Watched Strange Magic
May. 30th, 2015 09:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynet_iiStrange Magic is an animated jukebox musical about two lands living side by side- the bright and warm world of the fairies and elves, and the dark forest, home to goblins and bog creatures. Primrose flowers grow at the border of the two lands, the petals of which the Sugarplum Fairy can use to make love potions. However, the Bog King, ruler of the dark forest, has put a ban on love and regularly sends his minions out to destroy the primrose flowers, as well as imprisoning the Sugarplum Fairy in his dungeon.
Meanwhile, in the Fairy Kingdom, there are two hopeful suitors in desperate want of a love potion. Roland, a handsome warrior who broke the heart of the Princess Marianne on their wedding day and still hopes to reconcile with her and become King, and Sunny, an elf with an unrequited love for Marianne's boy-crazy sister, Dawn. Roland convinces Sunny to enter the dark forest and bring back a love potion, something that does not please the Bog King. Before too long there's a missing love potion, a princess that needs to be rescued, and an army being assembled.
Overall I enjoyed this movie, although I can sort of tell why this was a critical failure? I think its biggest issue is that several elements feel pretty forced. For instance, it being a jukebox musical- using preexisting songs- meant that there were moments in the movie where I had the distinct sensation that the writers were trying desperately to figure out how to write the story around a song, rather than the songs being used to advance or add to the story.
The romances were also kind of forced- Marianne and the Bog King's romance wasn't bad, but I was kind of conscious of the fact they fell in love over the course of a single night. And as for the Sunny/Dawn ship, literally the only indication of romantic interest I really perceived on her end was when she said "I love you," after Sunny broke the love spell on her.
Your tolerance for this movie will probably also depend on how "eugh" the concept of love potions makes you. The film does show the usage of it as being selfish and potentially horrifying, but in general is pretty casual about it in a way that some people might find off-putting.
But like I said, I enjoyed it overall? Most of the musical numbers were pretty enjoyable, although there were a few I found grating, it's a very pretty movie, and while the story's a little weak it's still serviceable. And I was invested in the main romance, even if at the same time I was going "Um, you haven't known each other very long..."
I think, essentially, that there's a bunch about the ending I'd want to tweak. But it's a cute movie, for what it is.
Meanwhile, in the Fairy Kingdom, there are two hopeful suitors in desperate want of a love potion. Roland, a handsome warrior who broke the heart of the Princess Marianne on their wedding day and still hopes to reconcile with her and become King, and Sunny, an elf with an unrequited love for Marianne's boy-crazy sister, Dawn. Roland convinces Sunny to enter the dark forest and bring back a love potion, something that does not please the Bog King. Before too long there's a missing love potion, a princess that needs to be rescued, and an army being assembled.
Overall I enjoyed this movie, although I can sort of tell why this was a critical failure? I think its biggest issue is that several elements feel pretty forced. For instance, it being a jukebox musical- using preexisting songs- meant that there were moments in the movie where I had the distinct sensation that the writers were trying desperately to figure out how to write the story around a song, rather than the songs being used to advance or add to the story.
The romances were also kind of forced- Marianne and the Bog King's romance wasn't bad, but I was kind of conscious of the fact they fell in love over the course of a single night. And as for the Sunny/Dawn ship, literally the only indication of romantic interest I really perceived on her end was when she said "I love you," after Sunny broke the love spell on her.
Your tolerance for this movie will probably also depend on how "eugh" the concept of love potions makes you. The film does show the usage of it as being selfish and potentially horrifying, but in general is pretty casual about it in a way that some people might find off-putting.
But like I said, I enjoyed it overall? Most of the musical numbers were pretty enjoyable, although there were a few I found grating, it's a very pretty movie, and while the story's a little weak it's still serviceable. And I was invested in the main romance, even if at the same time I was going "Um, you haven't known each other very long..."
I think, essentially, that there's a bunch about the ending I'd want to tweak. But it's a cute movie, for what it is.
