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Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Combo Pack) (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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Joined
Apr 24, 2006
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Charlotte, NC
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Matt Hough

 

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Blu-ray Combo Pack)
Directed by Bradley Raymond

Studio: Disney
Year: 2010
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1   1080p   AVC codec
Running Time: 77 minutes
Rating: G
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English; Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Spanish
Subtitles: SDH, French, Spanish

Region: A
MSRP:  $ 39.99
Release Date: September 21, 2010

Review Date: September 19, 2010

 

 

The Film

3/5

 

 

After the high-flying adventure in Tinker Bell’s last made-for-home video film, her third outing which puts her in contact with humans for the first time is a bit less exciting. Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is more about matters of the heart rather than an exciting escapade that the title of the movie might suggest. Yes, there is a rescue to be sure, a couple in fact, but those rescue sequences are relegated to the film’s last twenty minutes. Before then, we’re much more focused on the human-fairy connection and the magic that faith, trust, and pixie dust can produce.

 

Tinker Bell (Mae Whitman) is excited about her first summer at Fairy Camp, but almost immediately, she gets drawn toward lonely English child Lizzy (Lauren Mote) whose passionate belief in fairies has led her to build a fairy cottage that Tink gets inadvertently trapped in. Haughty fairy Vidia (Pamela Adlon) sees this happen and races back to the campsite to form a rescue party made up of Tink’s friends Rosetta (Kristin Chenoweth), Silvermist (Lucy Liu), Iridessa (Raven-Symoné), and the bungling Clank (Jeff Bennett) and Bobble (Rob Paulsen). While they have their own problems navigating to Tink’s location through a thunderstorm and a countryside with cars and cats to contend with, Tink is getting to know the unhappy Lizzy who’s thrilled to finally meet a real fairy but upset knowing her scientist father (Michael Sheen) isn’t going to approve her using her spare time on ethereal pursuits instead of natural science investigations.

 

While the story is sweet and will likely delight little girls and boys younger than ten, the adventure aspects which made the last film Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure such a welcome venture for the whole family are much less at the fore here and to the film’s detriment. Tink’s educating the young Lizzy on all things fairy makes for a rather bland first half of the film. The action does pick up once Tink’s flying lessons begin and the gang finally arrives at the house, and then it’s a mad dash to London to prevent Dr. Bennett from revealing the truth about fairies. With that having transpired, adults especially will have some déjà vu moments as the family flies over London which will take many right back to those magisterial sequences from Peter Pan, and while the sequences here can’t match that either in the drawing or with the music, it’s still the very best thing about this third Tinker Bell adventure. There are also two simple but effective ballads sung on the soundtrack: “Summer’s Just Begun” over the main titles and “How to Believe” as Lizzy learns to fly.

 

Mae Whitman once again excels as Tink in her third assignment as the plucky fairy, and her friends played by Kristin Chenoweth, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, and Pamela Adlon have much more to do in this third entry than in the second one. Contrarily, Jesse McCartney as Tink’s close friend Terrence who was a major attraction of the first two films only shows up in very brief scenes at the beginning and the end this time out. Lauren Mote makes a most believable friendless child as Lizzy, and Michael Sheen convinces easily as a professor who’s more in tune with his insects than his own daughter.

 

 

Video Quality

5/5

 

The film is framed at 1.78:1 and is presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. As with the last film, the animation is excellent for a made-for-home video project with rapturous color, superb sharpness, and impressive detail for animation work done on a tighter budget than a theatrical feature. There is no banding or blooming color to be seen, and the saturated hues are rich and impressive. The film has been divided into 12 chapters.

 

 

Audio Quality

4/5

 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix makes music the primary focus of the surround experience with the songs and background score beautifully recorded and filtered through the soundstage with great effectiveness. Elsewhere, however, the budgetary limitations of the sound design come through as surround envelopment isn’t all it could have been with the rainstorm, the sounds of the countryside, and the noises of London late in the film.

 

 

Special Features

2.5/5

 

All of the bonus features are presented in 1080p.

