The Pirate Fairy is the 5th direct to video film in the Tinker Bell spin-off franchise of Peter Pan. While direct to video and spin-off media are usually terms that don’t inspire much confidence with regards to quality the Tinker Bell franchise under the Disney Fairies brand actually works. Part of this is due to the fact time is taken to get things “right” as well as allowing for each story to really be a quality story in and of itself. Under the guidance of John Lassiter the Disney animated offerings regardless of outlet (film or direct to video) have increased in quality and this film is just one example.
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I don’t want to give any spoilers but the film is a good exploration of other aspects of the fairy world. The titular fairy in question is a Pixie Hollow fairy who doesn’t play by the rules much like Tinker Bell herself. As a result of her actions she is admonished and wants to exact revenge and then takes up with a band of pirates. This makes up about the first 20 minutes of the film’s 75 minute running time and the rest of the film deals with the results.
One of the things I like about The Pirate Fairy was how it sort of ties into more of the larger Peter Pan world with an exploration of Never Land and more. Tom Hiddleson is part of the pirate crew and does a great job in his role. If you explore a little bit more such as examining costumes and such you can guess where much of this is leading or pointing towards, and it’s a pretty good way to do it.
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The animation and voice acting are all good as one would expect. The story is pretty good, with a moral about following directions and friendship. My one real complaint about this film is that it simply adds another character to the roster, which is fine, but it doesn’t really do much of anything with the other ones that have been already been established. Some are relegated to cameos or bit parts.
My daughter is a fan of Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies. Heck, my 10 and 6 year old sons will watch a Disney Fairy movie at least once. They may be “for girls” but the appeal is definitely broad. The character of Tinker Bell is solid and the world created here is rich.
There doesn’t seem to be as big of a marketing push for this film as there has been for previous entries in the franchise. Yes, there are television commercials, but fewer toys and other items. I wonder if Disney is beginning to wind down this franchise, and it’s a shame, really. The books were great for the target audience and there aren’t enough “girl” centered franchises that are positive.
On Blu-ray we get the high-definition version of the film packaged with a DVD as well as a digital copy. Special features are pretty scant, which is a shame. I’d have liked to have seen a storyboard picture in picture or a decent featurette looking at this franchise and how it fits into the overall Peter Pan story and where the next film might be headed and all sorts of “big picture” stuff. There is a 5 minute featurette on the making of this film, but it’s more fluff than substance. Another short featurette looks at the work in the recording booth. Both of these should have been put together and expanded to provide a much better look at the film overall. A few deleted scenes, a couple minutes worth of shorts, another featurette about crocodiles and a sing-along round out the offerings.
If you know somebody who enjoys the Disney Fairies franchise The Pirate Fairy will certainly satisfy. While it isn’t the first time the fairies have left Pixie Hollow it really is the first time the franchise has visited Never Land in a consequential manner.