Strange Magic
Strange Magic

Movie spotlight

Strange Magic

2018
Movie
13 min
English

Writer and Rookie editor in chief Tavi Gevinson explores THE VIRGIN SUICIDES through the lens of adolescence, suicide, and memory. It features Gevinson’s own writing and imagery from a fanzine she made about Sofia Coppola’s movie in 2012.

Insights

IMDb5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes32%
Metacritic30/100
Google Users53%
Director: Gary RydstromGenres: Animation, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Plot Summary

This animated musical fairy tale, inspired by Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' transports audiences to a magical world where the struggle between good and evil, and the search for true love, are central themes. The story follows fairy princess Marianne, who is devastated when her fiancé abandons her for a simple human. As she grapples with heartbreak, a mischievous love potion inadvertently causes chaos, leading to hilarious and heartfelt romantic entanglements among fairies, elves, and goblins.

Critical Reception

Strange Magic received largely negative reviews from critics, who found its animation lackluster, its plot predictable, and its musical numbers forgettable. While some appreciated its attempt to blend fairy tale tropes with a Shakespearean influence, most found it failed to live up to its potential and offered little new to the genre. Audience reception was similarly lukewarm, with many finding it a visually uninspired and tonally uneven film.

What Reviewers Say

  • The film's animation is considered dated and uninspired.

  • The plot is predictable and lacks originality.

  • The musical numbers are generally forgettable and do not add significantly to the story.

Google audience: Google users found the film to be a mixed bag, with some appreciating the fairy tale elements and the underlying message about love and acceptance. However, many expressed disappointment with the animation quality and the lack of memorable songs, leading to an overall mediocre reception.

Fun Fact

The film was initially conceived and developed by George Lucas in the early 1980s, but it took over three decades to finally be produced and released.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review