I, like many, grew up watching Disney movies. I’ve seen the classics: Cinderella, Snow White, Bambi. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed seeing the newer additions to the Disney family: The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, and the Toy Story movies. Disney movies are full of fun, humor and adventure. They appeal to boys and girls of all ages, showcasing heroes and heroines at their finest.
I was recently given the opportunity to review two DVD’s from the Disney Collection: Brave and Secret of the Wings.
Brave came to the movie theaters this past June, wowing audiences with yet another amazing adventure. The setting of Brave is the Highlands of Scotland where the heroine of the movie, Merida, lives as a skilled archer. One day, after a disagreement with her mother over a marriage betrothal, Merida goes to a witch for help, but the end result is that her family is cursed. Her mother (and eventually her triplet brothers) turns into a bear. Merida sets off on a journey to undo the spell. Along the way, she learns much about herself, her pride and about reconciliation.
I watched the movie with my 4-year old son, who absolutely loved the adventure in Brave. I appreciated that the heroine was an independent and strong woman. The movie’s story lines were enticing. He especially liked the bears and the relationship Merida had with her brothers. This is not your typical “Disney Princess” movie, which lets it appeal to all kids.
Next, we had the chance to review Secret of the Wings. This is one of the movies in the Tinker Bell series. The seasons are changing from Autumn to Winter, and Tinker Bell and her friends (who are “warm fairies”) are forbidden to go to Winter Woods. Tinker Bell, ever with a mind of her own, finds herself in Winter Woods. She is surprised to see her wings are sparkling, and is curious as to why. As she journeys for answers, she is introduced to The Lord of Winter as well as a few Frost Fairies. Think quickly becomes friends with one of the fairies named Periwinkle. Soon they are faced with a problem and work together to save Pixie Hollow.
This is another Disney Movie that isn’t just “all princesses.” I like that they are boy and girl fairies (boys are called “Sparrow Men”), each with unique personalities and skills. The story of Tinker Bell finding a long-lost sister was exciting to my four year old. He likes anything adventurous Many think Tinkerbell is only “for girls,” but we found it to be engaging for boys as well.
Both movies had good plots and we had the added benefit of watching them both on a 3D Television.
Disclosure: I received a sample of the movies to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.
