reading Lila’s Journal. My fear is where it will lead going forward with the rest of the Girl of the Year characters and the Historical characters. How far will Mattel go to cash in on this? A capitalist company can run things in the ground very quickly by taking things too far. This can only work as a novelty, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but not a norm.
I always feared that with the success of the recent Barbie movie, Mattel, the company that owns American Girl, would try to go in a more “adult” direction with all of their other brands. While it might work with Barbie, who was technically already an adult before the movie, it doesn’t work for brands that are projected to mirror their target demographic, i.e. children. I honestly do not want to live to see American Girl begin to adultify their characters. For starters, it’s one of the few children’s brands left where girls still retain their innocence, and aren’t bombarded with adult themes. Why should everything have to be for adults? We have taken over every market for kids, and honestly, it’s confusing and pathetic. Sometimes, I just don’t want to constantly read, watch, and absorb gritty, mature, and raunchy concepts. The best things don’t have to be that way. My fear is that American Girl will eventually go that route for a cash grab, and I’m personally not happy about it. Once they adultify one character, what’s stopping them from doing it with all the others?
When I revisit American Girl, I don’t want to read them as they’re growing up with me. I read the books to get a blast from the past, to relive my own childhood when the pressures of adulthood get too rough, and to share with today’s children that my life growing up really wasn’t too different from theirs’ (aside from some clothing changes and a few cultural differences). The feelings of girls have always been the same, and we were all children once. I don’t want to read about where the American Girls are now because I already know they are where the rest of the adults are; we’re all in the gutter.
To be honest, I can imagine that many of the American Girls (especially the Historical characters) might have very bleak futures of bearing dozens of children for thankless husbands or passing away during childbirth. I’m honestly not all over romantic arcs at all from American Girl characters, either. There’s enough romantic messaging in doll brands directed towards children, encouraging children to date and invest in intimate relationships way too young. My greatest fear is that an “adult direction” will be filled with this messaging because it “sells”. I shudder to think of the historical characters’ great-great-grandchildren in the stories, and I’m not ready to actually process that the characters have truly “passed away” or became settled with marriage and children instead of following their dreams (as impossible as it may have been in their time periods). I am also among the few that fears they will actually make good on that near-pedophiliac shipping of Ben and Felicity in the American Girl fandom, which always creeped me out. I’d still like to imagine that Felicity opened her own shop, like the milliner in her story, rather than settled with marriage. Can they please leave me with that vision of her (and all the other American Girls)?
And just like with the Marvel Cinematic universe, creating an American Girl meta-verse can get messy. They already designed Molly as a “fictional doll” in Courtney’s universe; how is that going to work if she’s also suddenly a relative?
What happened to leaving things to the imagination? This isn’t just a problem with doll brands like American Girl but even with these recent continuation reboots of old TV series and movies. Companies today are trying to cash in on nostalgia as much as they can, simply because apparently that’s the only way they are able to sell to people. It’s probably a “chicken-and-egg” situation, to be frank. Maybe people are only interested in nostalgia. But that’s why we can’t move on. In the process, we don’t leave what was good in the past alone to be as good as it was for its time. Companies today have to ruin what ended on a blissful and ambiguous note with in-your-face messaging that tells you what to think. What happened to the days when companies helped you learn how to think, not preached to you what to think?
I loved that the futures of the American Girls were left ambiguous. American Girl particularly avoided telling readers what life would be like for them as adults. In the “Peek into the Past” sections of former Changes stories from American Girl, there would often be one small paragraph outlining possible future roles for the American Girl. However, there were various futures offered, which showed girls that they could choose any path for their future. The future is not set in stone and is theirs’ to control. They could visualize themselves creating their own future. With McKenna being introduced in this story, however, her whole future has been outlined, and that takes away the imagination. Everything doesn’t need a continuation. McKenna always dreamed of being an Olympic Gold Medalist, and that dream kept her future alive and positive. What if that dream has been shattered now that she’s an adult? Yes, dreams do change as we age, but that’s quite a let-down for fans who were rooting for her.
It’s also extremely random to even have her in the story. The character was centered in Seattle, Washington, so why would McKenna move to Minnesota of all places, especially for college? What is the pull for her? She never showed interest in the state before, so it’s a bit out-of-character. I’m sure they’ll find a way to explain it away, but it’s still a reach. Well, it’s not like the original author came back for the new story.
Apparently, we are now in an era in time where we feel we have to tell girls what each character’s future looks like, especially in order to better sell modern characters. Because that’s all this stunt is. If American Girl thinks fans can’t love a modern character without finding a past connection, they haven’t been digging deep enough. They haven’t been putting in the effort. Like most companies, they’re banking on a nostalgia well that’s due to dry up soon.
There are still so many themes untouched. They can focus on a chess player, classical instrumentalist, modern video gamer, fashion designer, tech guru, novelist, a girl interested in medicine or the medical field or chemistry, and so much more. At minimum, can American Girl wait at least 20 years before revisiting the same themes?
The early release of this character also seems to let out the bulk of racist American Girl fans, too, who hated Kavi because she was too “Indian”. And apparently just “being”, just existing, is now “woke” (the misappropriation of a word born within AAVE). And woke is bad just because it is.
It’s not surprising there are so many racists and homophobes within the American Girl community. It started as a relatively conservative brand (with some 1980’s feminist leanings), drenched with Christian propaganda and White-washed. Now that American Girl has attempted to expand to include many different kinds of family dynamics that exist in our very real world, the racists (the people who think their race, culture, background, religion, manner of speaking, the way they look is superior to others) have come out to play. Part of me believes that American Girl released Lila to appeal to the largely racist fanbase that seem to have a problem with Kavi and other dolls of other ethnic groups, religions, and family dynamics. Any brand that openly promotes their Harry Potter collection, considering the reputation of the author, must have a hugely “Anti-Woke” fanbase, so they would obviously want to erase its diversity as quickly as possible to appeal to these people.
Lila is a cookie-cutter GOTY type, and that’s exactly why she’s boring. She does nothing to shake up the status quo, spark conversation, nor help girls gain new perspectives. She’s safe, tried-and-true, rehashing the same concepts that have been covered over the last 20+ years GOTY has been around (and wearing pink, the most typical feminine color, while she’s at it). If this is what it means to be a girl growing up in 2024, I feel sorry for this generation. They are simply shadows of the distant past, not charting their own futures but living trapped within the nostalgic universes of their ancestors.
Welcome back Gen Next readers! Life has been rough on this end post-pandemic, and the struggle has been real for me trying to get back to normal. I’m sure that’s the story for everyone right now.
But the one thing all of us can count on is beautiful and compelling stories from American Girl that remind us of days gone past.
Finally, one of the most asked-for and anticipated dolls, from one of the most asked-for eras, has arrived: Meet Claudie Wells!
Personally, I’ve been begging for this era in time. I’ve often wondered why they hadn’t tackled the era sooner. Yet, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Story
For those who haven’t had the proper education on the Harlem Renaissance, it was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. For the first time, Black talent was being recognized, and Black people were more prosperous than they had been after the Civil War.
As both an African American and a writer, Claudie is someone that I relate well to. She literally reminds me of myself. As she struggles to find her special talent, she’s almost mirroring me now as I struggle to find direction, especially in my career and personal life, post-pandemic.
Claudie Wells is growing up in 1920s Harlem and is in awe of the artists all around her. Her father is a talented baker, her mother is a reporter for a renowned newspaper, and her boardinghouse mates include a jazz singer, cornet player, and painter. Claudie dreams of having a special talent all her own but struggles to find her calling. When an eviction notice threatens her beloved home, Claudie takes a risk to pursue an idea that just might turns things around.
The author is #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author Brit Bennett and the Illustrator is Laura Freeman. Brit Bennett left a beautiful author’s note, resonating with ’90s kids, such as myself, everywhere. Like me, she grew up with the massive array of toys and books and other consumable goods aimed at children in the 1990’s. We had it good. The economy wasn’t too shabby, life was imaginative before the internet really stole our eyes and time away, and businesses were interested in marketing to children of all ages. Children had simpler tastes, too.
I feel that the author is as relatable as Claudie. I felt a wave of nostalgia as she mentioned book series like the Hardy Boys and Dear America, and the mountains of Barbies she played with, something Millennials know all too well. Her story about sharing her American Girl doll Addy and exchanging the books with her sister brings me back to the exact same scenario with me and my twin during our long summer road trips when visiting with relatives. We had six books for the first six characters in the company, and I would always read the books dedicated to the first three characters in the timeline while she would read about the last three. Then, we’d switch!
In the “Story Sneak Peek” video posted in the shop section of Americangirl.com, Bennett shares that she engages with American Girl’s social media, and begged them to let her write a story centered on a 1990’s character. Though, I’ve also desired a 1990’s character, I think we should reserve that spot for an equally long-anticipated Asian Historical lead character (who, unlike Ivy Ling, should not be a side-kick). Bennett was the perfect person to tackle a very important and yet surprisingly underrepresented era in history. She is a fan, and that means she understands what we hard-core fans like to see to a certain degree.
Perhaps what most connects my experience and the author’s is that we aren’t just any old writers, or any old American Girl fans, or around the same age. We are also both Black, African American, and that experience lends a completely new layer to our complex identity. That complex identity seems to be woven into the character Claudie, as she tries to discover herself amidst all the diverse rich Black cultural experiences and multi-talented Black people living in Harlem. With little opportunity, Black people clustered in one area, allowing talent to rise but also leaving black people feeling washed-out in a competitive society.
While the story does focus on the lead heroine searching for her special talents, on her journey she begins to explore her city along with this rich diversity. She takes the reader along as she discovers that everyone has a story. Most of the residents in her vibrant city came from another place. Commonly, most of them were escaping oppression in the South post-Civil War and while Jim Crow laws were in effect. Claudie’s story may seem a little more light-hearted than American Girl’s Addy (who escaped slavery) on the surface, but it doesn’t shy away from ugly truths (like hate crimes, discrimination, or other violent and aggressive actions towards Black people).
The Collection
As with all of the American Girl dolls and their collection, Claudie’s collection creates that immersive and interactive 1920’s Harlem experience. I always try to resist buying more American Girl dolls (due to the price point). But the history lover in me can’t resist the detailed and beautifully designed outfits, the detailed playsets, and the very educational accessories. Having Claudie and her entire world home with me would be like having my own mini 1920’s Harlem Renaissance museum. That is the irresistible pull.
Looking at Claudie, I feel like I’m stepping back in time. I haven’t felt this excited in a long time.
Claudie arrives in a woven plaid dress with a Peter Pan collar, a cardigan sweater, Mary Jane shoes, and knee-high socks. One interesting detail about her blue color palette is that, in the 1920s, Blue was considered a “girl’s color”. Department stores hopped on board to promote gendered color patterns, which began rising in popularity after World War I. Pink didn’t become associated with girlhood until around the 1940’s. It’s a very interesting historical nod to the era.
Claudie’s beautiful thick ringlets remind me of Shirley Temple, though she became popular in the decade afterwards. There is talk around the American Girl fandom that American Girl’s Depression-era character, Kit Kittredge, was supposed to look like that. I think it’s interesting that Claudie dons this glamorous look instead, which kind of symbolically reflects Claudie’s need to feel special in some way. Her face mold is unique among the other Historical characters, but she looks similar to American Girl World By Us’s McKenna. The face mold seemed to be in demand.
Her accessories give a fabulous vintage vibe. I was immediately drawn to the Baby Ruth candy bar (named after the infamous Baseball Star Babe Ruth). As stated in my earlier article on the time period, sports became huge in 1920s America, with many of the biggest baseball stadiums, including Yankee Stadium, opening up, and sports stars appeared on the front cover of cereal boxes and had their own merchandise by this time period. “The pride inspired by the Harlem Renaissance inspired African Americans to excel in the American sporting arena.”
The “cloche hat” was invented by Caroline Reboux in 1908 and became wildly popular starting in 1922.
Her outfit and accessories are so detailed and unique.
I was very intrigued by her pajama set. Most people might not know this, but pajamas, or pyjamas, as they were known, were actually the height of summer and resort fashion in the 1920’s. They were often worn out in public, considered “multi-purpose” rather than just sleepwear worn within the home. The pyjamas were another sign of the modern woman, as most women didn’t wear any sort of garments that resembled “men’s” trousers. The jumpsuit trouser style was particularly popular.
First appearing almost a century ago at European seaside resorts, beach pajamas were one of the first trousered garments for the Western woman. With their eye-catching designs and atmosphere of sensual rebellion, these pieces have become favorites among collectors today. Recent discussion has been stirred regarding the definition and accepted form of “beach pajamas”. Yet as illustrated by the prevalence of pajamas throughout the ’20s and ’30s, and the seemingly endless occasions they were marketed for, there was much fluidity to pajama dressing. The vast majority of pajamas were multi-purpose garments which were worn everywhere from the boudoir to the beach, to fashionable shops and cafés …
Taking the lead from the bohemian socialites who comprised their clientele, couturiers Mary Nowitzky and Coco Chanel were among the first designers specializing in fashionable and comfortable pajamas for women’s beachwear. Chanel had already been designing sportswear dresses at her shop in Deauville for some time, and Nowitzky, a Russian emigree, opened her Paris house in 1926. Soon other notable designers embraced pajamas as well, and the trend solidified.
“An entirely new type of costume has recently joined the wardrobe of the smart woman” claimed an August 1927 Harper’s Bazaar article, “The Pajama Arrives.”
The silk head wrap is all too familiar to African Americans raised as girls, even to this day. In order to keep our hair neatly in place, at night, our parents wrapped our hair up. Almost every Black girl, woman, and femme can relate to this kind of imagery, and it immediately made Claudie feel like one of the family.
I believe I predicted there would be a dance set on the way. The 1920s was filled with people beginning to be obsessed with the latest dances, such as the Charleston, most of which originated within the American Black Community. The headdress gives this part of her collection that staple 1920’s look that most people looking for the “flapper fashion” influence could appreciate. Of course, Claudie has to learn Jazz dancing. But I think it’s interesting the book ties West African griot into the Jazz dancing experience, showing how Black people fused both identities, African and North American, into one whole, trying to reclaim their heritage after slavery ended.
Angelo’s Bakery
The Angelo’s Bakery playset is the big-ticket item in her collection and is my favorite. It reflects a rich Black cultural experience in Harlem during this time period. It has banana coconut fritters (which originated in Western Africa), the Guava Orange Cake Roll (which more than likely came from the Caribbean and from Central and South America where the Guava fruit grows), old Southern favorites such as chocolate cake, a sweet potato pie, a strawberry pie, a pineapple upside-down cake, baguettes (which came from Louisiana’s French Creole culture, explored more by American Girl’s Cecile), and braided bread, a Jewish staple.
After it became illegal to offer free lunches, bars placed out bowls of pretzels. Their saltiness made them perfect drinking snacks, but the connection between drinking and pretzels gave pretzels a less than savory reputation. During World War I, pretzels took another hit: many Americans associated them with Germany. But that hit was nothing compared to what happened during prohibition: no beer, no pretzels.
In the end, though, Carroll notes “But the pretzel’s downfall was actually its salvation. When the country went dry in 1920, pretzel manufacturers had to come up with new ways to entice Americans…They curried favor with housewives by advertising the twisted dough as a healthful children’s snack rich in minerals”. And it worked. Pretzel consumption doubled during prohibition, and once the booze was legal again, pretzel sales continued to grow. Soon they were hailed as the only thing to eat with tuna-fish salad, and Americans were also indulging in pretzel soup, lollipops, and pie crusts.
Other unique items are the 1899 $1 Silver Certificate Black Eagle Banknote (dollar bill), which then had an American Eagle, the USA’s national bird, and a black and gold cash box (revealing that not every business owner had the privilege of being able to afford a cash register). The boiled oats, flower, and sugar containers are designed to reflect the packaging style popular of the period.
Aside from everything mentioned, there is even more to explore with this playset, making it worth the price for hard-core American Girl fans and deep history lovers alike.
Finally, American Girl has partnered up once again with Harlem Fashion Row (as they did with World By Us) to help get designers of color on the map. The new designer outfits were created by Samantha Black, producing “a modern take on 1920s glamour”. The outfits are gorgeous and add more variety to Claudie’s collection.
Pros
Claudie feels like a tried-and-true American Girl. Like the older American Girls of the 1980s, she doesn’t magically have strong gifts or talents. She’s figuring herself out, feeling more like Samantha, Kirsten, and Molly, than Kit, Julie, and Rebecca. She’s a “normal” girl.
At the same time, she’s lovable and most people can relate to her. She has a quirky charm.
Her collection is rich with detail, really bringing her 1920’s era to life. She has some stereotypical flapper items, but overall she is a more realistic portrayal than what is normally placed out there to paint the Roaring ’20s.
The doll is everything I’d hoped for, and I’m very glad American Girl decided to release her. American Girl is probably the only historical fiction brand to truly tackle this era from the minds of children, making her a true gem.
Cons
Claudie Wells’ promotion is seriously lacking. Maybe there just aren’t enough funds in the pool post-pandemic, but it feels like there were more organized events and articles talking about 1980’s Courtney than Claudie. It’s a shame because Claudie has the potential to really teach children history, while Courtney was just a nostalgic cash grab without any thought as to how the 1980’s really impacted history (which, her stories didn’t include much history, to be honest). But that’s the times we’re living in.
It’s bad enough Claudie is Black, and we already know that American Girl’s largest fanbase isn’t on the darker side. The Black characters do struggle to sell as well as the White characters. That’s why it’s disappointing that the major news outlets, other than Business Wire and Pix 11, are basically ignoring her. These other outlets have no problem juicing up the Girl of the Year every year.
Also, is it just me, but are American Girl collections and stories getting smaller and shorter?
Since the Beforever relaunch in 2014, and since the release of “abridged” books, the American Girl books lack the substance and detail they once had in the past. American Girl 1980’s Courtney was the start of what felt like a serious stripping away of in-depth story-telling. In my opinion, without the 6-book format (Meet Story, School Story, Holiday Story, Birthday/Spring Story, Summer Story, Winter/Changes Story), the stories feel like they are missing a lot of information regarding how people lived throughout the seasons in those days. I would have liked to see what school was like in the 1920s and how they celebrated the holidays, not just whether Claudie finds her special talent or not. It definitely felt like a “Meet” story, but that only superficially pays homage to the good-old days.
While the number of pages in the book may equal the number of pages the former six-book format would offer, somehow the story feels too narrow, brief, and short. Possibly because it’s too “cohesive”. Traditionally, that hasn’t been American Girl’s style. I would like to hear many different stories told about Harlem during the 1920’s, with a different focus on life in that vibrant city. It’s just not as fulfilling to stay on one topic, in one season in time, without exploring how people change with the seasons. Climate influences culture, and when we ignore climate we lose the culture of the time period.
With the loss of the six-book format comes a loss of a full collection. It would have been nice for her to have been released with school supplies from the time, a desk, and a school outfit. A nice holiday outfit would have been nice, too. As I’ve mentioned on this website before, in the 1920s, the first Christmas tree to light up with electric lights lit up in New York City. It was a missed opportunity not to include that in the books or to reference it in the collection.
The next Claudie book is due to arrive Spring 2023. Hopefully, we all will learn more about this Jazzy character and have more exciting new items added to her collection.
Yesterday, Square-Enix dropped a trailer celebrating Kingdom Heart‘s Anniversary, adding announcements for all brand new projects to be released, extending the Kingdom Hearts universe.
It has been a little over year since Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, the game that focuses on Sora’s love interest Kairi, was released, and Kingdom Hearts Union X [Cross] has been updating as well (though Square-Enix announced the online game is due to end).
It doesn’t look like the journeys for the Keyblade Masters in this never-ending tale are over. That’s great news for fans looking for more content to be poured out of a 20-year franchise. The real question is: Does Kingdom Hearts have any more juice left? Based on the reactions of many fans across the fan space, including Youtube and Twitch fan influencer The Gamers Joint, it does.
For decades, Kingdom Hearts has excited fans with its amazing graphics, open game-play, ability to wrap audiences into its heartfelt story, and relatable characters.
Kingdom Hearts began in 2002 as a surprisingly successful role-playing game combining Square-Enix’s “Final Fantasy”-style anime-like characters and Disney. It followed the character Sora, a keyblade wielder, and his team of Disney lovables, Donald and Goofy, as they fought creatures called “Heartless”, denizens of darkness. It was updated to include an extension called Final Mix.
The story was much simpler then, though more complex than the average game’s story at the time.
Throughout the years, other games have expanded the Kingdom Hearts universe with new characters, new worlds, new “dark” enemies, and even more additions to the already-complex story.
Throughout, the franchise has released Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004, remade into Re: Chain of Memories), Kingdom Hearts II (2005, extended with Final Mix), Kingdom Hearts: Coded (2008, later remade into Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded), Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (2009), Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (2010, extended with Final Mix), Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts X [Chi] (2013, later extended into Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ / Union χ around 2015), Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep-a fragmentary passage- and Kingdom Hearts X Back Story (2017, included in the packaged game Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue), finally, Kingdom Hearts III (2019, extended with Remind), Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (2020), and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road (2020).
Sora was also a featured character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The franchise has expanded on various gaming platforms, including PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Mobile phones, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable (PSP), Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Web browsers, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android iOS, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.
Many of the games were re-packaged into one, onto singular platforms (Playstation 4, Xbox one, Nintendo Switch), probably one of the first franchises to do this with its older games so that new fans can keep up with the story. Recently, Kingdom Hearts – All In One Package has been the repackage that carries all the most current titles.
And just when we all thought that was the end of this very involved gaming series (insert sarcasm here, because we all know that there were already cliff-hangers and secret scenes at the end of the most recent games), here came the announcement of three new extended projects.
The Kingdom Hearts X story is finally wrapping up and coming to a conclusion with Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road, set for iOS and Android users.
Next, Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was announced, and it appears to cover the world Scala ad Caelum (a world originally designed for Kingdom Hearts III that was left bare and hardly playable). Along with being a long-asked-for extension of the world, it appears fans are amazed that the game has managed to capture the Unreal Engine feeling for iOS and Android phones. For an app game, the game promises to be almost on-par with hard console games and it is a sign of the future of gaming. As online gaming becomes more and more advanced, the appeal will allow players to play beautiful and detailed games from the convenience of anywhere they bring their phones. It’s the portable gaming experience brought to the modern world.
