★ 4 / 10
I don't mind me a musical, but I
Gimly
I don't mind me a musical, but I feel like the biggest issue with _Strange Magic_ is the way they went with it musically. Not only was I just personally not a…
I don't mind me a musical, but I feel like the biggest issue with _Strange Magic_ is the way they went with it musically. Not only was I just personally not a big fan of the singing voices on literally all but one of the characters, but I just think the continuous run of on-the-nose pop songs from beginning to end basically flat out ruined what seemed to be a promising movie.
_Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._
★ 5 / 10
Well done, except for the music
bryankodo
And unfortunately the music is all pervasive.They had a good cast, made good characters, and had a solid plot.And then they ruied it with their musical…
And unfortunately the music is all pervasive.They had a good cast, made good characters, and had a solid plot.And then they ruied it with their musical score.None of the songs fit the mood of the movie and rarely even fit the scene they are sung in. It is a square peg in a round hole. The renditions are campy renditions of 70s and 80s songs in the public domain.They would have been much better off without the musical singing in the first place. Take the pixar route just use background music when necessary (and they do at some points, and it works).If they absolutely had to they should have made their own musical scores, at least then it would have fit the scenes better, but I maintain that this movie would have been much better without music entirely.Cutting down, parsing, and/or eliminating those scenes would have cut the movie time but that's not a bad thing with this being an hour and 40 minutes (that's on the long side for an animated kids movie).
★ 7 / 10
Quirky & fun, but not for children
Imdbidia
Strange Magic is a not an animated film for kids, more directed to teens and adults. This is an odd film, a mix of The Princes Bride meets Tim Burton's world…
Strange Magic is a not an animated film for kids, more directed to teens and adults. This is an odd film, a mix of The Princes Bride meets Tim Burton's world and they sing Moulin Rouge style.
The main virtues of the film are, beyond the beautiful animation and character design, the quirkiness of it. To me, the most important thing in movies that are derivative an predictable like this one is the sense of humour and the message conveyed. Strange Magic was funny to me, and found myself laughing more than once. The message if is not new, but important to recall it, there is a lid for every pot, love comes in all colors and shapes, and love happens between people who are, a priori, very different and even opposite. The film is unpretentious, and the familiar soundtrack will keep you (or at least me) singing along.
The cast does a good job at providing the characters with their voice and songs. I especially liked Allan Cumming as Bog King and Elijah Kelly as Sunny.
There is strange magic in this film, because from the known and predictable we get something magic, perhaps just hocus-pocus, and a freaky love story. I think this is one of those movies you really like or dislike, nothing in between. I did find it very enjoyable, but I had no expectations about it, so that always helps.
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Loved the movie. It is not only for kids. The soundtrack is the best.