Strange Magic Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

Fairy princess gets cheated on, so she joins forces with a grumpy goblin to stop a love potion from ruining everyone’s lives, only to fall in love with the goblin herself… because reasons.

🍿 Strange Magic: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Opening and Marianne’s Heartbreak

The film opens in a realm divided between the Fairy Kingdom, a land of light and beauty, and the Dark Forest, a land of shadowy creatures ruled by the Bog King. Marianne, a fairy princess, discovers her fiancé Roland cheating on her on their wedding day. Heartbroken, she vows never to love again and becomes a hardened warrior, dedicated to protecting her younger sister, Dawn.

The Love Potion and Dawn’s Kidnapping

Meanwhile, the Bog King despises love and has imprisoned the Sugar Plum Fairy, the only one capable of making a powerful love potion from primrose petals. An imp steals the potion, and chaos ensues when Dawn is accidentally sprayed with it. The Bog King kidnaps Dawn, hoping to lure Marianne and retrieve the potion to destroy it, believing love causes only pain and disorder.

Marianne and Bog King’s Journey

Marianne ventures into the Dark Forest to rescue Dawn. Along the way, she is forced to team up with the Bog King and together they confront various dangers. They begin to see each other in a new light, recognizing inner beauty and strength. Their initial animosity gradually transforms into respect and then affection.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Marianne (Evan Rachel Wood): A fairy princess who becomes disillusioned with love after being betrayed, transforming into a hardened warrior.
• Bog King (Alan Cumming): The ruler of the Dark Forest who despises love and initially kidnaps Dawn.
• Sunny (Elijah Kelley): An elf deeply in love with Dawn, undertaking a quest to obtain a love potion.
• Dawn (Meredith Bull): Marianne’s younger sister who is boy-crazy and gets kidnapped.
• Roland (Sam Palladio): A vain and unfaithful fairy who seeks to regain Marianne’s love to become king.
• Sugar Plum Fairy (Kristin Chenoweth): Imprisoned character who knows how to create love potions.
• Griselda (Maya Rudolph): The Bog King’s caring mother who wants her son to find happiness.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Marianne: “I’ll never fall in love again.” – Marianne declares this after discovering her fiancé cheating on her, setting her on a path of skepticism towards love.
• Bog King: “Love is for fools.” – The Bog King expresses his disdain for love, reflecting his hardened and cynical worldview.
• Sunny: “I’m gonna get that potion for Dawn!” – Sunny is determined to help Roland get the love potion, as Sunny wants it so Dawn can love him back.
• Marianne: “You fight well!” – Marianne says this to the Bog King during their fight, showing respect for his fighting ability.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $70,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $12,429,583
• Worldwide Gross: $13,603,453

💥 Strange Magic Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so I went into this movie expecting a cute, maybe slightly cheesy, fairy tale. What I got was… something else. The visuals were stunning, I’ll give it that, and the voice acting was pretty solid. But the plot? It felt like a fever dream remix of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with pop songs thrown in. I did appreciate the message about inner beauty, especially the Bog King’s transformation. I laughed, I cringed, I was definitely entertained, but I’m not sure I’d watch it again anytime soon.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of musicals”
  • “Families with young children”
  • “Viewers who appreciate fantasy animation”
  • “Those who like retellings of classic stories”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Some slightly scary creatures”
  • “Mild fantasy violence”
  • “Themes of heartbreak and romantic conflict”

Professional Reviews

• Rolling Stone: “”Strange Magic” is a chaotic jukebox musical where love potions and pop songs collide in a bizarre fairytale. The animation is vibrant, but the story is muddled, and the constant barrage of covers becomes grating. It’s an ambitious mess that fails to enchant.
• The New York Times: “Visually appealing, but narratively weak, “Strange Magic” borrows heavily from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ but lacks the wit and charm. The song choices are eclectic, but the execution feels forced, making it a middling effort from Lucasfilm.
• Los Angeles Times: “While the animation is impressive, the film’s reliance on popular music to drive the plot feels contrived and undermines the storytelling. The characters are underdeveloped, and the overall experience lacks the magic and heart expected from a family film.

Audience Reactions

The soundtrack is surprisingly catchy, even though it’s all covers.: Despite its flaws, viewers often found the music enjoyable.

The animation is gorgeous, especially the details in the Dark Forest.: Many viewers praise the film’s visual appeal.

Overall Consensus: While visually impressive, “Strange Magic” is a divisive film, with audiences either loving its quirky charm or disliking its muddled plot and over-reliance on pop music covers. Most agree that the animation is a highlight.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The film was a passion project for George Lucas, who developed the story over 15 years as a gift to his daughters.”
• “The animation was created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the visual effects company founded by George Lucas, showcasing their expertise in creating detailed and realistic environments.”
• “The film is inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ but with a jukebox musical twist, featuring popular songs from the past six decades.”
• “Originally planned as a non-musical, George Lucas decided to incorporate popular songs to enhance the storytelling and appeal to a broader audience.”

🖥️ How to Watch Strange Magic?

Strange Magic is available for rent or purchase on various platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Check your local listings for cable and satellite options. Physical copies (DVD and Blu-ray) can be purchased from major retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. Subscription services may also offer the movie periodically.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Strange Magic, you might like these similar films:

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999): A direct adaptation of Shakespeare’s play that inspired ‘Strange Magic’, sharing the same themes of love, mistaken identities, and magical interference.
• Epic (2013): Another animated film featuring a hidden world of fantastical creatures and a strong female lead who must protect her world, similar in theme and visual style.
• Moulin Rouge! (2001): Shares the use of popular music to tell a story, creating a vibrant and emotionally driven narrative, although in a live-action format.
• Tangled (2010): Features a strong female protagonist, a blend of humor and adventure, and a journey of self-discovery, making it a modern animated fairy tale with similar appeal.

🛒 Strange Magic Related Products

• Strange Magic [Blu-ray]: Own the movie in stunning high definition. Enjoy extra features like behind-the-scenes footage and music videos.
• Funko Pop! Bog King: Add the grumpy but lovable Bog King to your Funko Pop! collection. This detailed figure captures his unique look and personality.
• Strange Magic: Junior Novelization: Relive the adventures of Marianne and Bog King through this chapter book version of Strange Magic.
• Strange Magic Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Download the album that has original versions of the songs in Strange Magic and re-experience the magic of the movie through its soundtrack.

🎧 Soundtrack

Strange Magic features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – performed by Elvis Presley (Performed by Evan Rachel Wood & Sam Palladio)
• “Strange Magic” – performed by Electric Light Orchestra (Performed by various cast members)
• “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – performed by Whitney Houston (Performed by various cast members)
• “Wild Thing” – performed by The Troggs

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Strange Magic – Marianne “Rescues” Dawn

Ever wonder what happens when a tough fairy princess tries to rescue a damsel in distress? This scene from ‘Strange Magic’ is hilarious and shows just how different Marianne and Dawn really are – definitely worth a watch!

Strange Magic!! – Dawn’s Prison Visit

Okay, so maybe Dawn’s singing isn’t for everyone, especially the Bog King! Check out this funny scene where he tries to make her stop – it’s pure comedic gold, I promise!

✨ Rate