There are many sides to the debate as to whether online app gaming can truly replace hard-copy console gaming. The ability to watch your gameplay on a master screen, giving a fully immersive experience, is clashing with the convenience of carrying your games on a rectangular brick, on an item that already carries tons of other important and non-important apps, anywhere you want to. Wherever games are going, though, Kingdom Hearts doesn’t want to be left behind.
The new game appears to also offer brand new playable characters, including more female characters that wield keyblades. There’s a lot to look forward to.
However, I’m sure, at this point, for most people, the story will get even more confusing with the addition of more character connections (though that’s basically the fun of Kingdom Hearts, since most fans get a kick out of piecing together this very convoluted story).
Finally, the most important piece of information fans have received is the announcement of Kingdom Hearts IV. Could this mean that the Kingdom Hearts saga we know and love will have its real final conclusion soon?
There’s no telling. There were 14 years between Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts III, with plenty of other games in-between, and some fans thought the third game would finally wrap everything up (though hard-core fans knew better). As long as Kingdom Heart’s story remains so complex, with the holes not quite sealed, there appears to be more information to squeeze out across new games, with fans begging for more information. Could Kingdom Hearts IV really clean everything up neatly with a bow? And do the developers really intend it to? It seems like Kingdom Hearts has amassed a solid following in the years it’s been kicking, and Square-Enix seems pretty interested in keeping the enthusiasm alive by advancing Kingdom Hearts into the future.
As to what fans can expect from Kingdom Hearts IV, it’s too early in development to tell. So far, the trailer focuses on Sora, asleep in an apartment building or flat, in a Tokyo-like city called Quadratum (a world built off of a fictional video game in Kingdom Hearts III’s “Toy Box”, a world based off of Toy Story). The trailer doesn’t seem to focus on promoting Disney-ish Worlds, like trailers of old have, so it appears that’s under wraps.
Then again, in the past, many secret endings or early trailers avoided revealing the Disney developments (especially since gaining the rights to the worlds is a slow process). It is clear that Donald and Goofy (and possibly Hades?) will appear in the next installment. It appears that Sora is in the “After World”, some sort of “after life”, possibly passed on. That could be why Hades, from Disney’s Hercules, with his flaming hair, seems to appear in the trailer lurking behind Donald and Goofy.
Many are analyzing how “realistic” the art style looks (so far) in comparison to games before. I’d compare the newly-revealed world to Sanfransokyo in Kingdom Hearts III with a more dark and sinister twist. My theory is it is an “entry world”, similar to Traverse Town, Twilight Town, or Daybreak Town, that the character Sora and other keyblade wielders would often return to for perspective, to recharge, or to complete the main story. It definitely deviates from the other worlds’ more colorful and cartoonish feeling.
To be honest, based on my analysis, it appears that Sora’s “real world” is full of magic and cartoonish color, while the “after world” is our real world. I can get with this symbolism. Our ordinary life can feel like the underworld. It’s already making me think, and I can’t wait to see how Sora navigates it all. If someone in the Kingdom Hearts universe passes on, do they then go on to live in our hum-drum world? It’s almost as mentally stimulating as The Matrix.
Kingdom Hearts may be changed to fit its older audience now, so the realistic touches almost force us to realize that the kid Sora is all-grown-up now.
Aside from these types of changes, I’m sure most fans hope to see some improvements in the next game. To get a break-down on how I believe Kingdom Hearts IV could improve from Kingdom Hearts III, I created an in-depth review of the pros and cons present in the the third major game here.
As Kingdom Hearts IV is coming in, after everything that has happened recently, I can say I’m finally going in with a fresh palette of expectations. Many Disney worlds have been used already, the story has really gone from one extreme to the other, and the gameplay and graphics can only move forward from here. For the first time in years, I feel like I’m looking forward to a brand-new Kingdom Hearts experience, and I didn’t expect to feel that so soon. I really don’t know what to expect next.
It would be nice to see more Disney worlds with characters of color enter the game, worlds found in Disney movies such as The Princess and the Frog or Coco, but we’re talking about a game based in Japan. I don’t even think they promote Tiana at their local Disney Land. Still, I can hope that those movies appear.
Thinking of all that the franchise has put fans through, the journey we’ve all experienced through the many games released, I think most of us can expect it to be a while before this game is completed to perfection. I’m not getting my hopes up that this game will arrive any time soon. We all have time to come up with our hopes and dreams for the perfect Kingdom Hearts game, and the company has plenty of time to listen.
Playing this franchise as a kid, to now as a full adult, it seems so surreal to be able to witness how everything is unfolding as it is. But through it all, I’ve also learned not to expect too much from a game I’ve really fallen in love with. My love for Kingdom Hearts has become unconditional, as it were, with me embracing its flaws and all. No matter how much I try to say I’ve had enough, it draws me in one more time.
So, amidst my suffering pockets, and odd jobs, I will be the first in line when this game finally drops.
In the meantime, all of us fans can still play all of the other games and freshen up on the story. It’s a lot to comb through for newcomers, so I suggest buying the latest repackage to keep up. For old-timers, it’s time to dive back in so everyone is ready for the next chapter.
Warning: The following ranking might trigger you, and there may be some spoilers. Viewer discretion is advised.
Greetings! This is SoraGenNext, back to you with more!
You may have noticed I’ve been gone awhile. That’s because I’ve been working on a time-consuming and expensive project over at the Bratz fandom page. On my journey, while collecting information, I’ve had the opportunity to re-watch all of the Bratz movies and I thought, “Hey, I might as well share my opinion on which movies are my favorites.” I’m sure all of my readers (and viewers, if you’re coming from my Youtube channel) are just dying to know, right?
For starters, I want to let you all know that I consider myself somewhat of a Bratz fan outsider when it comes to these movies and the TV show. Let me just give some of you all history on me and my relationship with Bratz.
I’ve been into Bratz since 2000, yes, 2000, when the website was first under construction. I was the tween that begged Bratz to come out with movies, like I was seeing their competitors do. By the time the first Bratz movie arrived, I was probably older than most of the kids really into the Bratz. I was 14 years old, so I had a really clear view and memory of all of the movies, and I was a hugely active member of the Bratz community since their debut. I learned, at that age, that none of the movies were really “canon”. Like Barbie, the Bratz TV show and other series were used to promote the doll brand, not the other way around, so many of the Bratz movies and different series created for Bratz often conflicted with one another or just couldn’t be taken as canon. The only canon universe for Bratz was found among the dolls, if you paid close enough attention.
With this realization, to be honest, I’ve only watched each movie ONCE, and that was the year they were released. I hadn’t watched any of them again until recently when I started the Bratz fandom page.
After watching again, I came up with my own ranking, listing the worst to best Bratz movies, from my own perspective, through my own in-depth review of each movie, centered on the story, characters, visuals, and music.
Once I started, I realized that I don’t just want to tell you which ones I like and don’t. I feel I need to fully explain my choices. Overall, the result is that each movie has gotten its own review, all in this one article. I will put anchors so everyone can navigate.
In this ranking, I will only be reviewing the feature films released as full-length movies. I won’t be including the interactive DVDs, the Passion 4 Fashion DVD game, or the DVDs that only contain TV series episodes like Good Vibes and BFF.
There is also a matching video below, if you’d rather listen to and watch that. Click here.
I’ve watched videos and read articles about the best to worst Bratz movies, and time and again this movie always seems to come at the top of everybody’s list.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I can definitely admit that it causes me some confusion. Everyone has their own nostalgia, and if that’s why they enjoy it, it’s cool. But I’m always confused when people think so highly of this movie.
Last I remembered, this movie was not that good. Yes, all the other movies that came after had some elements from this movie, making this the OG, but I think by the time those movies came out, things had been cleaned up a little AND I had gotten used to this universe. From first impression, Rock Angelz wasn’t it for me. And if I take off the nostalgia glasses and think back to how I really felt about this movie, it wasn’t good, not even for a Bratz fan.
I watched this movie for the first time in 2005 when I was 15 years old, and have to admit I haven’t watched it since until recently last week. It’s been 15 years, my old friend. As I was watching, I started to remember that there was a reason I didn’t return to this movie, and why it soured my interest in the overall Bratz TV series that followed.
I know most Bratz fans are going to come over here saying, “I love the series! It’s my childhood! Rock Angelz was iconic”. That series and this movie ruined my childhood.
Story
Let’s start with the Rock Angelz story. Written by Peggy Nicoll, the same initial writer and overseer of the Bratz TV series, the story centers on Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, and Jade, with appearances by Cameron, Eitan, and Dylan. Jade gets a job working for fashion editor, Burdine, at Your Thing magazine. She’s the “Barbie” of the universe, and is like Miranda Priestly from the Devil Wears Prada, except louder and more obnoxious. She’s impossible, and ends up firing Jade. The Bratz decide to start their own magazine called Bratz Magazine (obviously to promote the real Bratz magazine that had been released). They steal tickets from Your Thing, fly off to London to cover two big scoops, get into some drama along the way, like Cloe meeting a prince who turns out to be bougie, Sasha taking over a segment meant to be for her and Jade, and Yasmin finding the dog of a reality show judge named Byron Powell (Simon Cowell of this universe), which breaks them all apart for a minute, and then finally, after making up in time to cover the opening of club Pinz, they head to the Benefit concert. However, they realize that their tickets were stolen by the Tweevils, Burdine’s interns and minions, so they have to sneak in. After that, they meet up with Byron who introduces them to Roxxi, who just broke up with her band Crash. After this, they all form a band and continue the show, making their debut as Bratz Rock Angelz.
A lot of fans love to tell me how empowering the movie was because the lead characters overcame the White blonde upper-class woman abusing her power, creating their own start-up diverse magazine. They are entrepreneurs at a young age, influencing the fashion scene at just 16 and what not. And it feels very true to the actual Bratz dolls’ story. With that in mind, I can agree that it is the charm of this story. Mattel did a lot to try and stop the Bratz’s influence back then, and I believe they were already in a lawsuit with MGA over Myscene at the time of this movie’s release.
Rock Angelz is also just a fun and funny movie. I have found myself chuckling at it. So, I get it. However, if I look at the story itself, without thinking about the message the movie was trying to send, it was literally all over the place.
Let me just tell you all my first impression. First off, when I was 15, before this movie came out, I had already received the Bratz Rock Angelz album and dolls, which had been released months before. I was heavily invested in the Bratz World yahoo group community, which was the biggest at the time, and still is across other platforms.
The album was so good. It had so many good themes. I would listen to that album over and over to the point I memorized all the songs. So, this is what I was expecting: A story about them learning not to let fame get to their heads (Sasha’s All About You), a story about someone or all of them not being a good friend (Cloe’s You Think), a romance Story between Roxxi and someone else, someone who is not any of her friends, whose hair is a mess, and who is weird (Roxxi’s I Don’t care). I expected Yasmin to be in a relationship with someone who is trying to own her, almost a relationship that’s semi-abusive (Yasmin’s Nobody’s Girl). I expected there to be some drama.
Now at this time, Myscene was out. My sister became a huge fan of Myscene. I felt threatened by Myscene as a teenager. I was like “They’re copies of the Bratz. They’re trying to take the Bratz fandom and confuse people out of buying Bratz products.” I just felt threatened by them because I didn’t want the Bratz to lose money and not be sold anymore. But my sis liked them and she would watch all of their webisodes and movies. They had media content a good THREE YEARS before Bratz. I was quite jealous of that. I was like, you know, Bratz has been out awhile, and yet Myscene is capturing interest with their webisodes and movies. At the time Rock Angelz came out, Myscene had come out with Jammin’ in Jamaica. To me, my teen self, it was a good movie. It had the slice-of-life that was popular then, the teen drama, an interesting destination theme, and an engaging plot. It brought ALL of the dolls to life, including special edition Jai, and actually had every outfit in the movie.
The Bratz’s first movie, Bratz The Video: Starrin’ and Stylin’, tried to do that, but I guess too many people felt it was lower quality. Also, the Bratz movie didn’t relate to Europeans as much. Rock Angelz centered on the UK, so it made Bratz more popular worldwide. Possibly, the first movie may have even felt more like a copy of Myscene to some fans. I didn’t think about it that way back then, but I was hoping, after hearing the Rock Angelz album, we would finally get content that had the drama and suspense and slice-of-life that rival brand Myscene had.
Imagine my disappointment when Rock Angelz came out. The movie had very little connection to the soundtrack. Maybe you could pull some themes out of it, but it was written without the soundtrack in mind. So, I’m like, what was the point of that whole album then? Why tease us? It wasn’t until later that I realized that the album actually captures unseen events that happened after the movie, but that just makes things worse.
Aside from the movie being nothing like the promotional soundtrack, it itself was a mess. It felt like the movie was trying to tell too many stories at once. First, they were trying to start a magazine, then they also shoved in a Pretty N’ Punk “World Destination” storyline of the Bratz in London, and finally they didn’t even become Rock Angelz until the very end of the movie. This is called Bratz Rock Angelz, isn’t it? Yet, the movie was not really about them BEING rock stars. The movie was mostly about Bratz magazine and their trip to London. It should have been called Bratz Magazine or Bratz Go to London, NOT Bratz Rock Angelz. They ended up shoving in the rock star thing at the very end, which made everything feel rushed and random.
It tried to be too many things at once. Because the movie shoved in Rock Angelz at the end, I was disappointed that Roxxi only showed up in a few scenes. Here I am, with all five of my dolls, finally going to see another Bratz pack member on the screen…and nothing.
I was hoping for a REAL Rock Angelz movie, one that brought the doll universe to life. I was hoping for a REAL story about becoming a rock star, the ups and downs of fame, on-the-road drama, touring, living the rock star life. Later, they used some of these themes but not in a rock star scenario, and this was the movie that should have been about it. They still could’ve inculcated the magazine and London, but possibly trying to write how it feels to be a real rock star, with London being one of their tour spots. Instead, the focus was everywhere but on Rock Angelz.
From the moment the Bratz decided to start a magazine, it was rushed. First off, I don’t care what connections Sasha has, who just sells an office space to teenagers? And I don’t care how nicely they’re able to decorate it, who’s paying to keep the lights on? Was there a fundraiser in-between to raise money for this space? Who is paying the bills? Where are their parents? I was hoping this movie would go a step further than the other doll movies of the time and actually introduce parents or the Bratz characters’ backgrounds. All we saw was a mention of Cloe’s mom calling over and over about Cloe wearing rubber boots. Who agreed to let the Bratz fly off to London and start their own magazine, even while in school? How were they able to fly to London using Burdine’s passes and tickets? Did their parents not question how they got this opportunity? To add, Burdine only would have had THREE passes and tickets, since there’s only herself and her interns, the Tweevils, involved in her company, which means one of the Bratz would’ve been left behind. Whose parents decided to pay? How did Dylan and Cameron convince their parents to let them go? All of these questions in-between could’ve made for an interesting story. Instead, they rushed the building of the magazine, like they did everything else, in a montage, as if it happens overnight, so they could get the girls to London and get them into rock star mode. We never saw the struggle, the obstacles. Ultimately, I respected Burdine more because I’m sure she went through way more to start up her company, and she did it all by herself. I didn’t see the Bratz struggling, so to me I didn’t feel the hard work was rewarded.
At this time, I compared it to their competitor Myscene. Jammin’ in Jamaica, which had come out the year before and was the first full-length Myscene movie, had them traveling to a destination, and it went a lot more realistically than the Bratz Rock Angelz movie. Sure, any destination outside of our country may seem unachievable to most of us. Yet, the movie at least showed the Myscene CONVINCING a parental figure to let them go. At least they had one clear purpose as to why they were going. It made sense who was paying for it, and they were pretty limited to one part of the island, according to their budget. Furthermore, at least it focused on adventures in Jamaica. Yes, I know, Bratz ain’t Myscene. But Myscene’s storytelling appeared superior at this time, especially to a teenager aged 15. Now, I have my criticisms about that movie, too, but this is about the Bratz.
Basically, the Bratz movie seemed a little less realistic and definitely more childish in comparison to their competitor. And I expected Bratz to cut-throats and annihilate their competition. I expected them to snatch edges and get me ugly crying. Most of the time, I found myself wincing and rolling my eyes.
The only struggle the Bratz endured in their story was when they actually had to find topics for their magazine. While, yes, that’s a portion of a struggle, that shouldn’t have been everything. There should have been some airport drama, like there is in real life when you fly into a foreign country. How could the girls even afford to tour London? Again, who paid for what? How were they able to exchange money? Even in passing, this could have been mentioned.
Just because a movie is made for kids doesn’t mean it has to be dumb. I was 15 asking these questions, and I had little experience with traveling outside of the country. However, my family did always travel and encouraged traveling. Even I knew this movie glossed over a lot of things that could have made it a good story had the focus been more narrow.
Overall, I would’ve liked three separate movies or TV show episodes for the start of Bratz magazine, their trip to London in possibly a three-parter, and a whole separate movie about them actually being rock stars. But all together? It was a big sloppy mess. I’ma just keep it real.
Most dolls’ movies are released to tell us what the line they’re trying to promote means. I don’t know what they were trying to promote here. It seems like they were trying to promote Bratz Magazine, Pretty N’ Punk, and Rock Angelz. Which means the title is false promotion.
Characters
This movie also had problems with how they were interpreting the characters. Now, the one thing I hated about Starrin’ and Stylin’ was how they changed the characters, especially in relation to how they were perceived online before that movie, before Charles O’ Connor’s vision took effect. I was most upset that they made Sasha the stereotypical “mad Black woman” and they stripped Jade of all of her interest in extreme sports, her quick mind and quick wit, and made her a one-dimensional character interested in fashion…I mean, aren’t they all interested in fashion? To me, that gave her less dimension than all the other characters. What’s worse about Rock Angelz is they actually gave all of Jade’s “cool qualities”, you know, her interest in extreme sports, to the blonde White CLOE. Unfortunately, it seemed like Cloe was the character with the most dimension. She could now be girly, into fashion that’s shimmery and sparkly, with animal prints, but also like sports, drama, etc.
I believe they gave her these sporty qualities to compete with Myscene’s Delancey, who got the Avril Lavigne treatment. Avril Lavigne was super popular at the time because she gave another image to blondes besides the Britney Spears, Clueless Cher, and Legally Blonde Elle Woods tropes. So, I believe they tried to make Cloe that Avril Lavigne. But seeing as it never suited her character, it was just another random piece of the Bratz Rock Angelz movie that just seemed thrown in there.
Jade was supposed to be way extreme and totally far-out, not just in appearance but in attitude and life. This is what the Bratz 2015 online stop-motion webisodes got right. I was looking forward to them fixing that in Rock Angelz, but they didn’t. And since most people didn’t remember who Jade was in 2001, and the books never captured this piece of her character either, no one, but me, seemed to care.
At least in later movies, they made Jade into a Brainiac, interested in science and whatnot. However, it would’ve been less stereotypical (considering she’s Asian) had they maintained her sporty side, like she once had.
Granted, Carter Bryant did have some different ideas for the characters before release, and Cloe was supposed to be the “Queen of Cool”, but she was still largely girly. She didn’t deserve to have more dimension than all the other characters. But this is what happens when there’s not enough people of color around to help with the story-telling.
Sasha maintained her “mad Black woman” attitude, and I don’t have a problem with it, but it seems like they struggled to give Sasha layers. She was just selfish and hard, not compassionate or caring in any way. I hated that about her, because it just wasn’t me, and yet she was the only one technically representing Black girls. It made her less likeable, and it’s hard enough to sell Black characters as dolls. I remember the polls back then were brutal against Sasha. She was always voted last as people’s favorite. ALWAYS. I think I posted one of those polls in one of my other videos and article Bratz 2018: Please Don’t. Anyway…they didn’t hand the same dimension to Sasha, but at least they gave her interests outside of fashion, unlike with Jade.
Yasmin, the MGA darling of course, got all of the sweet and lovable qualities, even if she wasn’t the focus of the movie.
That’s another thing I hated about the movie. This was supposed to be told from Jade’s perspective, and when you read all of the books based on this movie, it’s “As told by Jade”. Yet, Cloe is primarily the narrator in the movie. The official Rock Angelz movie website, which has since been taken down, labeled CLOE the main character and main narrator of the movie. I have good memory. You all may have thought you took that down, but I remember what I saw.
Overall, this should not have been the case. If you’re going to make fun of Barbie, don’t do the same things she did and make the blonde White doll the central character. It ain’t right.
And let’s talk about these boys. They were probably the worst adaptation of everyone. The first problem was the fact that the only boys who made an appearance were Eitan, Cameron, and Dylan. Cameron and Eitan might as well have been the same dude because they didn’t give them much difference from each other throughout the movie or TV show. And they even often did the other’s job when the other wasn’t around, like taking photos of the girls during photoshoots. There was no mention of Koby and Cade. In the book based off of Rock Angelz, it stated they were “studying abroad”, but then that same book said Yasmin was the new girl who’d just moved there the year before…which would definitely not make sense in the Bratz universe if Bratz Babyz and Bratz Kidz were to exist. That was a problem they brought over from Starrin’ and Stylin’. But at least in the actual Rock Angelz movie, no one could tell when she arrived to meet her friends because it was never mentioned.
Anyway, back to the boys, the boys that did show up were nothing like they were initially interpreted, and I do blame the movie that was released before for this. Cameron was called “The Blaze” not just by CLOE but by ALL the Bratz girls, and this was because they all thought he was hot. Therefore, in my pansexual polyamorous mind, I believe all of them had a crush on Cameron. Period. In the Rock Angelz movie, they made Cameron a lame. There was no indication that the girls thought he was hot. Even Cloe referred to him as “cute” but hard to figure out. She didn’t seem to think he was hot; she just knew him for years and got used to him basically.
To be honest, I can’t even take that seriously. She claimed she’s known Cameron since the second grade, but then what’s Bratz Babyz The Movie? And, really, what about the whole Bratz Babyz and Bratz Kidz universe released the year before? I mean we can argue that just because there were dolls doesn’t mean they knew each other…but it still did take me back a bit, considering the circumstances of the lines. Technically, all of them have known Cameron since they were 3-years-old. So, Cloe was not the only childhood friend here.
