Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Mae Whitman, Rosario Dawson, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Megan Hilty
Director: Steve Loter
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Run Time: 76 minutes
Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
I have been a fan of the Disney Fairies franchise since the first Tinker Bell movie. They have all been very cute and honestly, each one is better than the next…until this one. “Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast” is easily the weakest in the franchise. The title is misleading as Tinker Bell takes a back seat to her fairy friend Fawn (who was voice re-casted by Ginnifer Goodwin). Unlike the previous films, the one is quite dark and a bit scary for the little ones. It doesn’t have that fairy charm of the previous films either. Plus Gruff aka the NeverBeast is not a likable character at all. I hope Disney resolves this with the next Tinker Bell film.
Official Premise: Return to Pixie Hollow for a heartwarming adventure, Disney’s Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast. An ancient myth of a massive creature sparks the curiosity of Tinker Bell and her good friend Fawn, an animal fairy who’s not afraid to break the rules to help an animal in need. But this creature is not welcome in Pixie Hollow — and the scout fairies are determined to capture the mysterious beast, who they fear will destroy their home. Fawn must convince her fairy friends to risk everything to rescue the NeverBeast.
Disney is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy with access in Disney Movies Anywhere. The 1080p transfer is quite impressive still and you can tell the film was made with 3D in mind but, of course, Disney neglected to release on 3D Blu-ray. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is absolutely amazing and very impressive. Singer/songwriter KT Tunstall performs three news songs in the film, including “Float,” “Strange Sight” and “1000 Years” with singer/songwriter Bleu, but it is not the most upbeat song played during the film’s end credits.
The special features like the film is are not very entertaining. “5 Essential Ingredients to Getting Gruff” is a quick chat with Director Steve Loter and crew about the film’s development. “My Dad’s Movie: The True Story of The NeverBeast” features Loter again with his daughter discussing the film. “Jeff Crowin’s Guide to Real-World NeverBeasts” features the well know animal and nature conservationist as he discusses the title character and talks about other “NeverBeast” like characters in real-life. There are four deleted scenes with optional director intros. Lastly “Gruff Love” is a long promo for the film.
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