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I recently discovered this hidden gem of a movie and fell deeply in love with the beautiful, heart-felt story. No, it does not have that polished sheen of a Disney or Dreamworks film, but its quirky, rough-around-the-edges, labor-of-love quality is part of what gives it its irresistible charm. It's so refreshingly different, unashamed of being downright strange, and just so darn fun that it leaves me warm and happy every single time I watch it. Everything about it won me over: the gorgeous, detailed animation, the memorable characters, even the music (and I’m not usually a fan of musicals or pop music)! This is a movie that will always have a dear and special place in my heart from now on.
The Animation: It’s stunning, just stunning. The detail blows me away every single time. On my third, fourth, even fifth time through it, I was still noticing little details for the first time. There are probably still things in there that I haven’t noticed. The subtleness of some of the characters’ expressions and reactions is amazing. Whether it’s the luminescent glow of moonlight through fairy wings, the flash of a rainbow trout under the sparkle of running water, or the diverse designs of the characters themselves, it’s a feast for the eyes. One of the main characters, the Bog King, in particular has one of the most fascinating, most detailed, unique designs I’ve ever seen.
The Music: Since I’m not a huge fan of musicals nor pop music, the constant singing chafed when I first started to watch it. By the second half of the movie however, the charm of the musical numbers won me over, and the next day I was humming the songs almost non-stop. The voice actors are all excellent singers and do splendid covers of all the songs. Not only that, but there is just so much going on during the musical numbers if you pay attention. The songs do not typically advance the plot, but they add immensely to the character’s development, the themes of the movie, and the atmosphere.
The Plot: I like to describe the movie to my friends as “If Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream had a baby with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with Shrek and Moulin Rouge as the godparents, it would be this movie!” Admittedly, the plot is the weakest point of the film; the pacing could have been a lot better, the passage of time is a bit wobbly, and there are elements that are left unaddressed (the Imp, the consequences of Sunny love dusting Dawn, etc.) but for me, it wasn’t enough to ruin all the things that this film does beautifully and gets spot on. As with the other elements of the film, there’s a lot more going on in this movie than a lot of the critics gave it credit for. On the surface level, it looks like a cheesy, B movie, but look deeper and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much is going on.
For example (attempting to avoid spoilers), the main character goes from a cheerful, lovesick fairy princess fluttering about and singing of love to a hardcore, sword-wielding tough girl, complete with edgy outfit and heavy makeup swearing she will never fall in love again. A lot of people have complained about the movie perpetrating the “girl gets jilted and decides to turn into a badass” cliché, but if you watch the whole movie and pay attention, that’s not what’s going on. Later, she reveals that she realized she was changing who she was to fit the expectations of a man and decided to heck with it. She *already* was the badass, felt pressured to conform to her society and the expectations of the man she was interested in, and then decided to just be herself, regardless of what others thought of her. That’s not a plot element I see often (or have ever seen) and it’s so refreshing. Added to that, it’s a Beauty and the Beast story where *both* characters are beauty and *both* are the beast, and there is no physical transformation to make them “conform” to each other’s standards. The movie has surface-level flaws, but it’s totally made up for by what’s going on under the surface.
The Characters: If I had to name one single thing that captured my heart about this movie, I’d have to say it was the characters, especially the two main characters. Both are extremely relatable, well-designed, and surprisingly nuanced. The movie plays with tropes like a cat with a ball of yarn and it is a true delight to watch. Upon his initial introduction, one of the central characters seems to be an utterly tropey, walking fantasy cliché, but the way the tropes shatter and fall away to reveal the true unexpected character underneath is pure delight. The supporting characters are immensely fun, legitimately funny, and contrast delightfully with the main characters (seeing our hardcore, sword-wielding heroine dealing with her flighty, flirty younger sister is almost as hilarious as watching the fearsome, snarling goblin king fending off his gregarious, match-making mother who is constantly trying to set him up with girls much to his chagrin). These characters will stick with me for a long, long time.
The Themes: The tagline for the movie is “Everyone deserves to be loved.” Again, there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that the critics didn’t bother to look for or acknowledge. The movie really is surprisingly serious about this message – even the “villainous” characters, even the unconventionally attractive characters (both male and female), end up with the dignity of being given the right to love and be loved. Another common misconception I’ve seen in negative reviews is that the movie “forces” the characters into relationships, even the ones who had sworn off love and expressed interest in being single. While I wouldn’t have minded seeing the main heroine remaining single, this was not vibe I got at all from watching the movie. She expresses clearly that she is perfectly OK being on her own as opposed to being with someone who disrespects her and tries to get her to change and does not love her for who she is. If she had *not* met her love interest, I have no doubt she would have gone on to be happily and fiercely single the rest of her life. But she *does* meet someone who respects her intensely, who has no intention of trying to make her change, and who adores her for who she is, and she’s OK with changing her mind about love for him. It’s not about forcing together two characters because everyone needs to be part of a couple; it’s about a character who has no intention of putting up with a toxic relationship, is confident and independent in her singlehood, and is equally confident and independent in choosing to enter a relationship with someone who respects her. The relationship between these two characters is hands down the healthiest romance I’ve ever seen portrayed in media, built on mutual respect, genuine connection, and empathy for one another, but not lacking in fantastic chemistry and physical attraction either (just not built on those things).
Is it perfect? No. But I’ve never seen a movie in my life that was perfect, that I wouldn’t have preferred a change in *some* aspect of it. This movie is a gorgeous labor of love – you can tell just how much fun was had making it and the loving details it’s sprinkled with. It genuinely displays what it teaches: it’s OK to be different, be wildly and unashamedly yourself, and don’t settle for people who don’t appreciate what you offer – this could pretty much be a description of the movie itself! I hope to see this movie become a beloved cult classic, because it totally deserves it!
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Underrated work!
Sorry for my english but I will say my opinion. The movie failed at the box office. Why? Because it was not shown to the slavs. Reviews from critics were negative. Why? Because their quasar mind will not understand the greatness of this work. They are gourmets who eat seals stuffed with rotten birds and say that it is peculiar and cool, but for ordinary people it is simply not tasty. I don’t care about their opinion! Why? Because it's a wonderful movie with great music and songs. How many famous hits sound in it. They say character design is awful? NO! They are very cute and I do not see them in another way. So what is the conclusion? The conclusion is as follows. George, if you hear me, know. You are a genius. Thank you for this creation! P.S. And George, please send me Blu-ray, at least one. I'm really looking forward to it. And if you decide to send me it, please sign on it. It would make me incredibly happy.
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2020
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ShelleyReviewed in France on May 24, 2021
Faîtes le plein d'énergie et bonne humeur
