Review: Spellbound

Although it was overshadowed by some more "popular" moviegoing experiences this weekend, Spellbound is one of this year's most anticipated releases amongst old-school Disney Princess fans. Promising to bring back the feel of classic animated films, the movie was released by the relatively new Skydance Animation Studio and distributed by Netflix. The Disney tie-in comes from its creative team, using the renowned Alan Menken and Glenn Slater for its music and lyrics and featuring many well-known actors for its voice talent, including Rachel Zegler, Disney's upcoming Snow White, in the lead role of Princess Ellian. The movie takes place in a Latin American-inspired medieval kingdom reminiscent of Elena of Avalor. Does it live up to the hype? Let's explore.

The premise of the movie, which is shoved in our face from the expository opening song, is that Princess Ellian's parents, the king and queen of Lumbria, have mysteriously turned into monsters, forcing the underage princess to take on the heavy burden of ruling the kingdom by herself. At 14, Ellian is young even by fairy tale princess standards, yet her advisors claim that she can be in charge of the entire kingdom at 15. This is either a reference to the shorter lifespans in the Middle Ages or the Latina coming-of-age ceremony called a Quinceañera, which is traditionally held for girls who turn 15. Ellian's goal to return her parents to normal is well established within minutes of the film. What it doesn't reveal is why her parents have become monsters or what they were like as humans. This is its biggest flaw that prevents its core message from getting through until the film is practically over.

For most of Spellbound, we see Ellian's struggles to keep her parents, who have been essentially reduced to hostile housepets, under control. The royal guard struggles to keep their curse a secret and pushes all royal duties onto Ellian, forcing her to grow up sooner than she's ready for. The first half or so of the movie is drawn out by Ellian chasing after a couple of queer-coded oracles to learn how to break her parents' curse. During these adventures, a personality swap happens to two minor characters that have absolutely no effect on the story. Eventually, small traces of her parents' humanity return such as their ability to speak English, but we still know very little about them. It isn't until the movie is practically over that its true message about how marital struggles can turn parents into monsters is revealed.

Although it may be a spoiler because it's revealed so late in the film, the movie serves no other purpose than trying to help children cope with parents who are separated or divorced. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this as it is an issue that many children struggle with, and fairy tale allegories help with all kinds of personal struggles. The problem is that after all the filler, the film is left with only minutes left to address the issue. There were many ways this could have been fixed such as starting it before the curse so we can see how Ellian missed her parents' struggles with each other. She also could have found the fabled Lake of Light earlier in the movie and spent more time figuring out why it didn't turn them back. Instead, the film took shortcuts by trying to distract its audience with nostalgic music and fun character designs instead of focusing on its main message.

Spellbound is an animated princess film that promises to deliver a classic animated experience but falls short in its execution. Despite its stunning animation, memorable voice talent, and nostalgic music, the movie's message is overshadowed by its meandering plot and lack of character development. The film's attempt to address children of divorce is commendable, but its late reveal and rushed resolution leave much to be desired. With some tweaks to its storytelling and pacing, Spellbound could have been a truly spellbinding experience. As it stands, it's a missed opportunity to create a timeless Disney-inspired classic.