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...
The fairies of warm, summery Pixie Hollow are forbidden from entering the Winter Woods, the icy realm of the frost fairies. The frost fairies, in turn, are forbidden from entering Pixie Hollow, relying on snowy owls to deliver crucial supplies from their sister state. Frost fairy wings wilt in the heat of the sun; tinker fairy wings freeze and crack when subjected to extreme cold. And so it is that no one has ever defied the law of the pixie queen (Anjelica Huston) or the frost lord (Timothy Dalton)... until now. Upon guiding a group of animals to the Winter Woods and growing curious, Tinker Bell (Mae Whitman) steps across the wintry border. She's yanked back before her wings can freeze, of course, but not before something unexpected happens: her wings begin to glow. Determined to find a fabled Winter Woods scribe called The Keeper (Jeff Bennett) and ask him about the strange light she began to emit, Tinker Bell dons a heavy coat, sneaks across the border and discovers a world unlike anything she's ever known. There she meets Periwinkle (Lucy Hale), a fairy whose wings have begun to glow as well, and sparks a friendship that will open her eyes and, much to her dismay, jeopardize every living thing in Pixie Hollow.
How could it possibly jeopardize all of Pixie Hollow? Not by magic, a pixie curse or some evil spell. Nope, that would actually make more sense in Tink's Pan-and-Pirateless Neverland. Instead, Tink's friends decide to help her smuggle Periwinkle into Pixie Hollow, build a device that grinds up ice to produce snow for their new guest and, after a series of mishaps and shortsighted design flaws, lose the machine in the river, where it becomes jammed against a sheet of ice and begins to produce an enormous snow storm. The ensuing blizzard -- wait for it -- alters the climate of Pixie Hollow dramatically and threatens the life of the great Pixie Dust Tree. "The seasons have been thrown out of balance," one horrified fairy gasps. You may balk. You may cheer. For the record, I grinned. Convoluted as it can be, over-plotted and over-stuffed as it is, I found it all a bit refreshing. Such lofty, ambitious storytelling isn't what you come to expect from direct-to-video kiddie fare. It doesn't always succeed, but it continues to reach and push in spite of its failings, which is something of a rarity in DTV children's entertainment.
No matter your gut reaction, though, moms and dads, just go with it. Don't look too far into things, and don't spoil your kids' viewing by huffing or humming about politics. Yes, the not-so-thinly veiled parallels to everything from global warming to border security and socially justified intolerance are much too on-the-nose, no matter how you slice it. And yes, most adults will find the constant angling amounts to little more than a distraction. (Even if the reason it distracts is simply because so many competing messages are crammed into so slight a tale. A cardinal sin among family films.) Even so, the colorful characters, lighthearted peril, delicate age-appropriate humor, and stirring plight of sisterhood at the heart of Secret of the Wings will thoroughly delight young girls weened on the Disney Fairies franchise, and that goes a long way. Tink is easy to root for, flaws and all, and her fellow fairies are memorable (albeit rather interchangeable in some cases). The animation is bright and bouyant too, the Winter Woods are brimming with as much mystery and magic as Pixie Hollow, the frost fairies are a breath of fresh air, and the race to save the forest carries with it more weight and tension than the quests of previous Tinker Bell movies. It all adds up to a rousing fourth entry in the DTV series; one sure to be a favorite this holiday season.
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.
Pixie Hollow Games (HD, 23 minutes): Secret of the Wings is accompanied by Pixie Hollow Games, a shorter bonus adventure kids will eat up. It isn't as timely as it could be -- this year's Olympics are quickly becoming a distant memory -- and it only features lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, but it adds welcome value to an otherwise slim supplemental package.
Music Videos (HD, 6 minutes): "Great Divide" by the McClain Sisters and "Dig Down Deeper" by Zendaya.
Pixie Preview (HD, 1 minute): A preview of "Fright Light" or a quick animated short? How about both?
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.
This fall, Walt Disney Home Entertainment will bring Secret of the Wings to Blu-ray. The animated family film follows the continuing adventures of Disney's iconic Tinker Bell character as she travels into the fabled Winter Woods. Secret of the Wings streets on ...
