Spellbound Review

There’s been no official announcement, but the simultaneous arrival of Wicked in cinemas and the animated Spellbound on Netflix marks the firing of the starting pistol for this year’s Christmas movie season. Wicked would seem to have a ready made audience, Netflix is offering something original, the first film from their deal with Skydance and all the Pixar heritage that implies. There’s a lot riding on it.

Director Vicky Jenson (Shrek) has described the film as a traditional fairy tale, but with a modern twist. So there’s a kingdom, a king and a queen, a magic spell and, at the centre of it all, their daughter Ellian, an independent and determined princess. The two rulers of the magical land of Lumbria have been changed into monsters by a mysterious spell, leaving the country in the young hands of Ellian. But, in the absence of its king and queen, Lumbria starts to fall apart, and it’s down to the princess to discover the source of the spell and reverse it, so that life in the otherwise idyllic country can get back to normal.

That Pixar influence is hard to avoid and, on paper, looks like an asset. John Lasseter’s departure may have been under the darkest of clouds, but his success in the animation industry meant he was almost immediately snapped up by Skydance. The legendary Alan Menken is behind the songs and that, coupled with Jenson’s experience at DreamWorks and the fact that this isn’t a franchise film, all raises expectations. Indeed, it looks and feels familiar – the fairytale setting, the clean-cut computer generated animation – and that’s comforting, but it also points to a lack of originality. Those hybrid creatures – flying big cats are the favoured method of transport – rainbow fields (check them out in Wicked at well) and Ellian’s more-irritating-than-cute pet are all staples. And they all add to the disappointingly low magic levels.

This is a film about families instead of being for them, wrapping a contemporary situation inside a fairy tale. And it’s an issue that will ring bells for adult and younger audiences. It’s given added piquancy by Ellian (Rachel Zegler) being an only child so, once her parents have become monsters, she’s very much by herself and has to rely on her own resources and determination. This more serious side of the narrative is where the film scores: anybody without brothers or sisters will identify with her and it strikes the perfect note for the character. But we’re made to wait too long to find out the reason why her parents have turned into monsters and, by the time all is revealed, we’re starting to get tired of the feeling that we’ve seen this all before – and heard it, as Menken’s songs all merge into a musical mass that’s less than memorable.

Despite all the talent thrown at Spellbound – and it’s considerable – it marks an uneven start to the Netflix/Skydance partnership. For a pre-holiday treat, what sparkle it has lags behind the contemporary storyline, so there are times when it’s surprisingly sombre. It partially saves itself with an ending that mercifully avoids being the usual pat “happy ever after.” But it’s not enough.