Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings 2012

Everything is played fairly low-key, from the scale of the story to the this-is-clearly-not-Pixar quality animation. But the film wisely compliments its limitations instead of trying to go beyond them: the adventure doesn’t finger-wag with tired life lessons or deep themes, the jokes are simple but avoid stupidity, the world is small but buzzes with a colourful vibrancy that would hold anyone’s attention.

The addition of the winter world opens the creative palette up for a number of vivid side characters, from Tinker Bell’s snowy doppelganger Periwinkle to the dominant Lord Milori voiced by Timothy Dalton (not kidding). There’s an easy likeability to the new fairy designs, though Tink’s group of fairy BFFs lack distinction in comparison. Still, I was grateful not to have seen Sassy Ghetto Fairy or Bieber Bell in the mix.

I applaud Secret of the Wings for being more than an average straight-to-video film, though it doesn’t quite justify a cinematic release. It’s an inoffensive light fantasy adventure that will serve your daughter well, just not anyone else. Hide