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Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue

3/10

Stars: Voices: Mae Whitman, Michael Sheen, Laura Mote, Pamela Adlon, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Kristin Chenoweth, Angela Bartys, Rob Paulsen, Jeff Bennett, Jesse McCartney, Car Dillon, Faith Prince, Bob Berger

Director: Bradley Raymond

The titular character, unimaginatively animated and resembling a highly polished plastic-looking riff on Barbie with added wings, is cute enough to induce irritation and contempt in youngsters over the age of six. The super-syrup-saturated Disney cartoon tale appears to be aimed at easy-going kids of five and under. Accompanying adults could well suffer instantly-induced diabetes and should keep an ampoule of insulin handy as the twee tale unfolds.

The story? In a sanitized-by-Disney summery English countryside Tinker Bell, is captured by little English girl Lizzie, they communicate by gestures (Tinker BellÂ’s voice sounds like little bells to the human) and become friends while back at the Fairy Camp, her fellow fairies set out to save herÂ… Result: something that should have gone straight to video and TV's Disney Channels.

ThereÂ’s a hungry cat, as well, along with LizzieÂ’s kind but work-distracted (until the happy ending, of course) dad, and enough twittering fairies (sounding like the cast of a routine American high school comedy) to incite Peter Pan-inclined audiences clap their hands until the blood flows. The voices behind the bland characters are adequate enough without being memorable and I suppose it must have been a welcome change for Sheen to speak for LizzieÂ’s dad instead of reprising his regular impersonation of aspiring actor/politician Tony Blair.

Alan Frank

USA 2010. UK Distributor: Walt Disney. Colour.
84 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: U.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 17 Aug 2010