Thankfully, the doll universe ignored this couple, placing Cloe with Kobe, Cade, and other boys. Thankfully, the series and commercials gave Cameron other love interests throughout the Bratz universe, such as Roxxi and Sasha. The whole “Nigel is a jerk and I’m supposed to be with Cameron” didn’t fly with me. Sure, it does teach girls to be realistic about their choices in love and not to fall for the first handsome prince they meet. But if she really liked Cameron, she never would have let Nigel influence her like that in the first place. They made Cameron the hopeless romantic, pining after a girl that clearly was showing little interest in him. I felt that Cameron was getting played by Cloe left and right throughout the movie and the series. She would only use him when she didn’t have anybody, but had no qualms with flirting with other boys or dating them either. Had the nerve to get mad jealous when Cameron dated other people after her. And they would just make him a S.I.M.P. I felt like he was being used by Cloe.
I’m sorry. I missed when he was The Blaze, single and ready to mingle, just like all the other Bratz pack members, before they gave him the “Ken-doll” treatment.
But fans began shipping this couple, so it stuck, unfortunately.
Anyway, to move along, let’s continue talking about how the movie failed to even adapt the boys’ nicknames and personalities. Dylan was named “The Fox” because the GIRLS considered him slick. Instead, in the movie, they made him a complete cornball who THOUGHT he was slick. I was hoping he’d have the “slick Nick” personality, you know, like in Zootopia. Instead, they made him a cornball. And while Dylan’s comic relief probably saved this show, he was no longer the cool character I imagined him to be. Just because they are boy dolls in the girls’ world doesn’t mean they have to be created to be stupid.
Eitan was supposed to be a “non-stop hot shot”. He’s supposed to be the one given the VIP treatment. He is “The Dragon”. He is possibly the character meant to be “conceited” in the Bratz girls’ opinion. But none of the movies, not the books, nothing, ever interpreted him based on his nickname or initially developed personality.
IN FACT, they don’t even mention their nicknames, and probably because the writers didn’t even care to get the characters right. I mean, come on, they had Yasmin calling Cloe Kool Kat in the Rock Angelz movie. Unless she has eyes on the side of her head, she was talking to Cloe. There was definitely a problem with the writing. They weren’t fooling me. I know who is who.
Normally, I’m more forgiving with visual errors as it’s not easy or cheap to capture things visually. I draw the line at script errors that’s as obvious as in this movie. At least, get the characters right. That’s who you’re representing. It’s like a mom decided to write a story about a bunch of dolls and just skimmed over the Bratz line before writing the story. And to me, there’s no heart in that. The details weren’t taken into account. They must have really thought kids were that stupid…Well, since everyone liked the movie, I guess kids really didn’t care about the details and I was just too old to be watching it.
Because the writers didn’t care, most fans of the Bratz TV series didn’t truly even know who the Bratz Boyz were and they didn’t even know Cameron or Eitan HAD nicknames. When Cameron was re-released in 2018 as “The Blaze”, people were responding like “Who’s the Blaze?” Yet, everyone wants to tell me this was the best Bratz movie and that the series that followed was iconic? Okay, you can feel what you feel. I don’t cosign.
Let’s also talk about Cameron’s look. First off, they switched out his oily surfer boy hair with Dylan’s curly hair, and White-washed Dylan by giving him the oily wet surfer boy hairdo, knowing no Black boys looked like that. Weird. This caused confusion later on when trying to adapt him live. We all know Dylan was Black, at least biracial.
And they seemed to be doing their best to wash out Eitan’s Asian heritage as well, as his hair was far shades lighter than it was supposed to be. He hadn’t worn one outfit from his collection, so I had to admit I was confused as to who he was until the Bratz girls said his name was Eitan. So they funked up the boys.
What’s worse is that Eitan didn’t even go to London with the Bratz. In the actual Bratz Rock Angelz line, Eitan was the ONLY boy that made an appearance, and yet he was the ONLY boy not present with them in London. He was even in the Pretty N’ Punk World Destination London line, too. He should have been in London with the other Bratz pack members. Sasha wasn’t even in that line. She should not have been in London, unfortunately, even if they had intended to make a Sasha for the line. It made me mad enough they didn’t make a punk Sasha, let alone stick her in London after that, making me want punk Sasha even more.
They didn’t add in my favorite girl Meygan, either, who was considered Rock Angelz’s “number one fan”. I know that doll was only released in select locations as a special edition, and maybe even released after the Rock Angelz concept was complete. Still, I would’ve liked to see her anyway. It seems like the movies loved to omit Meygan out of everything when she was one of the original Bratz characters. And she was actually in the Pretty N’ Punk line, so no excuses. She should have been in London with her friends. If you’re going to shove in that portion of the story, actually add the characters that belong there.
Finally, Roxxi. I was so looking forward to Roxxi. She was the cool rock star, Spice, and the newest character to be interpreted, but she was literally only in a few minutes at the end of the movie. She got her five seconds of fame and it was over. I was looking forward to more development from her, and they didn’t deliver. First off, even making her “the new girl” was weird because Roxxi had been released in 2004, a year before the release of Rock Angelz. Ya know, most doll brands tie in new characters into the movies if they want to weave in a new girl in the story; they release them to tie directly into the movie. Roxxi wasn’t the new girl in the Bratz universe, so it was weird for the Bratz not to know her by the time the movie came out. It was made weirder when they developed a Bratz Babyz for Roxxi and Phoebe, and her twin sister appeared in the Bratz Kidz line. The commercials and art showed them interacting with everybody as toddlers, so how is she new?
Also, as an identical twin myself, it was also disappointing not to see her sister Phoebe around. I mean, what girl has the premiere of the century and her twin sister isn’t around to see it? I would never let that happen. I would make sure she’s there. My sister would make sure she’s there. And with Phoebe being the sweet one, who’s always supportive and giving advice? She’d have definitely been there.
Granted, all of the Bratz families were screwed up in the movie and the series, so, hey. Roxxi got the least amount of development in this movie, so I’m not surprised.
Overall, I didn’t feel like there was much improvement with the characters from the first movie (which I’ll get into later). Eventually, I got used to them, which is why the other movies that came after felt better to me, and some of the characters grew on me and were really funny and entertaining, but from my initial impression, it didn’t make me fond of this movie and it also killed my enjoyment of the Bratz series.
Visuals
This is probably the best part of the movie. No, the visuals don’t look like anything today, but back then, CGI was still relatively novel, and the Bratz visuals felt like the dolls were coming to life. Barbie in the Nutcracker had come out a few years before, so I saw the impact of those kinds of graphics on promoting doll brands. For the Bratz, it really made it feel like the dolls came to life. The hair movement, the outfits, it came alive.
Unfortunately, the details themselves were missing. Obviously, there were many backgrounder and location images recycled throughout the Bratz series and Rock Angelz, even if they weren’t intended to be the same location or places. Eventually, it became a staple of the show and even a running gag (after watching Super Babyz, I saw that little wink from a Bratz Kidz Yasmin look-alike). But it could make things confusing sometimes.
One of the worst parts about the visuals in the movie is the lack of attention to the Bratz girls’ fashion passions. It seemed like they translated their fashion passions into personalities instead. For example, instead of Cloe wearing dramatic clothes, she’s a drama queen, or instead of Yasmin liking bohemian fashion, she behaves like a stereotypical bohemian, practicing yoga and saving the environment. Don’t know where they were going with Jade, but her personality was “cool”, not her style. While it’s good to focus more on their individual personalities than clothes, they were known for also having individual style, and it was significant. Unfortunately, the visuals didn’t cater to those details. Thus, we saw Bratz characters in outfits they shouldn’t have been in.
Perhaps the first sign of this was the switch between Cloe and Jade’s outfits. This irritated me from the first scene because I couldn’t tell who was doing the talking. I literally kept confusing Jade for Cloe. The problem was that the dolls had already been released, and Jade was my favorite, of course. When they stuck my favorite outfit on Cloe, I was in an uproar. First off, why would Cloe, the girl who likes shimmery, sparkly fabrics and animal prints, as well as trendy outfits, be wearing those Beetlejuice shoes? Only Jade could pull that off, not Cloe. But again, no one had the heart to adapt the Bratz correctly.
I find that to be some poor promotion. I mean, I’ve seen some doll brands promoting outfits that don’t exist, but at least Mattel will make sure the outfits they are releasing are promoted on the right doll because they hope those dolls will sell. If you’re going to make a movie to promote the line, at least sell it properly. Back then, little girls were confused in toy aisles, buying up Cloe instead of Jade, and Jade instead of Cloe, depending on the one they liked best.
Because they couldn’t get their styles right, and didn’t pay the same painstaking attention to detail the designers did working for MGA, the passion fashions got all mixed up. It got to the point I didn’t even care about their fashion passions and it got to the point I stopped caring if I could tell them apart.
Unfortunately, I believe this is why they weren’t able to produce more Bratz pack members in the series for fear they would look too much alike. Kumi, Dana, and Tiana would just look like Jade, and this was made worse when they started putting their outfits on Jade. If they’d stuck to the outfits they actually released for these characters, we could at least tell the difference between the characters based on what they wore. But since they didn’t care to pay attention to that, we got a limited Bratz pack universe.
This issue traveled into the Bratz TV series. They put Ooh La La outfits on Jade and Sasha, knowing good and well those girls didn’t even appear in the line, even if they were supposed to. This prevented Kumi and Dana from ever appearing in the future. They did the same in the Bein’ Who We Are music video. It got so mixed up, that eventually fashion passions no longer mattered in the actual Bratz brand. They started throwing outfits on any one of the characters, and they started looking more and more identical, with less individuality. Bratz Rock Angelz movie started that mess in my opinion. Thankfully, the outfits were still well-made, even if less individualistic. Still, it was a change that was noticeable.
Also, because they’ve released characters out of order, making Roxxi a new girl when most Bratz fans been knowing her awhile, it’s likely any other former stories connected to them would have been altered or rearranged. They weren’t good at giving a proper backdrop for the dolls, beginning with them not making the story consistent with the timeline. The story didn’t line up with the way the dolls were being sold, so it became a confusing mess.
Music
The music was okay, but it wasn’t what I expected. I expected to hear more rock music, to set the Rock Angelz mood, and especially the music from the Rock Angelz album. Unfortunately, it was filled with songs from the future Bratz TV series, very pop and urban, with some random pop rock numbers, and only ONE song from the album made it in…at the very end of the freakin’ movie. Overall, the music felt like it was tossed in there to give a Bratz feeling, but not a Rock Angelz feeling. This is what happens when you want to tell too many stories at once.
Overview
So, you all might say I’m super negative, not a real Bratz fan, and that I’m the only one who feels this way about Rock Angelz. I agree I’m a Bratz fan outsider today, in today’s world, where the kids who grew up with Bratz at a much younger age now have a stronger influence on the community, and have a different attachment to Bratz. But back in the day, I know I wasn’t the only one. All of the older Bratz fans back then had the same problem, which was why everything was cleaned up better in the next couple of movies that came after. Notice how Genie Magic and Forever Diamondz had music from their soundtracks. Notice how the movies inculcated the lines better and gave the fifth girl in the line more screen time or importance. They still couldn’t hardly get their outfits right, and they still made old-time characters, like Katia, suddenly seem like new girls, but at least they cleaned things up a little more. They wouldn’t have done that if fans hadn’t complained. So I don’t think I was the only one, even if I probably am one of the few remaining fans from back in that time…
The Bratz Rock Angelz movie brought the dolls to life with its CGI and it had humor and entertainment, but it tried to tell too many stories at once, it didn’t really focus on the Rock Angelz band, the characters remained altered and misinterpreted, so different from the doll universe, and the music wasn’t even from the freakin’ soundtrack.
Coming in next is Bratz Go to Paris. I wrestled with whether I should even include this on the list because it’s basically like BFF and Good Vibes where it’s a collection of episodes made into a movie. However, I think with this DVD they attempted to make all three episodes into one full-length film. It barely gets a pass. Re-released in 2013, several years after it aired on television, they basically wanted to give fans more movies but didn’t have the same backing they did back in the day. So they just started re-releasing stuff. I remember I was 23 and just never considered this a real movie.
Story
Written by Peggy Nicoll, the story focuses on the Bratz as they are recruited by Byron Powell, who they discover is a spy, to go undercover as spies themselves. Someone had been poisoning super models in Paris right before designer Jean-Paul’s major show. The models have all aged tremendously from the poisons. The Bratz agree to help, not being able to resist going to the “City of Lights”. Cloe is hoping for a romance story, Yasmin is hoping for inspiration for her writing, Jade is a major fan of Jean-Paul, and Sasha wants to experience the nightlife…I think. Anyway, when the girls show apprehension about going to Paris due to them needing to complete their magazine, Byron tells them he only needs one of them anyway. He decides to put them through a spy test to determine who will go.
This sparks an obvious rivalry between the girls, as they all try to beat the other and hold each other back, but in the final race to the finish, Yasmin crashes. The Bratz resolve that they will not leave one another behind. Byron reveals the real test was one of working together and he agrees that all of them are ready to go.
The Bratz pack, along with Cameron and Dylan, arrive at the runway show to find Jean-Paul stressed and having a break-down because his models are dropping like flies. Nicole, one of his last remaining models, tells the girls what’s been happening. Jade comforts him, and in her, Jean-Paul finds a new muse. At this moment, Nicole shows herself to be jealous of this, but she gets distracted when she catches sight of Cameron. She begins flirting with him the rest of the movie, causing Cloe to be jealous. In the midst of all of this, Roxxi shows up with her former bandmate Cruise, and Sasha becomes smitten. She and Cruise form a relationship. However, because the girls are in Paris for a mission, she ends up leaving him hanging right before their first official date. He takes it personal. Later, Sasha finds him on the cover of a magazine with Alonce (the “Beyonce” of the Bratz universe). Heartbroken, she’s unable to focus on the mission.
Eventually, the Bratz realize they’ve got to stay focused, especially when someone breaks into their hotel room, attacks Yasmin, and flees. Byron takes the evidence and finds a strand of hair that belongs to modeling Agent Elimina. Believing they’ve found the culprit, Byron drops the case. The Bratz aren’t so convinced. As they dig deeper into this, Jade and Cloe are lured into an abandoned room by Nicole and poisoned right before they were to appear in the show. Eventually, Sasha and Yasmin are able to find them as Nicole is trying to drag them into a car to escape. The girls are able to take her down using their new spy techniques and they save the day. In the end, Sasha is able to talk to Cruise about the misunderstanding, so they’re happy, and the show continues on, making Jean-Paul a success.
My first impression of the re-release was that this was really cheap. Most fans wanted a new movie, not a DVD with already-released episodes. By the time the DVD was released, I’d already seen everything, so I had no reason to buy it.
But the story is really cool, it’s one of the best Bratz TV episodes. It was nice to have Paris as the setting, a runway show as the focus, and it was just exciting, action-packed, full of drama, and suspenseful. This was a lot more cleaned-up in comparison to Rock Angelz and it maintained focus.
I would have liked the movie to explore Paris a little more than it did. It kind of didn’t focus on the landmarks that are so iconic. But the gem was that it wasn’t stereotypical. Eh.
The other thing I don’t think was necessary was the initial competition to see who would get the spot to go to Paris. Or rather it definitely seemed like Byron tricked them. They said they couldn’t go because of the magazine, clearly not seeing the opportunity to create an epic article from this adventure. Byron tells them he only needs one of them anyway. During the “I Spy” competition, they all agreed not to go if all of them couldn’t go. When Byron says they all passed and could all go, that still left the problem of who was going to run the magazine…If that was such an issue before, all of them winning together doesn’t solve the initial problem that caused the competition in the first place. I think Byron knew he could convince them all to go if he motivated them to compete, but they never brought up the magazine again…
Again, another problem was that this was supposed to be an Ooh La La theme, but it was without Dana and Kumi. It grinds my gears, especially when Sasha and Jade weren’t in the line. And now, the possibility of Kumi and Dana being in the show with these outfits is slim to none because the other four girls wore their outfits…
Characters
Cloe really irritated me in this movie. I understand she is jealous of Nicole spending time with Cameron because she supposedly has a secret crush on him, whatever, but she has been dating and flirting with other guys throughout the whole Bratz TV series and in all the books. She only recognizes Cameron when he’s moved on, then she just wants him all to herself. Girl, he’s not yours to claim.
I was happy that finally Sasha received a love interest. I get tired of people thinking Black girls are these tough, independent characters without layers. I think this is the first episode I ever saw Sasha show emotion, and I actually would’ve loved to see more emotion from her in the other movies and shows.
I loved Yasmin and Jade’s roles in this. Jade was super focused on the task. Despite Yasmin trying to find inspiration for her writing assignment, she was also on task.
I don’t even know why Dylan was there.
All the supporting characters felt recycled, but it became a staple of the show and movies, so…
Visuals
The visuals were meh in my opinion. They mostly spent time in one location and much of the visuals had been recycled from the TV series, like in all the original episodes. I think they did at least choose a different kind of hotel. Did they? Anyway…The outfits were beautiful on the characters, they just weren’t the right outfits. A lot of characters were recycled from the TV episodes, which caused me more confusion. I think they could’ve put a lot more Parisian scenes in it to make it more visually stunning. It felt flat in comparison to what I was hoping for.
I felt this would have been better if they had trained in Paris, too. Then we could see more of the scenes and sights. Of course, they wanted to have a test of friendship first. I still felt like there should have been more when covering Paris.
Music
Because this was not originally a full-length film, it doesn’t have its own music or music that’s a staple of it. The movie had overplayed songs from all the other movies and TV show episodes. It doesn’t feel like it had its own soundtrack. It was nice to hear some familiar favorites, but it just didn’t have music that set the mood, due to this originally meaning to be a couple of 20 minute episodes.
Overview
Overall, the story was pretty exciting and amazing. I was definitely on the edge of my seat. However, it misses the actual Bratz back-drop, the Ooh La La line characters, the characters in this movie annoyed me, the visuals were blah, and the music was just shoved in there…because it wasn’t really meant to be a movie.
Coming in next is Bratz Girlz Really Rock. I first watched this movie in 2008, when I was around 18 years old, starting my first year in college. I was pretty grown-up by the time I watched this. I don’t think my feelings have changed too much since I’ve watched it 12 years ago. Man, I feel old.
Story
Written by Norah Lally and Meg Martin, the story appears to be a movie musical about a movie musical. It centers on the Bratz pack members Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, Jade, Dylan, and Eitan heading to Camp Starshine, an arts camp in the woods. Initially, the Bratz go to the camp for fun, but they soon realize everyone else is taking things way too seriously there. The camp is hosting a contest for campers to perform something spectacular, with the winner receiving a movie deal. Later, the Bratz girls begin to see why everyone is so serious, and they start to get serious once their own individual talents are recognized. This breaks the group apart. Eventually, Dylan and their new friend Anna begin to help them realize they are changing, especially when a self-centered dance instructor named Demidov threatens to separate them, all so she can get her shot at the limelight. In the end, they are able to re-unite back together and win the contest along with their friend Anna.
Overall, the story is okay. It’s engaging in a lot of ways.
My first impression of it wasn’t as bad as with Rock Angelz because I’d gotten used to the new Bratz universe by this time. Of course, the story was also more focused on the girls trying to stay together amidst competition. One thing that was always interesting about the Bratz dolls’ storytelling was that they didn’t mind showing the girls competing against one another or challenging themselves. That was different than the “princess sweet” stories often told about girls. But they always learned that they were stronger together. This story was about them being diverse and strong apart, but stronger together. They also learned to take their talents seriously and to work hard to reach their dreams rather than goof off all the time. Anna learned to make time for a “life”. They all learned to balance work and play. It was a very cute story.
It was also the first story where Dylan actually had a serious relationship with a girl. It was nice to see him in a different light. However, I still felt like he was in “limerence” with Anna, not “in love” with her. Honestly, the boy only saw her across the room and thought he was madly in love. He knew nothing about her, and actually hated ballet, according to the Secret Date electronic game. So, he only got into ballet just to get closer to Anna. Dylan probably did get serious with Anna later, but to me, he really didn’t fall in love with her. He fell in love with the idea of being with her. Personally, I wasn’t feeling it.
Now, I’m not the most romantic person, so maybe that plays a role in shaping my opinion, but if I could give you all an example of my favorite on-screen romances it would be Sakura and Syaoran and Touya and Yukito from Cardcaptor Sakura. I like relationships that develop over time, relationships and bonds that form after people get to know each other well. Dylan and Anna were…I don’t know, but something about Dylan’s approach to Anna felt like his approach to any other girl; she just took the bait. And this is aside from the fact I don’t really like the way they developed Dylan’s personality entirely in the CGI universe as it is. There’s nothing wrong with a goofy side, but it’d be nice if it was balanced out with something deeper. But okay…
Overall, though, I thought it was a pretty engaging movie. I found myself wanting to see what would happen next. Of course, it was predictable, just like most movies based off of dolls, but everything is predictable nowadays since every story has been told before. It’s hard to please people one hundred percent. I sometimes look forward to a predictable story with a predictable ending as long as I can follow along.
My biggest criticism of this movie though is that, just like with Rock Angelz, it really wasn’t focused on the “Girlz Really Rock” line. I mean, they did at least initially have the girls attempting to perform their rock band to win the contest, but the great majority of the movie was spent on them doing other things and not really focused on the band line at all. What’s worse nowadays is the outfits from the dolls don’t even appear in the movie online. They appeared in the music video for “Friends Are Everything”, and at the end of the original movie, if I remember correctly.
It also feels like this movie didn’t really happen in the Bratz universe. In the end, Cloe broke the 4th wall, if that’s what you call it, and said she forgot her line while they were all saying good-bye after camp. When they were on the red carpet, I think it was said that it was a movie about their real experiences, but I couldn’t really tell.
Overall, I would say the story wasn’t remarkable, but it wasn’t bad either.
What was most annoying about it was that it was a musical, and just about everything was a musical back then, thanks to the popularity of High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and Camp Rock. It kind of got out of hand. Girlz Really Rock was riding that band-wagon, like all the other dolls. Even American Girl was reported to be working on their own Julie musical back then…Weird.
Anyway, the story was designed around musical clichés common in then-tween-teen musicals, such as friendship drama, romance, and excuses to perform.
