A Tooth Fairy Tale Film Analysis: Animated Adventure with a Sprinkling of Kid-Appropriate Tween Romance
Throughout this animated adventure aimed at tweens, the fairy community focuses on collecting baby teeth of slumbering children and placing treasure under their pillows. Skateboarding youthful nonconformist fairy Van (brought to life by Booboo Stewart) shows little enthusiasm about spending his future to gathering baby teeth—a feeling that’s completely understandable. He’s only a bit more interested in the financial workings behind it all: the fairies deliver the teeth to unseen goblins, who supply gold as payment. However, Van’s interest grows when he catches sight of a goblin (played by Larkin Bell), who proves to be not at all the hideous gnome he had imagined.
A Forbidden Bond and Common Enemy
Everything is prepared for an exciting quest with a light sprinkling of teen romance (though it’s perfectly appropriate for children). The fairy and goblin communities are estranged from one another, and there’s nothing like the thrill of the forbidden to unite beings together. Both groups portrayed in the film are remarkably alike, yet both maintain prejudiced beliefs about the opposite side. Fairies are supposed to be entitled sorts, given to stealing anything they want, while goblins are reportedly dim-witted, foul-smelling, and primitive, but are actually intelligent and technologically advanced.
Of course, this scenario needs a common enemy to unite against, and this is duly provided in the form of a group of vicious 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.
Target Audience and Overall Impression
You won’t find very many children’s animations targeting the viewer group that is beginning to have early romances, but aren’t yet mature enough for whatever teenagers are watching instead of popular teen sagas. If your child is in the right age bracket, this is unlikely to be their next favorite movie, but you could do worse.
A Tooth Fairy Tale releases in Scottish cinemas from 10 October and the rest of the UK beginning October 24.
