The Tooth Fairy Story Film Analysis: Animated Adventure with a Touch of Family-Friendly Preteen Love Story
Throughout this animated adventure for preteens, the world of fairies focuses on gathering teeth from slumbering children and leaving treasure under their pillows. Skateboarding teenage rebel fairy Van (voiced by Booboo Stewart) shows little enthusiasm about devoting his life to gathering baby teeth—a feeling that’s entirely reasonable. He’s only slightly more curious about the underlying economics behind it all: the fairies hand over the molars to mysterious goblins, who supply gold in exchange. But Van’s curiosity grows when he spots a goblin (played by Larkin Bell), who proves to be far from the ugly creature he had imagined.
A Forbidden Connection and Common Enemy
Everything is prepared for an exciting quest with a light sprinkling of young love (even though it remains perfectly appropriate for children). The goblin and fairy communities are separated from one another, and nothing fuels the thrill of the forbidden to bring people together. Both groups portrayed in the film are incredibly similar, yet both maintain biased views about the opposite side. Fairies are said to be entitled types, given to taking anything they want, while the goblins are reportedly dim-witted, foul-smelling, and backward, but are actually bright and technologically advanced.
Naturally, this scenario needs a shared foe to join forces against, and that need is met by a group of vicious spiders, with voices by Jon Lovitz and Fran Drescher. They make no secret about their intentions: they want to eat the fairies and goblins, and they serve as quite savage, if not particularly skilled, villains.
Target Audience and Overall Impression
You won’t find very many children’s animations aimed at the kind of audience that is starting to experience early romances, but are not old enough for the content 14-year-olds are watching instead of Twilight. Should your youngster is in the right age bracket, this is unlikely to become their new all-time fave, but you could do worse.
The Tooth Fairy Story releases in movie theaters in Scotland starting October 10 and the rest of the UK from 24 October.