Tom Hiddleston or Pixie Dust Alchemy?

Before I begin this review, I would appreciate if you check out my previous film review about this Disney movie called Saving Mr. Banks. You can do so by clicking on the post "Behind The Scenes of Mary
Poppins on Screen" in my blog archive on the right. And if you notice one of the scenes when P.L. Travers watched a TV program of Walt Disney in black and white, Tinkerbell appears on the 1960s TV screen. She showers swirls of pixie dust all over Walt Disney to make him float off the floor. That's the power of magic, folks!

Who doesn't love Tinkerbell? If you've a fairy fanatic like me and you're looking for an adventure that is suitable for a kid version of yourself of a youngster you love (your 5-years-old sister or daughter for example), then the new Tinkerbell movie The Pirate Fairy is best for you. Like the other four Tinkerbell movies, this new film has fulfilled the motto "Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust". But not just any pixie dust. Have you ever wonder how pixie dust of other colours and talents are made of? Well, Zarina the new dust keeper fairy is the right person to answer this question.

I love her apron! It stands out among the other dust keepers!

Zarina is known as Tinkerbell 2.0. She has this same inquisitive mind like Tinkerbell and instead of inventing new machines, she invents new pixie dust using a pinch of blue pixie dust (if you have watched Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure, you'll know where blue pixie dust comes from) and a pot (small or huge) of typical golden pixie dust to create six new kinds of pixie dust. These six new pixie dust are in forms of different colours and magic (according to a fairy talent).

Experimenting fast-flying dust!

So we can tell that Tinkerbell is an inspiration to Zarina for trying out new things instead of following the rules. She ignores her leader, Fairy Gary's advice for not to temper pixie dust. When we get to see Zarina's home, she has this mini lab for her to test out new kinds of pixie dust, which I find it pretty cool. In the video clip above, Tinkerbell becomes more aware of the consequences of experimenting pixie dust. Zarina, on the other hand, snatches away Tinkerbell's curious personality and this leaves Tinkerbell a little worried, just like her friends. See the character switch here?

Zarina becomes the second fairy in Pixie Hollow who causes a big mess. History repeats itself as the houses/ buildings got destroyed and the animals got into a panic attack. But this time, Zarina gets a worse punishment than what Tinkerbell got in the first movie (that is not to go to the mainland). Zarina is no longer a dust keeper fairy, and she feels that Pixie Hollow doesn't need her ideas, so she sets off on a journey away from home for one year. One year! Can you imagine that? She goes on a long quest, and then in the end, she's involved in pirate business.

What I love about in this scene is the winter fairies' performance, especially Tinkerbell's sister Periwinkle. It's a pity that she is unable to join Tinkerbell and her friends because she needs snow to stay cold.

One of my favourite parts of the movie is when Tinkerbell and her friends got their talents switched. This is simply one of the best things I've ever seen in Disney Fairies history! I love how they are put to the test in appreciating one another's talents. I find Rosetta's (originally a garden fairy) animal sitting very amusing, especially when she handles an incredibly adorable baby crocodile. Crocodiles are dangerous in the real world, but in the Disney realm, animals are made to have big googly eyes that make them super adorable. I mean, look at the crocodile's eyes in the second video here!

AWWWWWW =3

Who wanna hug this crocodile? Because I would! X3
And also we get to see more action with this little guy here:

If you keep asking how on earth does the crocodile in the Peter Pan movie gets clocky eyes, this scene reveals the answer! Baby Croc still looks adorable with the tick-tock eyeballs. Well, Rosetta, I have to admit, you've made a good mother. XD

Okay, who dares to spill the truth here? Anyone here who squeals when Tom Hiddleston's voice appears from James Hook's tongue? It is awesome of Disney who has this Marvel hottie to be involved in the Disney Fairies world. Not only he plays the secretly-cunning pirate, but he sings too!

Zarina has became part of the pirate crew. And she makes friends with humans quicker the Tinkerbell, don't you think? It takes three movies  for Tinkerbell to face a human who is this 9-years-old British girl, Lizzie (Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue). So, congratulations, Zarina, you've broke the record for meeting a human! But also, she falls into the negative side of the pirates. Pirates are people who cares for treasure, not friendship and promises. So when James Hook locks Zarina up in a lantern, she is definitely dumbfounded. Moral of the story here? Don't trust pirates!

