Tinker Bell

What’s the Story?

TINKER BELL tells the fairy's story from her creation after a baby's first laugh (as in the Peter Pan book by J. M. Barrie) to her first adventure. After landing in Pixie Hollow, Tink (voiced by Mae Whitman) finds that she's a tinker fairy -- one who builds and fixes things for the other fairies to use as they change the seasons. When she finds out that this means she doesn't get to go to the real world with the other fairies, she decides she doesn't want to be a tinker and tries to find a new talent, with disastrous results. Only by embracing her original talent can springtime be saved.

Is It Any Good?

This sweet and simple straight-to-DVD story is geared especially to kids of the age most likely to clap their hands and exclaim "I believe in fairies!" It does a lovely job of introducing the world of Pixie Hollow with some lush animation and a dreamy, Celtic-infused soundtrack featuring Loreena McKennitt.

But the story is a little too simplistic and mild for older kids who love the world of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Tinker Bell makes a mistake, learns a simple lesson, and saves the day. Her sidekick fairy friends -- all voiced by some great talent -- will doubtless do more for doll sales than they do for this story; except for the "mean one" Vidia (Pamela Adlon), their personalities aren't very fleshed out. Of course with another DVD in the series already advertised for fall 2009, there's always a chance for fairy fans to get to know them better.