 

There are five deleted scenes in various stages of animation which are each introduced by the director and producer of the movie explaining why each was omitted in the final edit. Together they run 14 ¾ minutes, but they can be watched individually.

 

“How to Believe” music video is performed by Bridgit Mendler who also sings the song on the soundtrack of the movie. It runs 3 minutes.

 

Fairy Field Guide Builder is a family game where multiple choice trivia questions about fairies and the story of the movie are offered for play.

 

“Design a Fairy House” is a brief featurette showing a contest that was held at Disney World for children to build their own fairy house for Tinker Bell. The winner and her winning house are shown in this 2-minute vignette.

 

There is an extended sneak peek of Tangled which runs for 3 ¾ minutes.

 

The Blu-ray is BD-Live enhanced, but while the network was active, there didn’t seem to be any specific content related to this film.

 

There are also trailers for Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia/Fantasia 2000, Toy Story 3, Santa Paws, Oceans, The Crimson Wing, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, Prince of Persia, and A Christmas Carol.

 

The second disc in the set is a DVD copy of the movie.

 

 

In Conclusion

3/5 (not an average)

 

Not quite as good as the previous entry in this series, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue will still undoubtedly delight its target audience looking for more fairy comedy and adventure. The Blu-ray release is a beautiful looking and sounding package with the bonus of the DVD copy of the movie included.

 

 

Matt Hough

Charlotte, NC

 

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
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Location
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Real Name
Matt Hough
Here is the Virtual Roundtable interview with the producer and director of Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue that was held several months ago:

 

 

TINKER BELL AND THE GREAT FAIRY RESCUE on Disney Blu-ray & DVD

VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE Q&A WITH HELEN KALAFATIC & BRADLEY RAYMOND

[COLOR= #a6a6a6]THURSDAY, JUNE 10TH, 2010 – 10 AM & 4:30 PM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME US[/COLOR]

 

 

Q: Helen: How long did it take to create the new Tinker Bell movie - and roughly how many people were involved in the production?

A: Helen Kalafatic - It took several years. Development started when the first Tinker Bell film wrapped and it took us about two years to produce this film.

 

Q: Bradley: What was the most difficult scene to animate and why was it so difficult?

A: Bradley Raymond - The scene where Lizzy learns Tinker Bell's name was a very important scene in the movie. I wanted to capture the first moment that they start their friendship. This was the longest scene in the movie and was very dependent upon both character's performances. Although it was the most difficult scene to accomplish, it is the one I am most proud of.

 

Q: Bradley: What story were you trying to tell with this film?

A: Bradley Raymond - I wanted to tell a story of the first time that Tinker Bell meets a human. That human is a little girl named Lizzy. She believes in Fairies and when she meets Tinker Bell, she gets to learn about the world of Pixie Hollow. For the audience, they get to see how Tinker Bell learns to communicate with humans. We get to see Lizzy discover that Tinker Bell speaks in jingling bells and how to communicate with her. The most magical moment for me is when Tinker Bell teaches Lizzy how to fly.

 

Q: Helen: What were some of the visual and story inspirations for the Great Fairy Rescue?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Our art director, Fred Warter and his team were inspired by the period and the place. Fred spent time in London and the English countryside and we did extensive research throughout production to make sure that the world we were creating was accurate and magical at the same time.

 

Q: Bradley: What was your toughest challenge in creating this movie?

A: Bradley Raymond - I wanted to tell a magical story of a little girl that we can relate to who meets Tinker Bell and discovers that magic truly does exist. The biggest challenge was to create the feeling of magic for the audience. I believe that the best way to do this is to first create a believable world that the audience can identify with. Then when the magical moments happen, the audience could feel as though it were happening to them as well.

 

Q: Helen: Before you worked on Tinker Bell, you`ve already worked on TV cartoons like SpongeBob. In what way is there a difference in your current work and does it influence your work?

A: Helen Kalafatic - SpongeBob was produced in traditional 2-D animation and on a completely different schedule for television. Tinker Bell is a CG animated film that requires a completely different schedule and creative process and resources.

 

 

Q: Bradley: In previous interviews with Disney directors, they've mentioned giving their work to Pixar's infamous Brain Trust for evaluation. Did you consult with the Brain Trust for this film, and who was instrumental in offering advice?

A: Bradley Raymond - The key person that I relied on for advice was none other than the Executive Producer, John Lasseter. He has been such a huge inspiration to me during the making of this movie. His influence is everywhere throughout this film. John brought the Pixar philosophy to our division and we have loved how it has benefited our projects immensely.

 

Q: Helen: What's different about this film as compared to previous Tinker Bell movies?

A: Helen Kalafatic - This is Tinker Bell's second time on the Mainland, it's her first visit to Fairy Camp and she's interacting with and befriending a human. The fairy world and human world intersect resulting in a true wish fulfillment story - Lizzy finally meets a fairy!

 

Q: Bradley: Where did the idea for this film come from?

A: Bradley Raymond - I absolutely loved Disney's Peter Pan when I was growing up. I really connected to the idea of Wendy getting to meet Peter and Tink. The idea of an ordinary character that the audience could relate to, getting to experience a magical world was my inspiration for this story.

 

Q: Helen: Which Fairy do you like most?

A: Helen Kalafatic - All of the fairies are special so it's hard to say which one I like the most because I love them all. If I had to choose one then I would say I feel the most nostalgic affection for Tinker Bell. It's an honor to be working on a film with such an iconic and beloved Disney character.

 

Q: Helen: Where did the idea for this film come from?

A: Helen Kalafatic - The idea came from Brad's desire to want to tell the story of Tinker Bell meeting a human prior to Peter Pan. Meeting Lizzy is the first time Tink's ever met a human.

 

Q: Bradley: When I chatted with Klay Hall and Sean Lurie about Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, they said that each film is set in a particular season. Is that still true with this film, and how did it influence the movies story and look?

A: Bradley Raymond - That is true. This movie takes place in the countryside of England during the summer. This created a beautiful and lush backdrop to the story of Tinker Bell meeting a human for the first time.

 

Q: Bradley Raymond: You also wrote the story for both Tinker Bell movies. Is it easier and more fun to create a movie coming from your own ideas?

A: Bradley Raymond - To me a movie is the visual telling of a story. I think that the story is the most important part of a movie. So when the director is deeply connected to the story it is easier and more fun to direct.

 

Q: Bradley: Which Fairy do you like most?

A: Bradley Raymond - My favorite fairy is Tinker Bell. She has been one of my favorite Disney characters of all time. And it has been a huge honor and privilege to tell more stories about her. She is such a great character to work with!

 

 

Q: Bradley: What’s the biggest challenge that Tinker Bell faces in the new movie?

A: Bradley Raymond - Tinker Bell is a Tinker Fairy who can fix anything. But in this movie, Tinker Bell decides to repair Lizzy and her Father's relationship. For Tinkers, fixing tangible things like wagon carts or acorn kettles is easy. This was her biggest challenge because a relationship is intangible.

 

Q: Bradley: How and why did you choose Michael Sheen as the voice of Mr. Griffiths?

A: Bradley Raymond - When I was listening for the voice of Dr. Griffiths, Michael Sheen was suggested to me by our head of casting, Jason Henkel. When I heard Michael's voice, I heard a sense of warmth in his voice. He gives Lizzy's father a likeability that is so crucial to the story. You want to root for Lizzy and her father to come together. Then when I had the pleasure to work with him, I got to witness his true greatness. Michael has the uncanny ability to act with his voice. That is so important in animation, because the actor's voice is what inspires the animator's performance on the screen.

 

Q: Bradley Raymond: Does it help in any way that you have a history in animation, now that you direct animated movies?

A: Bradley Raymond - Having experience working in animation is a huge help when directing animated movies. It gives the director the understanding of what to ask for from their team. Working in computer generated animation was new to me when directing the first Tinker Bell movie. So I relied heavily on my amazing team to guide me throughout the production.

 

Q: Helen Kalafatic: Can you tell us some funny moments during production?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Getting stuck in London for two weeks under a volcanic ash cloud.

 

Q: Helen: What way does this adventure change the relationship between Tinker Bell, Vidia and the other fairies?