Characters
The characters brought over the same personality traits they had from Rock Angelz, so, hey. Again, Jade was the only one focused on fashion, and they didn’t dare inculcate other interests in her character, such as her interest in extreme sports. But the movie did a good job of introducing their individual talents and giving them individual screen time, despite the fact the movie was supposed to be told from Sasha’s point of view.
While Anna was cute and everything, I actually would’ve preferred the story to introduce a Bratz pack member instead of the random movie-only character. There were so many other characters in the line, like Phoebe, Roxxi, Meygan, and Dana, but they didn’t bother trying to inculcate them in the movie. But her inclusion didn’t hurt the movie either, so she was okay. I liked her story of trying to balance work and play, and learning not to become a slave to someone else’s dream. I didn’t like her initial attitude towards the Bratz, like sneering at them in the cafeteria, but she evolved as a character, so she was okay.
Eitan barely had a role, yet again, and Dylan was thrown a romance story. You know, I would have liked a movie where the boys had more of a storyline, outside of romance. Like what were Dylan’s wishes, hopes, and dreams? I felt they made him pretty one-dimensional throughout most of the Bratz movies and series. I hate that about Ken in the Barbie universe. And yes, I know it’s mostly about the girls, but it would have been nice to see more development from the boys. I even wished there were more episodes that catered to them. I think Crush in a Rush was the only one, and it was, yet again, a romance story. There’s got to be more to them than girls. This is why I’ve been writing up my own Bratz series, maybe just as a fan, and hopefully with all of this research I’ve been doing about the Bratz universe, I can get that going and kind of unite the Bratz universes together.
Visuals
I felt like the visuals had improved, mostly due to the era in time. CGI was getting better, and it showed. They still recycled background characters. I saw a few Easter eggs. Still, I think by this time, they kind of felt it became a staple of the universe, so it fit. The setting was really interesting, though I don’t understand why an arts camp had to be in the middle of the woods. It didn’t make sense to me. But a real camp setting was nice. I think the visuals would have been better if the Girlz Really Rock outfits had actually been included beyond the music video portion of the movie.
Music
Again, it was a musical. When I first watched the movie in 2008, I couldn’t stand the music. I thought it was annoying and out-of-place. This kind of movie didn’t need a musical. When I watched it again in 2020, it didn’t turn out to be as annoying as I thought it would be. In fact, it felt like the music didn’t really take over the movie, which was a good thing. Back then, maybe it was annoying because I was tired of musicals. Especially in this movie, the songs seemed to be poorly written. Particularly “We’re Gonna Shine”. I hate songs that just “talk-sing” every little line. It just feels like they could be talking instead of singing. In fact, the movie would have been fine without the music. Some songs were re-written and reprised, such as All about Me. That was originally We all Can Be Starz. Summertime Fun was nice and Friends Are Everything was pretty fun. It had a fun summertime little soundtrack. And hey, at least all the songs from the soundtrack appeared in the movie. But I can definitely say you won’t find me bumping these songs in my car the way I would other albums from the Bratz. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite soundtrack. Yet, it was the only one that had every single song in the movie. {sigh}
Overview
Overall, the story was easy to follow, it had interesting points, and all the music from the soundtrack was actually in the movie. However, the movie didn’t add to the characters in any way, the story was cliché, and the musical numbers were poorly written or just not necessary in the movie.
Coming in next is Bratz Babyz The Movie. It was released in 2006, my Junior Year in high school, and I was around 16 years old. Many of you Bratz fan readers are probably mad that I rated this higher than some of the fans’ faves because it’s just a cheesy Bratz Babyz movie. Well, I do have a soft spot for the storytelling in a lot of the Babyz movies because I think they all mostly have at least a message to send, and the messages are more diverse than overcoming “Barbie” and “romance”.
Story
The twin Bratz Babyz, Nita and Nora, get ready to join Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin at the daycare center in the mall. Snappy, Nita’s puppy, jumps into Nora’s bag when no one’s looking, and Nora, hurrying to keep up with Nita, rushes out without knowing Snappy is in her bag. Once they are at the daycare center, Snappy gets out and escapes into the mall. The Babyz escape to find her, but by then Snappy has been dognapped by Duane, the mall bully. He’d overheard Nora singing in the mall, and demands the Babyz join the karaoke contest and win the prize money of $50 for him as a ransom for the dog. Nora, being shy, is afraid to do this, and Nita insists Nora can’t do it because of her stage fright. They all come up with different ideas on how to get the dog back, despite Duane’s demands. Jade, Cloe and Nora try to get Snappy back by earning money doing something else, while Sasha, Yasmin, and Nita try to get her back by trying to grab her when Duane isn’t looking. When time starts to run out, they decide the only way to get $50 is for Nora to win it in the karaoke contest. However, Nora learns not to give into a bully. The Babyz team up and overcome the bully, all while still managing to get their puppy back.
While at face value, this may seem like a cheesy story centered on a bunch of babies (that don’t really sound or act like babies to some people), I felt it was pretty clever in its approach. As someone who has worked with children, I can tell you that some of the “babies'” behaviors are spot on. It was like watching the Rugrats without the baby talk. I liked how the scene was set in a mall, and from the eyes of a 3-year-old, where everything in the world seems bigger. I liked that the story took two different approaches to dealing with a bully, and ultimately, taught the lesson that you just don’t give in to a bully because they will keep coming back to harm you.
I also have a soft place in my heart for this movie because Nita and Nora remind me of me and my own twin when we were younger. My sibling was more of the Nora, sweet and would get nervous easily, and I was the Nita, strong-willed and had more of a smart mouth. I had to realize that sometimes I would say things that would hurt them and other people. It wasn’t my intention but I did feel like we always got in trouble because of my sibling’s clumsiness.
Now, while I did enjoy the movie, there were some things I didn’t understand. I mean, of course, babies won’t do things that make sense all of the time. Still, I thought that when the babies lost the puppy, they should have immediately told their teacher. They were afraid of getting in big trouble, but when they were caught after sneaking out, which was worse, Ms. Calabash didn’t even react or call their parents or anything. So, it wouldn’t have been bad at all if they had told their teacher. None of the Bratz Babyz realized that they should have just told the teacher in the first place.
None of the babies told the security guards or other surrounding adults about the bully Duane either, which I thought was unusual. Kids usually tell an adult when someone is being mean to them, especially at 3-years-old. And if they don’t, there’s usually an indication as to why they’re not doing it. Instead of trying to run away from the security guard, why didn’t they just tell him why they kept escaping or why they were having a hard time? I mean, maybe they didn’t want to admit they brought a puppy into the mall and didn’t want to get into trouble. Still, after they got caught the first time by security, and saw that they weren’t really in trouble, why didn’t they just confess the problem or even think to do so? Also, why didn’t the adults ask them why they were sneaking out? I mean, I know Ms. Calabash and Officer Murphy were dim-witted, but really? Anyway, I think this story would have been a lot shorter if that had occurred. Nora would have never found the courage to stand up and out on her own, and none of them would have stood up to the bully Duane. However, I would have written it so the babies had no choice but to take control, basically having them exhaust all options. Only then would this kind of story have made sense–well, from a mischievous baby’s perspective.
Characters
The characters were cute and funny. Of course, some of them were…annoying. It was nice to be introduced to some characters from the Bratz pack universe. Still wish Yamit, from the Lil’ Dancers line, had been in it, but almost everyone was in this movie. I would like to see an older version of Nita and Harvey one day.
But back to the movie…
Nita was definitely a handful with her temper tantrums. I can’t say much because I was bossy and tough like her. Still, it’s not a likable quality, even I can admit that. I didn’t like how mean she was to her sister the whole movie. And all the Bratz Babyz could say was “Break it up you two”. No, it wasn’t the “two” of them fighting; it was Nita basically bullying her sister. And Nora even said her oldest sister, Jilian, was also mean. She’d been getting it from both of her older sisters. I am glad that Nita realized her behavior was wrong by the end of the movie. Admittedly, though, many three-year-olds act like Nita. They throw tantrums to get their way, they boss each other around, I mean, hey. Can’t expect a whole lot of maturity.
I was a little bothered by Cameron and Harvey’s behavior towards their teacher as well. They found it fun to throw toys at their teacher, and it was kind of cringe-y to watch. I kept wanting to call some parents myself. Poor Ms. Calabash was so sweet, but those kids were just rotten and she didn’t have the back-bone to get the class under control. Nita earned my respect when she shaped that classroom up, I’ll tell you that. But I hate that Cameron and Harvey participated in that garbage.
The main four Bratz girls were interpreted as their usual selves, with Yasmin being given the least screen time and development. But at least they showed up and out when necessary.
Visuals
Due to the 2-D animation, it obviously didn’t have the fancy CGI graphics everyone was used to by this time, but it also didn’t have the luscious greenery, sinister sunsets, and realistic-looking buildings present in Starrin’ and Stylin‘. It gave me A Pup Named Scooby-Doo type of vibe. To me, the animation felt cheaper than Starrin’ and Stylin‘, but it gave it an old-fashioned cartoonish charm that brought me back to the good old days of Saturday morning cartoons.
Music
The music was everything to me. I think this is the most memorable Bratz Babyz tracklist. My favorite song is “Catch Me If you Can”. I just love that club pop vibe. The music was catchy and unforgettable FOR Me. I think it set the mall scene well.
Overview
Overall, the story had a good message, it brought me back to my childhood, and I could relate well to the characters. The movie was cute and funny. But some actions didn’t make sense in the story, some of the characters were a bit annoying, and the 2-D wasn’t of the best quality.
Coming in next is Bratz the movie. I know a lot of you Bratz fans out there are going to be on here like, “I know this heifer didn’t just put the worst Bratz movie higher than Rock Angelz and Girlz Really Rock!” Yes, I did!
This movie arrived in theaters the Summer of 2007, Summer Break for me, before I entered my last year in high school. I saw it the day it arrived in theaters.
Now, yes, I was a bit stunned to see a completely different story than the one that had been developing the last couple of years prior, especially because the CGI movies and TV show had been really popular (particularly outside of the USA). You’d think they’d continue to profit off of it.
But it didn’t make me too mad. In fact, it made me happy, because finally people could understand that the CGI TV series was not the ONLY canon universe surrounding the Bratz. In fact, the only canon universe is the DOLL universe itself (if even that universe). This movie proved it. Unfortunately, people will find you to be “less of a fan” if you actually like this movie. I don’t care. I’ve been with the Bratz nearly 21 years now, so I think I have the right to like any take on the Bratz. It doesn’t measure how much of a fan I am.
So while everyone else was complaining that this movie didn’t have Bratz magazine and the Tweevils, I was ready to dive into a new take on the Bratz. I took this movie for what it was. This doesn’t mean I felt it was the best movie in the Bratz universe, but it did have some strengths.
Story
The screen play was by Susan Estelle Jansen, and the story was by Adam de la Pena. I heard Sean McNamara, the director, had a huge hand in the story as well.
The story centered on four diverse girls, from diverse backgrounds, Cloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin, who start the big-bad high school for the first time. Enthusiastic, excited, and confident, they shake the campus as soon as they arrive with their fashionable style and amazing talents. Though they are very different from one another, they maintain their friendship, not really starting off interested in the cliques set up in the school.
This deviant behavior catches the attention of student body president Meredith who feels it’s her duty to maintain control of the school and keep the cliques afloat and separate. Of course, because Meredith herself has been the one responsible for organizing the school according to cliques, and because she’s had the power to do so, being the rich daughter of the principal and daughter to a mother with connections to MTV, all the students have helped her in keeping the status quo. She puts pressure on the girls and the rest of the student body to make sure the cliques stay in-tact.
Eventually, the cliques end up pulling the four girls apart for two years, and it seems Meredith has won. However, after a cafeteria food fight at lunch, the girls all end up in detention, leading them to talk out their differences and rekindle their friendship. The Bratz re-unite, threatening Meredith’s power. She tries everything to wrestle it back; She tries to throw ANOTHER super sweet 16 (though she’s already 16), this time with MTV involved, and she attempts to organize and monopolize the school talent show so she can decide who joins and who doesn’t. Though her stunts have the whole school turning on the Bratz, including their so-called friends, the Bratz manage to bind together and overcome Meredith by tying with her for the win at the talent show. Ultimately, they are able to unite the cliques on stage with them and wrestle back control, which was the true win.
Overall, the story took some elements from Rock Angelz, which was focused on the Bratz wrestling control from a Barbie-like figure and empowering themselves, accepting themselves, and not letting someone label them. While it took that element, it was more clear in its focus. It felt like it understood what story it wanted to tell, which I appreciated.
This story brought Bratz back to its roots. Initially, Carter Bryant designed them to be the “cool girls in school” and, according to the book You Don’t Own Me: How Mattel V. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie’s Dark Side, that was even going to be the Bratz dolls’ slogan. The movie played off of that, showing how cool the Bratz really were, showing how they were able to conquer the school with their style, talents, and individuality. And yes, they did threaten the Barbie empire in real life, much like how things played out with Meredith. Ironically, the ending credits lists Meredith’s mom as “Barbie” Baxter-Dimly. Because of this connection to the dolls’ roots, I have a certain fondness for the movie.
However, let’s be real. The movie was one big cliché, especially because it seemed like a big rip-off of other tween-teen movies like Mean Girls and High School Musical, which, again, were REALLY popular movies at this time. The emphasis on cliques, on some “pair” or person not really subscribing to the cliques, and then the same individual(s) using “music” or some sort of show to take back power and overcome the cliques. It’s the exact same story as High School Musical to be honest, with some elements stripped from Mean Girls (like the seating charts). Maybe it was meant to be a parody.
To be fair, it’s a lot like an exaggerated form of high school. Some people do go their own way in high school, especially when people start joining after-school activities. I separated from a lot of my childhood friends in high school. We eventually came back together later in life, but some people just part ways. It takes a lot of strength to overcome cliquish behavior.
Of course, I don’t remember high school being as exaggerated as this movie portrays it, and I believe the director said he was inspired by his daughter’s vision of high school, her fears and ideals, the summer before she started. That’s why it came across this way. Our visions of things before we’ve experienced it, especially as children, are always more exaggerated. Imaginations are funny like that.
With that being said, while I appreciated the fact this movie brought Bratz back to their roots and gave us fans a fresh new story, it wasn’t what I really wanted from the first theatrical film. What I was really hoping for was maybe a World Destination story, possibly one for Tokyo a-go-go, more like Cheetah Girls 2 or The Lizzie McGuire movie. It would have been nice to have more Bratz pack members, like Fianna, Tiana, Kumi, May-Lin, and Eitan, adapted for the big screen. Or maybe the movie would actually adapt the actual Bratz the Movie doll line on the screen, with Sharidan and Bryce returning. It really had no connection to the dolls’ movie line, which was frustrating for a fan like me.
But it had a decent story about friendship and celebrating diversity. To me, it wasn’t big enough to be on the big screen, but it was decent, and remains a cult favorite.
Characters
With a star-studded cast, it was hard to look away from the movie. As soon as I saw Anneliese Van der Pol from That’s So Raven (she starred as Chelsea Daniels), I got a little excited. The movie also had Malese Jow from Unfabulous, one of my other favorite shows back then. Chelsea Staub was the show-stopper. She played Meredith very well. And I just found out Sasha’s father was in KC Undercover, another show I loved, which drew me into the Bratz movie again more recently. So, this movie gives me more reasons to revisit.
Yet, what was best about the movie was the actual development of the characters. Though I may not have liked everything about the movie, finally, FINALLY, a movie tapped into the Bratz pack’s past. We saw PARENTS. No, the families didn’t match the Bratz universe, which was disappointing. Cloe should have an older sister named Sonya, and two infant siblings named Colin and Isa. Her mother should be a glam woman named Polita. Sasha should have a younger sister named Zama. I’m quite sure by now, after examining the Rebel Royalty prototype and Itsy City fish shack, that Jade is also of Japanese descent, not just Chinese (which they seemed to allude to, based on her mother’s portrayal). But at least they attempted to develop a back-story for these girls. Yasmin’s mom may have appeared somewhere in the background, but they focused on her Bubbie and Manny, so it’s a pass. I’m happy they also tapped into her Jewish past. Carter Bryant did intend her to be Hispanic, but she was kind of transformed into an Iranian-Jewish girl, too, after her name change before debut. We all know that name is a Persian name. So I would like to think that her heritage consists of both. Yasmin is actually quite connected with Iran culturally.
With the parents around, the Bratz girls weren’t just acting out unwatched and unattended like in the CGI movies. I never could understand how these girls were secret agents or traveling the world without their parents’ knowledge. I mean, maybe it’s not necessary because it’s not real, it helps kids dream, and it’s a lot of fun, but it still crossed my mind. Bratz, the live action movie, was more realistic in that way, and that’s saying a lot, considering how exaggerated the movie actually was. There was some parental supervision, some support, and some insight as to how these girls developed into the ladies they became.
Of course, in their attempt to make the characters more distinct, more changes were made to the characters. Jade did not return back to her athletic roots, but she at least showed interest in chemistry, something other than fashion. And while Cloe maintained stealing Jade’s sporty side from her, Cloe was stripped of her girly and glam tendencies as well, so fair game. They also gave her an interest in media and film. Yasmin was still the sweet-heart, the journalist, and into music. Ya’ll know she’s the darling of MGA, and, if you’re a fan, ya’ll know why (she’s named after the CEO’s daughter, Jasmin Larian). Of course, she didn’t seem as interested in plants and animals as she had in prior media. No sweat, because she seemed more like the Yasmin from Starrin’ & Stylin‘ and that whole universe. Sasha still seemed somewhat like a dancer, but was made into more of a cheerleader, which was cool. Of course, she completely jacked Cloe’s style with the glitter and animal prints. I didn’t like that they made her stuck up and, yet again, the “mad Black woman” without a compassionate side. But at least she had a personality. I really felt like they took away Cloe’s personality. She was clumsy, but not dramatic, like she’d always been interpreted. She was very quiet. Of all the Bratz pack members, she seemed to have the least lines.
In any case, the characters were developed more than in previous movies, and even in comparison to movies after. However, even this movie failed to review the full Bratz universe, and those who developed it failed to analyze Bratz well enough to adapt it exactly as it should have been.
I especially say this in the cases of Bratz Boyz Cameron and Dylan. I don’t know what it is about doll companies and flunking the boys. They just don’t seem to know how to help the boys shine in a woman-driven universe, and it’s sad.
As mentioned before, Cameron is supposed to be THE BLAZE, the hottest boy around. In Bratz, Cameron was Meredith’s S.I.M.P. boyfriend, a lame, a cornball. He was preppy and ultimately quiet for most of the movie. I think he only had a few lines. Where was the edgy, smokin’ hot boy he was at release? Back in 2002? I swear, the only media that ever got the Bratz Boyz right was the commercials.
And Dylan…Whoo. Let me come down before I go into this one. White-washing don’t fly with me. Don’t get me wrong, Dylan has been light-skinned in his earlier releases, so it can be implied that Dylan is biracial, but we KNOW his behind got some Black in him. There’s no way he would be wearing box braids like that in Wild Life Safari and Wintertime Wonderland if he wasn’t (unless some cultural appropriation went under the radar). He was definitely Black-coded. His bronzer skin in the Play Sportz line and Kidz line should be indicators as well. So, when I saw who they cast for DYLAN in this movie, I almost asked for my money back. I don’t support racism, colorism, or White-washing. That’s why I refused to watch Ghost in the Shell and Avatar The Last Airbender, knowing my anime behind would normally. Heck, I don’t even like watching movies when they replace a White person with a Black person. To me, it’s jarring, clearly fake, feels low-budget, it’s not real representation, and I don’t think we should accept hand-me-down stories. It’s modern Black-face, like with Hamilton. It made me uncomfortable to think a bunch of Black people were acting as slave masters…
Hopefully, in the future, the White-washing thing will be out of the water. If the Bratz are EVER to be properly adapted live action again, we don’t need a spoonful of Whiteness to make the Blackness go down. I don’t want to see this in a Bratz movie again.
What makes it worse is FINALLY Dylan was written with dimension. He was more sensitive, caring, and they developed him into a character with hearing loss…But he had to be White in order for it to happen? Now, for Biracial characters, I do believe that it could be argued that a Black OR White actor can play them, but why do we always choose White over Black in these situations? This is is exactly why Bratz the movie couldn’t get higher on this list. Ultimately, I can’t just blame whoever picked the cast. If they decided who would play the characters based on that Bratz TV series, it’s no wonder they got it wrong. The only hint of his Black heritage in the CGI universe was the actor cast to play him. Still, I’d argue that Black people aren’t a monolith and don’t all look the same, and the casting director should have known this, considering his heritage like they did with the Bratz girls. I also would like to know who was the consultant at this time…
Among the supporting cast, Meredith was definitely the delicious villain that we all loved to hate. She was pretty, well-dressed, funny, entertaining, and a great performer. Honestly, she was more fleshed out than some of the Bratz characters. We actually saw her home, her parents, her sister, and the rest of her lifestyle. We didn’t see any of that from Cameron or Dylan.
However, despite her fascinating portrayal and intriguing actions, I found her motivations to be confusing. Really, why was she so obsessed with keeping the cliques in-tact? Of what benefit was it to her? At least in High School Musical, one of the movies Bratz tried to imitate, Sharpay’s motive for keeping the cliques in-tact was to continue to be the lead in the school play so she could have advantages in show business. In Mean Girls, Regina didn’t even create the cliques; they created themselves based on people merging with others like themselves, just like herds of animals. There were natural cliques in the school, and probably would have always been because most people clique off with people they get along with and are in after-school clubs or teams with.
We never got to know or understand why Meredith was obsessed with maintaining these cliques, as if it was her duty. There’s nothing in it for her, and I can’t see a character as rich and powerful as she is caring about where people sit at lunch for little to no reason.
Ultimately, I can only conclude that she had no interest really in maintaining the cliques, she just used that as an excuse to mask her jealousy of the Bratz, and utilized the cliques to keep them apart because she feared they were stronger together than apart. She was jealous that they received so much attention from the moment they walked in, and as student body president, they made her look bad, especially when they ignored her seating arrangements.
But the problem is this can only remain a theory. I would have liked deeper insight into her mindset instead of a superficial display of a Sharpay-Regina-George mash-up character. I would have liked the Bratz to actually get to the root of Meredith’s behavior rather than taking her down in a talent show. The girl was clearly insecure, and they could’ve really gotten rid of the problem by getting to the problem at the root.
