Strange Magic...

I picked up Strange Magic...

STRANGE MAGIC is a music-filled fairy tale about finding true love in the unlikeliest of places. This magical adventure features a host of colorful characters, including a princess who has sworn off love, a dubious villain, a slightly nutty Sugar Plum Fairy, a tenacious elf, a mischievous imp, and a knight who is no Prince Charming. Bring home the enchanting tale the whole family can enjoy today!

I had seen previews for Strange Magic when it was in its theatrical run, but, I hadn't really followed the movie in the media. It seemed like something I might want to watch, but, didn't strike me as something that I needed to see during its theatrical release. Then, one day, I happened to come across the Strange Magic DVD in my local video store, so, of course, it had to come home with me.

According to Wikipedia...

George Lucas had long wanted to make a film for his three daughters. He described the film as Star Wars for a female audience stating "Star Wars was for 12-year-old boys; I figured I’d make one for 12-year-old girls." On the film's plot, director Gary Rydstrom stated, "We pitched it as a Beauty and the Beast story where the Beast doesn't change." According to Rydstrom, Lucas "really wanted to make a beautiful fairy tale with goblins and elves, and do it in a way that only this company can do. He had been working on it for a long time." Rydstrom mentioned that Lucas emphasized that the story should be about "finding beauty in strange places". Rydstrom also stated "It was important for him to tell this story where you saw the beauty in something you didn't expect to see—that it looked ugly on the outside but you saw the beauty underneath." The film was in the works for 15 years including, at one point development alongside the Star Wars prequels. Before The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in late 2012, production on Strange Magic was already well underway. Rydstrom and his crew screened the film for Disney executives. Rydstrom stated "We’re not Pixar or Disney Animation, so in some ways George was our John [Lasseter] on this one ... I like the fact—not that I don't like advice from all over—but this is our own thing, this is a Lucasfilm project ... I remember when Labyrinth came out and how exciting that was. There was a magic to that, this has the same vibe to me."

I don't know why, but, for some reason that defies description, I wasn't expecting Strange Magic to be as much of a Disney-inspired princess musical as it turned out to be. Strange Magic isn't ever going to be accused of being an animation classic, but, once I got over the fact that it is a musical, Strange Magic turned out to be surprisingly entertaining. It is sad that Strange Magic did very poorly in its theatrical run, but, now that it is out on DVD, maybe more people will see it.

My favorite scenes are, of course, the goblins' reaction to Dawn's singing and the Bog King's on-stage song about how he's been mistreated. The music is a bit more contemporary than one expects in a typical Disney-inspired princess musical, but, Strange Magic still manages to hold up well to repeated viewings. I would give Strange Magic a 4 out of 5.