You’re not supposed to know that fairies are in charge of the seasons changing and the designs on the wings of butterflies, but sometimes a lucky soul may just get the chance to know. Tinker Bell And The Great Fairy Rescue is the latest addition to the Disney Fairy franchise and this, humans are invited to know. Do you hear the sound of a tinkling bell? Well, I guess the fairies are personally inviting you. My full review is after the jump.
“Imagine if you heard a real fairy… You saw a real fairy… You caught a real fairy… Now, when two worlds meet, every friend, every rival, must unite all their talents to bring Tinker Bell back home!”
While on a getaway in England, Tinker Bell (Mae Whitman) and high-and-mighty Vidia (Pamela Adlon) find themselves caught up in a bad situation when Vidia gets Tinker Bell accidentally trapped in a fairy house made by a human named Lizzy Griffiths (Lauren Mote). Lizzy and Tinker Bell soon befriend each other, the first fairy for Lizzy and the first human for Tink. But Lizzy’s father, Dr. Griffiths (Michael Sheen), likes to collect butterflies for scientific purposes, so danger looms in the air while Tink stays in the house. His walls are adorned with specimens. It’s downright horrific, especially for a captured butterfly being held in a jar.
Meanwhile, Vidia does her best to get back to the fairies’ summer camp to rally the crew, all of Tinker Bell’s fairy friends: Rosetta (Kristen Chenoweth), Silvermist (Lucy Liu), Iridessa (Raven-Symone), Fawn (Angela Bartys), Bobble (Rob Paulsen) and Clank (Jeff Bennett). They put their minds and bravery together to fight a downpour of rain and dangerous obstacles on a journey to rescue Tinker Bell. But soon the rescue of Tinker Bell turns into a rescue far more dangerous than anyone had thought.
The third Tinker Bell film, following 2009’s Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure and 2008’s Tinker Bell, doesn’t disappoint. The quality in this movie is most impressive. It’s admirable to see that Disney didn’t get cheap when developing a movie for the straight-to-home video market. The film was actually released theatrically in the United Kingdom. The animation is smart, the colors are vibrant, the voice cast is convincing. The backgrounds are just so wonderful to watch. All the characters have something to offer, even the beloved and potentially deadly family cat, Mr. Twitches. I think Mr. Twitches was such an awesome character that he should’ve have been given even more time on the screen. The animation surpasses the imagination of what many can fathom when thinking about straight-to-home video releases.
This beautiful telling is perfectly suited to grip young viewers and the young at heart. Anyone can identify with Lizzy and her love of fairies, and her desire for her father's understanding and attention. You’ll learn about honesty and friendship, as even Vidia fesses up and tells the truth about her actions. There are comedic and adventurous moments that should appeal to all members of the family. This release doesn’t take the time with an exposition that introduces the entire world of fairies. It sticks to the new story this film is all about and gets right down to it. The movie is split between the human and fairy worlds, but it intertwines them seamlessly. It also comfortably splits the happenings of Lizzy and Tink with the expedition of the other fairies as they mount a great fairy rescue.
Tinker Bell’s latest release comes in both a DVD and Blu-ray edition, but the Blu-ray is a combo pack that also holds the DVD, so you’re better off with that. The high-definition picture and production value for a straight-to-home video release like this is undeniably picturesque. The Blu-ray gives the ability to connect to the community of the Disney BD-Live Network if you have your player connected to the internet. The special features that are on the disc itself aren’t robust, but they’re respectable. You have an exclusive sneak peak at Tangled coming to theaters this November. The Deleted Scenes section of Tinker Bell And The Great Fairy Rescue will sprinkle some leftover pieces of pixie dust magic for audiences as it expands on the final movie. Most of the time deleted scenes aren’t worth watching all that much, but I actually found that to be the complete opposite with this. They aren’t finished or rendered sequences, but they do expand the story. For example, one alternative opening sequence was to have the father as a young boy meeting a fairy for the first time. You’ll also find a music video of “How To Believe,” performed by Bridget Mendler. It’s a decently charming music video and like any music video, it’s not long, but all kids know that repetition isn’t bad when it comes to something you like, though adults may cringe after the tenth playing.
The Fairy Field Guide Builder is a little bit of trivia fun and Design A Fairy House talks a bit about the contest that PixieHollow.com held not long ago. This Blu-ray release took the time to mention the winner, so I thought I’d do the same. The winner was 15-year-old Zoe Periale from Frazier Park, California. Her fairy house design was chosen by director Brad Raymond and producer Helen Kalafatic. She was then invited by Disney to help make her design a reality. The final product was revealed during a special ceremony in the Pixie Hollow Garden at Epcot’s International Flower And Garden Festival. Zoe and her family were in attendance to celebrate the momentous occasion. Congratulations to Zoe and congratulations to Tinker Bell for another fine tale documented for home video.
*Tinkling bell* Translation: So rest assured that no fairies were harmed in the making of Tinker Bell And The Great Fairy Rescue on Disney Blu-ray and DVD.
Film Rating: 3.5/5
Special Features: 3/5