I had extremely low expectations for the first
Tinker Bell (BD Live) [Blu-ray] but was very pleasantly surprised. Still, I wasn't quite sure that this particular "franchise" needed a sequel. So, with trepidation I put this Blu-ray into my player. "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" actually blows away its predecessor. Sure, the story is a tad predictable, but with fantastic new characters (including Blaze the firefly, and the two Trolls at the Troll Gate), returning favorites (Garden fairy Rosetta whose bubbly personality is pure Dolly Parton), and top-notch animation, this movie will be a joy to watch for all ages.
The story: Tinker Bell is entrusted with the creation of the scepter for the Autumn Revelry. Her friend Terence offers to help, but his micro-managing of Tink sets her off, and in her anger, she accidentally breaks the precious and rare moonstone, threatening the life of everyone in Pixie Hollow. Lashing out at Terence, the friendship between these two fairies is jeopardized, and Tink must find a way to fix the moonstone...and the friendship. The rest you'll have to watch on your own; this synopsis is greatly simplified, but I do not want to give away any spoilers.
On Tink's journey to repair the moonstone, she is joined by Blaze, a firefly. He is absolutely adorable, and given plenty of spunk and character by the Disney animation team. The animation team deserves a plethora of kudos; on Blu-ray this movie will take your breath away; especially the scene in the Fairy Tale Theater. The lighting effects are amazing; absolutely beautiful. All throughout the movie there are many visual touches that will show that the people behind this movie took special care to elevate this many notches above the usual straight-to-video movie. Hidden Mickeys, Skull Rock, and plenty of other details that bear repeated viewings. The Celtic-style music is back, but I feel it is blended much better into the movie than it was in the original film. I really can't say enough good things about this movie.
SPECS:
Video: 1080p High Def (1.78:1) * Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24-bit), French & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; subtitles: English SDH, French & Spanish. While the audio is crystal clear and pleasing to listen to, there are really no dynamic uses of the surround that seemed memorable to me.
EXTRAS:
Backstage Disney
Tinker Bell Comes to Disney World (8:20): Both Disneyland in Anaheim & Disney World in Orlando have Pixie Hollow areas, but this featurette focues on the Orlando version which has beautiful topiaries and 3-dimensional recreations of objects from this movie. With careful attention to colors and characterization from the movie, garden designer Carla Schuman and team discuss how it all came together.
Deleted Scenes (16:00): Includes intros by Director Klay Hall and Producer Sean Lurie
Alternate Scenes (4:00): These are pretty much manufactured bloopers that are fun to watch, including gaffes, some bodily function jokes, as well as a few other mildly funny/amusing bits.
Bonus Short (4:46): This is a magical guide to the Autumn area of Pixie Hollow, led by Terence & Tinker Bell. Pleasant to watch, it does appear to be more of an advertisement for Disney Books than a true short. Even the animation style is a little static and looks more like a 2-dimensional book illustration with simple movement than an animated film.
"The Gift of a Friend" music video, performed by Disney Channel's Demi Lovato
Previews include Dumbo (70th Anniversary Edition on Bluray in Spring 2010), The Princess & The Frog, Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue (the next installment!), Blu-ray/High Def Disney movies, Santa Buddies-The Legend of Santa Paws (with Christopher Lloyd), Ponyo, G-Force, Beauty & The Beast (Diamond Edition in High Def), and Disney on Ice-Worlds of Fantasy (including Tinker Bell & Friends)
FINAL WORDS: You'd have to be extremely curmudgeonly not to enjoy this film and appreciate the high quality of animation and characterization!