One last thing I love about this movie is the exciting fight scene between the seven fairies (Zarina is included because she feels betrayed by the pirates and helps them to get the oval-shaped case of blue pixie dust back) and five pirates. What I realize in the scene is the theme girls vs. boys. Girls have this stereotype of being small and weak. But the fairies break this trait by fluttering their wings and use their switched talents to beat the evil men, with instructions from Vidia (originally a fast-flying fairy) the Tinker fairy. I also love how Fawn (originally an animal fairy) the light fairy aims a beam of sunlight through a spyglass at a pirate's butt. And Iridessa (orignally a light fairy) the garden fairy summons gigantic seaweed that pulls the pirate boat to one side. Small chicks with big guts! Who knew, right?=D

Zarina is also being a badass in this fight. You should see her holding her sword like a real true pirate, slashing it against Hook's. She is smart too; she uses her method in creating pixie dust (adding a pinch of blue dust to a bunch of yellow dust) to give the nemesis a taste of his ow medicine. He has lured Zarina to help him with getting pixie dust to make his ship (and himself) fly, and now she has earned her revenge. The small ball of blue dust she threw at his body which is completely covered with golden dust makes him go airborne! Now that's a winning attack in style!

Oh! And one more thing! I love how Zarina is finally getting attention by Fairy Gary and the other fairies at the end of the film. Why? Because of how she save Tinkerbell and the gang with the floating pirate ship as a grand entrance in the Four-Seasons Festival (it still resumes after the fairies awake from a two-days deep sleep spell)! And also persuasion from Tinkerbell about how good Zarina is in creating pixie dust based on tinkering, garden, light, animal, water, and fast-flying talents. Queen Clarion, my favourite fairy, is super nice enough for allowing Zarina to have her own talent. She names it "Pixie Dust Alchemy". And I love it! It's like an awesome fairy school course! Winx club reference, anyone? =D

Secret of the Wings is still my favourite Tinkerbell film, but this one stands out in terms of second chances, creativity, and a little ARGHHHH...from a pirate. ;)

Behind-The-Scenes of Mary Poppins on Screen

        No, the title above is not what you think. It's not really about behind-the-scenes of the movie, it's more like a unique, heartwarming story behind the production of Mary Poppins. Saving Mr. Banks is indeed an amazing film,and I highly recommend this film to all Mary Poppins fans, or to those who are hungry for a movie based on a true story to cuddle with a blanket and cry for.

        One thing I love about this movie is the flashbacks and flash-forwards we see in P.L.Travers' past and present. The movie begins with a scene when little Helen Goff (P.L.Travers' real name) squats down on a grassy field with her eyes closed, imagining herself being a fantasy character called "Princess Ginty". And then we are brought to the present when mature P.L.Travers sat at her desk with a frowny look on her face. And there's a pattern going on throughout the film, that is a flashback is presented about her past (including the times she has with her father Travers Goff) and then a flash-forward back to the present when she goes on this journey on turning her Mary Poppins book into a film with the whimsical and jovial Walt Disney. At first I thought there are too many flashbacks at the beginning, but then as the flashbacks keep coming in, I realize that the flashbacks are related to P.L.Travers' experiences in being in the Walt Disney studios and the Beverly Hills hotel.

          In fact, the flashbacks and flash-forwards reveal symbolism! Take the first sight she has in her hotel room for example. She groans and frowns when she sees a room full of Disney stuffed dolls, balloons, and fruit baskets. She doesn't appreciate the welcoming gifts from Disney (obviously) and so she dump them all away in the hotel room closet. But before this, she snatches the green pears away from a fruit basket and throws them to the pool in the middle of the surrounding hotel buildings. Of course at first I have no clue on why she throws them away. Is it because she hates pears? The answer is then revealed further in the film when we see little Helen Goff drops pears she is holding and rushes to her father who dies in his bed (he is incredibly sick). The pears symbolize her last sight of her father, and with her apology of dropping the pears, she wishes she could hear her father's voice, but there isn't a reply.

