Tinker Bell has strangely become a supporting character in her own movie franchise proven yet again in Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast. She’s around, of course, to offer help and advice, but the focus falls on another of her friends, and the adventure she experiences with the other residents of Pixie Hollow might be a bit predictable for adults, but it’s loaded with good intentions and a surprising amount of emotion. Be ready to shed a few tears as the film draws to its bittersweet conclusion.
Studio: Disney
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Rating: G
Run Time: 1 Hr. 16 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy
keep case in a slipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: ABC
Release Date: 03/03/2015
MSRP: $36.99
The Production Rating: 3.5/5
The story by director Steve Loter and Tom Rogers (who collaborated on the screenplay with Robert Schooley, Mark McCorkle, and Kate Kondell) offers younger viewers some wonderful life lessons about not making snap judgments based on first impressions and the power of a loving heart on someone who’s confused or defiant, and the film’s relatively brief running time manages to offer several montages featuring Fawn helping Gruff with his inbred task of erecting four towers as well as an exciting hawk attack sequence in the early going and the climactic apocalypse where for a brief second it seems as if tragedy has occurred. While the Disneytoons animation won’t be giving Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, or DreamWorks artists any sleepless nights, it’s colorful and detailed enough to satisfy undiscriminating viewers and squeezes every ounce of emotion out of its ending which shows the immense power of a loving bond while three pop tunes (“Float,” “Strange Sights,” and the evocative “1,000”) written expressly for the film provide expressive musical commentary to enhance the visuals.
Ginnifer Goodwin does a fine job as the spunky Fawn endearing herself to the viewer with her good intentions and sometimes reckless decision making. Rosario Dawson as the earnest, determined warrior scout Nyx provides a great foil for Goodwin’s sprightlier Fawn, and the two have some excellent face-to-face encounters as they battle for control of the Neverbeast’s future. Mae Whitman is as effective as always as Tinker Bell even with less to do in this outing, and her friends played again by Lucy Liu, Raven-Symone, Megan Hilty, and Pamela Adlon are all enjoyable in their limited capacities this time out. Anjelica Huston continues majestically as Queen Clarion. Thomas Lennon as the nerdy Hollow librarian and Jeff Corwin as an animal expert (as he is in real life) are quite effective and could have done with more expanded scenes.
Starry Night
Hairbrained Legend
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 4.5/5
Special Features Rating: 3/5
My Dad’s Movie: The True Story of the Neverbeast (5:14, HD): we meet Calista Loter, daughter of the film’s director, who takes us on a tour of the Santa Barbara Zoo attempting to get younger viewers to lose their fear of big animals.
Jeff Corwin’s Guide to Real-World Neverbeasts (3:30, HD): the animal expert introduces us to a succession of some of the world’s strangest looking creatures.
Deleted Scenes (11:07, HD): four scenes, each preceded by introduction by director Steve Loter, may be watched together or separately.
Tink’n About Animals (1:51, HD): Fawn sings a song about the different ways animal groups are classified.
Gruff Love (1:51, HD): actually is a promotional trailer for the film.
Promo Trailers (HD): Inside Out, Aladdin.
DVD/Digital Copy: disc and code sheet enclosed in the case.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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