A: Helen Kalafatic - As the movie evolves we see the team work and friendship between the fairies get stronger and each fairy uses their talent to contribute to the rescue. Vidia develops a deeper connection to the other fairies and she plays a key role in saving Tink.

 

Q: Bradley: We all know (because of different “Making Of” features) how directors work, but can you tell us how you direct an animated movie?

A: Bradley Raymond - My method is to be the keeper of the most important part of a movie, the story. Every aspect of the process has to support it so when I work with each department, my job is to allow that aspect of the movie to help tell the story.

 

Q: Helen: The Tinker Bell franchise has brought in a nice selection of top actors like Anjelica Huston, Lucy Lui, and now Michael Sheen to the series. How's working with them and how did they get into the production?

A: Helen Kalafatic - All of the actors have been wonderful and they are really comfortable with Brad's direction and sense of humor. Michael Sheen is an amazing actor, he is such a sweet person and I was impressed with how down to earth he is. He told us how his daughter watched Tinker Bell and she even used to make fairy houses herself. I can't think of anyone else who could have played Dr. Griffiths with such authenticity.

 

 

Q: Bradley: What has Mae Whitman brought to Tinker Bell over the course of these, now three, films?

A: Bradley Raymond - Mae Whitman has truly become Tinker Bell. Her voice has brought a whole new level to Tinker Bell's character and at the same time kept the integrity of the character that we already know and love. And the amazing part is that Mae does this all with her voice!

 

Q: Helen: Can we expect Joel McNeely to score The Great Fairy Rescue?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Joel McNeely did score Tinker Bell and The Great Fairy Rescue and what a gorgeous score it is!

 

Q: Bradley: Is it more difficult to work with animated characters rather than with "real" people?

A: Bradley Raymond - You work so closely with so many talented people throughout an animated production, that I would guess it is the same. You work with the amazing voice talent, and then you work with the great animators to inspire the character's performance.

 

Q: Bradley: When you were young: did you believe in magic like flying fairies, dwarfs and ghosts?

A: Bradley Raymond - Yes I did. And I still do! In fact the belief in fairies is a prerequisite to work on these films!

 

Q: Helen: You've been producing other projects so different from this one. Was it difficult for you to get involved into the fairies world?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Tinker Bell was part of my childhood and I couldn't get enough of Disney movies when I was a child so jumping into the fairy world wasn't difficult at all.

 

Q: Bradley: Can you describe how Tinker Bell developed over the 3 movies?

A: Bradley Raymond - These films take place before Disney's original Peter Pan. I look at Tinker Bell as a fully developed fairy in Peter Pan. So when Jeff Howard and I started thinking about the story for the first Tinker Bell film, we decided to tell her origin story. So our whole team has set out to give Tinker Bell a character arc that spans across multiple movies. So the audience gets to see how Tinker Bell got to be the amazing character that we've all grown to love.

 

Q: Helen: What is your favorite scene in the movie?

A: Helen Kalafatic - I have lots of favorites. I appreciate the most difficult scenes because of the work that went into them from all of the departments. We have some complex scenes that we are very proud of.

 

Q: Bradley: Could you talk about your influences and how they may have made their way into the film?

A: Bradley Raymond - The biggest influence on me during this movie would have to be John Lasseter. I was a big fan of his movies before I had the pleasure of working with him. And now that I have worked with John for over three years, I realize just how amazing he truly is. Working with him has been like going back to film school!

 

 

Q: Bradley: In what way does this adventure change the relation between Tinker Bell, Vidia and the other fairies?

A: Bradley Raymond - Tinker Bell and Vidia were anything other than friends after the first movie. And Vidia was a willing outsider to the other fairies. She prefers to be alone. But when she witnesses Tinker Bell being captured by a human, Vidia shows Tinker Bell and the other fairies her true colors and leads the Great Fairy Rescue!

 

Q: Bradley: What is your favorite message and your favorite scene from this upcoming release?

A: Bradley Raymond - The message in this film is to learn to believe in the ones you love. Vidia learns to believe in Tink, Tink learns to believe in Vidia and most importantly, Dr. Griffiths learns to believe in his daughter Lizzy with a whole lot of help from Tinker Bell!

