Shout! Studio & Automatic Entertainment
Available on VOD
Spoiler Alert
Van (Booboo Stewart) isn’t your typical teenage boy, and in A Tooth Fairy Tale, he’s more than just the odd kid out. I like to describe him as a punk-rock version of Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. The parallels are certainly there, especially when considering DreamWorks’ adaptation: Van has issues with his father, who expects him to one day take over the family business. And, unsurprisingly, he has to prove himself by being the next in line to retrieve a loose molar from a human child.
When Van discovers that goblins are also on a similar mission, his curiosity about the wider world begins to grow. Each species in this realm—trolls, spiders, goblins—has a specific role to play, and just who counts as friend or foe is largely a matter of perspective. In this story, it’s the arachnoids that pose the real threat. I appreciated how they were portrayed as silent, creeping dangers rather than loud, chaotic villains.
Had this story been set in the real world, I’d say it draws inspiration from West Side Story. Van’s budding attraction to the charismatic goblin Gemma (Larkin Bell) is a central subplot. Much like Hiccup and Astrid’s early, awkward courtship, their interactions are endearingly clumsy and full of humor. There are sidekicks, of course, but they don’t contribute much beyond comic relief.
Even the character designs are aesthetically pleasing. While not every element like the hair is animated, that took getting used to. I rewatched the film to determine if the trolls received more attention in their creation, given their hairier appearance, and there was no difference. I’m glad they are nothing like the kind who sing and dance. Instead, these creatures have an original spin to them that made me appreciate this film more.
As a student of folklore, the fact they are not your traditional kind made me giggle. The film clearly shows that one should never mess with their hair. When properly provoked, their wildness made the film more than any other moment. I’m only sad there are no gremlins included in the mix, but that can always be saved for a sequel, should one ever get made!
4 Stars out of 5
A Tooth Fairy Tale Trailer
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