The Pirate Fairy

The fifth installment of the Disney Fairies, The Pirate Fairy is both my favorite and least favorite.

Rather than open with a fairy-tale style narration or poem, it begins with a more traditional title reveal, and launches into Natasha Bedingfield’s “Who I Am” which plays as we meet Zarina, “the Tinker Bell of dust keepers.”

As naturally inquisitive Zarina tries to find out everything pixie dust can do, she accidentally destroys the Dust Depot, is stripped of her role as dust keeper, and leaves Pixie Hollow.

When she returns a year later to steal the blue dust (used to create pixie dust) for the band of pirates she’s joined, the Pixie Hollow Gang must work together to retrieve the dust, a task made more difficult by Zarina and her new dust.

Of  all the Fairies flicks, this movie has the best developed plot. Each scene evolves from the previous, and while there are some moments of “well that was convenient,” nothing feels out of place.

Even the exposition is done well: a few scenes before Zarina switches their talents, each of the PHG has a line of dialogue which works within the action but also reminds the audience which talent they have. Iridessa (light fairy) mentions the glow of the blue dust; Vidia (fast flyer) mentions how quickly Zarina is moving; Fawn (animal fairy) apologizes when they run into an owl; Silvermist (water fairy) notes that they must be near the coast because of the dense mist they have to fly through.

I love how the fairies are shown struggling to master their new talents. Each is considered exceptional at her own talent, but that skill doesn’t transfer over. In the end, they lean on and learn from each other to save the day. It’s delightful.

Also, Tom Hiddleston does a wonderful job with the young version of Captain Hook. His performance is equal parts Jason Isaacs (Peter Pan) and Dustin Hoffman (Hook).

The biggest problem I have with this movie is how it seems to exist outside of the rest of the Disney Fairies universe.

In Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, we learned that blue pixie dust is made every eight years at the Autumn Revelry; the dust is collected then brought to the Pixie Dust Tree so it can keep making dust. In The Pirate Fairy, the dust keepers must add dust to the tree every day.

While both of these could be necessary, Fairy Gary calls the pieces of dust “smidges” in one film but “specks” in the other. Also, in Lost Treasure, the fairies play in the blue dust as it falls, but in Pirate Fairy, we learn that if the blue dust comes in contact with regular pixie dust on someone, he’s propelled through the air, bouncing off anything he hits, like a bad pinball game.

Aside from those breaks from canon, the film is really enjoyable. It’s got something for everyone: action, adventure, comedy, and a couple of great lessons. All wrapped up with Bedingfield’s “Weightless” at the end, it’s a great flick to watch with the family.

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