Then again, the Bratz girls could barely understand when their friend Yasmin suddenly dropped out of the talent show, so I guess they weren’t the types to analyze another person’s behavior. Meredith was just meant to be a mean girl, and that’s all. I mean some people feel there’s no excuse for mean behavior, but I think the bullying would have been put to rest permanently if they had dug a little deeper.
Meredith’s actions and behavior was appalling enough, but let’s talk about the strange behaviors and actions of some of the Bratz girls’ other so-called “friends”. I couldn’t stand them.
Before I get into why the “friends” in this movie annoyed me, I’d like to point out that, yet again, Sasha, the Black girl, is the only one left without a love interest. This is always how these movies depict Black women, like we don’t have a feminine side, like we’re not capable of love. We’re all just “sassy and independent”. This happens because we are not usually the ones on the team to help create these movies.
Then again, to be fair, I’m glad Sasha didn’t get a love interest because the boys in this movie sucked. Cloe’s man, “Cameron”, made out with Meredith right in front of her. And while yes, Cloe and Cameron technically weren’t dating at the time, he seemed to like it a little too much. I would argue that Cameron was weak. He let Meredith control him from the very beginning, and just followed her around instead of being his own person. Now, if we’d seen more of a story about it, about why he’s letting this happen, maybe it would have made him more interesting. Sadly, I felt he was S.I.M.P-ing…and was a straight…I can’t even tell ya’ll what I really thought he was. It would be too inappropriate.
Dylan was White-washed, so nothing about him was right.
Then there was Dexter, Jade’s “love interest”. First off, he ain’t even a Bratz pack boy, so I don’t care to know him. Second, he was weak-minded, too. When Jade decided to stand with her friends, he threatened her, talking about if she can’t hang with him and his friends, she can’t be with him and their chemistry club. When Jade tells him not to “be that guy”, he firmly says “that’s not up to me”. The what? What do you mean it’s not up to you? What, you’re not in control of yourself, boy? Meredith got you whipped? After that, any “chemistry” he and Jade had went out of the water for me, too. I shuddered when I saw Jade kiss him at the end of the movie. I’m like, uh uh. No. He never apologized for that. He contributed to their misery. As far as I’m concerned he was a bystander, and that’s as bad as the person doing the bullying. He gave Jade an ultimatum, and when she didn’t do what he wanted, he walked away. To me, he’s showing how he will be in a real relationship. There are red flags there.
I felt the same way about Sasha’s “cheerleader” friend. Girl, bye. She stated, “If you can’t hang with us, then maybe you’re not a fit”. Nah girl, your cheer squad ain’t a fit, because before Sasha jumped in, the team was stiff and robotic. Bye.
Anyway, though this movie showed more evolution for the Bratz characters in a lot more ways than the other movies had, it was still attached to racial stereotypes, White-Washing, and weak-minded supporting characters.
Visuals
The visuals in this movie were ON POINT. In fact, the visuals are the best part of this movie, and it made this movie entertaining. The fashion, oh, the fashion. I swear I wanted every single outfit in this movie, and I mostly like androgynous fashion. I don’t even look like this. Ya’ll know. I was TOO MAD when there were no dolls released wearing anything from this movie.
When they finally released the signature collection, Closmins happened. Basically, only the White character, Cloe, and racially ambiguous Yasmin, the favorites, were released with two outfits from the movie. The actual Bratz the Movie dolls wore nothing like the outfits from the actual movie. There were implications from the Hollywood Holidays book that Bratz was a “movie made about the Bratz”, not necessarily a real part of their lives or universe, so that could explain why none of the outfits appear in the Bratz the Movie line. However, I felt the outfits in the movie were better than the actual Bratz the Movie line. I was still pretty disappointed.
The outfits were just a portion of the best parts of this visually intriguing movie. Everyone was good-looking, and everything was looking good, too. There was this grandiosity, an exaggeration of daily life, that made everything feel larger-than-life. The school was huge, Meredith’s house was HUGE. The shopping center was INVOLVED. The Super Sweet 16 was almost a literal circus. The girls’ bedrooms were stylish! Each scene was pleasing to the eye, drew you in, and told you a story.
The only visual thing I hated was Dylan. He spoiled the movie for me. It’s not that he was ugly, he just wasn’t Dylan. I wish someone passionate about Bratz, someone who knew the fan base and knew the dolls, were on board with this movie. Someone with heart, someone who really cared about this brand. People can be good writers, but that doesn’t mean they truly understand or feel what they’re writing. That lack of feeling comes across right away when a hard-core fan watches the material.
Music
The soundtrack game was pretty strong. Some 2000s favorites were laced through the album, and some songs are so iconic, they became a staple of Bratz, like Prima J’s Rockstar. To this day, I love Brick and Lace’s “Love is Wicked” to death. I’ve smashed that replay button on this song over one hundred times.
I also loved the “Bratz” songs from the movie. Meredith’s songs were amusing and entertaining, and I would argue a bit better than the Bratz’s “Bratitude” song. Of course, Meredith’s “All About Me” (Trivia: It’s actually the second Bratz soundtrack song with this title), is pretty dated as “Myspace” is a part of the lyrics, and that is mostly a thing of the past. The Bratz music is more timeless and can be listened to later down the line. When I first watched the movie, I was disappointed in “Bratitude” as a “final” song. I don’t know why. I mean, it was hype and everything. But it felt a bit sloppy. They tried to add too many things to it. I understand the Bratz girls wanted to bring the school together, so they found a song that combined many different elements into one sound. However, it made the song’s composition a bit messy, and it came across more like noise in many respects. I really didn’t know where the song was going at first. Eventually, I got used to it, but I understand why the Bratz only tied with Meredith and didn’t beat her.
The song that played during the ENDING credits, “Open Eyes”, was a bop. I would argue that should have been the final song against Meredith. They probably would’ve won then. I guess it was more chill than hype, and they wanted a song that could get the crowd on their feet and get the Bratz dancing.
The stage was pretty epic during the “Bratitude” musical number, adding to the grandiose setting, so I think only a hype song could have fit. However, I still preferred “Open Eyes”, and yet, it only played during the ending credits.
Overview
Overall, the movie was fun, it was flashy with the visuals, was probably the closest to designer Carter Bryant’s vision for the dolls, and it gave a little bit more evolution to the Bratz universe than all the other movies, giving them a family background and individual interests outside of fashion.
However, it was cliché, stereotyped all the characters, White-washed Dylan, didn’t include the universe everyone was hoping for, and didn’t pay attention much to the details in the actual Bratz doll universe.
Coming in next is Bratz the Video: Starrin and Stylin. And calling it a “video” is showing its time. I first watched this movie at age 14, starting my first year in high school. The first Bratz movie ever, it was the first time the Bratz came to life on-screen, being developed with a 2-D animated universe. Keep in mind, though, there had been tons of other Bratz books, another Japanese stop-motion series overseas, the official website information, commercial story-telling, AND the Bratz dolls’ boxes themselves fleshing out the Bratz universe before this movie was released. But this movie was the Bratz’s first full-length animated movie. So, here goes.
Story
Written by Meg Martin and Norah Pierson, the story follows the Bratz girls, Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha, and Jade, along with friends Cameron and Dylan, as they prepare for prom weekend. Unfortunately, right before, their teacher gives them a big art project about expressing themselves, which he makes due the Monday after prom. Fortunately, Yasmin comes up with an idea; they can do a video during their prom week and each do a segment from their perspectives.
Prom week is full of drama though. Cloe crashes her car with all of her friends nearly hurt, Sasha has been stressing over being head of the prom committee, Jade is panicking over losing her “fashion sense” after her friends found her latest outfit picks to be “unappealing”, and someone has been leaking stories to the school newspaper, slamming the Bratz pack and making waves.
Eventually, the Bratz girls discover that it’s YASMIN who has been writing those things about them, and everything starts to fall apart in their friendship as well. Eventually, Yasmin is able to catch up with the Bratz and explain. They’d been talking about how boring her column is, and so she wanted to spice things up.
Once Yasmin began apologizing for hurting everyone, everything seemed to fix itself. Cameron finished fixing Cloe’s car, they Bratz girls are able to find the perfect prom attire, and their video is almost complete. Though there was a slight snag when the prom caterers, photographer, and DJ didn’t show up, the Bratz pack got themselves together to make sure it was a success. When Monday rolled around, they all got As on their video project.
For me the story was simple, with a slice-of-life, and interesting. It didn’t need the fancy flash-and-dash to be good. There were many twists and curve balls, and it left me wanting to know what would happen next after each scene. With a little more tweaking, the story could have been even better, but overall it was a good start for Bratz.
Now, remember, the movie came out shortly after rival Myscene’s first movie Jammin in Jamaica, so it had a lot to live up to. While it didn’t have the world destination theme, it did attempt to capture the tween-teen spirit and what average teens go through, even if it appeared a bit cliché, like much of the TV shows and movies back then, such as Lizzie McGuire, Unfabulous, Zoey 101, Rugrats All Grown Up, As Told By Ginger. You get the picture. I believe it also captured Carter Bryant’s vision of making them the “Cool girls in School”, which I think was a unique take, different from the “Geeky Girls in School” tropes that were so popular to use at this time. Also, it wasn’t exaggerated, like in the live action Bratz movie.
I did wish the movie had explained in detail how they got their name “The Bratz”. The movie almost didn’t even acknowledge that they had the name, which left quite a hole.
My biggest criticism of the movie was that much of the story made some of the Bratz characters look bad, and for some people, no amount of apology could fix it. The behavior of the characters didn’t really bother me, as I hate Mary Sue characters and prefer characters to have flaws and imperfections, but it can be a turn-off to people who want their characters to display better character traits.
Characters
Speaking of characters, let’s get into that. To me, this was the obvious weakness of the movie. Being the first movie, I was expecting them to bring to life ALL the qualities present in the Bratz universe, including Jade’s love of extreme sports and her far-out outlook, as outlined in the Bratz’s first video game and on the official Bratz website. Instead, they made Jade a one-dimensional character that “loved fashion”. Dramatic Cloe loved art and planned on being student body president. Quiet and shy Yasmin was interested in journalism. Sassy and hip Sasha was into partying and music, and had a knack for organizing and planning events. And Jade was just…into fashion. Cutting edge fashion, but just fashion nonetheless. NONE of the Bratz girls were sporty, so that was a bummer. But at least Jade maintained her way extreme and totally far-out outlook. More than I can say about Bratz Rock Angelz‘s take on Jade. Why would anyone like Jade ever try to work with pink Your Thing?
Still, despite it being better than the movie that followed, there were quite a bit of issues with the development of the characters.
In Starrin’ & Stylin’, some of the characterizations made it difficult for the Bratz going forward, and I would say it began to be dated as the universe was trying to expand. First off, Yasmin was supposed to be a girl who “just moved to town recently”. This conflicts with the whole Bratz Babyz and Bratz Kidz universe that followed after the movie. So, it’s hard to take the story seriously within the totality of the Bratz universe.
Second, Cameron was “Ken-dolled” (In reference to the Ken doll only being known for being the romantic companion to Mattel’s Barbie doll), permanently making him Cloe’s love interest, when everything, from commercials, to lines like Secret or Blind Date, showed otherwise. What made Bratz different from Barbie was that they were all single and ready to mingle. They weren’t “owned” by each other. They may have had crushes on each other, but they were friends first, and recognized they were too young and independent to settle down. Cameron was “The Blaze” because ALL the Bratz girls thought he was hot, which means they all had a crush on him, not just Cloe. This allowed the Bratz to potentially be seen with anyone, opening up the possibilities of interracial dating, queer dating, and even friendship dates that lead to nothing romantic. It actually made lines like Secret Date possible and FUN.
Barbie was settled with Ken, and could never seem to shake him even when she broke up with him and tried to come out as Bisexual. Please, of all the pandering. Bratz never had that kind of pandering before…until they “Ken-dolled” Cameron. Now, whenever the Bratz return, they only bring Cameron back so he can be the love interest to Cloe, giving him little evolution beyond his attraction “to the girl”. The Bratz Boyz were so much more than love interests before Starrin’ & Stylin‘. There were even books just about the Bratz Boyz. Starrin’ and Stylin‘ ruined that.
Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to have a romance story, but when it’s limited in this way, the “White boy” ends up with “White girl”, there’s no room for growth and diversity.
What’s worse is that only Cloe had a romance story, which added to her popularity, and made her outshine everyone else. Cloe was the drama queen with all the personality, along with the romance story, and honestly this made her the most likeable character in the movie and beyond.
While all of the characters of color, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin were made mostly unlikable in this movie. Jade was boring and one-dimensional, Sasha was bad-tempered and a control freak, and Yasmin was a sneaky back-stabber. It was made obvious when the school newspaper, aka Yasmin, didn’t even have anything bad to say about Cloe. Even Dylan was made more unlikable than Cameron, though admittedly, he had more personality. I was still hoping for a slick “Nick” type of character development for Dylan, as implied by the nickname the GIRLS gave him. If he was as corny as he appeared in this movie, why would the girls even give him this type of nickname?
In the movies and series, it appeared that the boys gave themselves those nicknames, which conflicts with the back of their boxes where they say the “Bratz” call them this, meaning the “girls”. There’s a difference. Pay attention. I wish some of these writers would pay attention to the details. But there’s the conflict of creating your own artistic vision and trying to represent the Bratz brand. I get it. Still, I want a writer who really knows Bratz. I can’t help it.
Visuals
A lot of people used to come down hard on the Starrin’ & Stylin”s animation style. And while the movie displayed a cheaper animation style, I really liked the 2-D animation. No, it’s not the fancy CGI “next-gen” graphics or whatever, but it had character and heart.
The main reason why it was used was because of the animated characters present in the commercials. Before the movies and animated series, the only media providing a lens into the Bratz universe was the commercials. The animation style had the Bratz interacting with their surroundings, and it actually lead to people asking for a movie about the Bratz, using those animated characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to translate well into movie form in some people’s eyes
I liked it, though. The backdrop actually appeared like a real neighborhood, especially when I saw it recently. The coloring was luscious at some points, dark and sinister at other points, and just set the mood in ways CGI animation couldn’t. Also, the backdrop or neighborhood was interesting because it appeared like an upper class suburb, similar to Springfield, Missouri, Carter Bryant’s hometown and the birthplace of the Bratz concept. Stiles High even looks a bit like Kickapoo High School, the school of the students that inspired Carter Bryant’s designs. Later, the Bratz TV series and the CGI movies placed them in Stilesville, California, which was okay, too. However, I liked that little detail in Starrin’ & Stylin‘.
Music
The music was pretty good. It’s quite nostalgic. “Summertime Girl” was actually played everywhere in children’s commercials back in the early 2000s. I remembered it being played on Nickelodeon’s Slime Time Live back in the day and even in the promotional commercials for the Kids’ Choice Awards. I think it played during a New Year’s segment, too. Anyway, the music had this cool beach party vibe that I dug. Most of it is iconic. I’d like to add that because DVDs had the BEST features, the Karaoke feature allowed viewers to sing along to these songs, making them more iconic.
Overview
Overall, the gem of this movie is that it didn’t need the fancy animation and world destination theme to be a good engaging story with a twist. The animation was really beautiful in my opinion, especially when capturing the neighborhood and the houses. And it was cool to see the commercial animation get full-length with voice actors.
But of course, the downside is the writers didn’t pay attention the groove of the Bratz universe, they stripped some characters down to one-dimensional characters, made all the characters of color unlikeable, and approached the first full-length film with simplistic storytelling, which didn’t really “Wow” the general crowd.
Coming in next is Super Babyz. This movie was released in 2007, shortly after the live action Bratz film as released in theaters. I believe I was in my final year of high school, which would be my Senior Year, according to USA schools.
Story
Written by John Doolittle, the story follows our favorite core four Bratz Babyz characters: Cloe, Yasmin, Jade, and Sasha. They are excited to go to a super hero convention at an amusement park, and are excited to meet their favorite super heroes from their favorite show. Of course, as little impressionable babies, they long for super powers, too, especially because they believe they won’t have to go to bed if they don’t want to nor be told what to do.
The next day, while at the amusement park, a bunch of potato aliens, who’d crash-landed the night before, gets one of his devices, the “Matter Exchanger”, lost among the toys at a gift shop. When the Bratz get to that shop, their Nana accidentally buys it for them.
Late that night, while they are sleep, Nana, who can’t see very well without her eyeglasses, takes the device, thinking it’s a remote, and accidentally presses the button on it, causing a shockwave through the house that ends up giving the Bratz Babyz powers. When they wake up the next morning, they have super abilities. They begin using these abilities to save the people and animals in their community, but eventually start tiring out.
The aliens reveal that their mission on Earth is to transform themselves into babies and take the Earth babies’ place, (mistakenly) believing babies are worshipped on the planet. Remembering the Babyz from the gift shop, they realize the Bratz Babyz have taken their Exchanger. They scheme a plot to steal back their Matter Exchanger, and replace the Babyz while the Babyz are out saving the world. The Babyz realize the aliens’ plans, and seek to get rid of them. However, their super powers get more in the way, and the Babyz get worn-out trying to use them.
They soon learn that they don’t need super powers. Their own abilities, as normal Babyz, could help them save the day. They are able to trick the aliens into turning themselves into rats, getting them kicked out of the house. In the end, the aliens are held as pets by a local worker.
When the movie was first released, I’m not going to lie, the movie was kind of cheesy and forgettable. But I expected it coming from a movie told from the perspective of toddlers or “Babyz”. I remember thinking to myself, “Uh, the planet is being invaded by vegetable aliens”? {LOL} Okay. It wasn’t until I got older that I appreciated it more, maybe because I’ve worked with 3-and 4-year-olds closer. What I found interesting about the Bratz girls’ relationship to the idea of “super heroes” was the fact that they idolized the heroes, much like many of the American kids of that time did during the early super hero Marvel craze. Many kids wanted super powers of their own. What I like about the movie now is it teaches the lesson that kids don’t need super powers to “save the day” or to make a difference. It also teaches them to appreciate being young while they still can. The Babyz wanted to be able to stay up all night, and thought super powers would give them the chance to do that (Though, now that I think about it, I don’t see how they came to that conclusion. Hey, they’re Babyz). But after getting the super powers, they realize how much work it is to have powers. They realize it comes with a certain set of responsibilities.
Eventually, the Babyz also began to realize their own favorite super heroes were fakes, breaking the illusion that a real hero has powers at all (or wears a cape). A real hero is someone willing to help others. That message was actually a pretty good one. So, I can say I appreciate the story a little more now that I’m older. To be honest, I even got used to the aliens. The inclusion of aliens isn’t weirder than genies and pixies. The Bratz world is just weird.
Characters
The movie stuck to the core four, which was for the best, especially since they were in the Super Babyz line. The best part about this movie is that they gave Jade a little more dimension than in even the movies with her as a teenager. Sure, we only learned she was a really messy toddler, but it was still a little something more than she’s just “a fashionista”. Because, again, they all are.
Nana was my favorite character overall, though. I’m still trying to figure out if she’s a relative of Cloe’s. In any case, with her lack of vision and three pairs of glasses strung around her neck to help her see, she reminds me of my own grandmother. Therefore, she was so funny to me.
Of course, the “potato alien” thing was kind of weird. But it was mildly entertaining. I don’t understand why they chose potatoes as enemies to be honest. Vegetables would have been perfect. What is more of a natural enemy to a toddler than vegetables, amiright?
Visuals
The visuals were passable. A staple of its time. Of course, the “alien potatoes” had a really strange look to them. I liked the detail, but when I was younger the potatoes looked so weird to me, especially as babies. It kind of creeped me out.
Aside from lower-budget CGI, at least the Babyz actually WORE the right super hero costumes from the actual Bratz line and all from the line were present in the movie. Of course, I’m still interested in the Super Babyz artwork promoted with the film that seems so different from the actual line. Where does that even fit in?
Overall, the visuals of this film didn’t do much to improve the overall quality of the movie, but it was decent enough.
Music
The songs on here were cute and pretty catchy. “Feel the Power” was my favorite for a minute. I loved “We Can Win”, too, as it felt like it had some soul to it.
Overview
Overall, the movie had a cute story with a good message, all of the characters from the line were in the movie, WEARING THE RIGHT outfits, and the music was good. However, the story was cheesy and forgettable, and some parts of the animation weren’t too appealing.
Next up is Bratz Babyz Save Christmas. Released in 2013, I was definitely an adult by the time it arrived, and aged 23. Basically, I was way older than the target demographic. At the time, I was just excited to get anything from Bratz, since there had been issues with the court cases and Bratz arriving back for their 10th Anniversary. This movie is close to my heart in that way, but there are other things I liked. Of course, there were also a few elements I didn’t like so much.
Story
Written by Karl Geurs, the story centers on Bratz Babyz Cloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin, staying with their Nana, excitedly awaiting the return of their parents from a winter vacation, just in time for Christmas. Unfortunately, their parents end up stuck in a winter storm, forcing the Babyz to spend Christmas Eve with Nana.
Being babies and all, they are upset, missing all of their parents and family traditions. Nana tries to do the traditions with them to make their Christmas special, but the Babyz feel like it’s not the same. Hoping to cheer them up, Nana takes them to see Santa at the local mall. The Babyz think it’s a good idea to visit Santa, hoping they can ask Santa to bring their parents home.
While there, three criminals, Max and his minions, Ralfie and Reggie, plot to dress up as a fake Santa and elves so they can pick the pockets of the parents in the shopping center. While Max is talking to his boss, who he apparently owes money to, the Bratz, mistaking him for Santa, misunderstand him when he gripes about “a lack of helpful elves”. They believe he’s canceling Christmas because he doesn’t have help. Later that night, they learn on the news that Santa is at a place nearby called The North Pole, about to deliver a large donation to Summer House, a home for orphans, and they decide to visit it.
Meanwhile, the three criminals hear about it, too, and they head to the place to steal the money. Their boss, Milly, disguised as a security guard, also heads there. The criminals arrive first. While plotting to steal the key to the car trunk full of money from the Head Elf, the Bratz Babyz arrive, putting a wrench in their plans. The Babyz offer to help the Head Elf. In order to distract them, Max sends his minions out to pretend they want to help, too.