        Another symbolism is more on P.L.Travers background, that is she belongs to a high class society. She is from London, so we know that she is more into sophisticated parties. When she approaches the elevator doors of the hotel, she sees a bar at a few feet away from her distance and she has this urge to go in there. This shows that she wants to fit in into the well-dressed people and the more mature atmosphere with well-developed conversations and wine-drinking. She ends up going in the bar further in the film and instead of wine, she orders a pot of tea. Well, what can I say? She's an English citizen all right.

          And anyone realize how important that Mickey Mouse doll is? When she first saw that giant stuffed mouse sitting on the bed in her hotel room, she didn't squeeze it with the rest of the stuff in the closet. Instead, she just put it at a corner with its head facing the curtains. Then, somewhere in the middle of the film, she has a hard time falling asleep that night. So she gets out of the bed and takes the Mickey Mouse doll from the corner. Like a pillow, Mickey Mouse cushions against P.L.Travers' head that entire night. I am like..awww! She has given everyone's favourite iconic character a chance to cuddle. And then when she quits the film and returns to London because of Walt's adamant decision of using animation without her approval, she brings Mickey the doll with her! At the dining table, Mickey is sitting opposite her with that same wide smile. This time, P.L.Travers sees life in Mickey Mouse the doll, kind of like a real mouse. Mickey Mouse, in fact, represents Walt Disney who has a wild hurricane of imagination comes to life in that 1960 generation. And when she looks at the doll, she sees Disney begging her to sign her agreement papers. And she does!

         If you look at the poster above, Walt Disney (played by the one and only Tom Hanks, voice of Woody the Sheriff in Toy Story trilogy) has a Mickey Mouse shadow. And as for P.L.Travers (played by Emma Thompson), she has a Mary Poppins shadow. So, both of these protagonists has their fictional heroes that help them through with their lives, and to entertain people too.

     Speaking of Mary Poppins as a hero, the character of Travers' book is actually inspired by her family and her experiences in the past. The title, Saving Mr. Banks, is based on her father, Travers Goff who is obsessed with his new job at a bank and gives a proud speech about money (in the town fair scene) but then P. L. Travers wants to save her father's health (because of him coughing blood). In a flashback, the little girl finds a bottle of wine which is hidden by her mother and slips it into his father's covers while he is asleep. The father's job as an accountant takes lead to the character Mr. Banks in the Mary Poppins story. Back in the present, we get to see several scenes when Pamela (her full first name) Travers got distracted with the the painful memories she encounters with her father. She explodes when Don, the co-scriptwriter and the Sherman brothers sing the "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" song because it reminds her of her father who gives the greedy-money speech. Since she uses her father's characteristics to create the character Mr. Banks, she realizes how painful and scary it must have been for her to overcome her feelings towards her father who has became a drunkard and a money addict. Even though her father loves her unconditionally, she couldn't resist on the new habits her father has ever since her family moves away from her home. When they finishes singing, she blames them for making Mr. Banks a "cruel" character. Isn't Mr. Banks supposes to be the antagonist in her story? He is supposed to be cruel right? I guess the song makes Mr. Banks an even worse antagonist than she ever thought.

       She also takes a look at the sketches of the characters done by the Disney team and it turns out that Mr. Banks looks like a fusion of her father and Walt Disney's father. Walt Disney explains the reason why he adds a mustache on Mr.Banks face. He reveals his family's background: his father being a newspaper deliverer and he has to help him to do the job, especially in bitter snowy days.
It is his harsh childhood that teaches him to stay strong and have a new beginning, and Mickey Mouse is eventually his first step of becoming enormously famous. P.L.Travers is then encouraged to forgive him for not knowing that her Mary Poppins books are a tribute to her late father Travers Goff. I guess the reason why Walt Disney adds the mustache to Mr. Banks in the film is because he wants the character to be a little tribute to his father too.

