Parents' Guide to

Tinker Bell

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Sweet, simple story is best for young Tink fans.

Movie G 2008 78 minutes
Tinker Bell Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 42 parent reviews

Ewingender
Ewingender Adult
April 9, 2021
age 3+

Age appropriate good for younger ones.

As a primary school teacher I am not a Disney fan for young children for many reasons. Yet I am now a tinker bell fan. Positives: Good message about friendship and being proud of your talents and skills. I like the gender neutral association that tinkerbell fixes things and builds and invents. I like that their are a variety of faires from different ethnicities. Nothing overally scary or inappropriate ( and I have a very sensitive 3 year old). My little girl cried when tinkerbell ruined spring but that just showed empathy to the character and that she understood the story line. Negatives: Typical Disney, there is one overweight fairy. Everyone is beautiful with unrealistic figures eyes and very skimpy costumes. But that's just Disney. The hawk could be scary for some under 4s. However it's no scarier than the owl in Peter rabbits animated series. And I just natated through it... Oh look out tinker Bell etc

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
2 people found this helpful.
Jessica H.
Jessica H. Parent of 3-year-old
July 20, 2022
age 3+

Tinkering Around with Tinker Bell!

This is a great Disney movie to watch with your younger child. My daughter really enjoyed it. I like the messages and showing boys and girls having abilities and doing different kinds of "work" that isn't stereotypical. The scene with the male fairies ogling Tinker Bell wasn't really needed or appropriate.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 42 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (42):
Kids say (19):

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!" Tinker Bell 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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Tinker Bell learns to accept her talent, even if it isn't as glamorous as what the other fairies do. Why is Tinker Bell's talent so important to all fairies?

  • Would it be more fun to you than pollinating flowers or making dew drops on spider webs? Do you like to invent or fix things?

  • How do the characters in Tinker Bell demonstrate curiosity, gratitude, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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