Voices of Rachel Ziegler, John Lithgow, Nicole Kidman, and Javier Bardem
Directed by Vicky Jenson
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Glen Slater
This one apparently has been a long time coming. It was announced in July 2017 as a theatrical project from new animation studio Skydance, to be released by Paramount. In 2020, Apple TV replaced Paramount and released their first movie, Luck. Three years later, Skydance ended its deal with Apple and switched to Netflix, where it was finally released last week. Menken knows something about animated fantasies. Does this reach the height of Disney's animated fairy tales, or should it be changed into a beast? Let's begin with Princess Ellian of Lumbria (Ziegler) in the air as she flies with her friends and find out...
The Story: But Ellian doesn't have time for friends, or much of anything besides ruling her kingdom. The year before, a strange dark magic transformed her parents into uncontrollable monsters who wreck havoc on the castle. Ellian and her parents' advisors Bolivar (Lithgow) and Nazara (Jenifer Lewis) have tried to keep the public from finding out, but they're becoming harder to control. Bolivar and Nazara think she should give up hope and be crowned queen, but Ellian is determined to find someone who will change them back.
She finally gets through to two powerful beings known as the Oracles, Sunny (Tituss Burgess) and Luno (Nathan Lane), only for her parents to scare them off. They do leave behind a powerful magic amulet called "the Fob" that can work their magic. The Captain of the Guard Genera Cardona (Olga Merediz) believes the monsters have stolen the princess and goes after them. They flee to the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness to find the Oracles, with Bolivar switching his body with that of Ellian's pet rodent Fink (Dee Bradly Baker) on the way.
The Oracles can't restore her parents, but they claim the Lake of Light can. As the quartet travel across quicksand-laden deserts and echoing forests, Ellian helps her parents rediscover their humanity and learns why they lost it to begin with. When they do arrive at the Lake, she finally snaps...and they're reminded that, whether together or separate, their daughter is the most important thing in their lives, and they love her even if they're no longer meant to be a couple.
The Animation: Gorgeous, as per the fantasy milieu. The Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness is not aptly named, as it's colorful and stunning, with its wild backgrounds. The colors glow here, and the details are incredible. Humans look a bit selfish, but everyone moves well, and the diverse cast is well-rendered. Perhaps because John Lasseter runs Skydance, this does feel a bit derivative of Disney, mainly in those elaborate backgrounds.
The Song and Dance: The animation and score are probably the best thing about this one. Menken crafted some decent music here, especially for Ziegler. She does fairly well as the upbeat teenager who just wants her parents back, despite some clunky dialogue. Lithgow also has some funny moments as the stuffy advisor who learns to cut loose and see silver linings when he switches bodies, and Burgess and Lane are hilarious as the Oracles. I like the idea of her parents rediscovering their humanity throughout the film, and despite it being awkwardly handled, I commend them for even attempting to deal with a mature subject like divorce in an animated film at all.
The Numbers: Ellian explains that "My Parents are Monsters" as she shows the chaos they've created in the castle during the opening number. Bolivar and Nazara claim they'll return the kingdom to normal "Step By Step" and make Ellian queen. The Oracles explain "How to Break the Spell" before the king and queen burst in. Ellian laments that she just wants things to be "The Way They Were Before" when her parents were human and knew she was their daughter.
She's told to "Look for the Light" by the Oracles when they arrive at the Dark Forest. Her parents start "Remembering" their past life as they follow the lights and she encourages them to recall their past life. Bolivar happily claims "I Could Get Used to This" when he finally befriends the finks who think he's one of them. After they say they won't change back at the Lake of Light, Ellian finally snaps, wonder "What About Me?" and why they never seem to notice her in their fights. They all reprise "What About Us?" and "The Way It Was Before" as Bolivar helps save them and they realize how important their daughter is. Ellian reprises "My Parents are Monsters" in the end, and we get "The Way It Was Before" over the end credits.
What I Don't Like: While I appreciate the discussion of a topic like divorce here, it could have been integrated better. It comes out of nowhere in the second half and doesn't work well with the fantasy elements. There's also subjects like divorce and mixed marriages being extremely controversial. Some parents may not appreciate a movie where it's basically shoved down their throats. The music isn't bad but isn't especially memorable, either. The whole thing just seems like it's been thrown together from spare parts of better Disney and Dreamworks movies and is cliched to high heck other than the divorce talk.
The Big Finale: Not the greatest thing ever, but not nearly as bad as some critics claim, either. If their parents aren't offended by some of the more mature elements, elementary-school-age girls like my niece might be the best audience for this. They'll enjoy the fairy tale story and be able to ignore the awkward message and clunky dialogue.
Home Media: Netflix exclusive at the moment.
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