| A girl can be anything she wants to be if she works hard, but in the days of the musketeers, certain professions were simply off-limits. Corinne (Barbie) is the daughter of a Musketeer and grew up wanting to become a musketeer and training hard to become an excellent swordsperson. When she sets off for Paris to join the musketeers, even her letter of introduction earns nothing but laughs from Captain Treville and the all-male musketeers. Forced to take a job as a castle housekeeper, Corinne soon discovers that her three fellow housekeepers have also dreamed and trained to become musketeers. Even more amazing is that the senior housekeeper had similar dreams as a child. This elder housekeeper provides further training for the three girls, encouraging them to strive to achieve what was an absolute impossibility for her generation. Just as the prince is about to become king, strange accidents begin to occur around the castle--accidents that the men musketeers seem unable to prevent. Could these unfortunate events provide an opportunity for Corinne and her friends to showcase their extraordinary swordsmanship? While the concept of Barbie as a sword-wielding musketeer may initially seem rather odd, the film is just as believable as other Barbie productions and it is refreshing to see Barbie in a somewhat less overtly-feminine role. Barbie's final quotation sums it all up nicely: "True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it's impossible." (Ages 3 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi |
