So, let me just get ahead of this. Yes, I am aware that the Tinkerbell movies are meant for children. There, we all good? Okay.
I'll start by saying that I actually enjoy the Tinkerbell movies. I very much appreciate that they understand their demographic perfectly. By this, I mean, they don't pander or talk down to their intended audience. This is not a case of, 'Hello children, I'm Mr. Sun. I bring light and warmth' at all. For the most part, the movies are very well written for the 'older than eight, but younger than fifteen' age-range. Now, having said that, let's get to nitpicking.
The Secret of the Wings is perhaps the movie that stands out the most in contradiction to everything laid out in the other films. Things that were expressly stated as fact get tossed out the window whenever it becomes convenient. It's basically "Retcon: The Movie"
In the first Tinkerbell film, upon her birth in Pixie Hollow, we see that the fairies are sorted into houses...er I mean...they are assigned/chosen by their talent. Here, we very clearly see a snowflake being placed down as one of the potential talents. Yet, in Secret Wings (just for ease) we're told something different. Apparently now the winter fairies are winter fairies only because the winds took them there. So, they don't so much get assigned or chosen to their talent as they just got bad directions.
In the first film we see a winter Minister as one of Queen Clarinet's (Yes, I know its Clarion) advisors. This is not the same person we meet this movie, one Lord Milori. Now, I know that it could be explained as 'A Lord and a Minister are not the same thing. Maybe Milori was just busy.' But it still doesn't explain why the Minister seems capable of functioning in the 'warm season' area with no danger to himself.
Now for a huge one. We're told that once upon a time that Lord Milori and Queen Clarinet fell in love. But at some point one of them crossed the season border and Milori wound up breaking a wing. This is presented as supposedly being very sad because it means he cannot fly. (RECORD SCRATCH!) WHAT? The movies have repeatedly made it abundantly clear that the fairy's wings are mostly decoration. In the Lost Treasure movie it was said many many many times over. A huge function of the plot revolved around Tinkerbell running out of Pixiedust and needing to walk. Even if you argue that Pixie dust is only the base mechanic and they still need wings to steer and such, you'd be wrong. In Great Fairy Rescue we clearly see not only humans, but animals getting sprayed with Pixiedust and becoming quite adept fliers without the use of wings. So, I'm not really sure what Milori's problem is. Yeah, a broken wing sucks, but spray on some Pixiedust and you'll be fine apparently. Heck, even in this movie the statement is made that without the Pixiedust tree they will no longer be able to fly and that life will change forever. This seems to clearly indicate that it is the Dust itself that provides them with their flying abilities.
Now for the biggest one of all. We learn in this film that Tinkerbell has a...dun dun dun... long lost sister! Despite what we saw in the first movie they're gonna retcon the heck out of her birth and show that two fairies were born of the same laugh. Did you know, many websites, agents, and publishers will automatically reject stories where a character suddenly has a long lost sibling? It's considered trite and desperate storytelling that shows no original thinking. There's a reason you don't see "Harry Potter and his lost brother Jerry".
Last, but not least, the message. The moral of this one gets oddly muddled. We have Tinkerbell discovering a new world, becoming enraptured by it, being told she cant go there, and deciding to go anyway. Oh, if only we'd had this plot once before already! Yes, it is basically a re-hash of the first movie's plot. It really makes Tinkerbell come of as a very selfish person. Lady, you already got to go to the mainland, something that was unheard of to your kind before you EARNED it. Now, she wants to do it again. This would be like if Ariel went through all the trouble of getting legs from Ursula, came on land and then realized that she could go into outer space. It just seems to send the odd message of 'Always want what you can't have. Then break the rules until you get it.'
Queen Clarinet and Lord Milori point out to each respective sister that the rule is not there to be cruel or heartless, it's there to protect them from harm. "You see that 'High Voltage' sign on that door? Trust me when I tell you that the puppy dog store is not behind that door. There's deadly High Voltage back there!" But when its later revealed that Tinkerbell has broken a wing, the respective rulers do a one-eighty. "This happened because we wouldn't let you be together." No, it happened because they broke the rules designed to keep them safe! Its the equivalent of telling your child not to play on the broken down, rusty swingset; but they do it anyway and break an arm; then you saying 'This is my fault for not letting them play on the dangerous swingset!'
Another interesting thing of note is exploring the frost-realm. The movie is fairly lackadaisical when it comes to the realm's inhabitants. See Mr. Director, we know all of Tinkerbell's friends, we don't know Periwinkle's friends. We get a quick 'This is Tina' and that's all. Who are these people? What are there personalities? Who is that hunk that works with the Owls? Oh, my! Parkas for everyone! Sled?! His name is Sled? Wow, how long did that one take Mr. Writer?
Final thoughts. Not a bad movie (when judging on the scale of children's movies). As always with these films, the animation is done well (trust me, its well above that of the Barbie movies!) It was interesting to see Queen Clarinet's character get some backstory. Its just sad that every time a character gets introduced in these films they're immediately regulated to a cameo in the next one. In the Lost Treasure we got introduced to Blaze the firefly, but in Great Rescue it was a cameo. In the Pirate Fairy movie that comes after this, Periwinkle spends the entire movie sleeping! But again, this movie just seems to jut out as the "Watch as we Retcon live before your very eyes!" A huge part of the plot is just a rehash of the first one with Tinkerbell wanting to be "Part of your world" and the moral lesson is a bit muddled.
Review of Secret of the Wings
