'Barney': Purple Reign By John Kelly Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, April 3, 1998

Barney makes his film debut. (PolyGram) Director: Steve Gomer Cast: George Hearn; Shirley Douglas; Trevor Morgan; Diana Rice; Kyla Pratt Running Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes General audience Compare prices for this movie Find local video stores More movie shopping Save money with NextCard Visa

The movie does have something that the TV show has never had: a plot. Abby (Diana Rice), her brother Cody (Trevor Morgan), and her friend Marcella (Kyla Pratt) are visiting Grandma and Director: Steve Gomer Cast: George Hearn; Shirley Douglas; Trevor Morgan; Diana Rice; Kyla Pratt Running Time: Very innocuous, with a few pratfalls and some cow poop. Grandpa's farm along with their baby brother, Fig (yes, Fig), while their parents enjoy a presumably Barney-free week. For Cody, it's banishment to a veritable Siberia: no cable, no Nintendo, nothing but farm animals, a porch glider and a big barn. Worse, Abby and Marcella have brought a plush Barney doll, its very presence a reminder that while Cody has one sneaker-clad foot in adulthood, the other is firmly planted in kiddiedom. He tries to leave, but they keep pulling him back.

Cody is the Doubting Thomas who will eventually be transformed. When he complains that Barney is kid stuff, his sister answers back with, "What's wrong with just being a kid, Cody? What's wrong with that?" (a remark one supposes is aimed at adult critics as well).

"I'm as real as your imagination," says Barney when he finally materializes. A large, wondrous multicolored egg then comes crashing to Earth from space and the story takes off: The egg keeps on rollin' and the trio of children and their aubergine friend must go in search of it, getting help from a wacky bird-watcher, enlivening a snooty restaurant, visiting a circus, and stumbling upon the not entirely helpful B.J. and Baby Bop. The egg must be returned to the barn before it hatches, for it contains . . .well, let's just say it contains another licensing tie-in your kid will want.

My problem with Barney has always been that for a show supposedly all about imagination, it isn't that imaginative. Kids are capable of much more interesting flights of fancy than those illustrated on the morning TV program. "Let's imagine," Barney says, and then he proceeds to plank out the most pedestrian of fantasies.

The movie is a little more imaginative, though. The barn looks incredibly inviting and the young stars are good dancers and able gymnasts, Ping-Ponging off of rafters and hay chutes. The songs are better than the seemingly computer-generated tunes heard on TV (though, since they're not based on campfire chestnuts, they're somehow not as memorable). There are gentle pratfalls that had kids in the preview audience cackling. When invited, they sang along unashamedly to not just the "I love you, you love me" staple, but "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and other songs. When Baby Bop asked for help finding her blanket, the mass of toddler flesh shouted out instructions on where to look. It's a reminder that children connect with movies in ways you wouldn't see adults doing with, say, "L.A. Confidential."

There are some dull spots, however. Cody is right to think that his grandparents (George Hearn and Shirley Douglas) are boring. There was an amazing moment two-thirds of the way through the film when every kid in the audience spontaneously started fidgeting, proof perhaps that Barney doesn't work in increments longer than 30 minutes. Worse, director Steve Gomer and screenwriter Stephen White are a little stingy with the purple dinosaur. Yes, he's in the majority of the scenes, but he's not filling the frame in every scene. And so I'm left with a criticism I never thought I'd have: There should have been more Barney.

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