Strange Magic

This film is really quite good and will probably develop a bit of a cult status among animated films. It's one of those unfortunate films that was declared dead before it was even given a chance to shine in theaters and as a result was poorly marketed and thrust into a unknowing world. Really I think the film would have done better released Valentine's Day weekend since the films main theme is love, a fact I'm certain you would not have guessed from viewing the poorly edited trailers. This film is also a musical, another thing the trailers failed to mention, and does a pretty decent job on the soundtrack. However if you're going into this film without knowing the prior too facts you are probably going to be a bit jarred by how it just leaps into them. The characters (even the sidekicks) are all pretty likable, and no one is particularly annoying save for maybe one character who doesn't get a lot of screen time. There are plenty of good jokes and a little a cheesiness (the good kind). Is everyone going to like it? No, it's definitely not going to sit well with people who hate musicals and a little sappiness, but overall it's a pretty likable movie that isn't anywhere near deserving the amount of hate that it is getting. If you have a chance to see it I recommend giving it a shot.

"Strange Magic" is a fun, entertaining musical. If you watch the film without expecting "Hamilton" out of it, you would be well pleased.

All too often, fun, children's movies fall victim to stinging reviews from jaded movie critics who expect "Taxi Driver" from children's fairy tales. The initial negative critical reception of "Strange Magic" is a perfect example of how such mismatched critical expectation can wreak havoc on a perfectly entertaining movie.

With a colorful, over-the-top cast of characters with ticklish absurdity, and seamlessly integrated pop-rock karaoke performances, "Strange Magic" is an entertaining oddball sketch of the early millennial spirit wrapped into "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The film is a crowd pleasing cult classic in the spirit of "Willow."

I read the reviews and watched the trailer with my 6 y/o daughter before going to see it, so I wasn't expecting much. I was happily surprised and frankly, I liked it! It isn't Pixar, by far, but the animation wasn't bad at all. The characters weren't cheesy, and the animators did well to give them a full range of emotion. The voice actors did pretty well, though a lot of the music were the characters singing short covers of hits that didn't play all that well. Still, my daughter never noticed or complained. The background of the forests was done quite well too, especially the dark forest and black castle. The plot was a bit predictable, but the humor was there for both adults and children, and several times the entire audience laughed at the jokes. It's a kids movie, after all, but what was not to like? Not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon.

I was worried that a few of the parts would be too scary for my daughter, but overall she liked it too. Of course, it ends with a happy ending for everybody. Can't beat that.

I won't be first on the list to buy this, but if I see it in the $5 bin at Walmart, I will buy it. Like I said, I liked it.

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).

Good visual graphics. Interesting choice of characters. So much non-stop singing. Maybe, it would have made a difference if all the songs were original. The message is not to insult physically "good-looking" people. It only reminds us and re-affirms that "beauty" and "love" is not skin deep. It is not something superficial. It is not something you see only with just your two eyes. It may not suit the majority's approval because it is not-so-stereo-typical kind of fantasy story like the "beauty and the beast" and "princess kissing a frog prince". Definitely for the kids with pure heart. Not recommended for highly superficial-minded adults.