Spellbound is a visually stunning musical adventure that blends adventure with a powerful emotional message. It shows how ego, anger and desire can strip away the peace in our lives.
The movie highlights the consequences of parents quarrelling and its lasting impact on their children’s lives. It also shows the female protagonist with a mission, whose sole purpose is to bring her parents back to normal. There is royalty, magic, music and an adventure to far-off lands like a fairy tale, but the love of the family takes the cake.
Released in November 2024 on Netflix, Spellbound is the story of a princess who navigates a magical world while grappling with the complexities of her royal family dynamics. The king and the queen have turned into monsters during one of their trips to the forest, and she begins searching for a cure for their transformation.
Rachel Ziegler voices for the princess, 15-year-old Ellian, who is all set to govern the fictional kingdom of Lumbria. Her parents — Queen Ellsmere (voiced by Nicole Kidman), and King Solon (Javier Bardem), have turned into monsters. No one in the kingdom knows of it and an entire year has passed by. Minister Bolinar (John Lithgow) and Minister Nazara Prone (Jenifer Lewis) want the princess to become the queen, but the young girl wants to return to her parents and believes in their return.
Metaphorically, it means that the ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ of any ‘kid’ can turn into monsters whenever they talk about ‘separation, leaving each other, divorce’. In Spellbound, every time the king-queen-turned monsters argue, a spooky, tornado-like “darkness” threatens to take over the princess, which is an indication for parents to see how their quarrels affect their child. Like every such kid, Ellian’s plight involves her desperation to communicate with her parents and their difficulty in doing the same with one another and, of course, their daughter.
It would be a new experience directed by Vicky Jenson, but don’t forget that Vicky Jenson also directed Shrek and Shark Tale. The one-hour 46-minute movie has an incredible score by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken (known for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) with lyrics by Glenn Slater (Tangled, the Broadway adaptation of The Little Mermaid).
One should always communicate with each other, no matter what age or what problems. With captivating animation and a heartfelt narrative, Spellbound is a touching reminder of the importance of love, understanding and communication, making it a must-watch for families.
Published in Dawn, Young World, January 25th, 2025
