← Back to results
Strange Magic
2015 99 min United States of America PG 6+
★5.4
Music, Animation, Family, Fantasy
Director: Gary Rydstrom
Trailers
Description
A love potion works its devious charms on fairies, elves and the swamp-dwelling Bog King as they all try to possess the potion for themselves.
Budget:
$100M
US Gross:
$12.43M
Worldwide:
$13.6M
Starring
Evan Rachel Wood
Actor
Elijah Kelley
Actor
Kristin Chenoweth
Actor
Awards
1 win & 4 nominations total
Key opinion
Strange Magic is a polarizing animated musical that splits audiences between those who admire its technical ambition and those who find its narrative derivative. While many praise the hyper-realistic character design and expressive animation, critics and fans remain divided over the relentless integration of pop music and the simplicity of the romantic plot.
| Production | The film features exceptional, industry-leading animation quality with hyper-realistic textures and highly expressive, fluid facial character designs. | |
| Score | The use of contemporary pop songs throughout the narrative creates a divisive experience: some find the integration clever and mood-enhancing, while others feel the constant musical numbers interrupt the storytelling flow. | |
| Screenplay | The plot is widely viewed as a conventional and predictable fairy-tale romance, with critics noting its reliance on overused clichés while supporters appreciate its subversion of surface-level beauty tropes. | |
| Acting | The voice acting in the original English language is highly praised for adding vitality and emotional depth to the characters, contrasting sharply with criticisms of the poor quality of the Russian dub. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is uneven, with some viewers feeling the first half is sluggish or overloaded with songs, while others find the narrative gains necessary momentum in the second half. |