 

Q: Helen: The two prior films have grossed nearly $50mil, so is there any pressure when tackling now a third film in a popular franchise?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Our goal was to make a great film and our focus never swayed from that. The pressure that we put on ourselves was to make the best movie we could, it's a luxury to be able to work in a studio with that mindset.

 

Q: Bradley: There was a small indication in the first film of connecting to the original Disney Peter Pan film, will this be developed any more in this or the fourth film?

A: Bradley Raymond - We were all influenced by the great characters and world that Walt Disney brought us in Peter Pan. In this movie, the audience gets to see the first interaction Tinker Bell has with a human. We get to see Lizzy learn that Tinker Bell jingles when she talks to humans and we see Tinker Bell sprinkle pixie dust on Lizzy and help a human fly for the first time! We even get to hear the famous words, "Think happy thoughts" for the first time!

 

Q: Bradley: Which was the most difficult character for you and the animation department and why?

A: Bradley Raymond - In order for the audience to feel the same magic that Lizzy feels in the movie, Lizzy needs to be a believable character that we all can relate to. Our animation supervisor, Sheryl Sackett and I worked closely with the animators to make sure that Lizzy's acting performance was as real as possible. So when the magical moments happened to her the audience feels that it is happening to them as well.

 

Q: Bradley: What films did you look to for the flying sequences? I'm seeing some WALL-E in there.

A: Bradley Raymond - Walt Disney's Peter Pan was our biggest influence for the flying sequences in this movie. I wanted to capture the same exhilarating feeling that I felt when I first saw Wendy and her brothers fly in the original Peter Pan.

 

Q: Bradley: Could you talk about the details and backgrounds in this film? What's involved, for example, in producing Lizzy's sketch book, which looks photographically real?

A: Bradley Raymond - I wanted this world to feel as believable as possible, so that the audience feels like they are seeing something magical in a world that they can relate to. So I turned to our amazing Art Director, Fred Warter, to create a realistic look that still had the feel of Peter Pan. And when you see the final film everybody will be as amazed as I was when I saw what he and our team came up with!

 

Q: Helen: In the previous Fairies films, we saw some places of Neverland. In this new film, the audience will see any new places of Fairies town?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Tinker Bell and the other fairies visit Fairy Camp on the mainland for the first time and the audience gets to go along with them! During the summer season the fairies go there and you'll see in the opening of this film how special Fairy Camp is and how the fairies work together to prepare for the season - like painting butterfly wings, gathering berries, and weaving Queen Anne's Lace.

 

Q: Bradley: Coming from your work on traditional animated films like Lion King 1/2 and Pocahontas II, and after some issues behind-the-scenes on the first film-a CG production, how have you adapted to the new technology of CG over cell animation?

A: Bradley Raymond - The biggest difference between traditional animation and computer generated animation is the use of the camera. In this movie, I was able to move the camera into scenes more like live action. This supported the subconscious element that I wanted to capture. When you watch the scenes in Lizzy's room, I wanted to give the feeling that the audience was standing in the room with Tink and Lizzy. So a moving camera was essential. Our head cameraman, John Bermudes and his amazing team took that idea and created such a magical use of camera.

 

Q: Helen: How did your experience with “Harold and the Purple Crayon” and with “Sponge Bob” influence your participation in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Being able to draw from past experience is valuable in any line of work. Working with large creative teams in a studio environment has been especially helpful. Animation production is very collaborative and this film was the most collaborative production I've worked on.

 

Q: Helen: I'm noticing a lot more emphasis on action in this and The Lost Treasure.

Are you trying to make this series more appealing to boys or do the girls want some action too?

A: Helen Kalafatic - The rescue was key to the story we wanted to tell and naturally with a rescue comes action and adventure. We wanted all children to go on this exciting journey with our characters.

 

Q: Helen: With a few more films already planned, what has been the key to the success of the Tinker Bell franchise for the films and Disney?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Our creative team's ability to tell great stories and to create multi-faceted and believable characters. The ability to stay true to the world in which the characters live have been important in the success of Tinker Bell.

