Spellbound Review: Mostly Fun Musical Adventure

Rachel Zegler is terrific in the whimsical Spellbound, which features a great message but does not always land on its feet.

You also have a thrilling talent in Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) leading a largely well utilized voice cast. The final cherry on top is a story with lots of heart that is sure to make you laugh and cry. 

Spellbound is set in the magical world of Lumbria and follows Princess Ellian (Zegler) whose world gets turned upside down by a powerful spell that turns her parents, King Solon (Javier Bardem, Dune: Part Two) and Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge!) into giant monsters. Ellian must go on a perilous quest to break the spell before it is too late. 

A lot of that description should sound typical for anyone that has picked up a fairy tale in any form throughout their lives, but there are plenty of pieces to Spellbound which allow it to stand out. All good fairy tales require a solid protagonist that audiences can connect with regardless of age, and Princess Ellian is just that. She has the spunk and independence seen in modern princesses, while also possessing a relatable vulnerability. Rachel Zegler is just so good at capturing humanity on screen and that is no different when she is voicing an animated character. She has the energy of a wide eyed, adventure seeking teenager in her voice, which is infectious. Later, that cheerful charm transforms into a heart piercing portrait of youthful unease and hurt. 

Musically, Zegler crushes the songs that composer Alan Menken and his longtime collaborator and lyricist Glenn Slater give to her. She does not go too over the top, even if Spellbound is a musical. Her brightest moment comes with “The Way It Was Before,” a powerful but simple ballad that sees Ellian reflecting on her younger years and life before her parents transformed. Whether it be because I related to the character, Zegler’s vocals, or both, that was the first time I teared up while watching. Another impressive thing I noticed was that Zegler made her singing voice a little higher to match the tone a teenager would have in real life, and that just shows her commitment. 

Menken and Slater give audiences songs that will undoubtedly remind them of Menken’s glory days, but with a modern touch. I will say, though, that not every song landed for me. One of the early numbers functions as an exposition dump, which was quite annoying. Even though it is visually appealing and Zegler sings her heart out, I just did not like it. 

The honor for best number not performed by Rachel Zegler goes to, surprisingly, Minister Bolinar (voiced by John Lithgow). He gets a really fun and colorful song that is not as ear grazing as something that, say, Josh Gad, would sing in the Frozen films. 

As a matter of fact, Minister Bolinar is without question the most entertaining character in the film besides Ellian. Lithgow has great chemistry with Zegler in spite of the fact that the two were not together while recording lines and he just seems to be having such a blast in a role that is outside his usual wheelhouse. Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman have their fair share of cute and emotional moments as King Solon and Queen Ellsmere. Those three do a great job of strengthening the narrative without completely upstaging Zegler.

Though the film makes great use of Lithgow, Bardem, and Kidman, Spellbound wastes Jenifer Lewis (of The Princess and the Frog) as Minister Nazara Prone, who works alongside Bolinar underneath the King and Queen. This character is the closest thing this narrative has to an antagonist and there was no real reason to put her in this position. Worst of all, Lewis is given a very lackluster song that not even her fabulous voice can save.

Tituss Burgess and Nathan Lane steal a couple scenes as Ludo and Sunny, the oracles of the moon and sun, who assist Ellian with figuring out how to break the spell over her parents. In all honesty, you could have given them a bit more to do, but hey, the characters were solid comic relief. 

Ellian as a character and her journey are incredibly family centered, which makes this story stick out from others. The quest our lead goes on will see her grow individually and impact the relationship she has with her parents. Said parents get their own arcs that tie back to Ellian as well. There is no prince, no villain threatening to overthrow the kingdom; Ellian and her family are what matters most and this gives the narrative its soul. 

Family matters a great deal to me and Spellbound hit very hard as a result. This story made me reflect back on my youth and relationship with my parents. That was not something I expected going in; the trailer had me ready for a light, musical adventure and audiences will get that, but they should be prepared to feel something on a deeper level. 

For a streaming film, I was pretty impressed by the animation. Certain songs are given a colorful visual pop to help elevate rather simple lyrics. The monsters have such interesting designs and the fact that these animators managed to make their faces pretty expressive impressed me as well. These environments are breathtaking at times and the way they are used is quite creative. Bolinar’s song is a great example of this, as they really throw everything at the viewer and it somehow works. 

Spellbound winds up being entertaining, even if certain elements could have been better. Rachel Zegler is superb as Princess Ellian. Her vocals are divine and she excellently brings several touching moments to life during a heartfelt story featuring a message that will resonate with tons of people. Zegler also has quite the supporting cast, including a hilarious turn from John Lithgow. The Songs from legendary composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater are largely solid, but not all of them work. This is worth a look if you are fan of musicals, animation, or both.

Spellbound will be available to stream globally on Netflix from November 22, 2024.