      And if you guess that our beloved Mary Poppins is inspired by the author's nanny, you are right.  In one of her flashbacks, the nanny is like a mirror to the character in the film. The real nanny is more of a mature, strict lady with dark clothing and nearly grey hair. But as I look at her bag, it looks almost like the film version. The objects she pulls out from her bag is just like the film. The umbrella with the parrot head handle is similar to the movie too! I see the resemblance here. =)

Ok, one last thing I want to point out is the author's real name. Helen Goff is her actual name, and she changes into this legal name Pamela L. Travers. Why is that? Well, as the film goes on, mystery begin to spread open its pages as Walt Disney sees her flight itinerary with the name Helen Goff printed on it. He then racks his brain for a bit as he flies all the way to London just to convince Pamela once again! I am like...WOW! He really doesn't give up on her! He is definitely a trustworthy person who never break the promise of his daughters for creating a Mary Poppins movie! Anyway, when he meets Pamela in London, he spills about his realization that her name is adapted from her father Travers Goff. She omits the last name and uses her father's name to replace it. She really loves her father and I think it's a smart way to fool someone with such a whole new legal name.

P.L. Travers never change her habit of stuffing her suitcase into a plane compartment or carrying her luggage with two elderly but strong hands. However, there is a big character development in her. Her perspectives change from being narrow-minded to a little open-minded, especially when it comes to her profound relationship with her limo driver Ralph. I am stunned at the way they converse and their comfort in sharing their personal lives. And the part when she becomes a kid again by plucking out leaves from the pasture and making a "sculpture" of a mini garden? That's priceless! One of the most interesting scenes I've ever seen! She even pours her cup of tea into a long scarred hole to create a river! She also transforms from a frowny person to a little cheerful one. Proof? The fact that she dances with Don when they sing "Let's Go Fly A Kite"! It takes time  for her to take her into the power of a musical, or at least happy, silly music. And slowly, she builds trust in the Disney crew and Walt himself. We get to see a soft spot in Pamela L. Travers (at last) when she cries during the near end of the premiere in that famous Chinese theater in Hollywood. She has one final flashback of her father and it reminds her that she is not alone and her father will be always be by her side.

So what do you think of the movie? And what do you think of my review? I hope you'll be swept off into a world of sweet nostalgia of the Mary Poppins movie like I do. Remember, SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS! Leave them in the comments below! ;) Thanks and see you in the next post!

Japanese Splendor

Taking my first Japanese class is definitely a bliss and I'll never forget what I learn, well..sort of..I'll probably gonna revise through the textbook if I have time. I don't know whether I'll take further Japanese course because if you have been following my blog for a while, I'm planning to change majors from creative writing (yes I have to kiss it goodbye but I'll never stop writing poems, stories, and memoirs) to journalism or editing (anything that includes writing). It would be awesome if I take Basic Japanese II but I have to see whether I can take one more course before I graduate. I still have five courses left to take and I plan to use them all with either Print Futures or Communications. Anyway, this idea got stuck in my head when a man talked to me in a bus stop this afternoon. He asked me what program I'm taking and as I answered "creative writing", he was impressed because not much young people take such a program. I agree! WE NEED MORE YOUNG WRITERS! And not just any young people, but ASIAN WRITERS!!! 
Lol...anyway, hope you enjoy this new poem I wrote. ;) It just flowed from my fingers on the laptop keyboard in minutes. XD

Learn a new language is in my resolution,
and at first my mind was a blurry
but my heart was skipping like a lark.
Never knew that Japanese class
could be so much fun,
and I'll never forget this class.

Throughout this four-months journey,
I've never been involved in a circle for so long.
The interaction with colleagues feels so real
and the laughter from silly errors is contagious.
Never knew that I can have a new language tongue,
a new speech that I have achieved,
well...partially.

A friendly grin
followed by "O genki desu ka"
is always there whenever I enter the classroom.
I feel like a welcomed guest.
The Sensee encourages us to learn and to understand,
to practice and to master
the characters, grammar, and vocabulary
like a ninja who succeeds in throwing a shuriken
at a goof far distance.

Now the road has come to an end.
I realize that time speeds by
and we never know when we will see each other again.
Yet
like a bud that peels its petals open
in a Sakura tree,
our eyes are opened to a whole new world
with a new language we are able to speak.
Someday I'll bump into a local Nihonjin
and greet with a joyful "Ohaiyoo".



<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br /><span xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" property="dct:title">Japanese Splendor</span> by <a xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" href="http://thetruemichelehii.blogspot.ca/2014/04/japanese-splendor.html" property="cc:attributionName" rel="cc:attributionURL">Michele Hii</a> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.