The Film
Tinker Bell has more magical powers than you could ever imagine. For one thing, she has the amazing power to keep a franchise going strong, even when all of her films are denied a theatrical release. Even more impressive, she's managed to create a bigger empire than Peter Pan, her buddy in both film and literature.
The latest film in the Tinker Bell legacy is The Pirate Fairy. Well, it's more of a prequel, with viewers getting a sneak peek at Peter Pan's arch nemesis, James Hook (voiced by Thor's Tom Hiddleston), long before he lived up to his surname.
However, this film focuses more on Zarina (Mad Men's Christina Hendricks), a fairy dust keeper who becomes a little too enamored with her job. When given the chance, Zarina works her magic and comes up with several different types of pixie dust. The most powerful is the blue -- that's the good stuff. Soon, her tinkering gets her into trouble and Zarina flees Pixie Hollow to a place called Skull Rock, where naturally, one becomes a pirate. Now, her pixie powers are working for the bad guys. Can Tink (Mae Whitman) and her fairy friends convince Zarina that a pirate's life is really not for her?
This is a Disney flick, so most of you should be able to predict the outcome. However, the target audience for The Pirate Fairy will probably be on pins and needles. It's certainly not the best in the fairy franchise, but it's sweet, eye-catching and has plenty of famous voices, including Whitman, Hendricks and Hiddleston, as well as Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Megan Hilty and Jim Cummings (who currently voices Winnie the Pooh -- and Tigger, too!).
The Picture
Disney has packed this 1.78:1 image with pretty colors befitting of a magical fairy world. It kicks off with all sorts of bright greens, pinks, blues, and yellows, which maintain throughout the movie. Even the dark seas are nice to look at here. The computer animation isn't quite the quality of what you get theatrically, but it's certainly above average for a direct-to-video release. There are also some really nice details, especially in the grass, the ocean and even on our fairy friends.
The Sound
Even without a theatrical release, Disney hasn't skimped on the sound for The Pirate Fairy. Instead, this Blu-ray comes with a fun DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix. The dialogue is clear and centered throughout the entire film. The special effects are also plentiful, with growing vines, the ocean, the ship, and all of the pixie dust playing nicely through all of the speakers. Also worth noting is that this film has quite a bit of music, which is definitely a highlight as well.
The Extras
The highlight is definitely "The Making of 'The Frigate That Flies,'" mainly because both Tom Hiddleston and Carlos Ponce appear to talk about voicing their respective characters and performing that song in the film.
Final Thoughts
I'm certainly not this film's target audience, but the little girl inside of me still has a soft spot for Tinker Bell. I'm happy to see her alive, well and creating new adventures for a new audience. I didn't love The Pirate Fairy as much as Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings, but if you have a fan at home, the story is fun and the Blu-ray packs enough pixie dust to warrant a purchase.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
