Faeries - G
Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this film offers nothing offensive, but there's little to recommend it, either. The bland plot may be okay with the youngest kids, but others may be bored.
Families who watch this film might discuss the differences and similarities between this and other fairy tales they've read. Where do you think the film makers got some of their ideas?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Peter Lewis
Trouble is brewing in the land of the fairies. Two adolescent humans are both part of the problem and the solution in this animated video that taps into the breathless wonder of traditional fairy tales, but is somewhat marred by a creepy blend of hyper-real backgrounds and cartoon footage.
While visiting a farm in England, teenagers Nellie and George -- she a discontented teenager and he an enthusiastic younger boy -- make the acquaintance of a fairy oak in the wild wood, and are ushered into the intrigues of fairyland. There, a rivalry between the Prince and his shape-shifting brother is afoot. At first, the children become the unwitting accomplices of the evil brother, but soon they wise up to his dastardly ways, thanks to some insider information from a hobgoblin and a company of sprites.
With the help of the children, the fairy Prince regains his immortality, defeats his brother (though the last we hear of him, he's plotting his escape from the ice dungeon, setting the stage for Faeries II), and marries his sweetheart, a human he has transformed into a fairy princess.
Although the plot is anything but original -- bumbling but triumphant humans in fairyland, the rivalry between good and wicked brothers for the throne, the destiny that is true love -- it's a proven product, and many characters in this fairy tale are appealingly sharp and droll. Kids pay attention, even though the Prince himself is a disagreeable combination of braveheart and milquetoast.
The production's biggest drawback is the curious use of startlingly realistic scenery upon which animated characters float. It looks and feels fake, like a bad diorama. Fairy tales should transport, but this technique just confuses things. One 8-year-old said he felt that "the two worlds never come together," and another one said the contrasting images made his eyes hurt.
When the landscapes are animated, however, they're often eye-catching; viewers marvel at the spectacular flaring colors of fairyland, and the green rolling fields of the English countryside. Here, and with the bright company of fairies, the animators get to impressively stretch their legs.
Another video that blends fantasy and reality, better for slightly older kids, is The Indian in the Cupboard.
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