Skydance Animation must be taking lessons from Disney with their latest film Spellbound. That’s because the heroine is a princess, and after seeing her parents argue, the argument transformed them into giant furry beasts. Ellian (Rachel Zegler) has to break the curse. This task will be difficult and as much of this backstory is told in song, what comes next is her trying to maintain the kingdom while questing at the same time. This teen is as adventurous as Merida from Brave, but as for who is in the know, only Minister Bolinar (John Lithgow) and Nazara (Jenifer Lewis), do.
As for the rest of the kingdom, they are blissfully unaware. The young lady has managed everything, and I believe this film is great showing teens they should learn how to be responsible, and take charge when needed. The message is important to note, and although she’s close to getting her parents back, she has to understand what she’s become and also the new boundaries, as the film implies the king and queen are no longer in love.
Whenever anger manifests, a dark tornado emerges from out of nowhere. It’s an attempt to mirror Mononoke Hime, but not everyone will get it. This negativity is hard to get rid of, and while some can control it, others can’t. Most people should understand what this twister represents; It’s tough to not want to feel selfish. But with the king, the queen and a princess at odds, the question is if they can find a middle ground so everyone can be happy?
Disney’s answer is to express that gratitude in song rather than actual dialogue, and that’s where this film gets weak. But also, will Ellen be the next ruler of Lumbria? I suspect she can. Even though this tale was muddled with a lot of unnecessary Disney style baggage, I quite enjoyed the film. But ultimately, Lithgow’s performance wins out overall. I won’t reveal what happens to him, but if I was a child again watching this film, my focus would be on him!
But for a second film from a studio that struck gold with the wonderful short, Blush (review link), and later on their feature-length, Luck (ibid), I’ll be keeping my eyes on their future projects. The people they are hiring to write and direct are better off being original than copying from Disney, and as long as they understand that path, I believe PIXAR has a rival for getting films to play at movie theatres than streaming!
3½ Stars out of 5
Spellbound Movie Trailer
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