 

Q: Bradley: How does it happen, that Tinker Bell and Lizzy become friends?

A: Bradley Raymond - Tinker Bell and Lizzy become friends while they create a field journal about fairies. Imagine having a real fairy helping you with facts about Pixie Hollow as you create a book of fairies! That is one of many wish fulfillments in this story that I hope the audience will enjoy.

 

Q: Helen: How hard was it to lure Michael Sheen in and what did he bring to the character of Dr. Griffiths?

A: Helen Kalafatic - We have a great casting department here which is headed up by Jason Henkel. He really did a fantastic job in bringing Michael Sheen (and the rest of the cast) onto the film.

 

Q: Bradley: You have quite an amazing voice cast in this film from Mae Whitman as the title character to Lucy Liu and Kristen Chenoweth. Talk a bit about the process of assembling this amazing cast.

A: Bradley Raymond - We do have an amazing cast! One of the most important aspects in voice acting for animation is the ability to act with your voice. In live action or television a lot of the amazing actors in our franchise use their face and eyes to show an emotion. Why we are so lucky is our cast can get those same emotions across with just their voices as well. Once you have that from your cast, then you can sit back and hear how they create their characters.

 

Q: Helen: Where did the idea of setting this film in the English countryside come from?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Brad wanted to set the film in the English countryside near London to keep the feeling of Peter Pan with us.

 

Q: Bradley: Are human faces the most difficult to render via computer animation? They seem to have improved over the years. Can you talk about what you did to try to capture the look and texture of flesh?

A: Bradley Raymond - One of the reasons humans are so challenging to create in animation is that we know how humans behave. So the first goal was to keep Lizzy and her father's acting subtle. If we made them too cartoony, we wouldn't believe the world they live in and all the magic would be lost. I am very proud of how all of our animators accomplished this goal.

 

Q: Helen: What can Tinker Bell learn from Lizzy and what can Lizzy learn from Tinker Bell?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Both Tinker Bell and Lizzy learn about each other's worlds. There is a beautiful sequence in the film where Lizzy learns all about the fairy world and it has a great song to accompany it called "How to Believe" written by Adam Iscove. That sequence probably answers this question better than I can.

 

Q: Bradley: Lizzy's crayon drawings look photographically real. Could you talk about the process of drawing them?

A: Bradley Raymond - When one of our amazing artists with years of experience tries to draw like a nine year old, the audience notices. That would make our world less believable. So we decided to have real nine year old girls do Lizzy's drawings for her. Not only is this extremely cute, but you begin to believe this world is real. Ultimately this makes Lizzy's first meeting with Tinker Bell more magical.

 

Q: Bradley & Helen: The animation, in my opinion, has been better with each film, and this film looks no different. Was there a conscious effort to improve or was it a by-product of the team getting comfortable with the technology, time frame, and each other?

A: Helen Kalafatic - We are always striving for the highest quality so yes, there is always a conscious effort to improve. The individuals working on this film have an innate desire to be the best at their craft, the whole crew has a great sense of pride and it shows on the screen.

A: Bradley Raymond - I agree that the animation is great in these movies. We have an amazing team of artists who are so dedicated. Our animation supervisor, Sheryl Sackett, works so closely with our animation team and she deserves a huge part of the credit.

 

Q: Helen: What if Tinker Bell meets a teenager of our days, what do you think she could say to her?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Tinker Bell would jingle.

 

Q: Bradley: What were your goals in directing this film? What "stars" did you use to steer by, so to speak?

A: Bradley Raymond - Walt Disney's Peter Pan was such a huge influence on this whole world. So I wanted to try and capture the same magic that I felt when I first saw Peter Pan in this film. Just seeing Lizzy flying for the first time brought me back to that magical world!

 

Q: Bradley: Much of the preview we have seen takes place in a room. Where beyond that does this new TINKERBELL adventure take us?

A: Bradley Raymond - When Tinker Bell's friends find that Tink is stuck in the 'human house,' they band together to rescue her. Because fairies can't fly in the rain, we get to see our gang build a boat and travel on the ground to get to Tink. This gives us a great sense of scale as our fairies face all kinds of peril. They face an oncoming car, a waterfall and even a cranky cat!


