The character of Tinker Bell has been around since the early 1900s. But it wasn’t until the 1950s when Tinker Bell became a recognized character in the world of animation. That was when Disney got their hands on the character and made her Peter Pan’s sidekick in Peter Pan. Fairies were hardly considered a great marketing property for kids, though. That was until Hasbro expanded on their successful line of Barbie dolls to include fairies. That finally woke up Disney in 2008, and as a result they released the direct-to-DVD, Tinker Bell, which basically began to tell the story of how Tinker Bell became the Tinker Bell we all know. Disney knew they had a hit on their hands, even before it became a hit. That’s why they gave the green light for four Tinker Bell sequels to be released on DVD over the next four years. The first sequel just released on DVD is Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.
In this D-to-V sequel, the fairies of Pixie Hollow begin to prepare for autumn and the many seasonal celebrations that come with it. Tinker Bell (Mae Whitman) is given the task of a crucial role in one of her civilization’s most treasured rituals: the restoration of a rare and magical gem called a moonstone. But when Tink’s tinkering goes wrong and the moonstone is shattered thanks to a fight she has with Terence (Jesse McCartney), an overbearing love interest who tends to annoy Tink, she decides to venture into the outlands of Neverland to find a mysterious mirror. The mirror is rumored to grant wishes. So Tinker Bell hopes she can find this mirror and fix things before her people realize their sacred ceremony, as well as the tree that supplies their precious pixie dust, is in grave danger. Along the way she gets the help of Blaze (Bob Bergen), a loyal firefly, as they attempt to save Pixie Hollow.
First, the plot is very far-fetched, but you are dealing with fairies in Neverland so you really have to learn to suspend disbelief here. Thankfully, though, there is less of high-school girl jealousy stuff that was all around in the original Tinker Bell. Instead we get more of an adventure with Tinker Bell that will certainly appeal to others in the family besides the little girls. It has an importance message about the power of friendship and understanding people that are different than you. Tinker Bell also must learn how to calm down her temper. None of this feels too preachy, though.
Another positive thing about this film is that the Tinker Bell here is more like the Tinker Bell we know in Peter Pan. The one we saw in the original film seemed like a completely different character. If you liked any of the secondary fairy characters from the first film, you will be disappointed by the fact that they are basically only in this film in cameo roles. Instead we get a new sidekick for Tink, but thankfully this character is likable enough. There is no doubt that no one will be disappointed by the animation. The quality of animation in this film is top-notch full-length theatrical Disney level.
The original Tinker Bell was targeted towards girls between the ages of 3 and 10 really. The sequel to that film actually has more of a broad appeal that young boys might even enjoy. Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is like any typical Disney adventure story film, but it feels like its own film. There is a great message for kids as well. Overall, this film will surely entertain young kids, and it’s a film that won’t annoy adults as much as the first one likely did.
The video on the Blu-ray disc is presented in 1080p/AVC at the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen color ratio, which is enhanced for 16:9 TVs. This transfer is fantastic and almost perfect. Small details are clear and all the colors are crisp and vibrant.
The audio on the Blu-ray disc is available in either English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Surround sound, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, or French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French as well.
“Magic Guide To Pixie Hollow” Featurette –
This runs 4 minutes and the voices of Terrance and Tinker Bell take us on a tour of Pixie Hollow, showing us all of the locations that we recognize from the movie, and a few new places too. They introduce us to different fairies that have a wide variety of specific talents. This is presented in a storyboard/pop-up book fashion. Pretty neat.
Scenes You Never Saw –
This is 4 minutes worth of scenes that looked like they were outtakes, but instead were deliberate mistakes made on purpose for this “outtake” reel. Despite that, these are pretty funny.
Deleted Scenes
There is 16 minutes worth of scenes that didn’t make the final cut of the film. You can hear introductions of them from director Klay Hall and producer Sean Lurie. There are 7 total scenes that are presented in storyboard form, since they weren’t ever fully animated. There are a couple that would have been good in the final movie, but nothing really “must watch”.
“Pixie Hollow Comes To Walt Disney World” Featurette –
This runs 8 minutes and it’s an inside look on what it’s like creating the Pixie Hollow garden for Epcot. Very interesting to watch this transformation.
“The Gift Of A Friend” Music Video –
This is the full 3 minute music video for Demi Lovato’s song for the film. Of course, Disney has to continue to push their up-and-coming music stars.
This sequel to Tinker Bell is actually slightly better than the original one. Young girls will certainly love it, and parents can actually not be annoyed by it as much. So they will probably buy it for them.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment presents Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Directed by Klay Hall. Written by Evan Spilotopoulos. Starring Mae Whitman, Jesse McCartney, Kristin Chenoweth, Pamela Adlon, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symone, Angelica Huston, Grey DeLisle, John Di Maggio, Jane Horrocks. Running time: 80 minutes. Rated G. Released on DVD: October 27, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
