7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
Tinker Bell meets Periwinkle and ventures into the winter woods with her and Tinker Bell's other friends to find the secret of fairy wings.
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Lucy Liu, Megan Hilty, Anjelica Huston, Matt LanterFamily | 100% |
Animation | 84% |
Adventure | 64% |
Fantasy | 54% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (2 BDs, 2 DVDs)
Digital copy (on disc)
DVD copy
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
What do human-driven climate change, illegal immigration, social and cultural tolerance, government sanctioned roles, and regulation have in common? Other than a seat at the hot-button-issues table this election season? Tinker Bell's latest animated adventure, if you can believe it. Secret of the Wings isn't subtle, that's for sure. And if you're a conservative who sees a liberal agenda lurking behind every bush, look out. But if you can push past the real world debate topics driving the movie's story and message, you and your daughters are in for a cute, exciting and, frankly, harmless journey into the mysterious Winter Woods.
Born of the same laugh...
Secret of the Wings dazzles with a 1080p/AVC-encoded 2D stunner and a first-rate MVC-encoded 3D presentation. There's very little to complain about -- a spot of banding here and there, and a hint of infrequent aliasing when viewing the film in 3D -- and none of it constitutes an issue. Colors are rich and lovely, the lush earthtones and autumnal hues of Pixie Hollow are gorgeous, the vivid whites, icy blues and disarming violets of the Winter Woods are striking, and black levels remain deep and cavernous no matter the realm. Detail is direct-from-the-digital-tap impeccable, with crisp edges, pinpoint textures and pixel-perfect specks of fairy dust, and every last nuance of the CG animation, simple though it may be on the whole, is rendered with the utmost care. The 3D experience doesn't disappoint either, lending plenty of additional depth and dimensionality to the image without resorting to style-over-substance gimmickry. Better still, videophiles whose 3D displays and glasses are prone to crosstalk don't have much to worry about, and even less to suffer through. Ultimately, both presentations are as pristine and proficient as they should be and there isn't anything on display that warrants a notable deduction. The 2D version does nudge past its 3D counterpart in their approach to sheer flawlessness, but even then, not by much.
Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track isn't quite as enchanting as its video presentations, but only insofar as its sound design isn't as inviting. The rear speakers are certainly engaging -- with ample ambience, convincing ice castle acoustics, and a variety of playful directional effects -- just not necessarily aggressive, particularly when it comes to developing a full and immersive soundfield for every scene. Conversations are rather front-heavy on occasion (even with a blizzard looming on the horizon and fairies bracing for the coming storm) and more panicked exchanges aren't always nestled in their environments as well as they might be if given the sort of robust treatment that's afforded to most animated theatrical releases. Still, the moment said storm rolls in, every speaker pitches in and does what it does best. LFE output is both assertive and firm, pans are delicate and silky smooth, dynamics are more than capable, and dialogue is crystal clear, perfectly intelligible and neatly prioritized at all times.
Never mind the elements that are sure to distract parents on both sides of the political divide during this heated election season. Does Secret of the Wings succeed on its target audience's terms? The answer is an unabashed yes, and then some. Young girls will adore Tinker Bell's latest adventure and watch it again and again as the upcoming holiday season approaches. Its Blu-ray release is even better, with a terrific video presentation, an excellent 3D experience, a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a bonus movie: Pixie Hollow Games, which isn't a full feature but still clocks in at 23-minutes. If you haven't already ordered this for your daughters, moms and dads, add it to your holiday gift list. Secret of the Wings would make for a great stocking stuffer for that special little girl in your life who loves all things Disney Fairies.
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