Q: Helen: What is your favorite animated movie of all time?

A: Helen Kalafatic - My first lunchbox was Pinocchio, I loved that film but Cinderella was another favorite and I was so excited to be the Fairy Godmother in my first grade play. I was around three when my parents started taking me to Radio City to see the Disney films and those memories are with me forever. My favorite contemporary animated films are Ratatouille, Up and Iron Giant. Wow, that was a long answer!

 

Q: Bradley: How does this movie fit into the Tinker bell saga? Do you guys consider the other movies before developing a new story?

A: Bradley Raymond - When we start to develop a Tinker Bell movie, we present our ideas to our story trust. As a group we look at the whole franchise and world we created for ideas and try to keep each film consistent.

 

Q: Helen: Do you feel a special responsibility since you're dealing with such an iconic character in Tinker Bell?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Absolutely! It's such an honor to be working on a Tinker Bell film. We all feel a responsibility because Tinker Bell is an integral part of the Disney history and tradition and her character is part of so many people's childhoods.

 

Q: Bradley: Why was Mae Whitman chosen to play Tinker Bell?

A: Bradley Raymond - When we heard Mae Whitman's voice for the first time we all looked at each other and said, "She's Tinker Bell!" We wanted someone who could capture the multi-faceted personality of Tinker Bell - all with her voice! She brings Tink's feistiness and playfulness and sweetness to life. Mae is an amazing talent!

 

Q: Bradley: What is it about Tinker Bell that makes her so appealing to such a mass audience considering her character was never the focal point of a film until the first Tinker Bell film?

A: Bradley Raymond - Even though she is from a far away magical world, Tinker Bell is one of the most relatable characters in movie history. She has so many facets to her personality. One of the most memorable moments in Walt Disney's Peter Pan is when Tinker Bell gets angry and turns red. There are so many stories that could be told with such a multi-dimensional character.

 

Q: Bradley: Why was the decision taken to base the four sequels around the seasons?

A: Bradley Raymond - In the world of Pixie Hollow, fairies bring the magic of nature to our world. They arrive and change the seasons. This is such a magical and relatable idea that it seemed natural to set each movie around the backdrop of the four seasons.

 

Q: Bradley: There have been subtle references to the Peter Pan story in the first two Tinker Bell films. Has the overall franchise arc been mapped out so there's a logical lead-in from the end of this series to the original film, or is it being taken one installment at a time?

A: Bradley Raymond - In each Tinker Bell movie there has been many references to Walt Disney's Peter Pan. In the first movie, young Wendy has a small cameo. in the second movie, we fly by Skull Rock and in the latest movie we get to hear the phrase, "think happy thoughts" for the first time.

 

Q: Helen: What were your goals in producing this film? What "stars" did you use to steer by, so to speak?

A: Helen Kalafatic - My goals changed as we moved along and new goals were set but overall I wanted the crew and director to be in an environment where they felt comfortable and happy so that we could all feel at ease with each other. When people feel good about their work they can expand and support each other.

 

Q: Helen: Was it an active decision to give Tinker Bell's friends more screen time in this installment after the emphasis was more squarely on Tink herself in the second one?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Screen time wasn't something that was an active choice. Brad wanted to create a story that was believable and entertaining and timeless. All of the fairies play an important role in the rescue and the amount of screen time just worked out naturally.

 

Q: Helen, any final thoughts?

A: Helen Kalafatic - Thank you for this opportunity! You had some great questions. I loved working on this film. We had such a wonderful crew, the leads, artists and production management people were amazing. To have John Lasseter as our executive producer was incredible and having Brad as our director was a gift.

 

Q: Bradley, any final thoughts?

A: Bradley Raymond - Thank you all so much for your amazing questions. Helen and I have had such a great time chatting about our experience working on this movie. This has been such a dream come true for me. I love stories about ordinary people who experience extraordinary events. This story is exactly that. I had so much fun telling this story! Hopefully the audience will have as much fun watching the movie as Helen and I had making it! Thanks again everybody.
 

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