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

Disney's "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" on Blu-ray delivers an outstanding 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that meets, and at times exceeds, expectations for this fantasy animation genre. The feature boasts striking colors with vivid primaries and lush earth and forest tones, ensuring vibrant contrast alongside deep, inky black levels that enrich the viewing experience. Detail is exceptional, with edges appearing crisp and clean, and fine textures being wonderfully resolved without any significant banding, artifacting, aliasing, ringing, or noise.

The animation quality, although not as intricately refined as a high-budget Pixar production, offers a visually rich experience. Clarity is impeccable, and detail is spot-on. A testament to this precision is seen in the powdery pixie dust scenes, where each tiny fleck glows and sparkles with a discernible presence on screen. Additionally, Queen Clarion's dress exemplifies the detailed thought put into the animation design. The clear definition of lines and absence of artifacts further elevate the visual presentation. Notable is the absence of banding, even during scenes with gradient blue skies, ensuring smooth transitions in all gradient tones.

Overall, "Legend of the NeverBeast" showcases another fantastic addition to the 'Tinker Bell' series on Blu-ray. The vibrant colors, precise details, and consistent quality across different visual elements offer an engaging and pleasing viewing experience that impresses regardless of the movie's narrative content. Disney's meticulous presentation ensures that this Blu-ray stands out as a visually compelling and technically sound production.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track on "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" is a masterful presentation, bringing the animated world of Pixie Hollow to life with dynamic precision. The weighty presence of the titular NeverBeast is impressively underscored by substantial LFE support, encompassing every footfall, crash, rush, and roar with formidable bass impact. The immersive soundscape is richly populated with directional audio elements—rear speakers constantly alive with ambient sounds, executing smooth-flying pans and creating a fully enveloped listening experience. Notably, voices maintain crystal-clear intelligibility, never overshadowed by the dense soundscape but seamlessly integrated within it.

Compared to its predecessors, this installment significantly excels in auditory immersion, particularly highlighted during the action-packed climax. Thundering bass and roaring winds dominate the sound field, enveloping the listener in a storm threatening to destroy Pixie Hollow. The directionality of sound is expertly handled, with action fluidly moving around the room. The soundtrack, ambient noises, and sound objects fill the rear channels with rich detail, enhancing the sense of being in the middle of the chaos. Up front, dialogue remains consistently clear and prominent, even amidst tumultuous audio sequences. This meticulous balance ensures that the film's narrative is never lost, solidifying "Legend of the NeverBeast" as the best sounding 'Tinker Bell' movie to date.

The Blu-ray extras for "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" offer a detailed and engaging behind-the-scenes experience. Director Steve Loter provides insightful commentary on the animation and design choices in "Five Essential Ingredients to Getting Gruff," while the personal touch in "My Dad's Movie: The True Story of the NeverBeast," featuring Loter's daughter, adds depth and context to the film's inspiration. Jeff Corwin's "Guide to Real-World NeverBeasts" introduces real-life animals to younger audiences with enthusiasm and educational value. The "Deleted Scenes" give viewers a peek into the thought process behind scene cuts, featuring informative director introductions. "Tink'n About Animals" and "Gruff Love" are delightful, shorter features that add fun and context for fans of all ages.

Extras included in this disc:

• Five Essential Ingredients to Getting Gruff: Examination of story, design, sound, animation, and Gruff.
• My Dad's Movie: The True Story of the NeverBeast: Personal insights on film origins.
• Jeff Corwin's Guide to Real-World NeverBeasts: Kid-friendly guide on unique animals.
• Deleted Scenes: Four scenes with director introductions.
• Tink'n About Animals: Animal-themed sing-along.
• Gruff Love: Extended NeverBeast promo.

Director Steve Loter's "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" proves to be a charming, family-friendly entry into the Tinker Bell series, offering an impressive balance of adventure and heartfelt narrative. Unlike traditional DisneyToon Studios productions often criticized for their predictability, this direct-to-video movie brings notable refinements in animation quality, scriptwriting, and character development. The decision to shift focus from Tinker Bell (voiced by Mae Whitman) to her friend Fawn (Ginnifer Goodwin) and the impulsive Nyx (Rosario Dawson) breathes fresh air into the saga and showcases compelling dynamics among Pixie Hollow’s inhabitants. This iteration’s story revolves around an ancient myth, unfolding the tale of a massive creature with glowing green eyes that mesmerizes and divides Pixie Hollow. The film’s antagonists and heroes find themselves at odds over the creature’s true intent, adding depth to an otherwise familiar fairy tale scenario.

The narrative adeptly parallels classics like "Lilo & Stitch" and "How to Train Your Dragon," anchoring its plot on the misunderstood creature trope. While some elements, including KT Tunstall’s seemingly shoehorned song, might miss the mark with adult viewers, the movie capably serves its target demographic of 5-10-year-olds with vibrant visuals and escalating stakes. The burgeoning friendship between Fawn and the titular NeverBeast underscores a theme of looking beyond appearances to find the heart within, a lesson poignantly illustrated as Fawn battles to convince her friends of the creature's benign nature. Despite its predictable beats and the occasionally forced humor, "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" maintains a gripping third act that is action-packed and emotionally resonant.

In essence, while it may not ascend to the timeless heights of Pixar offerings or Disney Animation masterpieces, "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" holds its own as a direct-to-video gem. It encapsulates the spirit of camaraderie and adventure, providing a refreshing chapter in the expanding lore of Pixie Hollow and imbuing its enchanting world with a vigorous storytelling warmth.

"Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" on Blu-ray offers a commendable viewing experience, particularly for families and enthusiasts of Disney's direct-to-video offerings. The film's narrative, while predictable, is elevated by its well-constructed story arc and emotional depth, featuring the misunderstood Gruff and the charming Fawn, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin. The relationship between these two characters anchors the film, providing both heart and humor that resonate with viewers of all ages. Technically, the Blu-ray presentation is exceptional, boasting a first-rate video quality that crisply captures the vibrant animation and detailed environments.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track further enhances the viewing experience with an enveloping soundstage that fully immerses the audience in Pixie Hollow. While the selection of extras is modest, they are engaging and kid-friendly, adding some replay value to the Blu-ray package. It's worth noting that the production values of this installment hold up well against its predecessors in the "Tinker Bell" series, maintaining Disney's standard of animation excellence in the DTV market.

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.