Where to watch Strange Magic
1 1/2 Stars
A rebellious fairy princess challenges an insect king’s hatred of love and affection in Strange Magic. This is the latest release from George Lucas and Lucasfilm, it is a bizarre concoction that mixes Shakespeare with pop music and shades of 2013’s Epic.
A loveless Insect King (Alan Cumming), can’t stand to bear witness to any type of affection, so he’s order the destruction of all roses throughout the Dark Forrest. Without the much-sought after primrose love potions are now extinct. Until, Marianne (Evan Rachel Wood), a feisty heart-broken princess, enters the woods looking for her lost sister. She encounters the King and they slowly form a bond that starts to melt the old curmudgeon’s heart.
Sprinkled with eccentricities like an over-bearing mother figure with love on the brain, a hip-hop dancing gnome, and a stream of out-of-place tunes that continually distract from the progress of the story. I realize this is supposed to be a musical, but it comes off as staged karaoke, it only served as a reminder of songs to add to my Spotify play-list later. Kids will be entertained by portions of Strange Magic, but at best, it’s a technical exercise that never finds any real magic to engage an audience.
Director: Gary Rydstrom
Stars: Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth,