STRANGE MAGIC
True love still wins in the end, with music and magic along the way.
Should You Watch It?
STRANGE MAGIC is a colorful, musical animated fantasy with strong vocal performances and an ultimately worthwhile message about love, sacrifice and changed hearts. The Fairy Kingdom is festive and full of love, while the Dark Forest is creepy and dark even in the daytime.
The movie’s central love potion creates a real worldview concern because it makes people love through magic rather than free choice. Still, the story’s problems are ultimately resolved not by the potion, but by true love and sacrifice. The romantic betrayal may also trouble some younger children.
If your family includes older children or adults who can thoughtfully process those elements, this is a worthwhile musical fantasy. For younger children, use your discernment before watching.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESTwo magical kingdoms stand divided by a border of special primrose flowers. In the colorful Fairy Kingdom, Princess Marianne is preparing for marriage, while her younger sister Dawn continues to dream about love.
When a friend ventures into the Dark Forest seeking a magical love potion for Dawn, the potion draws the attention of the Bog King. As tensions rise between the kingdoms, unexpected individuals must learn whether love can bring peace where magic and distrust have failed.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means STRANGE MAGIC is an enjoyable, worthwhile film with some limitations. Its colorful animation creates a strong contrast between the festive Fairy Kingdom and the creepy Dark Forest. The movie is also full of music, with strong vocal performances from several characters.
The storyline explores falling in love, falling out of love and waiting for love. Marianne and the Bog King both change as they move beyond pain and hardened hearts. The movie ultimately lands on true love as the force that unites the kingdoms.
The Worldview
STRANGE MAGIC presents a mixed worldview. Its strongest concern is the central focus on making and using a magical love potion. The potion can make people love someone through magic rather than free choice, giving the story a strong pagan and magical element.
The movie also contains strong moral and redemptive ideas. Marianne fights for justice and defends those who cannot fight for themselves. The plot’s problems are finally resolved through true love and sacrifice rather than through the potion. The story treats betrayal, hatred and deception as wrong, even while including them in the conflict.
The film’s deepest longing is for love that changes wounded people and brings divided communities together. Scripture says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong mixed pagan worldview due to magic potion being made and used throughout, mixed with a strong moral elements as fairy princess fights for justice and defends those who can’t fight for themselves, plus light Christian, redemptive elements where true love and sacrifice solve the plot problem, plus some possible but light Romantic elements; no foul language; no foul language; light animated action violence with some scary images and monsters; no sexual content; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, betrayal, kidnapping, hatred, deception, lying, stealing, but not condoned, plus fairies, goblins, elves, and imps are characters.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The magical potion makes people love without free choice. Why does genuine love require freedom?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · John 15:13Marianne responds to betrayal by hardening her heart. What helps a wounded person move from bitterness toward forgiveness?
Ephesians 4:31–32 · Colossians 3:12–13The kingdoms eventually find peace with one another. What does Scripture ask us to do when we are able to pursue peace?
Romans 12:18 · Matthew 5:9The story includes sacrifice as part of true love. How did Jesus define the greatest kind of love?
John 15:13 · 1 John 3:16The Final Word
STRANGE MAGIC is a colorful musical fantasy with strong voices, moral themes and a redemptive ending. Its magical love potion and romantic betrayal call for discernment with younger children, but older children and adults may find it worthwhile. WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
