"Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue"

⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" is the first in the Disney Fairies series to include humans (in the form of computer animation as the rest of the characters are) that are main characters. I knew this going into the movie and I had concerns. One of the things I love about the first two is that they don't feature humans as main characters. "Tinker Bell" had humans in it, but only for a few minutes. "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" didn't have any humans in it.

In the world of Disney fairies, humans are believed to be dangerous and they must be avoided. In "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue", Tinker Bell's curiosity gets the best of her and she finds herself in a precarious situation - inside the home of humans, specifically Lizzy and her father. (Is it a coincidence that this is the same name as one of the main characters in "Pride and Prejudice"?) When Tink's fairy friends find out what has happened, they set out to rescue her, counting on "faith, trust, and pixie dust". As with the first two movies, while it is somewhat predictable, it's wonderful to see how it all happens. And in this movie, there is a bit of a twist at the end.

I love how, so far, these movies clearly take place in certain seasons. This one takes place in the summer. We are treated to lots of vibrant greenery, along with other summary colors, such as yellow. It is once again a feast for the eyes. I enjoyed seeing the same main characters that were in the first two, but I missed seeing at least one other one who made only a couple of brief appearances in "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue". One supporting character in particular has shown a lot of personal growth since the first movie. If you haven't seen the first two, I highly recommend that you watch them. Unfortunately, since most of this movie does not take place in Pixie Hollow, we are missing a lot of the other whimsical creatures that made the first two movies so magical.

A new animal character in this movie is Lizzy's cat. I'm still trying to sort out my feelings about him. In one way, he fits the typical stereotype often portrayed in movies that cats are mean, but in another way, I can accept that a lot of his behavior is simply typical cat behavior.

The story that unfolds had my interest in the beginning. I loved the interaction Tinker Bell had with Lizzy, the little girl. Tinker Bell can understand Lizzy, but Lizzy cannot hear Tinker Bell speak. She can only see her and hear a bell when she speaks. So they have to find ways to effectively communicate and it's beautiful to watch how this happens.

I know that the father was necessary for the plot to develop the way it did, but I wasn't crazy about this character. I also question his role towards the end. I can't say too much without giving it away, so I'll just say what happened is not in alignment with what I've learned about fairies.

Despite its shortcomings, "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" is a fantastic movie. If you've enjoyed the first two, it is definitely worth watching this one.

More reviews in this series to come!