THE MOVIE-                        3 1/2 stars out of 5

 

Tinker Bell is a charming family movie that journeys into the world of Pixie Hollow and tells the tale of Disney’s most famous fairy. I must say that I was not expecting a whole lot from this release as direct to video releases tend not to be the highest of quality. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this release, which has a high quality story as well as a very high quality video presentation. The film tells the tail of Tinker Bell starting from her birth arising from a  child’s first laughter. That is how Fairies come into being didn’t you know. After being introduced to Pixie Hollow and after she is assigned to a community based on her talent as a “tinker” through a selection process not unlike the Hat in Harry Potter, Tinker Bell decides that she would rather be something other than a Tinker as Tinker’s don’t get to travel to the real world to put each season into motion. The real world BTW is London. However, her efforts to display any talent as anything other than a Tinker fail despite the efforts of her friends. However, there is one fairy who views Tinker Bell as a threat and sets Tinker Bell up for a failure that can result in a delay in the onset of Spring. It is up to Tinker Bell to master all of her tinkering talents to save the day so the fairies can usher in the spring season. The story, while having some derivative moments like the one noted above from Harry Potter, is quite charming and one that any family, with young children  can sit down and enjoy. I know that I did. Recommended.

 

THE VIDEO-                    5 stars out of 5

 

Encoded with AVC, Tinker Bell is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1:78:1 and looks amazing. Computer generated films are some of the best looking Blu-Ray releases and Tinker Bell is no exception. The image boasts bright and bold colors that look amazing. Black level is deep and stable resulting in an image of incredible depth. Clarity and detail are off the charts rendering a razor sharp image and one that is of reference quality. Frankly, there is nothing to nitpick at all with this release as it is one of the finest looking computer based films released on Blu-Ray to date. Another excellent video presentation from the folks at Disney.

 

THE AUDIO-                    4 5/8 stars out of 5

 

While not quite up to the level of the video encode, the audio on Tinker Bell more than holds its own. The high res audio here is presented with uncompressed PCM at 48 kHz/24 bit/5.1. The overall sound is very smooth and rich sounding without even a trace of harshness. Transparency and imaging is good as well although falling a bit short of the better sounding mixes. The dialogue track is well recorded and well placed in the mix. Bass is deep and tight although not as deep as the best sounding audio tracks I have heard. The only real nitpick I have with the audio presentation is in the use of the surround speakers. While the surrounds are actively engaged throughout the film, they do not provide the total sense of immersion that is characteristic of the best sounding audio tracks. For the most part, the sound field is rather front heavy even though the surrounds do kick in enough to let you know there are there. All in all, this is a more than satisfying audio presentation, warts and all.

 

EXTRAS

 

Tinker Bell is replete with many extras most in high def. The release is also BD Live enabled giving you the ability to download additional exclusive material from the internet provided you have a BD Live enabled Blu-Ray player. The extras include the Tinker Trainer which allows you to hone your skills as a Tinker Fairy, a Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow that enables you to explore all aspects of Pixie Hollow, Ever Wonder which enables you to discover how fairies put the wonder into natural wonders, Creating Pixie Hollow a behind the scenes look at the creation of the film, an all new music video, deleted scenes and more. Your children will particularly enjoy the interactive Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow which is well worth checking out as are the rest of the extras.

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

Tinker Bell is a surprisingly strong release from the folks at Disney. It is a charming film that the whole family will enjoy and is one that features reference quality video. Recommended for families with children of all ages.