The Tooth Fairy Story Film Analysis: Animated Adventure with a Touch of Kid-Appropriate Preteen Love Story
Throughout this animated adventure for preteens, the fairy community focuses on collecting teeth from sleeping children and placing gold under their pillows. Board-riding youthful nonconformist fairy Van (brought to life by Booboo Stewart) is less than thrilled about devoting his life to collecting baby teeth—a feeling that’s completely understandable. He is just a bit more interested in the financial workings behind it all: the fairies deliver the teeth to unseen goblins, who provide metal in exchange. But Van’s curiosity grows when he catches sight of a goblin (voiced 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 light sprinkling of teen romance (though it’s perfectly appropriate for younger kids). The goblin and fairy groups are estranged from one another, and there’s nothing like the thrill of the forbidden to unite beings together. The two species as seen here are incredibly similar, yet both maintain prejudiced beliefs about the opposite side. Fairies are supposed to be entitled types, given to taking anything they want, while goblins are allegedly stupid, foul-smelling, and backward, but are in fact bright and technologically advanced.
Of course, such a setup needs a shared foe to unite against, and this is duly provided by some nasty spiders, voiced by Jon Lovitz and Fran Drescher. They make no secret about their intentions: they aim to devour the fairies and goblins, and they make for fairly bloodthirsty, if not especially competent, villains.
Target Audience and Overall Impression
You won’t find very many animated films aimed at the kind of audience that is starting to experience early romances, but aren’t yet mature enough for whatever teenagers view these days instead of popular teen sagas. If your child falls into this age group, this is unlikely to be their next favorite movie, but it’s a decent choice.
The Tooth Fairy Story arrives in Scottish cinemas from 10 October and the rest of the UK from 24 October.
