Starring Emily Shenaut, Brian Hull, Bridget Winder, and Anna Brisbin
Directed by Erik Peter Carlson
Music and Lyrics by Chelsi Hardcastle and Alistar Robinson
Our last review before we get into this year's Halloween entries is a unique fantasy film released on streaming and in select theaters last February. I never heard of this before I ran into at Tubi a week ago. It seems to be a labor of love for Carlson, who directed, wrote, and produced it. Does this story of a girl whose wish to see her father again takes her into a dark fairy tale in her mind deserve to be rescued from the tower, or should it be left in the dungeon? Let's begin, as all good fairy tales begin, with "once upon a time" and the tale of a princess who didn't want to rule her kingdom...
The Story: Sky (Shenaut) took ballet as a child, but she gave up her dreams after her beloved father (Gabriel Burrafato) died. She's now helping her mother (Amy Morse) raise her little brother (Tobin Cleary). Sky would love to get back on the stage, but she's afraid she won't find her voice without her father's support. Recruited to help with a puppet show, she dresses in a princess costume and wishes she could find the courage to follow her dreams when she's hit by a stage light.
When she comes to, a fox puppet named Thumpkin (Hull) reveals she's the long-missing Princess Geneva of Celestia. She's been imprisoned with his human friend Cornelis (Timothy N. Kopacz) by the evil sorceress Madam Mizerbel (Winder), who wants to take over the kingdom for her Master Willow (Phillip Nathaniel Freeman). With the help of her strange new friends and the transformed monster child Cassidy Lemon (Hayley Emin), she seeks her father in the dark dungeon...and to confront her childhood fears of abandonment.
The Song and Dance: YouTubers Carlson and Hull were inspired by the dark fantasy films of the 80's like Labrynth and Legend that made extensive use of puppetry and then-cutting-edge special effects to tell the tale of budding young girls and their journeys through strange lands. There's times when they have a lot of fun with the premise, especially when Cassidy's jabbering away to Sky's father in the dungeon or Sky is trying to deal with how plain goofy Thumpkin and Cornelis are. Some of the makeup actually isn't bad for the low budget, especially on Mizrabel.
Favorite Number: All Princess Geneva wants is for everyone to "Leave Me Be" in the opening book illustration segment. Sky sobs in her room how all she wants is to "See You Again" and spend one more day with her father. She thinks "Fairy Tales" won't come true for her now, but admits as she dances around the puppet show she can't help still loving them. Thumpkin explains how the "Fourth Wall" works in film speak, and that she really can't break it - not in the usual sense. Winter lays into "Mizrabel" as she explains why she's doing what she did.
What I Don't Like: They could have thrown in a better script. This is confusing, even for a family fantasy musical. The wrap-around with Sky and her brother and mother doesn't seem to fit with the fairy tale set-up, and Mizrabel's complicated backstory doesn't help there. The fact that most of these people were YouTubers and likely amateur filmmakers shows in the dark, dreary lighting, dull cardboard sets, and goofy Muppet-like puppets that clash with the dark tone. However, there's also the Shroud, the Hoglets, and other truly terrifying puppets that push the film too far into the other direction. They can't seem to decide whether they want this to be a light, silly Muppet fairy tale spoof or a pitch-black Return to Oz-esque fantasy.
There's also the casting. Shenaut is way too old to be a troubled teen...and Hardcastle, who dubbed her, sounds too old. All the pink ruffles, hair flowers, and short plaid skirts in the world won't make her believable as a 16-year-old who gave up on her dreams too quickly. It's also way too short for all the world-building they're trying to cram in. Expanding it to a full hour and a half would have given the story more room to breathe and maybe even gotten them out of the dungeon quicker.
The Big Finale: Opinion online seems to be divided on this one. Some get what Carlson's going for and appreciate the puppetry, special effects for the budget, and attempt at an original fantasy. Others, particularly those who aren't fans of fantasy and/or musicals to begin with, find it to be confusing, dull, or too silly. I thought it was charming, but also a bit amateur, with its obvious low-budget. Recommended for princess-crazy girls, fantasy lovers, and those who grew up with those 80's Jim Henson fairy tales like the YouTubers and I did.
Home Media: Streaming only at the moment, but it can be found on most major websites; Tubi currently has it for free.
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