A Tooth Fairy Tale Review: Cartoon Adventure with a Sprinkling of Kid-Appropriate Preteen Romance
In this animated adventure for preteens, the world of fairies is dedicated to collecting baby teeth of sleeping children and placing treasure beneath where they sleep. Board-riding teenage rebel fairy Van (voiced by Booboo Stewart) is less than thrilled about devoting his life to collecting baby teeth—a sentiment that’s completely understandable. He is just slightly more interested in the underlying economics of the situation: the fairies deliver the teeth to unseen goblins, who provide metal as payment. However, Van’s interest grows when he spots a goblin (played by Larkin Bell), who proves to be not at all the hideous gnome he had imagined.
A Forbidden Connection and Common Enemy
Everything is prepared for an exciting quest with a gentle touch of young love (though it’s very much suitable for children). The goblin and fairy groups are separated from one another, and nothing fuels the thrill of the forbidden to bring people as one. The two species portrayed in the film are remarkably alike, yet each holds prejudiced beliefs about the opposite side. The fairies are supposed to be self-centered types, given to stealing anything they want, while the goblins are allegedly dim-witted, smelly, and backward, but are in fact intelligent and advanced in technology.
Naturally, such a setup requires a shared foe to unite against, and this is duly provided by some nasty spiders, with voices by Jon Lovitz and Fran Drescher. They make no secret with these guys: they aim to devour the fairies and goblins, and they serve as quite savage, if not especially competent, villains.
Ideal Viewers and Overall Impression
You won’t find very many children’s animations aimed at the kind of audience that is starting to experience first crushes, but are not mature enough for the content 14-year-olds are watching instead of popular teen sagas. If your child is in the right age bracket, this is unlikely to become their new favorite movie, but it’s a decent choice.
A Tooth Fairy Tale arrives in movie theaters in Scotland from 10 October and the rest of the UK from 24 October.
