Spellbound Review: Enchanting But The Songs Lack Magic
Director: Vicky Jenson
Writers: Vicky Jenson, Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin
Review by: Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Ah, it’s such a joy to see movies where the creators aren’t afraid of colors! And if ‘too colorful’ sounds like a nightmare to you, steer clear of the 2024 animated movie “Spellbound”.
Actor Rachel Zegler (Westside Story/Shazam! Fury of the Gods) voices Princess Ellian, who is about to turn fifteen and has already been dealing with more than a teen can handle – running an entire kingdom, because her parents are monsters. Quite literally. King Solon (Javier Bardem) and Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) are cursed during a forest trip, turning into giant, destructive, bickering (but cute-looking) beasts. Princess Ellian must find a way to turn them back into humans, or they will remain monsters forever!
The first half of “Spellbound” is super cute and a lot of fun, with Princess Ellian pouring all her time and energy into managing her chaotic, monster-ified parents. Thankfully, she’s got her trusty ministers, Nazara (Jenifer Lewis) and Bolinar (John Lithgow), to help out. Eventually, Ellian seeks guidance from the Oracles of the Moon and Sun—Luno (Tituss Burgess) and Sunny (Nathan)—who suggest taking her parents to a magical lake. The catch? The journey involves trekking through a dark, danger-filled forest. And with the King and Queen constantly bickering in their hybrid animal forms, it’s anything but smooth sailing.
The animation by Skydance Animation, just like their previous work “Luck”, is very bright, vibrant, with adorable fantasy creatures. “Spellbound” kicks off with Ellian riding an adorable magical creature—a fluffy mix of tiger, cat, and owl, complete with wings. And one thing I loved about Princess Ellian is how, unlike most Disney princesses, she rocks pants and riding boots instead of impractical gowns. In one scene, she even wears something that looks like it’s inspired by Indian dhoti pants (seriously, look it up!).
One of the weakest aspects of Spellbound is its music. Aside from the opening track, which is entertaining thanks to Ellian’s quirky take on her “monster parents,” the rest of the songs feel repetitive and uninspired. For a musical, this is a glaring shortfall—the creators should have put more effort into crafting memorable tracks. Unlike Encanto, Frozen, and other popular animated films, Spellbound lacks a single standout song to leave a lasting impression.
The second-half of “Spellbound” is quite dragged out, with an unnecessary sequence of Princess Ellian saving a helpless creature in the dark forest, to establish her brave spirit. Seriously, she’s been running an entire kingdom for a year and caring for her cursed parents like a devoted pet parent. We didn’t need extra scenes to know she has a heart of gold. Ellian’s charm is obvious from the very first few frames of the film!
When Ellian finally reaches the lake, Spellbound dives into some emotionally heavy themes—but it doesn’t quite explain them in a way that kids would fully grasp. For older viewers, though, it works as a clever metaphor: bickering parents can seem monstrous to their children, unintentionally forcing them into adult responsibilities. Teen Ellian is completely drained from trying to ‘fix’ her parents when she should be focusing on herself and enjoying life as a teenager. While Spellbound has its heart in the right place, the overly stretched second half makes the ending a bit of a slog to get through.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Spellbound’ on Netflix.
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