Ralfie and Reggie are much more sentimental about Christmas, and with the Bratz, they prove to the Head Elf that they can be helpful elves to Santa. Eventually, Max is able to steal the key, and just as his boss Milly arrives. She has him and his minions lock the Bratz and the Head Elf in the stables, and they take the car with the money and drive off. After the Bratz Babyz find out Max was a fake Santa, and even learn that the place they’re in isn’t the real North Pole, they almost lose hope for this Christmas. The Head Elf tells them that he does work for the real Santa, and that the reindeer in the stables are Santa’s real reindeer.
Outside and feeling guilty, Ralfie and Reggie hop off the car their boss tries to drive away, and head back to The North Pole to release the Bratz and the Head Elf from the stables. Ralfie, Reggie, and the Babyz all head out on the reindeer to stop Max and Milly. They are able to cut them off and have them arrested. The police are able to drive the Bratz Babyz home before Nana even notices they’re gone.
What they didn’t know the whole time was that Nana had dressed herself up like Santa and was attempting to climb down the chimney so the Babyz wouldn’t lose hope in Christmas and Santa like she did growing up. While stuck in the chimney, Santa is able to meet her on the roof, surprising her and fulfilling her wish to meet him.
The story is really cute. What I love most about the story, and was pleasantly surprised to see, was the time-old story of appreciating what you have. I think many kids, and many adults, miss what the holidays are all about behind all the traditions and presents.
I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas, so I never desired presents nor understood the compulsory need to give expensive gifts or stress yourself out cooking and throwing parties. I hated parties in my house anyway because, let’s just say, it was really stressful in my home. I was thankful we didn’t celebrate it. I got rewarded when I did good in school or did my chores well, so I just didn’t expect my parents to give me things. I was taught that money doesn’t grow on trees, and that everything you get should be treasured, taken care of, and earned. What I liked about this movie was that the Bratz Babyz learned to appreciate making new traditions and seeing the silver lining instead of complaining about what they don’t have. They initially think it’s the worse Christmas because everything isn’t perfect, but they learn to be adaptable and make their own Christmas special.
I still felt bad for Nana because she was trying her hardest to make things good for the Babyz, and obviously they didn’t see how hard Christmas must have been for her. She seemed to live in an old house, all alone. I have seen a picture of a couple on one of her tables, so maybe she has children, but none of them were there on Christmas Eve. I do wish that the Babyz had seen how happy they could have made Nana, instead of thinking about how others could make them happy.
Still, I felt the message was good, as with all the Bratz Babyz movies.
That aside, I have to admit that some things didn’t make sense, as with many of the Bratz Babyz movies. When the Bratz Babyz, Ralfie, and Reggie were chasing the criminals, I don’t know how the Head Elf or the police were able to find them after they veered off of the road. I mean, sure, the Head Elf could have used some magic to notify the police, and prior to veering off of the road, the criminals almost ran into someone, so maybe that person called the police. And that’s aside from a police man chasing Milly all the way to The North Pole. Still, how could the police have gotten there so fast unless one of them had been tailing them all along? In any case, anything can be explained away with magic.
Some people have trashed this movie, and find it stupid. I actually liked it and think it’s cute, especially for a movie about dolls. The story seems like a toddler told it and handed it to the writers. But that’s fitting for a movie where toddlers are the central characters.
Characters
I think the four main Bratz girls were kind of drowned-out in the movie. They didn’t display as much individuality from one another. But at least none of them were made to be worse off than the other, as with other movies. They seemed more united in this movie.
However, the stand-out characters were the supporting ones, particularly Ralfie and Reggie, who missed out on a childhood of toys and games because they’d always been ill-behaved. They had a longing for their childhood back, giving them Peter Pan syndrome and a sense of nostalgia, kind of like myself, and their evolution in the story was most entertaining and interesting.
Visuals
Though the visuals weren’t miraculous by this time, and I’d gotten used to CGI by 2013, I thought that there were many details in the background that added to the story. For example, it’s clear that the Bratz Babyz lived in a warmer climate, so as they moved toward the “North Pole”, suddenly snow started to show up in the background. That was a pretty interesting detail to add, especially because a lot of kids in the west coast and warmer climates don’t get to see snow. It was a way the Bratz Babyz could experience a white Christmas, despite not always having that luxury.
Music
There wasn’t much music, which was kind of disappointing. My favorite song from the movie, “Feel the Magic”, only played in the credits. There were two other cheerful Bratz Christmas songs that I liked, too. If you want to get in a Bratz Christmas mood, these songs would be perfect. The best part about these songs is that they are only associated with this movie, so if you hear it anywhere else, you’d know where it came from.
Overview
Overall it was a pretty cute movie with a good message, despite the wacky things that happened in it and the average visuals.
Next up on the list is 2007’s Bratz Fashion Pixiez. I was 17 when this was released, and in my Senior Year, or last year, of high school in the USA. Dark Pixies, light pixies, gnomes, magic, and Bratz. What could be better? What a lot of ya’ll may not know about me is I love fantasy, and I don’t care what forms it comes in. I was always into Peter Pan, Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, and much more when I was growing up. I still love magic, mystery, and dark fantasies with hidden messages. Obviously, this movie came out around the height of Winx‘s popularity. Barbie: Fairytopia was also hugely popular at this time as well. This was the Bratz pack’s take on teen pixies, so I was all in.
Story
Written by Bart Jennett, who I believe wrote some episodes of the Bratz TV series, Fashion Pixiez centers on a family of pixies who have learned to hide in plain sight from humans while helping the planet. Breeana, the youngest in a family of pixies and a pixie or fairy princess, notices that her older sister Cymbelline has been acting angsty. One day, Breeana follows her sister as she sneaks out and shockingly notices her sister sprouts wings and flies off.
At school, the Bratz pack, Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha, and Jade, are friends with Cymbelline, who happens to be in their same grade, and they have also noticed her behavior has changed. She was put in charge of the upcoming Magnolia Ball, hosted by Breeana’s father, and always seemed to take school and responsibilities seriously. A new girl appears at the school, a gothic girl who dresses similarly to Breeana and Cymbelline, signifying some magical leanings. Dylan becomes smitten with this mysterious girl, despite Breeana’s attempts at trying to ask him to the dance.
Eventually, this mysterious girl is able to draw Dylan deep into the forest and manipulate him into being her slave. The next day, he begins acting strangely, so the Bratz confront Breeana about her sister’s behavior and Dylan’s, especially when they learn Dylan has asked Breeana to meet him alone. The Bratz girls follow Breeana to her house, and out of impatience, Cloe and Yasmin climb the gate in time to be confronted with angry gnomes and a flying girl who they discover is Cymbelline.
The next day, Cloe and Yasmin try to explain to Sasha and Jade what they saw, but they don’t believe them. They confront Breeana, and discover that Dylan, who’d been acting strangely, asked her to meet him in the forest. Yasmin and Cloe decide to go with her, finding the whole situation suspicious. When the girls enter the forest, they are ambushed. Yasmin and Cloe are captured by the dark fairy, who they learn is Lina, and her legion of dark fairies, with Breeana managing to escape.
The next day, Cloe and Yasmin begin acting strangely, having a bit of a ‘tude, being rude, and shirking their Magnolia ball responsibilities, just like Cymbelline. This time, Jade and Sasha believe something must be going on and they approach Breeana about it, who had been crying after Cloe and Yasmin were captured. Breeana tells them about her family history, of them being the family of pixies or fairies, and of their mother disappearing years ago, leaving them only with magic charm bracelets and a wand. She shares with them the world of the fairies through magical “glasses” or masks, and explains that her father is the fairy king and oversees the fairies who need to live in secret to help humans. She explains how her sister got caught up in wanting wings, which only sprout when you are 18 and only when you do a good deed. Cymbelline had wanted wings ahead of time, but their father refused. This led to her getting connected with the dark pixie Lina, who had been leading a revolt against the King for 10 years, and who offered Cymbelline wings of her own. Sasha, Jade, and Breeana come up with a plan to follow Cymbelline to a party she revealed she was going to deep in the woods.
When they arrive there, they find Cloe, Yasmin, and Dylan at a dark pixie club, a pixie circle, dancing under a spell. While trying to get Yasmin and Cloe out of their trance, they give their presence away. Lina tries to bring Breeana over to her side, needing Breeana’s power to get stronger, but Breeana uses her mother’s wand to put the club’s lights out with magic, which hurts the pixies. Lina uses her magic to cause the tree, where the party was being held, to collapse on top of the three girls, and she heads to the Magnolia Ball with her army of fairies to take down the fairy king.
Using their cell phone flashlights, they navigate through narrow openings until a group of gnomes discover them. The gnomes had been following them, so they were able to find them and help them. They brought with them the royal flying unicorns as well. Breeana, Sasha, and Jade fly through the sky to the Magnolia Ball, and they confront Lina. Breeana’s dad, the King of the Fairies, faces off against Lina and is able to break some of her slaves out of their spell. He’s weakened after this, and for a moment Lina has the upper hand. Breeana gathers her friends, her sister Cymbelline, who’d been broken from the spell, and they discover that their mother has been turned into the Magnolia tree in the center of the park after they sense her presence. They surround the tree, bring forth Cymbelline and Breeana’s mother, Dee, and together they overcome Lina and turn her into a tree. That’s the gist anyway.
The story is pretty involved. On it’s own, it’s a really engaging story. Lina is one cool, seductive, and sinister witch fairy, and on its own, I love it. The whole family dynamic, of a mother disappearing years ago due to a revolt lead by a dark pixie? It makes for a pretty cool story. Throughout, there was so much mystery surrounding the story, bringing me in and making me want to know more.
But that is only on the surface. If I look at this movie as being something that’s supposed to promote the Fashion Pixiez doll brand? MGA, what the heck were you thinking? First off, in the Bratz Fashion Pixiez line, Breeana, Lina, and Dee are sold as pretty, young, ingenue TEEN pixies. They weren’t given the adult body types that adult moms Polita and Portia were given later as to distinguish them from the teen dolls. Unfortunately, in the movie, the “adult” pixies look almost as young as teenagers in their true forms. Yet, they are supposed to be “adults”.
The PROBLEM IS there is no indication on the boxes that Lina and Dee are meant to even BE adults, and this causes confusion for kids during playtime. I’ve seen kids literally play out Dee with Cameron romantically, or even Lina with Dylan, not realizing THEY’RE GROWN WOMEN. Now, there have been other adult Bratz dolls, but the boxes clearly indicate that one is the “mom” doll and the other is a CHILD. Without that indication, all of the dolls in Fashion Pixiez are assumed to be TEENAGERS. Now, I can’t come down on a young-looking woman because everybody says I look like a 13 year old sometimes. Look at Ariana Grande? But still, if you’re going to have a young-looking adult sold, there should be some indication to the children playing with the dolls that’s what they are. Otherwise, problematic playtime could occur, such as the “adult” fairies ending up in fantasy weddings with the teenage Bratz Boyz. This occurs with kids who don’t fully understand the Fashion Pixiez movie or never watched it.
That also brings me to another problem. Lina was technically an adult flirting with a teenager and manipulating him, making him her slave in this movie, I’m just going to be real. That looks bad. I understand she looks like a young teenager forever, almost like the vampires in Twilight who have lived for hundreds of years, yet are in a relationship with some of the humans in the story or movie. But in the case of those movies and books, they kind of do a good job of making the Vampires feel like wandering ghosts who remain the same age forever, especially since most of the time, they never mingle with any adults or anyone older than 16. It’s almost like they are still teenagers in “vampire years”. Monster High uses this formula as well to give the illusion that they are still “teenagers”.
With Dee being MARRIED with a teenage daughter, we can’t use the illusion that they are “teenagers” in pixie years, like they did with Monster High’s Draculaura, who is 1600 years old. Dee got into an altercation with Lina TEN YEARS before the events of the movie, which also means Lina must be older, too. Therefore, we have to assume Lina was a full grown adult preying on Dylan and making him her “lover boy”.
And that wouldn’t be a problem, because it could be a cautionary tale encouraging young people not to talk to strange adults, to avoid thinking they are in love with you when they are preying on you, and whatnot. Yet, the problem is they were actually selling a DOLL based on this character. And then the character basically dies at the end of the movie, or is rather turned into a tree. So, why sell this doll?
Now, I’ve seen several people trying to theorize why the Fashion Pixiez doll looks so different from the movie version. Some people say they’re selling a version of the pixies that showcases them before they were adults, before Lina turned evil. I call bull. It’s pretty obvious what happened.
The dolls were designed first, and 1,001 bucks they were all designed to be teenagers. The writers and producers of the movie were handed a handful of the dolls to write a story around and they just wrote any old thing using the characters. They didn’t think, “Oh, these characters are going to potentially be sold to kids, being perceived as teenagers”. No. Some of the other toys included, like the Magic Mini Pixie Friends, didn’t even appear in the movie. That just says to me there is little to no connection between the Bratz Fashion Pixiez doll line and the Fashion Pixiez movie.
So while the story is very interesting, and one of the best in the Bratz franchise, it fails to capture the Bratz universe appropriately.
Characters
The primary Bratz pack characters’ personalities carried over from all the other movies, but I felt that Jade and Sasha were interpreted better in this movie. It was interesting that Cloe and Yasmin were the compassionate girls who impulsively jumped in to help Cymbelline, and that Sasha and Jade were the clear-headed girls who actually saved the day. There wasn’t as much emphasis on their individuality, but I felt it wasn’t needed.
I do still feel they leaned towards making Sasha more selfish than everyone else, especially when Jade suggested they go to the dark pixie party to save their friends, and Sasha was over there more worried about the Magnolia Ball. This is not to say Black characters have to be perfect, but I just feel like the darker-skinned characters are never structured as sweet or kind. If there’d been more Black representation, like with Felicia or Lydia making an appearance, then I’d probably be okay with Sasha being who she is. But with her being the only one representing darker-skinned girls, I wasn’t happy that she was written less likeable, especially considering how little she appeared in the lines after the TV series and how poorly Black characters are received in general.
But overall, the characters weren’t so difficult to handle in this movie.
Once again, though, they made Dylan a cornball. More interested in Lina, a grown woman, than Breeana, someone around his age. As soon as Dylan showed interest in Lina, I really felt that Breeana should not have tried all movie to ask him out. Once somebody shows you who they are and what they want, listen to them. At the end of the day, even if he were to get with Breeana, he’d be looking for the “Lina” in her. That’s what caught his attention. Honestly, I really felt bad for Breeana, because she was designed to appear so desperate for his attention, and he just didn’t see anything in her until Lina turned out to be bad. She was his second choice. Just saying.
Dee was an interesting addition as a mom and MARRIED character. Can’t believe that little thing popped out two children. And it just feels kind of weird to think the doll Dee is even married because in my mind all of the Bratz pack characters should be in open, friendly relationships with mild crushes, with an emphasis on independence. Ya’ll ruined that, too.
Overall, though, each character played their part in making the movie itself good. If I wasn’t seeing this as a Bratz movie, it’d be more enjoyable for me.
Visuals
The visuals are pretty mesmerizing, not gonna lie. All the magic, fairy dust, flapping wings, it was all pretty, especially for 2007. I felt like most of the story took place at night, and considering Lina was in town, the weather did seem mostly cloudy, like a shadow had clouded over the city. I think it was considered drab until Jade and Sasha put on the fairy glasses/masks and saw the world in color. It seemed like there was supposed to be a contrast. I thought that was artistically laced within the movie. It’s not revolutionary or anything, but I like when it’s done in movies.
And of course, I was very happy to see the prototype pixie outfits in the movie, since they couldn’t make it on the dolls. And they looked just as amazing as I imagined them to be. Still think the prototypes should have been released as special editions, but hey. Beggars can’t be choosers.
Music
The best part about this movie is that the songs from the Fashion Pixiez soundtrack actually appeared in the movie. I believe they heard the complaints from fans back in 2005 with Rock Angelz and started fixing it ever since with the other movies. “One of a Kind” and “Look Closer” are my favorite songs, so it was great to hear them in the movie. I love the modern pop feel, but they also had this mystical magical quality that really brought me into the pixie universe.
Overview
Overall, I loved the movie’s story. It was full of magic, mystery, excitement, thrill, family drama, and family togetherness. It was very fun and had its touching moments. The story drew me in, and I actually would like to know more about the Kingdom of the Fairies. I loved the visuals, and the music took me there.
But it was not a good adaptation of the actual doll line, and it made things problematic as a fan of the dolls. I wish Lina and Dee had been developed into the teenagers they were meant to be, or at least Lina wasn’t as problematic so I could enjoy having the Lina doll a little more.
Higher up on the list is Bratz Genie Magic. Released in 2006, earlier in the year before Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz, I was still a Sophomore, in my second year of high school, and almost 16 years old. Man, time flies.
Story
Written by Peggy Nicoll, the writer who wrote the “Bible” of the Bratz series and oversaw it, the story focuses on teen genie Katia. She escapes from her home, the ESA headquarters, and heads to Cafe Mambo where she meets the Bratz for the first time. Mesmerized by the Bratz girls’ music, she finds herself following them backstage. The Bratz girls find her intriguing and like her outfit, but a famous celebrity Matt Rock distracts them as he connects with Jade, who has shown interest in him all night. When a bouncer enters backstage looking for Katia, who didn’t pay to enter, she uses her mysterious magic to escape.
The next day, the Bratz girls meet back up with Katia, and discover that she’s being chased. They are willing to protect her, but then discover that she’s lived in a closed-off facility with no freedom, and had run away from home to live life like a normal teenager. Her father sent some goons to bring her back. Though the Bratz believe she should talk to her father, they agree to give her a real teen experience. They organize a sleep-over at Cloe’s house.
While there, Bratz Boyz Dylan and Bryce attempt to crash the party, which frightens Cloe, and she ends up wishing that they “would croak”. Katia misinterprets this to mean that Cloe wants them to turn into frogs, and so she grants it. At first, the other Bratz girls can’t believe what they’ve seen. Katia explains she’s a genie, granting one wish to each person until she’s 18, and expressing the limitations of not granting eternal life, more wishes, immense wealth, or something harmful. (Of course, there are loopholes through this; more on this later). After the Bratz Boyz wish for themselves back, the Bratz realize they have a new genie friend that can help them with their troubles. Cloe is trying to get an A in Geography, Sasha is trying to win a DJ contest, Jade is trying to score a date with Matt Rock, and Yasmin wants to have an animal shelter built to protect the animals from the crazy weather that’s been lately spiraling out of control all around the world, including in Stilesville. Because Cloe has already used her wish, Katia agrees that the girls can share three wishes. Anyone can make the wish at any time, and she won’t have to be present for it to come true. Unfortunately, this causes an argument between the girls as they try to decide whose wishes should be made.
In the midst of this, Bryce asks Katia on a date, and she agrees, making this is her first time going out with a boy.
The next day, while with the Bratz pack in the shopping center, Katia continues granting the wishes of people around her, gaining the Bratz pack’s admiration. They shop with her for some outfits similar to hers before she goes on her date with Bryce. She starts to feel light-headed suddenly, and shares with the girls that it happens when she’s away from her magic bottle for too long.
While out with Bryce, she catches the goons watching her and abruptly ends her date to find her new friends. As she gets closer to the Bratz pack, whose arguing is getting worse, they catch sight of their friend running from the goons. They try to help Katia, but she is caught. She reassures them that she’s going to talk to her father.
Back at the facility, a shady science lab located on a boat in the middle of a body of water, her father is angry with her for leaving, wearing makeup, and hanging with boys. He refuses to listen to her, causing her to be upset. At this facility, we learn that Katia is working with a man named Kon and his partner Zelle to “improve weather conditions” or “natural disasters”. She believes she’s helping, so does her father, who has decided to dedicate his life to science since he lost his own powers after his genie bottle was broken. But actually, Kon and Zelle are a part of an evil scientists’ association that is using Katia’s powers to create dangerous weather conditions around the world so they can extort money from the world’s governments. Eventually, Katia overhears their plans to harm her friends because they know of Katia’s powers. She escapes again to warn them and help them. Kon and Zelle, realizing she’s left to warn her friends, send their goons, and they reach Cloe and Yasmin before Katia can, kidnapping them. Katia manages to reach Bryce, Jade, and Sasha. Unfortunately, at this moment, while standing in pouring, flooding rain, Sasha makes a wish for an umbrella, leaving them all with only one wish left.
When they arrive at Cloe’s house where she and Yasmin were supposed to be, they realize they’d been kidnapped. Byron Powell, a famous friend of the Bratz pack and a secret agent, enters the broken-into home, and he begins to tell them more about Kon and Zelle. Katia realizes she’s been helping criminals. Byron asks Jade, Sasha, and Bryce to protect Katia, giving them gadgets for assistance, but Katia is adamant about going with them so she can protect her father.
Katia summons her magic carpet, splits it for her friends, and Bryce, Jade, Sasha, and Katia ride to the facility to find her father and their friends. When they arrive, hey discover her father has left his study, where he normally is, and is out looking for Katia. While they are searching for him, Zelle has given a truth serum to Cloe and Yasmin to find out what they know. She then prepares a mind sweep so they can become mindless minions like the goons. Fortunately, Katia, Bryce, Jade, and Sasha are able to arrive just in time to save their friends. Zelle flees the room.
As Kon enters to warn Zelle about the Bratz, he realizes she’s gone and the Bratz have the upper hand. He takes Katia’s bottle out of his jacket, and threatens to destroy it. Katia needs her bottle in tact in order to keep her powers, otherwise all of the wishes she’s ever made will be undone. The Bratz take this opportunity to wish for Katia’s father to be back safely in his study. What they don’t know is the study is rigged with a trap that could freeze him to death.
With all three of the Bratz wishes gone, they feel trapped. Bryce steps in quickly, wrapping the new gadget wire comb rope Byron gave him around Kon’s legs, crashing him to the floor. Katia is able to step forward and grab her own bottle. However, at this moment she realizes in order to save her father, she has to sacrifice her own powers. She smashes her bottle, causing every wish she ever made to be undone.
Kon is able to escape at this time, and he attempts to lock all of the Bratz pack in the room by breaking the entrance pad. Jade, Sasha, and Katia manage to escape, but Bryce, Cloe, and Yasmin get trapped on the other side. As Kon heads back to his office, Zelle knocks him out and handcuffs him to a pipe on the wall. She has been tired of his patronizing ways towards her, and turns on him, stealing all of the money.
