It’s clear from the start that Spellbound wants to be seen in the same light as the animated greats. You can draw many similarities between this and many of your favorite animated movies, Disney movies in particular. And while it has the framework to reach those heights, the inner workings aren’t entirely there.
Spellbound plot
Set in the magical world of Lumbria, Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler) has had a rough year. Her parents, King Solon (Javier Bardem) and Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman), were afflicted by a mysterious curse that turned them both into monsters.
Ellian and the royal staff are growing short of excuses for why the King and Queen have not been seen in public for the last year. With time running out before the curse cannot be reversed, Ellian must take on a daring and dangerous quest to save her parents and the kingdom.
Spellbound review
While not a Disney production, Spellbound has many of the broad markings of the best animated musicals the House of Mouse has to offer. Lovable, witty princess who finds herself in over her head? Check. Cute, funny animal sidekick? You bet. Legitimate laughs mixed in with the larger messaging? Absolutely. Alan Menken scoring and composing? Yup (Glenn Slater wrote the song lyrics). Add in Vicky Jenson (Shrek) in the director’s chair, and this should be a slam dunk mega-hit.
Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case here. Let’s start with the songs. Menken’s music is great – as is his score. But the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. Nothing would have necessarily been lost by not making Spellbound a musical. So if you’re going to go that route, you have to make it worth it. Sadly, the lyrics are simply bland and forgettable.
Not every movie is going to have a hit like “Let It Go” or “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” or “A Whole New World” or any of the other countless hits. But the best musicals will at least have one or two memorable songs. That’s not what we have here. It results in any positive momentum grinding to a halt whenever a new song starts. And it’s especially disappointing considering Slater wrote the lyrics for Tangled’s songs (not that anyone’s asking, but if someone were to ask me, “I See the Light” is the best Disney song).
But the songs are only a small part. Spellbound is very broad in its messaging, often to a fault. It touches on some important ideas, and tries to handle them in a way for kids to understand and grapple with. It is pretty effective at speaking to its intended audience at their level, and it’s to be commended for that. But it tends to lose focus on one idea to start on another.
The one most will probably focus on is what it means to be a family, in particular how that plays out amid familial strife. Who’s to blame for conflicts within the family, if there even is specific blame to assign? How does that affect parents, children, everyone in the family? It’s a good topic that everyone can relate to in one way or another. Anyone watching, no matter how young or old, will be able to apply their own personal experiences, helping them better connect to the story and characters.
Now, to everyone’s credit, there is one choice made near the end of the movie that was unexpected. Not a lot of kids movies would do this, and Jenson, screenwriters Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, and Julia Miranda, should be commended for it. But if that late-breaking surprise represents the big picture of Spellbound, not enough was done to properly set it up.
But Spellbound still offers enough to make it a fun watch. The voice cast is terrific, led by Zegler. John Lithgow as a palace Minister and Nathan Lane and Titus Burgess as Oracles Ellian calls in for help are particular highlights of the supporting cast.
The adventure setup is also an easy win. It’s inherently fun seeing likable characters go through an important adventure together. And when working in animation versus live-action, the movie can get creative in different ways with the world building and how the characters interact with this unfamiliar territory.
But the best thing Spellbound has going for it is its humor. It uses situational humor, physical comedy, one-liners. It has everything in its bag. There aren’t any “big” laughs, but it’s consistently funny throughout. And Hynek, Martin, and Miranda have great timing, placing jokes at just the right time when the story feels like it’s lagging.
Is Spellbound worth watching?
Spellbound is not quite as insightful or emotionally resonant as the top-tier animated children’s films. But it’s a cute, fun adventure that younger audiences will still have a blast with.
Spellbound is now streaming on Netflix.
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