Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy

Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy has built a real following in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus among viewers who do not usually seek out animation. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 1,086 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it in order — the character development is cumulative. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The look of Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy gets people in the door, but the writing is what keeps them there. Zarina, a smart and ambitious dust-keeper fairy who’s captivated by Blue Pixie Dust and its endless possibilities, flees Pixie Hollow and joins forces with the scheming pirates of Skull Rock, who make her captain of their ship. Tinker Bell and her friends must embark on an epic adventure to find Zarina, and together they go sword-to-sword with the band of pirates led by a cabin boy named James, who’ll soon be known as Captain Hook himself. Every line from Mae Whitman and Christina Hendricks lands with more craft than you'd expect. It hit screens in 2014. The animation style is distinctive enough to be immediately recognisable, but it is the writing underneath that keeps viewers coming back for more. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy belongs on any best-of list regardless of format. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Mae Whitman's voice work is a big part of what makes it distinctive. If you have been sleeping on it because of the format, the format is not the thing here.