As soon as the Bratz catch up with Kon, they realize that he has been over-powered by Zelle. The Bratz head to the roof to try and stop Zelle. Using their teamwork and clever ideas, they are able to take her laptop holding all of the money (Jade did her thing hoping onto that helicopter and sliding out of the moving helicopter, not knowing if she would make it. Chiiillld), and crash her helicopter, thanks to Katia and Jade distracting her with a split magic carpet and Sasha using an excavator truck of some sort. Though Zelle manages to get away, Kon is taken in by Byron and Katia. She and her father are reunited, and her father decides their family will live a normal life.
The story is very involved, and personally, as the third movie in the Bratz universe, it was a vast improvement from the first two fumbles. First off, the story actually focused on the Genie Magic line and the concept as a whole. Katia was used in majority of the movie. It had a clear purpose, and actually it was the first time a Bratz character was interpreted WITH A FAMILY, with parents. Though they didn’t focus on the families of the core four characters, it was a start. I also thought a story centered on a teen genie was so unique at the time. There’d been a lot of teen shows about witches like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and ones about teen fairies like Winx. But none about teen genies. I thought it was a unique spin on the typical genie story. To be honest, I would have liked a series centered on just Katia. She would make a good lead character because she has a family background and more adventures to tell with her genie powers (though she unfortunately loses it at the end of this movie, sort of).
Now, again, the story was missing the WHOLE Bratz Genie Magic landscape, just like most of all of the other movies. Meygan, who’d been a part of the main Genie Magic line, was missing from this movie, and that bothered me. I’d rather have her than Dylan or Bryce. I mean, I understand a Bratz boy was used so Katia could go on her first date like a quote “normal teenager” (clearly I wasn’t normal because I didn’t date in high school…). But there’s no excuse for them to ignore Meygan time and again. Regardless of her inclusion, the movie was pretty entertaining. It was exciting, magical, fashionable, and fun.
There was one big hole that I discovered after watching, though. Maybe it’s not so much a hole, but it definitely made this movie confusing at times. I found it interesting that though Katia can’t grant immense wealth, she was able to grant the wish of a passerby who said he wished “he had a dime for every time his girlfriend asked [if she was fat]”. Ultimately, couldn’t that make him immensely wealthy?
Also, though she can’t grant any wishes that harm others, Zelle and Kon were able to use her wishes FOR HARM by lying about the circumstances of the wish. Her powers didn’t pick up on the “ill intent”. So, I wondered if the regulations are controlled by Katia, all of those conditions being her own regulations. The movie never specified why these conditions existed or who established them, yet, unlike with most genie tales, where the genies are usually not in control of whether a wish is granted or not, it appeared as if Katia was in control of the wishes she could grant, and that the greater issue was that she was largely manipulated by people into making wishes happen. Her real issue seemed to be not knowing if people really liked her for who she really was but for what she could do for them. Just an observation of mine.
Characters
The main four Bratz girls were interpreted much like they had been in Rock Angelz, BUT I’m glad they brought out Jade’s more extreme tendencies. She didn’t show any reservations when she hopped on that helicopter to take down Zelle. And then, while fighting off Zelle in a moving helicopter, girl used her acrobatic skills on the goon and grabbed the laptop, almost falling to her DEATH before being caught by Katia on her flying magic carpet. If that isn’t “way extreme and totally far-out”, as Jade is often described, I don’t know what is.
The other Bratz characters maintained their dramatic (Cloe), tough (Sasha), and superior-acting (Yasmin) streaks, which weren’t bad because they all learned to set aside their negative qualities to help their friend Katia.
Bryce…was a surprise visit. Prior to the movie, it was assumed he was romantically involved with Meygan (though there has been evidence she’s been interested in Nevra, too). Based on the Secret-Blind date adverts, that was implied. So many people didn’t know how to feel about the Katia-Bryce interpretation. But as I’ve said, I’ve always seen the Bratz as independent creatures who have crushes, but just don’t settle down. So, it’s all good. We don’t all crush on just one person in our lifetime, and its especially fleeting when we’re teenagers. Bryce’s appearance was altered so he could have a pair of glasses.
Dylan was yet again a cornball.
Without Meygan, this female dynamic was incomplete.
Katia was fully developed in comparison to the other Bratz characters, having a backstory, a family, and a reason to have a passion for fashion. I think after Katia, though, the “parents-are-super-strict” thing was overused (Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz, Bratz live action movie). However, what parents wouldn’t be strict with the Bratz? They do seem quite rebellious, even to real parents.
The one pet peeve of mine regarding Katia was how the writers tried to weave her into a Moroccan character. Initially, it was pretty obvious Katia was meant to be Russian. Back in the 2000s, on the social security name database, Katia was a name most commonly used in Russia, hardly even used in the USA, and not at all in any Arabic or middle eastern countries. To give Katia more of a proper Arabian nights feeling, they developed an Arabic background for her.
It’s still possible her mother is Russian, as there hasn’t been much information on her mother. But we know that she was supposed to be Russian when she was released in the Bratz Holiday line in 2005, a year before this movie was even released. And again, she’s going through the same problem as Roxxi, messing up the timeline. They have her written in as a new girl when she’s been around at least a year before this movie was even released. I felt they should have already made her a friend to the pack instead.
Again, I don’t know any doll brands who introduce old characters as new ones in their media content. They usually introduce an all-new character to fulfill this role because they know the doll community won’t know the character and will be excited to get a new character and a new doll, increasing the purchase of the doll. Katia has had other dolls before Genie Magic, like Holiday and Hollywood Style Katia, and they were just as beautiful as Genie Magic a year later. So what’s the pull? If they were ever to make a movie based on the Holiday dolls or Hollywood Style, it would be weird for it to take place after the events of Genie Magic. Also, didn’t Katia have a Bratz Babyz doll, with illustrations showing her interacting with the other Bratz pack members? How is that possible if the Bratz just met her in Genie Magic? I mean, I guess she can have a doll without having ever met the Bratz, but it still leaves more questions than answers. They can do what they want, it just doesn’t make sense in the Bratz doll timeline. That’s all.
Visuals
The outfits were so beautiful in this movie, and it kind of lit up the scene. Throughout much of the movie, it was gloomy, dark, and rainy. The bejeweled outfits were so colorful, that they stood out against the backdrop. In fact, I felt that the CGI was actually pretty sharp for the time, again with the hair having fluid movement (instead of stiff movement, like you may have found in other doll movies).
However, I did notice that they put Yasmin’s doll outfit on Sasha, and Sasha’s doll outfit on Yasmin. Luckily, they look differently enough from one another that there’s no way we can confuse them in toy aisles (unlike with Jade and Cloe in Rock Angelz). But it is jarring when you’re looking to buy the doll and she’s wearing a totally different outfit.
Music
This was the first time the music from the album actually appeared in the movie. Granted, some of the music from the album was from the TV series. Fine. But it is important to have some of the soundtrack music appear in the movie, especially if the soundtrack is released first. It’s expected that it will set the tone for the movie.
Unfortunately, the music wasn’t full of the same storytelling that Rock Angelz‘s album had, but the sound of the songs set the scene with a captivating “genie-like” vibe.
Overview
Overall, the movie was magical, mystical, action-packed, and visually stunning. Some favorite music numbers were put in, showing the complaints about Rock Angelz were heard. It was cool to watch a movie about a teenage genie. I wish they could have inculcated the Bratz Genie Magic line a little more closely, with Meygan included, and considered Katia’s status or place in the Bratz pack, as well as her cultural background, by the time of the movie’s release. Other than that, it was a good movie.
Within the top 5 is is Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz. This was released September 2006, surprisingly the same year as Bratz Genie Magic. They were really working hard to promote Bratz this year. I was 16 years old, and just started my Junior Year, or third year, in high school, just to give context as to how old I was and how strong my memory was.
Story
Written by Janna King Kalichman, the story follows the Bratz as they are recruited by Byron Powell for his reality show America Rocks. The Bratz represent their self-titled magazine, visiting three cities to find the next teen fashion designer while competing against rival magazine Your Thing. Three girls were expected to be chosen by each magazine and taken to New York City to put on a fashion show. Between the two teams, one winner was expected to be chosen, with he winner earning diamond go-go boots and a contract with a famous designer.
As the Bratz pack and Your thing travel throughout the USA, they are met with “road trip drama”, such as ghost-story ghost hitchhikers coming to life, lonely diners with strange waitresses, and aliens. On the way, the Bratz pick up one contestant, named Mandy, who makes sure she’s the only one. She frames second contestant Tiffany, and secretly sabotages Your Thing‘s team.
When Your Thing retaliates, leading the Bratz off of the road, they meet Sharidan, who they discover is a shy but gifted designer, especially after they discover her studded design work (Forever Diamondz outfits). The Bratz recruit Sharidan to be their second contestant. Though her parents are initially apprehensive, they allow her to follow her dreams. Intimidated by the competition, Mandy steals Sharidan’s designs, the tour bus, and heads to New York City by herself to steal the show. Fortunately, Sharidan’s parents assist by offering their daughter their car. While headed after Mandy towards New York City, the Bratz discover that all of the road trip scares were concocted by Byron Powell for higher ratings on the reality show. Though they are disappointed in him, they continue on the show to make sure Sharidan’s dreams come true.
When they arrive at New York City, they’ve realized that Mandy has passed off Sharidan’s fashions as her own. They encourage Sharidan to use her design skills to make the studded designs they saw back on her farm. When Sharidan is complete, voila! They are shining like “real diamondz”. Shardian wins the competition.
Mandy isn’t having any of it. She knocks Byron out as he tries to bring the diamond shoes to Sharidan, and makes a dash for the New York City subway. The Bratz chase her, but she’s slick. Shardian is able to cut her off, but Mandy dangerously walks the tracks, with Sharidan inching in, almost putting them both in harms way. Eventually, the other Bratz are able to cut her off, with the police charging in with Byron Powell to arrest her.
The Bratz are awarded by the famous designer with a photoshoot wearing his new Ice champions (or On Ice) fashions, and they all live happily ever after.
And what became of Your Thing? Burdine went batshit crazy after being abducted by the fake aliens planted by Byron Powell, the Tweevils ran away her only contestant, Kristy, and they failed to impress anyone on the runway in the contestant’s place. The end.
Personally, I loved, loved, loved the story. Growing up, every summer, my family went on a road trip from one state to another, and we’ve had some adventures. One day, I would love to travel my large country, the USA, even more. There’s a lot to see here. Maybe one day when the situation is better. I personally love road trip movies and stories of spooky situations on the road. What was great about this movie is that it was full of adventure, suspense, shady western characters, action, and fashion! Though some moments were predictable, it never seemed like they tried to hide the intentions of most of the characters. We knew that everyone was shady, we just didn’t know when everything would blow up. The suspense made for a really fun movie.
The one thing I did question was the fact that these teenage girls were driving a truck or trailer, as it has been called in advertisements, supposedly being around “16 years old”. The Bratz are from California, and California law states any trailer that is over 20″ long or over 10,000 gross vehicle weight (or gvw) requires a CDL. In order to drive it across state lines, they have to be 21 years of age or older to receive the proper license. The Bratz are nowhere near that age. I mean, it’s just a slight hiccup, but hey, what’s the fun if you think of ALL the details, right? Overall, the idea of four teenagers taking a road trip by a rolling runway is just FUN, and it’s cool that there was a doll-sized version.
I was thinking possibly they faked their age or Byron pulled some strings to get them driving across state lines…Or maybe they were just breaking the law on live television and people overlooked it. I believe you just have to be 18 to drive within the state. Maybe the Bratz were reinterpreted as 18, and they just happened to drive across the state lines, stretching the law a bit. Just a bunch of outlaws they are.
Anyway, it didn’t take away my enjoyment of the movie.
Characters
I really liked the quirkiness and spontaneity of the characters. The core four Bratz pack members were the same as ususal, but they didn’t really focus on individualizing them. Dramatic Cloe was her same usual self the most, and it made for an entertaining time. The Tweevils and Burdine had me dying most of the movie, and when they threw in…What’s her name, Kristy? It was even more fun.
Mandy was something else. She was a delicious villain.
And of course, I was happy to see the development of Sharidan. Since Sharidan was first introduced in the Forever Diamondz line, they finally made the new doll the NEW girl, not some old-time doll that they suddenly tried to make a new part of the pack. And this was before Fashion Pixiez. Of course, I would have liked other characters from the line to appear, such as Vinessa, Katia, and Fianna, (though I kind of felt she appeared in the movie as Tiffany) It would have been nice to actually have them all there. Still, the girls from the main line were present, so it was all good.
The only thing I didn’t like was when the Bratz pack members tried to give Sharidan a “makeover”, deciding to “take off her glasses” and change her clothes. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, makeover scenes were very common, and they often ended with the “nerd” removing their glasses to appear more “attractive”. The Bratz should have helped Sharidan feel confident the way she was. I say this as someone who doesn’t let anyone take off her glasses. I rock my own style with them on. So, I felt a bit funny about that. But considering Sharidan really wanted to wear her own fashions and style, and didn’t seem too comfortable with her Plain Jane appearance, that’s fine.
Visuals
Okay, the dusty roads weren’t glamorous, but it really set the mood. Long stretches of road and totally isolated. That’s how it felt watching it. And it made it all the better when they reached lit-up New York City and walked down the runway in the diamond-studded outfits, contrasting the long road they’d overcome. It was refreshing to have the Bratz leave Stilesville again and have a totally different setting for most of the whole movie.
Also, I was so happy the Bratz pack were wearing THEIR OWN OUTFITS, and it was great to see the prototypes with the original words on the tops. Of course, there have been two other prototypes for the Forever Diamondz line before even that prototype, and honestly, they are better than what became the final copy.
Music
There wasn’t too much music, but the three main songs that appeared, “Just Having Some Fun”, “You’ve Got It”, and “Let Go”, were reprised versions of the songs on the album and I LOVED them. It was like a special edition that you can only get by buying the DVD, and then if you want the other version, you have to buy the album. It was a clever way to sell both, if you ask me. I was disappointed the song “Forever Diamondz” and “Oooh Fashion” wasn’t included in the movie, but hey, I’m not going to complain because at least some songs appeared in the movie. I liked the various feelings the music gave, whether on the road, on the catwalk, or ice skating.
Overview
Overall, it was a fun movie, full of suspense, thrill, action, adventure, and friendship. It’s definitely not realistic for teenagers to drive a trailer truck across the USA, but it’s all in good imaginary fun, so whatever. The movie was great, but I would’ve liked more from the Diamondz universe.
Coming in at number 4 is Pampered Petz. This movie was released in 2010, the same year the Bratz returned during their first reboot, after the court case fiasco, and the year I turned 20. I’m often really surprised that this movie is rated so low, but then again I’m not because many Bratz fans think Bratz is about the magazine and the Tweevils and whatnot. Whatever.
I felt this story had a lot of heart. It was very heartwarming, honestly.
Story
Written by Sindy McKay, the story follows the Bratz as they help one of their neighbors, an elderly woman, named Lola Reyes, save her home and her animals from her greedy neighbor, who wants her property for himself.
Early in the movie, Jade learns that her line of handmade accessories caught the attention of Mud Spa Springs and they invite her to open a booth there. They allow her to bring her friends.
Suddenly, the Bratz pack here ruckus outside and rush out to see what’s happening. They run into Jixi, the mischevious monkey, and two men named Mr. Joe Lacky and Mr. Grunian. The Bratz discover that the noise was occurring because the men were trying to get their “plans” back, which were stolen by the monkey. Being an animal lover, Yasmin manages to retrieve the plans from the monkey and hand it back to the men. Yasmin and Cloe then allow the monkey to lead them to his home.
When they arrive at the home, they realize it’s packed full of animals. The resident of the home is Lola Reyes, and she’s made it her mission to rescue animals from the cruelty of the local pound. Of course, she admits that she has too many animals, and has no family to help her with all of them. She reveals that she only has a daughter, but they have been estranged since she became a successful lawyer. Yasmin then agrees to come by and help the woman every week after the Bratz pack’s trip to the luxury spa.
As soon as the two girls leave, the two suspicious men spy on them and huddle together to scheme a plan.
The next day, as the Bratz head to the luxury spa, the Bratz pack receive a phone call from Lola. Someone has called the police on her, discovering she has more pets than Stilesville allows (which is three pets per household). The officers tell her she has only 72 hours to get rid of the pets or they will go back to the pound.
With this news, Yasmin and Cloe agree to stay behind and help Lola find her animal companions homes. Jade and Sasha continue on to the spa, since this is Jade’s one opportunity to sell her accessories.
When Jade and Sasha arrive at the luxurious spa, they get caught up in relaxing. In fact they get so caught up, they almost lose sight of time, causing Jade to be late to set up her booth. Scrambling out of the mud bath towards Jade’s booth, with the mud still on them, they fail to heed the warning from their attendant, who told them to shower right away after leaving, otherwise they’d stiffen. The booth ends up being a complete flop, with them fumbling to operate it while stiff and messy.
Back in Stilesville, Cloe and Yasmin decide to give the animals makeovers. While doing this, they discover an old box revealing Lola to be the famous musician Dolores Reyes. She shares her scrapbook with them, revealing that she and her husband travelled around with their daughter, Celia, at one time, but that life on the road was not good for her. They sent her to a boarding school, but their relationship had not been good sense.
After learning of Lola’s past, Yasmin and Cloe are more determined to help. They begin posting signs to get people adopt a pet. What they don’t know is Lola’s neighbor, Mr. Grunion and his “lackey” Joe Lackey, have been sabotaging their efforts, following them and pulling down fliers wherever they put them up and setting up signs convincing people that the girls are looking for stray animals (causing them to have more animals than they started with).
Soon, Lola’s landlord is contacted, and she is given an eviction notice since pets violate the terms of her lease. Yasmin and Cloe decide to visit Lola’s daughter to see if she will help, since she’s a lawyer. However, when they arrive, they are dismissed.
Jade and Sasha return from their trip, and all the Bratz pack fill each other in on what has happened. At this time, Jinxi steals other plans from Mr. Grunion, this time bringing it to the Bratz. They discover Mr. Grunion has been behind all of the issues surrounding the animals, and that he plans on getting Dolores kicked out of her house to he can buy the property to have a larger house built for himself.
Mr. Grunion takes it a step further and has the local news appear, attempting to paint the “famous musician” as a “lonely, eccentric, recluse” and “animal hoarder”. Sasha is able to turn the story around, announcing the Lola actually plans to throw a comeback benefit concert to find the animals homes.
Angry that his plans are foiled, he and his lackey (also his brother-in-law, we learn), kidnap the animals, along with stealing Jade’s remaining supply of her accessories, and hold them captive. While preparing for the show, Yasmin discovers they’re gone. The girls search everyone, with Cloe approaching Lola’s daughter one more time, bringing Lola’s special scrapbook, with her. Cloe is dismissed again, but this time, Cloe leaves the scrapbook in the office, which peaks Celia’s curiosity.
Meanwhile, Joe Lackey, the bumbling lackey, is tricked by the animals, and Jinxi is able to help the animals escape by taking the keys and opening the cages. When Mr. Grunion pulls up in his vehicle, the animals hijack it and dangerously drive it through the city, with Jinxi navigating.
The animals eventually reach the concert stage, wearing Jade’s accessories. The Bratz discover them, and they proceed to start the show.
After the show, at Lola’s house, the Bratz, Lola, and the remaining animals are celebrating when the police show up. Since Dolores was still over the city limit after 72 hours, Mr. Grunion orders them to remove her from the house, since the landlord agreed to sell it to him already.
At that moment, Celia arrives, expressing her feelings of being angry with her mother after feeling abandoned. Her mother apologizes and they patch things up. Celia then reveals that she’s bought the property from the landlord, and plans on turning it into an animal shelter. Mr. Grunion’s plans are foiled. The End.
I really loved this story. No, it didn’t have the romance, the action, or whatever. But it was a very moving story about animal cruelty and family togetherness. When I thought of Lola, I thought of all of my own elderly family members, and how they sometimes feel that us younger people are too young to spend time with them. I found it so moving that Lola rescued these animals from being killed in the pound, and I was moved by the compassion the Bratz pack showed. But of course, Yasmin and Cloe are the only ones designed to have a heart, which burns me up.
Regardless, I still loved the story.
Of course, it has unrealistic elements. Obviously, the monkey Jinxi was surprisingly advanced, even for a monkey. Unless he was trained, how could he drive like that all the way to the show? Those animals would’ve crashed, period. In any case, it was a comical little gag. Ultimately, I was happy the animals were able to save themselves and escape.
I think everyone can relate to this movie.
Characters
Once again, Sasha was interpreted as lacking the most compassion. She was designed to care more about shallow things than the others. I can’t stand that. But Sasha made up for it by standing beside Lola when they tried to make her look bad on live television. She used her brains to turn that around real quick. Cloe’s drama wasn’t as exaggerated in this movie, which was good. This was the perfect movie for Yasmin, the animal lover. Generally, I felt I received all of the characters really well. Their personalities didn’t interfere with the story, and they mostly all put others before themselves.
Visuals
When watching it again, I noticed how polished the animation was. The Bratz pack looked gorgeous in their outfits, and they wore several new outfits with some old pieces. Unfortunately, none of the outfits were really released on the dolls. The Pampered Petz line didn’t look anything like what was in the movie. Even some other Pampered Petz artwork that I found looked nothing like what’s in this movie. They look like prototypes or whatnot, but they didn’t look like what they were trying to promote on the dolls. Again, another movie fashion line that didn’t seem connected to the Bratz doll universe.
Music
I loved the Latin-themed music, and I think the sound makes this movie a stand-out when it comes to sound. No other movie has inculcated Latin music that heavily, which always surprised me, considering how popular the sound was and still is. Unfortunately, there were only three songs, but they made an impact and were quite catchy in my opinion. I loved “Let’s Celebrate”. It was suspenseful, mesmerizing, and upbeat. It was a great time.
Overview
Overall, the movie was heartwarming, interesting, and cute. The characters showed the most compassion towards the elderly Lola, making me like them a little more. Yes, the animals and villains were cheesy, but it made this a pretty fun experience. I would have liked the outfits from the Pampered Petz line to actually appear in the movie, though. I wouldn’t say this was the most amazing movie ever, but I didn’t have any problems with the movie either, as a Bratz fan.
