Faeries (2000)

ANIMATED ADVENTURE: (2000, NR.) Brother and sister, George and Nellie, holiday on an English farm where they meet Brigid, the farm helper. While exploring the forest, George slips into fairyland. Nellie meets Broom, a hobgoblin, who helps her find George. The Fairy Prince assigns them three tasks before they can leave. The Fairy Prince is to be married to fairy Brigid but he falls in love with human Brigid. He asks George and Nellie to bring Brigid into fairyland. The Prince’s evil brother, Shapeshifter, plots against the Prince. Shapeshifter takes his place and alienates the fairy Princess Brigid. He tricks her into declaring war. George finds and releases the real Prince. Shapeshifter kidnaps a human baby and asks Brigid to get the Prince’s magic orb as ransom. Without the orb, the fairies begin to age. Broom helps them make a fake orb that they switch for the real one. Thinking the fairies dead, Shapeshifter tries to take over. The true orb takes his power and he’s put in a dungeon. The Prince turns human Brigid into a fairy and they get married while the fairy Brigid remains their friend.

VIOLENCE/SCARINESS: Animated slapstick. The Shapeshifter’s changes could be disturbing to the very young; at the end he turns into a rather terrifying mantis-like creature. A gigantic beetle attacks Nellie. The Princes fight, but all we hear are the blows.

CRIMES: Kidnapping (P).

MORALS, ISSUES & VALUES: Full of traditional European fairy myths: Eating or drinking anything in fairyland causes one to stay forever, circles of toadstool are gates to fairyland, the fairies are immortal, and so on. The rules of fairyland cannot be broken. People can be drawn together by destiny. Physical ugliness implies moral ugliness. The Prince tells the Princess the truth about his love for human Brigid, trusting in honesty and a belief in their friendship. The Shapeshifter uses technology, hordes money and is obviously materialistic.

SEXUALITY & GENDER ISSUES: Nuclear family. Contemporary gender roles. Brother and sister, male and female fairies participate equally in the adventures. Brigid’s friend Helen is pregnant. Fairy Brigid, rejected as a lover, wants to be a friend. Shapeshifter believes that Brigid’s kingdom needs a man in charge and forcibly takes over. Shapeshifter briefly cross dresses.

SUBSTANCES: Shapeshifter smokes a pipe. The farmer smokes a pipe.

COMMENTS: This made-for-cable film is visually stunning, combining traditional and computer animation with “live” backgrounds. Charming and delightful but complex enough to keep kids interested. The film stresses duty, responsibility and the power of friendship

STARRING: Voices of Jeremy Irons, Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet.

ALTERNATES: Kids who like this film might also like “Thumbelina,” “FernGully” and the “Swan Princess” series.