Ed's Review Dot Com

DisneyToon Studios, Prana Animation Studios, Prana Studios,

Ginnifer Goodwin, Mae Whitman, Rosario Dawson, Raven-Symoné, Megan Hilty, Lucy Liu, Pamela Adlon, Tom Hiddleston

Fawn (Ginnifer Goodwin) believes that you can’t automatically judge someone just because of rumors and whispers, so she makes friend with the NeverBeast. The Scout fairies find out about this and think she is wrong and try to drive off the NeverBeast, but Fawn’s faith cannot be snuffed out, and she and the NeverBeast show the others that everyone has some value.

This is a Disney Toon Studios release to video (streaming) that is certainly not the quality of classic Disney Animation nor the magic that is Pixar, but though it’s TV cartoon quality, it’s still a great story with lots of color, music, charm, and values for the little ones. It is really a good film for kids, truly G rated and with the Disney values. The studios attempts to bring the Fairy/Pixie line into the mix along with all the other Disney Princesses is a good idea and it gives them a lot of directions to go into for new stories. The voices are really good too, and they are all good actors so voicing of the different characters is great. I sometimes have an issue when all the voices are so recognizable, but in this case, for a children’s film they won’t recognize them anyway, and their skill adds a lot of the experience. The story is very simple and predictable, and isn’t groundbreaking in any way, but it certainly is a nice babysitter for you, and if you sit and watch and enjoy WITH the kids, kudos to you as it could be a great bonding experience. This is highly recommended for the younger set and the adults who care for them.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Prana Animation Studios, DisneyToon Studios, Prana Studios,

Mae Whitman, Tom Hiddlestron, Christina Hendricks, Megan Hilty, Lucy Liu, Raven-Symoné, Anjelica Huston, Carlos Ponce

Zarina (Christina Hendricks) is a pixie dust-keeper who is excited to show off her new found skill at creating pixie dust, but an accident caused her to be banished. She stole all the precious blue pixie dust and headed off to join up with a pirate who is interested in the pixie dust. But when Tinker Bell and the other fairies set out to find Zarina and convince her to come home, all kinds of challenges await them.

This is one of the direct to DVD Pixie stories that have abounded to extend the pixie realm from poor TinkerBell to a bunch of her new friends. This was a surprisingly good little TV style movie. The animation is pretty good TV style animation (No this is not Pixar or Dreamworks) and the colors are vivid and very interesting to watch. This is a very typical Disney story of an misunderstood outcast, setting out on his own, and realizing his mistake after it’s too late. Then comes repentance, acceptance, and forgiveness. This is the Disney formula. Still, especially for the kids, this is a really good story that will keep them entertained. This is a great animated film to share with the whole family. I was really pleased with this movie, and I can recommend it for lovers of traditional animation and for families that are looking for something good to share with the young-uns.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Summertime Entertainment (II), Prana Animation Studios, Prana Studios,

Patrick Stewart, Lea Michele, Martin Short, Hugh Dancy, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Kenny, Oliver Platt, Tacey Adams, Michael Krawic, Ayana Haviv

Dorothy (Lea Michele) returned to Kansas to find the place very much destroyed from the tornado that took her away. But before she could return to her home she was whisked back to Oz. Oz is in trouble. She looks for her friends, the Lion (James Belushi), the Scarecrow (Dan Akroyd) , and the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer), but Oz is in danger from a new villain, the Jester (Martin Short) who has taken control. With some brand new friends and the help of Glinda the Good Witch (Bernadette Peters) she is ready to fight to save the Land of Oz and save her friends.

This animated version of Dorothy’s Return was a good attempt to bring back the magic of Oz with a new story. L Frank Baum wrote a number of novels about Oz, but I feel like this one came from a whole different imagination. This wasn’t a great film, nor will it stand the test of time. There are some really good things about this this movie. The music itself isn’t spectacular, but the voices are very good. We have some great talent playing the roles in this film. The story is a little too “Jack Frost” with Martin Short playing his evil character in exactly the same way. A jester, after all, is not the most fear inspiring character on the planet. He’s mostly childish and annoying and a lot like the typical Martin Short bad guy. The script is not too hot. That’s the biggest problem. It’s rather silly. I expected this to be a film that parents and kids could enjoy together, but rather I think most adults will find it a bit silly. That being said, I believe the younger folks will probably enjoy it. I guess this movie missed the sweet spot of people who remember and love the original that was replayed on TV every year, but would find this version too silly, and those that could enjoy the story, but don’t care much about the characters from the original. In any case, it is what it is, and certainly the younger folks will enjoy this film. If you have an interest in seeing it for curiosity’s sake, enjoy the music and the new characters. It’s not all that bad. But just don’t go in expecting a terrific story, because it isn’t. It’s certainly worth watching if you’re interested.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog