Netflix’s colorful Skydance animation bites off more than it can chew

We expect so much from animated films – heart, humor, and character growth that blossom into a moving, memorable story. Not every film rises to the occasion, but some are less forgettable than others simply because they set out to do something a little different. Fascinated
the Netflix film produced by Skydance Animation, tackles the themes of family and the changing dynamics that can potentially make or break it. This is his greatest strength, but for some reason he takes too long to defend his point of view and becomes discouraged in other areas of the process.

Directed by Vicky Jenson from a script by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda, Fascinated follows Ellian (Rachel Zegler), the princess of Lumbria, a kingdom inspired by ancient Spain – only evidenced by some flamenco-heavy music and dancing from the start. At 15, Ellian isn’t living the teenage life she thought she would. Instead of hanging out and having fun with friends, Ellian – along with Ministers Bolinar (a charming John Lithgow) and Nazara (Jenifer Lewis) – has been caring for her parents, who were turned into monsters a year earlier in the Dark Forest of Forever. . Darkness.

Spellbound doesn’t delve into complex family dynamics

It undermines the heart of the story

Ellian’s feelings are completely clear; she is hopeful that her parents can be restored to their human form, although Nazara and Bolinar are convinced that they will not and wish to make Ellian the new queen. The crux of the film hinges on Ellian’s desire to save her parents, but letting us into the story just before she leaves for the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness rather than building it up by establishing what the family dynamics were like before the king ( Javier Bardem) and Queen (Nicole Kidman) were transformed, leaving a hole in the heart of the narrative.

We get a bit of this through Ellian’s memories as they flash by during the song “The Way It Was Before”, which suggests that everything was happy before it wasn’t. It’s from Ellian’s perspective, so it makes sense that we’re as surprised as she is when her parents make a life-changing announcement. But this revelation comes so late in the film that it mitigates the emotional consequences. THE The film’s best song, “What About Me?”, is great because it has all the courage and fire of the rest Fascinated no.

I thought a little about Brave and how this established the dynamic between Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor. This didn’t lessen the impact of Merida’s journey to turn her mother back into a human after being turned into a bear – it made it all the more effective. In FascinatedEllian has a clear mission that we understand, but Instead of showing the tension between the parents from the beginning, we’re left with just a few scenes that allude to the big announcement before they make it.

This leaves tension between Ellian, Bolinar and the General (Olga Merediz), who tries to capture the monstrous monarchs and send them away. This creates a much less powerful and emotionally empty conflict. The focus on the adventure while the heart of the story takes a backseat may work for kids, who will probably have more fun than I did, but for adult audiences, Fascinated timidly approaches a family relationship that could have been much richer in exploring its complexities.

Spellbound has its charming moments

King Solon, by Javier Bardem, has one of the funniest lines in the film

Heartlessness doesn’t mean Fascinated It doesn’t have some exciting moments. Although it doesn’t happen until the film is almost over, Ellian’s reconciliation with her parents is adorable. The way the animation team depicted the dark tornado attacking dark thoughts is intimidating, and the fact that the film deals with more mature themes and the complicated emotions they bring to the surface is commendable. Some of the other characters, although poorly drawn, bring charm to the story.

Lithgow has a lot of fun after Bolinar switches bodies with Ellian’s pet Flink and King Solon of Bardem’s loud declaration about the elimination of the “water inside your body”It’s delightfully silly and comical. The film’s animation is clean and colorful, with detailed emphasis on the characters’ clothes. However, Alan Menken’s score here isn’t the best the composer has come up with, and the songs, with lyrics by Glenn Slater, aren’t particularly catchy or memorable except for one.

Compared to other stronger animated films Fascinated sits comfortably in the middle. Kids will probably be delighted with it – although at almost two hours long the wait to get to the end can be a struggle – and it offers just enough to keep them watching. The story had the right idea, but it’s the execution that ultimately stops the animation from reaching the height of its potential. I just wish he had grabbed the heart at the center of the story more intensely.

Fascinated is now available to stream on Netflix. The film is 109 minutes long and is rated PG for thematic elements and some action/danger.