Warning: Minor spoilers for Spellbound
Netflix’s latest magical family adventure musical,Spellboundis already getting dragged through the mud in the reviews. While the production values are incredibly high, witha star-studded castandsongs written by two of Broadway’s greatest songwriters, it’s clear from its 45% rating onRotten Tomatoesthat this story about familial conflict hasn’t left audiences spellbound.
The film follows Elian, the Princess of Lumbria (Rachel Zegler), who has been working with her royal ministers (John Lithgow and Jenifer Lewis) to hide the fact that her parents, the king (Javier Bardem) and queen (Nicole Kidman), have beenturned into giant monsters by a curse. When the Oracles of the Sun and Moon (Titus Burgess and Nathan Lane) fail to give any helpful advice and the family secret is revealed,Elian decides to take her parents into the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness in hopes of finding a cure.
Spellbound Tries Saying Serious Things About Family Struggles But Is Basically Talking With Its Mouth Full
Despite Several Good Moments, Spellbound Hasn’t Been A Hit With Critics
Much ofSpellbound’s script crackles with clever dialogue, and its core message is a surprisingly profound statement about needing to accept the nature of how families and relationships change over time. Elian learns to speak up for herself and her own needs to her parents, and her parents realize that their relationship hasn’t been a healthy one and that they need to separate.
Then there’s “Remembering,” one of the film’s most emotional songs, where the transformed parents articulate their struggles with trying to remember Elian and their lives before the curse.It’s a powerful piece, with excellent performances by Kidman and Bardem, and much of it will resonate with anyone who has had to struggle with the tragedy of a loved one losing their memory.
Yet for all this poignancy,Spellboundcan’t maintain a consistent tone. John Lithgow’s character, the pretentious Minister Bolinar, accidentally switches bodies with Elian’s little purple almost-hamster companion Flink and winds up tagging along with Elian. He gets an entire musical number about learning to be less concerned with appearances, but while hearing Lithgow sing about shaking his “big fat caboose” is clever, and the ethos of the song fits the film, the delivery seems out of place compared to the much more personal emotional journeys of Elian and her parents.It’s too dissonantfor anyone to get used to.
Spellbound’s Songs Were Written By Broadway Greats And Unfortunately, That Doesn’t Work Out Well
Spellbound’s
In the end,it’sSpellbound’s songs that are the weakest part of the film, and that’s unfortunate. With the music composed by Disney legend and EGOT achiever Alan Menken and lyrics by his longtime collaborator Glenn Slater, all the pieces were there for another success on the same level as their last musical collaboration, 2010’s smash hitTangled. Yet most ofSpellbound’s music feels unfinished and awkwardly dense. While several are entertaining in their own right, few go far enough to leave lasting impressions.
The visuals from studio Skydance Animation are absolutely gorgeous, particularly the shockingly adorable baby gryphons.
The Broadway legends seem to have hit an unfortunately sour note withSpellbound, and that’s a pity, because the film has plenty of clever choices. The visuals from studio Skydance Animation are absolutely gorgeous, particularly the shockingly adorable baby gryphons. Burgess and Lane as the diminutive Oracles are hilarious, with enough odd-couple bickering between them that it almost seems that Lane is channeling his character from 1996’sThe Birdcage. For the most part, the script avoids leaning too hard on easy tropes and allows the characters to genuinely struggle. Unfortunately, though,Spellboundjust can’t get its audience under its spell.
Spellbound
Cast
Spellbound, directed by Vicky Jenson, follows Princess Ellian on her adventurous quest to rescue her family and kingdom. As a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters, Ellian must navigate this perilous journey to restore the King and Queen of Lumbria.
