Pick of the week
Spellbound
A very solid first release for former Pixar head honcho John Lasseter’s new animation outfit Skydance, this new CGI fairytale saddles teenage princess Ellian (voiced by Rachel Zegler) with reversing the curse that turned her royal parents into cute monsters (read: giant house pets, voiced by Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman, both having enormous fun). The animation is stunning, with Maurice Sendak-style critter designs and intricate detail aplenty. And the songs – such as the samba extravaganza about adventurous eating – are actually memorable. Rooted in a quest narrative that occasionally dips into a group therapy session, it builds into a surprisingly moving parable about adult responsibility.
Out now, Netflix
