Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Blu-ray Movie Review

"And what do you call... that?"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 4, 2015

Though not entirely original or the stuff of feature film status, director Steve Loter's Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast is a perfectly pleasant, family friendly surprise, loaded with plenty of sprightly adventure, lighthearted laughs, an adorably overstuffed teddy bear of a misunderstood monster, and even a few life lessons worth reinforcing. Not half bad for what cynics will dub a toy commercial. But don't be so quick to judge. A bit more refined than the usual DisneyToon Studios production, the latest entry in the Tinker Bell series represents another incremental improvement in a line of increasingly entertaining direct-to-video movies, offering more dynamic animation, smarter scripts, and more endearing characters with each chapter. NeverBeast is even confident enough to yank the spotlight off Tink (voiced by Mae Whitman) and allow some of her fairy friends to steal the show; in this case compassionate animal advocate Fawn (Once Upon a Time's Ginnifer Goodwin, replacing Angela Bartys) and impulsive warrior Nyx (Rosario Dawson), who borrow top billing with ease. It's an unexpected but no less welcome departure that once again expands the world of Pixie Hollow rather than recycling the same old story seven times over. What trouble will Tink and her friends encounter next? There's no telling. But I have to admit, I'm more curious now than I was six years ago, when I huffed, puffed and grumbled my way through the first movie in the series.

An ancient myth of a fabled creature sparks the curiosity of Tinker Bell and her friend Fawn, an animal fairy who’s not afraid to break the rules to help an animal in need. But this creature, massive and wondrous with glowing green eyes, is not welcome in Pixie Hollow, with Nyx and her scout fairies determined to capture the mysterious beast. But Fawn sees a tender heart beneath the gruff exterior and begins working to convince Tink and her fairy friends to risk everything to rescue the NeverBeast.

The story of a helpful creature that inadvertently frightens the masses -- a sheep in wolf's clothing if you will -- isn't exactly new to animated films, but Loter handles it with a delicate touch, delivering a suitably gruff Gruff that divides Pixie Hollow into two camps: those willing to look past the sharp teeth, growing horns, and mounting omens and those convinced action trumps insight. The fairies come on a tad strong, with one-liners landing with a plunk and pithy, kid-friendly quips hitting with a plip plip plip. Sure. That doesn't mean it's impossible to warm to their antics, though, especially as lines are drawn and the stakes ramp up. The movie's third act is quite thrilling (as cartoon's aimed at 5-10 year old little girls go at least) and the conflict intensifying between Fawn and Nyx is gripping enough to drag children to the edges of their proverbial seats. None of it reinvents the fairy dust, but originality can be overrated. Sometimes a comfortable tale told comfortably is all you need to sell a breezy fantasy like this.

If anything, it once again feels as if DisneyToon might be trying a wee bit too hard, and perhaps on too tight a budget. KT Tunstall lends a song that seems forced, some of the voice actors sound as if they're hopped up on caffeine pills and desperation, and the wibbly wobbly humor will strike adults as wildly hit or miss. Let it be known: the Tinker Bell series has yet to rope in all ages, a la Pixar and Walt Disney Animation's theatrical releases, and unapologetically panders to a younger demographic. That said, it's a far cry from the Barbie and Monster High movies, which... shudder. If that sounds like a cheap "it could be a lot worse," well, it could be a lot worse. It could be better too, with some more priming and polish. But seeing as each Tinker Bell flick has generally improved upon the last, all signs point to more worthwhile adventures ahead.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Another Tinker Bell release, another outstanding 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. Colors are striking but never overbearing, with vivid primaries, lovely saturation, lush earth and forest-tones, vibrant contrast and deep, inky black levels. Detail is excellent too -- edges are crisp and clean, fine textures are wonderfully resolved, and every little touch is straight-from-the-digital-tap perfect -- and there isn't any significant banding, artifacting, aliasing, ringing or noise in sight. The Legend of the NeverBeast looks every bit as good as it should, and then some. Regardless of how you feel about the movie itself, everyone will agree that Disney's presentation is terrific.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track? Overkill? Not at all. Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast takes the weight and presence of its titular monster seriously, with booming LFE support backing every footfall, crash and thud, rush of wind, crack of thunder, tumbling rock, surging storm, and NeverBeast roar. The rear speakers are bristling with activity at all times too, making Pixie Hollow and its locales immersive environments with a variety of directional magic and smooth-flying pans. All the while, voices remain clear and intelligible without floating too far above or being buried too deep within the surprisingly dynamic soundscape. The music occasionally suffers a few prioritization mishaps (intentional I'm sure, but still less precise than what you find in feature animated-film sound design), although it hardly matters. Disney's AV presentation soars.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• 5 Essential Ingredients to Getting Gruff (HD, 5 minutes): Director Steve Loter and other members of the filmmaking team quickly break down the Gruff essentials: story, design, sound, animation and, er, Gruff.
• My Dad's Movie: The True Story of The NeverBeast (HD, 5 minutes): A more subdued Loter is joined by his young daughter, Calista, to talk about the origin and inspiration of the film.
• Jeff Corwin's Guide to Real-World NeverBeasts (HD, 4 minutes): Conservationist Jeff Corwin briefly introduces a number of real-life "NeverBeasts" from all around the world in this kid-centric featurette.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 11 minutes): Four scenes with optional director introductions.
• Tink'n About Animals (HD, 2 minutes): Tink and her friends sing an animal song.
• Gruff Love (HD, 2 minutes): An extended NeverBeast promo.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Don't scurry out of the room so fast. Take a minute. Sit down with your daughters. Share in the fun of Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast. It's not the next great animated classic, but it's far removed from the drivel that is the Barbie and Monster High series. And you might just find yourself drawn into the story. I was, even though I knew full well where it all was headed. Gruff is a wonderfully effective misunderstood monster, Goodwin's Fawn is fairly charming, and it all leads to a surprisingly well-constructed third act with a nice payoff. Disney's Blu-ray release delivers too, with a first rate video presentation, enveloping DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and a small (very small) but kid-friendly selection of extras.