Coming in 3rd place is Bratz Kidz Fairy Tales. This movie was released in 2008, when I was almost 18, getting ready to graduate from high school. Whoo!
A lot of people may be surprised that any Bratz fan ranks the Bratz Kidz movies higher than the movies with them as teens. Honestly, I would think that the other Bratz movies would be just as good. Unfortunately, I just found the Bratz Kidz to be more enjoyable for me. That’s sad, considering it’s really considered a spin-off.
Story
Written by Bart Jennett, who was back better than ever, Bratz Kidz Fairy Tales begins with the Bratz Kidz Cloe, Jade, Yasmin, and Sasha, trashing the fairy tale characters they are meant to portray in a school play: Rapunzel, Snow white, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella. Suddenly, a magical talking frog appears before them, telling them the keeper of Grimm’s fairy tale books have heard them insulting the stories and will make them learn to “walk a mile” in the princesses’ shoes. If they can learn from the error of their ways, the frog can turn back into a prince. He whisks them away inside the Bratz’s fairy tale book, and they find themselves in the fairy tale land. Throughout the story, the girls have to find a way to finish the characters’ stories. Alone, each of them discovers they are unsuccessful, and that it wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be to escape. These kids did ultimately find a way to change the stories, showing they are smart and clever and brave, but they realize that they wouldn’t have been as successful if it weren’t for each other. They learn to respect the fairy tale books. After they finish their stories and return, the frog turns back into a prince…kind of. He literally stays a frog, with a crown appearing on his head, then he disappears. Shortly after, their school principal, Mr. Grimm, appears, sounding just like the frog. We get an inkling that he was the real keeper of the tale. The Bratz Kidz put on a show expressing how much they “opened their eyes” and appreciate the stories now more than they did.
I LOVED this story, and not just because I love fairy tales, especially Grimm fairy tales. I love the message. So many fairy tale stories and Disney movies get ragged on for having princesses who are “damsels in distress” waiting for a man to save them instead of saving themselves. And while there should be conversations about how we portray women in the media, and there should be a balanced view of those portrayals, many times people fall into the trap of “victim blaming”, often missing the whole point of these stories and acting like they would have done better had they been in these girls’ situations. Yes, Cinderella waited to marry a prince so she could escape her situation. But it makes sense for the time period. Women didn’t have many options. She could just leave the house, but then where would she go? Who would take her in? There weren’t programs to help people back then. Women weren’t protected by the law. How would she eat and survive? People act like she could just get a job and become successful right away. In any case, without a support system or any kind of money, that’s difficult even in modern times for people, let alone in Cinderella’s time.
Sure, we can have inspiring stories of these time-old princesses saving themselves, but would that be realistic? And if most of us were in that situation, we would probably see our opportunity to leave the house the same way. Some people ARE in that situation RIGHT NOW.
I just love how the Bratz pack thought they were big and bad, and got their behinds handed back to them. Look, I have no problem with people using their brains and strengths to get the job done, but don’t look down on someone else who’s doing it differently from you because you don’t know the gag. You don’t know what people going through.
I love this story more now than ever because I really like Ever After High. If Bratz and Ever After High weren’t from such different worlds (MGA vs Mattel), it’s be nice to see the Grimms interact. It’s likely they’re all descendants of the original Grimm Brothers.
Another thing I love about this story is that each Bratz girl gets their time to shine. Each girl has her moment to showcase her talent, abilities, and personality, and that’s really the strength of both of the Bratz Kidz movies.
The true shame of this movie is that there was never a Bratz Kidz line based off of this. I believe they came out with a Bratz 4 Ever Kidz Fairy Tales line later, but it wasn’t based off of this movie in any way. I don’t even know why they made this movie. Maybe a line was in the works but was scrapped.
In any case, I would like to see the main teen Bratz in a fairy-tale themed line in the future, if they ever get back to the point they are targeting the dolls to a general audience so they can make play-lines again.
My only criticism of this movie’s story is I couldn’t tell whether the fairy tale land they landed in took place in the past or in a futuristic version of the fairy tale land. The frog said it took place in an old century, but they had cell phones to call fairy godmothers, magic mirrors dressed like modern-day reporters, and “street signs” on tree trunks. It seemed like Ever After High, a fairy tale world with a modern-ish twist in my opinion.
Characters
I really felt like each Bratz pack character showed themselves fully, their strengths and their weaknesses. Each character had to learn and grow, and I love evolutionary stories like this, ones with a lesson or a purpose. It was easy to follow and understand, and I think I took something away from it myself, from each of the characters’ stories. All of the movie-only characters are memorable, especially because they all played a unique role in these timeless classic stories. After watching it a few weeks ago, I think I’ve watched it at least three more times after.
Visuals
I would say a minor criticism of mine is the design of the fairy tale land in this tale. I imagined the fairy tale land to be much more vast and beautiful. I felt the shading was pretty dull in comparison to what I expected. I don’t know why. I also wanted to know why Stiles High was used as the Bratz Kidz’s elementary school, unless they go to a K-12 school, which is very rare in the USA. I saw some teenagers in the background, which confused me. I’m quite sure they didn’t all skip grades. Other than that, it was refreshing to see a different world outside of Stilesville once more, and each scene suited the story they were telling, as I imagined they would.
Music
There weren’t that many songs in the movie, which was pretty surprising. I wasn’t mad, because that would be pretty stereotypical for a fairy tale movie. The songs they did have were really catchy. “Round and Round” was catchy. “Are you Sure?” was like a slap in the face on those girls who thought it would be easy to be in someone else’s shoes. “I’ve Opened My Eyes” was a good musical number to express the girls’ feelings about being more open-minded than they were before. Personally, I felt the songs had purpose and meaning in the story. They weren’t just stuffed in there, and so the songs are a staple of the movie.
Overview
Overall, this was one of my favorite Bratz movies. I loved how the characters were portrayed, the overall message, and how easily the music taught the lessons as effectively as the story itself. I do wish they’d had an actual line for this and I wish there was more clarity as to whether this was a modern world or a time period piece. I also would have liked a little more vibrancy in the scenes, but I’m really pulling stuff out my behind because I know I liked this movie.
Coming in second place is Bratz Kidz Sleep-Over Adventure, released in 2007. I was 17 that year, and was starting my last year in high school. It was good this movie came out before Halloween because, man, it was spooky, in a good way.
Story
Written by Robert Schlueter, the story focuses on Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha, Jade, and Meygan, yes, Meygan, attending a slumber party held at Sasha’s new friend Ginger’s house. Ginger and her family just moved to an old house that was once abandoned and she’s never had a sleep-over before. Their sleep-over turns out to be fun; they eat and dance, and then time for spooky stories. At this point, Ginger becomes afraid, not just of the stories, but it seems she’s also afraid of something else…
Each Bratz girl begins telling her story: Cloe tells a story of a talking dog that tried to prevent her from getting her own puppy by ruining her life; Sasha tells a story of her being so in love with her own reflection that it came to life as her doppelganger and lived life like her; Meygan tells her story of being so upset that she couldn’t do what she wanted to do at the carnival, wishing everyone to go away, and finding at a magic show that makes her wish come true, only for her to be left alone in a haunting empty amusement park; Yasmin tells her story about selfishly buying an expensive bracelet instead of a birthday gift for her friend Dana only for it to haunt her, following her, not allowing her to take it off; and Jade tells the story of her thinking an amusement park ride isn’t scary and is for babies only to find her friends shape-shifting into monsters during the ride.
At the end of it all, the Bratz start hearing weird noises in the house. They ask Ginger to start her story, and she appears to be telling them about herself, when she runs out of the room scared. As the Bratz pack follow her, they realize that the house has gotten cold, dusty, and old. As they open the doors to the house, they realize that everything is falling apart and dusty, like no one lives there. Suddenly doors start closing on them, and they realize the house is haunted. As they run out of the house, they pass a “No Trespassing” sign that wasn’t there before. Apparently, Ginger was a ghost.
As the girls run for safety through the streets, they stop by different houses, running into the creatures from their stories. They run into the talking dog that drove Cloe crazy, they run into Sasha’s doppelganger, they run into the creepy clown from Meygan’s fun house horror, and they seem to run into Ginger at every house they try to run to. Eventually, they start shape-shifting into monsters. Not realizing it, they disappear into the strangeness of the night.
This movie was super creepy and honestly scary. When I first watched it, I was 17. It creeped me out. I still can’t watch this at night because it gives me chills. And it’s not that I believe it’s real, it’s just the principle. Like a doppelganger coming out of your mirror? Being alone at an amusement park? Being on a scary ride where your friends’ eyes start glowing and they turn into monsters? Having a charm bracelet follow you? And worst of all, having one of your new slumber party friends…reveal themselves to be a ghost? If that wasn’t a twist, I don’t know what is. This movie is one of the most unforgettable and sticks with me, so I feel that it was really well-written. It had a goal in mind, and that was to give you a light-hearted scare. For a children’s movie, it’s not too shabby.
I loved hearing each Bratz girl tell their own story. Again, the strength of the Bratz Kidz movies is their individual story-telling because each character is allowed a chance to take center stage and express themselves. Ultimately, we learn something about them.
Characters
That brings me into the character development. Finally, FINALLY, we got Meygan. In the actual Bratz Kidz Sleep-over line, Meygan was present, and I’m happy that they didn’t set her aside just because another red-headed girl was going to be the Bratz pack’s friend in this movie (Ginger). I was so happy to see her and to get a story line about her. She’s the fifth Bratz pack member, she should be in there sometimes, probably more than Cameron and Dylan. She was in the Bratz before they were. It made me sick that Roxxi, Katia, and Sharidan got more screen time than she did. What’s up with that? I’m glad they remembered her for this movie.
They even brought in Jade, though she wasn’t even in the sleep-over line. I’m glad they did.
I’m happy they finally interpreted Jade to be the daredevil she really is, too. She wasn’t afraid of a “baby ride”. Ya’ll know Jade is supposed to be the daredevil. Why does it take a kid movie to bring out Jade’s coolest streak? They made Sasha self-centered again, but at least this time, she learned her lesson.
I was also surprised they even brought over Dana into the mix. Dana was not in the primary Sleep-over Adventure line but she was in the Bratz Kidz Sleep-over Super Secret Manicure Bedroom, which is a detail I didn’t think anyone caught. It was too bad Phoebe didn’t make an appearance, though. She was in the Bratz Kidz Sleep-Over Super Secret Lotion-Making Bathroom playset, which seems connected to this line, too. But Rock Angelz ruined the possibility of her being included because apparently the Bratz didn’t meet Roxxi until “the benefit concert”, meaning they couldn’t have possibly met her twin sister, either…
All of those Bratz Kidz lines Phoebe was in apparently largely went ignored in the Bratz series and movie universe.
On a positive note, it was great to have Ginger, too. I heard she was trademarked by MGA Entertainment and was supposed to be released, too, but it never happened. Possibly because, prior to the release of Monster High, it was hard to get “ghoul toys” on the shelves. According to creative director Carter Bryant, back then, it was hard to get dark toys past the Walmart buyers. It was still nice to have her in the movie, though.
Visuals
I want to point out that almost all the outfits from the Sleep-Over Adventure line appeared, but they seemed to give Sasha one of Cloe’s second outfits. Not sure why, but I do believe Sasha’s outfits may have looked too much like the other pajamas AND I think they had to give Jade one to even include her in the movie, since she didn’t have an outfit in the line. Don’t know why they couldn’t change Cloe’s outfit instead because I would have preferred the pink on Sasha, but it’s all good though.
Music
The music set the mood, that’s for sure. “Get Ready” made the whole environment creepy, but “Step One” and “Bratz Kidz”, the theme song, lightened the mood. I think if they hadn’t lightened the mood, it would have ended up being too scary for kids. It was scary enough for a teenager like me.
Overview
Overall, I fully enjoyed this movie. I can watch it over and over, especially as I search for answers to the mysteries going on in this movie. I have concocted several theories about Ginger’s family, and piecing it together is a chore. But I’m ambitious. I liked that several key Bratz pack members finally got their moment to shine, and happy most of the outfits appeared in the film. Still wish the right girls were wearing the right outfits and that Phoebe could have appeared. However, it didn’t take away from the movie at all. At least one of the playset characters appeared.
Coming in 1st place is Bratz Desert Jewelz: Genie Magic 2. This was released around New Year’s Day, 2012. I was about to turn 22 years old! I can’t even believe it.
Some of you all might be a little shocked that I’ve ranked this higher than the original, especially because this movie came out way later. No, this movie didn’t include the rushed Bratz magazine or anything like that, but it had a lot more going for itself than all the movies on this list as far as I’m concerned.
Story
The movie opens telling the story about the legend of the genie in the Temple of Aziz. There’s a lamp in the middle of a cave, in the middle of a desert, in the heart of Morocco, and only those with a pure heart can obtain it. Once obtained, the person who has it gains three wishes from a genie. After all wishes are granted, the genie returns to the lamp another 2,000 years before the lamp is found and touched by the next pure heart.
The story follows the Bratz as they head off to Morocco. Jade is a finalist in a designer contest, and is set to put on a “Genie Magic” show at the Shallah Museum. Katia has come along for the ride, bringing her father’s old carpet that she thought lost its magic. She had been stretching the truth to her father, Sebastian, telling him she was putting it in the museum when really she was going to allow Jade to use it in her show. While they are getting ready, a lone bandit catches sight of the carpet as she breaks into a museum to steal a ring, preparing to take it off to a cave in the middle of the desert.
As soon as the show starts, the carpet is lifted into the air, the magic returning to it, and it lifts the Bratz girls on the runway into the air with it and off towards the desert. When the girls arrive, they learn that a magic ring was connected to the carpet, and a girl named Alia retrieved both for her master Charlat, an archeologist. Charlat pretends to be nice, offering to take the carpet back to the museum for them, pretending he didn’t make Alia steal the ring and carpet, but when seeing Katia virtuously wanting to return the carpet herself, he believes she is the “chosen one”, the pure person who can help him with his plan. He tricks Katia into standing on the carpet, and has the carpet fly off, nearly leaving his pupil Alia behind. The Bratz try to stop him by jumping onto the carpet, but they aren’t able to stay on the carpet long enough.
With the carpet gone, the remaining Bratz pack members end up stranded in the middle of the desert. Alia, Charlat, and Katia meet an old woman who only allows them to eat and drink from her Oasis if they trade her something. Eventually, the Bratz girls find themselves here as well. The Bratz try to contact Katia’s father, but he can barely hear them. The woman becomes intrigued with Cloe’s cell phone when it plays a ringtone, she provides two camels to them in exchange for it. She warns them of the dangers in the sand, including cracked sand that can break and have them plunging to their deaths.
Hearing only a bit on the phone, Katia’s father calls the museum, who tells him the ring of Aziz has been stolen. He immediately makes plans to fly to Morocco, fearing for his daughter’s life.
As Katia’s band travels across the desert, she is able to temporarily trick Charlat, asking to see the carpet’s ring on his finger, only to take it off and fling it into the desert, causing the carpet to crash. As Charlat scrambles to find the ring, Alia keeps an eye on Katia. With Alia watching her, Katia learns more about her. Alia is trying to use the ring and carpet to get to the Genie’s cave so she can wish to know about her parents, who disappeared years ago. She tells Katia the story of how her father found an old goblet and gave it to her. They were from a very poor family, but her father helped her learn to appreciate the gift. One day, a man tries to exchange bread for the goblet, but Alia refuses, causing her parents to argue the night before because she kept the goblet instead of getting food for her poor family. The next day, her parents disappear, and Alia blames herself. After learning this, Katia hesitates.
Eventually, Charlat finds the ring. When he catches Alia looking at a picture of her parents, he sneers and tosses it off into the desert as a distraction. He flies off in the carpet with Katia, leaving Alia alone in the desert. With Alia roaming the desert, she eventually runs into the Bratz girls. Though she’s apprehensive at first, she eventually agrees to travel with them. They all learn to see each other in a different light.
Eventually, they come to the cracked desert in the sand. As soon as they walk, it gives way, and most of the Bratz girls struggle to stay on level ground. Cloe and Yasmin end up on an isolated pillar in the middle of the desert, barely clinging on to life. While the Bratz are able to save Yasmin and barely Cloe, they aren’t able to save one of the camels. Cloe had grown fond of the camel, so this causes her grief. Alia begins to realize how caring the girls are in comparison to her master.
At this same time, Charlat and Katia arrive at the side of a mound. Charlat uses the ring as a key, and the carpet turns into a magical door, opening to reveal a cave on the side of the mound. Charlat had been forces Katia into the cave and tries to force her to pick up the magic lamp. Katia realizes that the magic lamp has her family name on it. When she demands to know of it, Charlat realizes she’s a descendant of the Genie Aziz. He sees even more opportunity.
At this time, the Bratz pack and Alia, barely getting passed the traps and pits in the cave, finally arrive. Charlat threatens to keep Katia’s friends trapped with Katia in the cave if she doesn’t lift the lamp. Katia agrees to do it, but she doesn’t hand the lamp to him. She begins tossing it to her friends, and eventually the lamp ends up in Alia’s hands. Tempted to know about her parents, instead of returning the lamp to the stand, she rubs it and makes her first wish. While in a taxi cab on his way to the airport, Katia’s father suddenly starts disappearing. He reappears as the Genie of Aziz. Katia is devastated because her father is now transparent, almost like a ghost. She begs Alia to stop. Alia proceeds with her wish.
Alia learns that her parents were killed, which makes her overcome with grief. Then, she asks the Genie (Katia’s father) to tell her who did it. Sebastian grants her wish, and she learns Charlat was responsible. Alia is pissed now, and she is ready to use her last wish to destroy Charlat, but seeing Katia beg to say good-bye to her father one last time, she is moved with compassion. Alia breaks and wishes to set Katia’s father free. Charlat gets mad with greed. He starts to try to remove the stand that held the lamp, causing the cave to come crumbling down. The Bratz girls, Alia, and Sebastian all escape. Alia takes one last look at her master before the door closes in on him, trapping him permanently.
Alia is happy that she escaped, but feels alone now. At this moment, Katia and Sebastian accept Alia as a part of their family. The old woman arrives with the lost camel, who seems to have been magical. She gives them words of wisdom about being trapped by greed before she walks off into the sunset. The Bratz pack finish their runway show, this time with Sebastian playing the sax and Alia sharing the runway stage with them.
This movie was amazing. It had me laughing, it had me crying, it had me on the edge of my seat, it had me moved, it had me angry. I felt so many emotions, and I can’t really say that about a lot of movies written for dolls. I think the American Girl movies were the only ones that did that for me.
The story was very involved, from the setting in Morocco, to the themes of abuse (I mean who does Charlat think he is having Alia call him master? What is he teaching her? And I didn’t accept how he was grabbing Katia by her wrists and pushing her around!), and then to moments of grief and lessons about continuing on after loss, to lessons on greed and learning to understand what is truly valuable…
This movie was just simply the best. It just wasn’t as empty-headed as some of the other Bratz movies, and yet I think it’s underrated because of when it came out and how it just didn’t have the same format as the Bratz TV series, which most fans apparently love. However, I felt this movie had more heart than all of the movies I’ve listed before it. Every time I watch this movie, I know I’m listening to a tale, a real tale. I already love magic and mystery. This was more than I bargained for.
I love that they didn’t try to throw in any random new Bratz pack characters, and that Katia was treated like a member of the pack, which she was, and should have always been.
This was just an overall enjoyable film. While some things may have been unrealistic or even random, it was meant to be. In some ways, it made the story better, in my honest opinion. Everything could be explained away with magic.
My only criticism is I was hoping to see more about Katia’s mother, but I’m sure if it went that route, it wouldn’t be about the Moroccan desert or her Genie lineage, if indeed she’s interpreted as Russian as her name suggests.
Characters
I love the way the characters were interpreted. Finally, finally, Sasha was not the selfish, arrogant diva she’d been in every other movie. When Alia was refusing to ride with the girls, and Jade was adamant about leaving her in the desert, Sasha stepped up and said “We can’t leave her here” and she let Alia ride with her. See, that’s the “layers” I was hoping to see for the only Black girl that represents all Black girls in the Bratz movies. All of the characters learned something about themselves and others, and they grew. Cloe grew to love camels, which she initially hated. Jade learned to accept Alia, and Alia learned what real love was from the Bratz. Katia learned more about her family and her Genie heritage. She could have learned more, but the mystery around her makes her more alluring, I think. I really think she brought out the “Flirty Turtle” in this movie because she played the role when trying to escape Charlat. Ain’t gonna lie. You have to do what you have to do to survive.
Visuals
As in Genie Magic, the outfits were stunning in this movie.
The backdrop of an ancient Moroccan city and desert just wrapped me in. I love destination themes, and you throw in some history AND MAGIC? I’m sold.
Unfortunately, the outfits weren’t anything like the actual dolls, and unfortunately the oufits in the movie were BETTER, way better, than the actual dolls’ outfits. The actual line didn’t even have Sasha in it. She was never released. I’m a bit mad about that. These outfits look more like some Desert Jewelz artwork in the Bratz books. They look more like prototypes. I wish they’d been released, and it seems like it would’ve been two outfits because they are wearing pretty dresses during the ending credits. The animation definitely got sharper, in my opinion, and I enjoyed watching it visually as well as for the story.
Music
I loved the music. Just like with Bratz Kidz Fairy Tales, the music was carefully placed to get the viewers to think. “Steal your Breath” was a song preparing us for a future adventure, “Think About It” was in there to teach us to re-warp our minds when seeing people, “Time to Celebrate” was a song celebrating the end. I loved the Arabic “Genie-Magic” sound the soundtrack had.
Overview
Overall, this is the best Bratz movie to me. It gave me so many emotions, it took me in, and I was left thinking about life, my own life, at the end of it. I wish the doll line was half as good as the movie at the time. I hope future movies are like this, but I doubt it. Somebody really just needs to bring all the Bratz universes together, because at this point there’s so many contradictions and inconsistencies, there really is no canon universe. But if any media produced for Bratz in the future can be half as thought-provoking as this movie is, while also capturing the fun and vibrant spirit of the movies that came before it, it would be perfect.
Generation Next 