One of he most beloved characters in both literature and films a lively little fairy named Tinker Bell. There are not many people alive who have lived in a world without Tink. She was first introduced in the J.M. Barre stage version of ‘Peter Pan’ back in 1904. She then made her screen debut in 1953 with the Walt Disney animated film of ‘Peter Pan’. As children we all remember the part of the story were it looks as though Tinker Bell has died and Peter urges all of us in the audience to clap if they believed in fairies. Usually there was not a dry eye or silent pair of hands in the house. Although Barre originally described Tinker Bell as a ‘common fairy’ the decades that have come and gone have proven that she is certainly the most uncommon of fairies. This tiny blond fairy is the long time representative of the world of Disney. She has become synonymous with the magic that Walt Disney wanted his films, television series and theme parks to have. He was all about the wonder and magic of a child’s imagination and out of all the hundreds of characters that have be created in the famous House of Mouse Tinker Bell fits this role the best. Tinker Bell may be just a cartoon character to many people but she has achieved what no human actress has ever done. She has risen from a minor supporting character to the face of a billion dollar empire. Better even than that she has not aged a day in the hundred years she has been on the scene. With all of this fame and instant recognition much of her pre-Peter Pan life has been a mystery. That is until now. Disney has released an animated movie that takes the family into the secret world of the fairies. This may seem silly and some may think that this is just another ploy to eke out the parental dollars but it is so much more. Even though my daughter is now 24 years old and far beyond the tween stage and I am many decades away from the target demographic of this flick I was delighted by it. This movie is sheer whimsy and something that everyone in the family will enjoy immensely.

What has touched so many people with Tinker Bell is something in the core of our humanity. It is reassuring to think there is a magical world that goes unseen by us mere mortals. We used to fill this need with mythology; creating wondrous beings that controlled nature. Then we moved into a more rational and scientific world view and many of these myths fell to the wayside. Many were replaced with fiction and tales of daring heroes and dastardly villains fighting with amazing abilities. The concept of a fairy is present in the mythos of many cultures but the best known example is in Anglo-Saxon lore. The word itself comes from the magical Morgan le Fay; prominent in the legends surrounding King Arthur. According to most folk lore they are kind and loving creatures who are responsible for the positive things in nature like the glow at dawn or the bright colors of the flowers. Fairies are usually shown as shy around adult humans preferring to keep to themselves. Interaction with children is typically a different matter. The innocence of children allows them to see the fairies. This was reflected in Tinker Bell’s choice of a best friend, Peter Pan; the boy would never grow up. This is a part of many myths that makes children feel special. They are privileged to see a part of the world that is kept from the adults. There is little doubt that this has added to the mysterious and amazement that children have held for so long with Tinker Bell.

Like many in the baby boomer generation I grew up watching the ‘Wonderful World of Disney. This was an anthology series geared towards the whole families that each week took us from the Wild West to the distant future. What every episode had it common was the appearance of Tinker Bell during the opening credits. She would fly over the Disney castle and with a wave of her magic dust and wand transport us to a delightful new world. It was also one of the first shows on TV to fully embrace the new technology of color television. She was the epitome of the magic that Mr. Disney saw in the hearts of all children. Over all these years no Disney representation of Tinker Bell has ever spoken. Now for the first time a voice actress, Mae Whitman has been cast to give a voice to this most beloved character. Disney studios have had an ever growing franchise with its princesses. From Snow White to the little Mermaid children have been delighted with these girls as they force evil and found love. This new Tinker Bell movie is the opening installment of a new group of planned Disney characters. This time it is the fairies that will take center stage. While Tinker Bell is the best known of her kind this film introduces a whole new world of fantasy to the current and future generations. There has been some preparation in anticipation of this new direction for Disney. It is common for Disney to show little clips and featurettes between their television series. Some of the latest of these shorts are concerned with the fairy community. Typically each short would highlight part of the story of a particular fairy helping to introduce them to the audience. Some have made there way into this movie.

This film has little to do with the Peter Pan saga. Tinker Bell has finally, after all these years moved from supporting cast to the star. The film begins by posing a question to the audience about wondering how nature gets its glow and who helps the seasons change their colors. The answer, of course, is the fairies. Tinker Bell is in Pixie Hollow, the home of her fairy kind. Most of the fairies are part of a specific season; helping nature along where needed. They make sure some water falls on a flower in need of a drink or moves a sunbeam to melt some snow. Tinker Bell has the talent to tinker, to make certain things happen. She fears that this is not as wonderful or necessary as those abilities held by her fellow fairies. Every time Tinker Bell tries to reinvent herself the results are disastrous. Ultimately it is her special talents that will save the day.

The film features some very well known voices including America Ferrera, Kristin Chenoweth, Lucy Lui and Anjelica Huston. The songs are delightful and will entertain the whole family. The movie is available in both DVD and Blu-ray and presented in 1.78:1 video and Dolby 5.1 audio. As with almost every direct to DVD release from Disney there are plenty of fun extras for the kids. They are divided into Pixie Hollow and the Mainland. For the pixie section there is a DVD ROM section on fairy training. Also in this section is a magical guide to Pixie Hollow and a featurette on how the fairies assist nature. The Mainland section offers segments on the bringing Pixie Hollow to life on the screen and a music video by Disney tween sensation Selena Gomez. This is one that is mandatory for families with young children.