Review of Strange Magic (2015) by Kassie B — 01 Feb 2015

I think this is going to be one of those divisive films. Long spoileriffic review following.

Most of the reviews I've seen are pretty spot on. This movie is cliché as all heck, especially at the very beginning. Also... the pop songs, oh the pop songs. They're ridiculously prevalent and are even used for background orchestral. Movies (especially fantasies) usually have background music but we're sort of trained to just accept leitmotifs or even melodies from major songs within the movie. If I hear the "roma roma ma-a" from bad romance it doesn't stay in the background, I start wondering if someone's about to start singing lady gaga.

Now that I've ragged on the music, I have to say I actually like it. I'm not sure whether it was just they started giving us more breathing room between songs after the c'mon Marianne/stronger or if they just grew on me. They are most definitely well sung and I do find it funny/clever that everyone acknowledges that people are breaking out into song.

As said before, the plot is full of plenty of overused tropes and I can easily see people getting sick of hearing about love. What really sells the film for me is the interactions between the 4 leads (Marianne, Bog King, Sunny, and Dawn). The actors and animators should be congratulated. There is a great deal more subtlety in their voices and movements than the plot outline really deserves. Best of all, I believe the two couples get together because they actually like each other rather than because the plot dictated such. Again, here's where the subtleties in the performances shine. At least for me the film has a level of charm that let's me forgive its technical blunders.

So really, I think what's really going to determine whether you like the film or hate it is whether you can forgive the cliché plot and trite preoccupation on love based on the characterizations and strength of performance of the four leads. If you don't like pop music then stay far far away.