{"id":12933,"date":"2024-11-21T04:30:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T11:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=12933"},"modified":"2024-11-25T15:54:28","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T22:54:28","slug":"a-heartfelt-fantasy-adventure-movie-about-family-and-what-family-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2024\/a-heartfelt-fantasy-adventure-movie-about-family-and-what-family-means\/","title":{"rendered":"Spellbound * A Heartfelt, Fantasy-Adventure Movie About Family And What Family Means"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-12941\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.poster.jpg?resize=120%2C180&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.poster.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.poster.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.poster.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.poster.jpg?w=790&amp;ssl=1 790w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/>Spellbound<\/em> follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious princess who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents, the King and Queen of Lumbria, into monsters.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Kennedy P. comments, \u201c<em>Spellbound <\/em>is a heartfelt, fantasy-adventure movie about family and what family means.\u00a0 Created with beautiful animation and fantastic songs, there is a lot to love here! I like that <em>Spellbound <\/em>shows unhealthy family dynamics, and the idea that many children view their parents as monsters. Yet for Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), a spell really did transform her royal parents (Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem) into monsters.\u00a0 In making this dark fantasy come true, this transformation makes for a good analogy with tweens and parents.\u201d See her full review below.<\/p>\n<p>Spellbound<br \/>\nBy Kennedy P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vaJk00Y4e9I?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12934 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbond.g.jpg?resize=248%2C134&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbond.g.jpg?resize=300%2C162&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbond.g.jpg?resize=1024%2C553&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbond.g.jpg?resize=768%2C415&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbond.g.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/>Spellbound <\/em>is a heartfelt, fantasy-adventure movie about family and what family means.\u00a0 Created with beautiful animation and fantastic songs, there is a lot to love here!<\/p>\n<p><em>Spellbound<\/em> follows the adventures of Ellian (Rachel Zegler), the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria, who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents.\u00a0 The movie is a modern take on a fairytale that uses familiar elements like a kingdom, princess, king, queen, and a spell to express the story of a family.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-12938\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.c.jpg?resize=248%2C134&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.c.jpg?resize=300%2C162&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.c.jpg?resize=1024%2C554&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.c.jpg?resize=768%2C415&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.c.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/>I like that <em>Spellbound <\/em>shows unhealthy family dynamics, and the idea that many children view their parents as monsters. Yet for Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), a spell really did transform her royal parents (Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem) into monsters.\u00a0 In making this dark fantasy come true, this transformation makes for a good analogy with tweens and parents. The movie is full of heart, laughter, and family &#8212; all created with vibrant, colorful animation.\u00a0 Every scene is so beautiful that I could not take my eyes off the screen.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12937 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Speelbound.d.jpg?resize=248%2C134&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Speelbound.d.jpg?resize=300%2C162&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Speelbound.d.jpg?resize=1024%2C554&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Speelbound.d.jpg?resize=768%2C415&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Speelbound.d.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/>The characters are all adorable. <em>\u00a0Spellbound<\/em> features an all-star voice cast led by Rachel Zegler as Ellian &#8212; the perfect princess with a beautiful voice who is independent and optimistic. I like that in a princess. Nathan Lane voices Sunny the Oracle of the Sun and Tituss Burgess is the voice of Ludo the Oracle of the Moon \u2013 they are perfect together.\u00a0 Other excellent cast members are John Lithgow and Jenifer Lewis.<\/p>\n<p><em><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-12940\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.a.jpg?resize=248%2C134&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.a.jpg?resize=300%2C162&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.a.jpg?resize=1024%2C553&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.a.jpg?resize=768%2C415&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Spellbound.a.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/>Spellbound<\/em> addresses what it is that really makes a family &#8212; it is a modern fairytale that combines magical elements with a relatable story about family dynamics and overcoming alienation. I definitely related to this movie and think brings up good healthy conversations. It does tackle tough themes like parents\u2019 separation seen through Ellian\u2019s eyes and shows a child that blames themself and tries to &#8216;fix&#8217; their parents&#8217; relationship, but can\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>I give <em>Spellbound<\/em> 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults.\u00a0 It is available on Netflix starting November 22, 2024.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jGQiq1ZuCW8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious princess who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents, the King and Queen of Lumbria, into monsters.<br \/>\nKIDS FIRST! Film Critic Kennedy P. comments, \u201cSpellbound is a heartfelt, fantasy-adventure movie about family and what family means.  Created with beautiful animation and fantastic songs, there is a lot to love here! I like that Spellbound shows unhealthy family dynamics, and the idea that many children view their parents as monsters. Yet for Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), a spell really did transform her royal parents (Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem) into monsters.  In making this dark fantasy come true, this transformation makes for a good analogy with tweens and parents.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4949,15],"tags":[1001,22,8489,1783,8493,1207,725,8477,4099,8481,993,8482,8485,8479,8494,1166,62,8484,547,72,8480,346,8492,8491,6365,8478,5663,8483,8487,8488,8490,8486,990],"class_list":["post-12933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-adventure","tag-animation","tag-banshees-spellbound","tag-by-kids-for-kids","tag-fairytake","tag-family","tag-fantasy","tag-fantasyadventure","tag-javier-bardem","tag-javierbardem-johnlithgow","tag-jenifer-lewis","tag-jeniferlewis","tag-john-lithgow","tag-lumbria","tag-modern-fairytale","tag-movie-reviews","tag-musical","tag-nathan-lane","tag-netflix","tag-nicole-kidman","tag-nicolekidman","tag-pixar","tag-pocahontas","tag-princess-ellian","tag-rachel-zegler","tag-rachelzegler","tag-rapunzel","tag-spellbound","tag-spellbound-dhanda-nyoliwala","tag-spellbound-haryanvi-song","tag-spellbound-movie","tag-spellbound-songs","tag-tituss-burgess"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-3mB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12933"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12942,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12933\/revisions\/12942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}